POLAND October,2013! Overdue trip report
Apr 13th, 2014, 09:47 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
POLAND October,2013! Overdue trip report
Poland! Overdue trip report October 2013
My husband, daughter and I had a truly wonderful trip to Warsaw and Krakow!
We flew United/Lufthansa-Dulles>Frankfurt>Warsaw, 4 nights in Warsaw, train to Krakow, flew home Krakow>Munich>Dulles. All flights went smoothly.
The weather was great for October- high 50s and 60s, lots of sunshine and not a drop of rain! From the moment we saw the driver “Tom” from our B&B at the Warsaw airport holding a sign with my name on it, to our last day in Krakow, we loved every minute in Poland! My husband is of Polish descent so it was wonderful visiting the country of his ancestors!
Our B&B in Warsaw was the very charming Boutique B&B with a great location just a couple blocks from the Royal Route. http://bbwarsaw.com The staff was extremely helpful and pleasant. Breakfast was very good with many options. Guests sit around one big table so we spoke with people from all over the world. The highlight of this B&B is intimate Chopin piano concerts almost every evening from phenomenal young pianists!
Chopin is my very favorite composer and Warsaw was his city so I was in Chopin heaven! We loved the “Chopin Benches” and enjoyed finding them throughout the city.
We know that Warsaw was destroyed during World War II. Seeing how the citizens have rebuilt was a great testament to the strength of the Polish people.
In the interest of time, I won’t go into great detail but I’ll be happy to answer any questions.
DAY 1: We walked the Royal Route-Nowy Swiat (New World), saw many beautiful palaces and churches, Copernicus square and statue, inside St Anne’s, St John’s Cathedral, St Martin’s, and Holy Cross (where Chopin’s heart is entombed in one of the pillars!). We walked through Castle Square, Multimedia Fountain park, saw the city wall and Barbican, Stare Miasto (Old Town Square-undergoing renovation), quaint cobblestone streets, went into some shops, and stopped for paczki-the delicious Polish donut. Actually, we had paczki almost everyday! They were especially good at the well known A. Blikle on Nowy Swiat,33
DAY 2: The wonderful Chopin museum, Castle Square and Stare Miasto again,Warsaw Uprising Monument and Cathedral of the Polish Army across the street, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (also undergoing renovation),beautiful Saxon Park, Church of the Visitation for Mass.
DAY 3: Bus to Museum of the History of the Polish Jews-not yet finished but the building is magnificent. You can go inside the building even though exhibits aren’t up and running yet. It will be amazing when complete. Ghetto Heroes Square, Path of Remembrance, Mila 18 Memorial, Umschlagplatz -the transfer place for trains to Auschwitz-all extremely moving and heartbreaking. Another bus to the beautiful Lazienki Park with the huge Chopin statue and the Palace on the Water. We walked back to our B&B through pretty streets with Embassies and fashion shops.
DAY 4: Toured the Castle which was amazing, another brief stop in St. John’s Cathedral, walked the quaint streets of “New” Town to New Town Square and St. Kazimierz church, found the clock on the old town wall. My daughter and I climbed St Anne’s church tower for a magnificent view of the whole city. Fabulous hot chocolate and dessert at E.Wedel.
ul Szpitalna, 8
Restaurants we enjoyed in Warsaw:
Pierogarnia na Bednarskiej ul. Bednarska, 28/30
Grill Bar Zgoda ul. Zgoda, 4
Bellini Rynek Stare Miasto 21
Banja Luka ul Szkolna,2/4
Honoratka- a restaurant that Chopin and his friends frequented! ul Miodowa,14
Borpince ul Zgoda,1
Kluska Polska ul Krzywe Koło 30
next: Krakow!
My husband, daughter and I had a truly wonderful trip to Warsaw and Krakow!
We flew United/Lufthansa-Dulles>Frankfurt>Warsaw, 4 nights in Warsaw, train to Krakow, flew home Krakow>Munich>Dulles. All flights went smoothly.
The weather was great for October- high 50s and 60s, lots of sunshine and not a drop of rain! From the moment we saw the driver “Tom” from our B&B at the Warsaw airport holding a sign with my name on it, to our last day in Krakow, we loved every minute in Poland! My husband is of Polish descent so it was wonderful visiting the country of his ancestors!
Our B&B in Warsaw was the very charming Boutique B&B with a great location just a couple blocks from the Royal Route. http://bbwarsaw.com The staff was extremely helpful and pleasant. Breakfast was very good with many options. Guests sit around one big table so we spoke with people from all over the world. The highlight of this B&B is intimate Chopin piano concerts almost every evening from phenomenal young pianists!
Chopin is my very favorite composer and Warsaw was his city so I was in Chopin heaven! We loved the “Chopin Benches” and enjoyed finding them throughout the city.
We know that Warsaw was destroyed during World War II. Seeing how the citizens have rebuilt was a great testament to the strength of the Polish people.
In the interest of time, I won’t go into great detail but I’ll be happy to answer any questions.
DAY 1: We walked the Royal Route-Nowy Swiat (New World), saw many beautiful palaces and churches, Copernicus square and statue, inside St Anne’s, St John’s Cathedral, St Martin’s, and Holy Cross (where Chopin’s heart is entombed in one of the pillars!). We walked through Castle Square, Multimedia Fountain park, saw the city wall and Barbican, Stare Miasto (Old Town Square-undergoing renovation), quaint cobblestone streets, went into some shops, and stopped for paczki-the delicious Polish donut. Actually, we had paczki almost everyday! They were especially good at the well known A. Blikle on Nowy Swiat,33
DAY 2: The wonderful Chopin museum, Castle Square and Stare Miasto again,Warsaw Uprising Monument and Cathedral of the Polish Army across the street, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (also undergoing renovation),beautiful Saxon Park, Church of the Visitation for Mass.
DAY 3: Bus to Museum of the History of the Polish Jews-not yet finished but the building is magnificent. You can go inside the building even though exhibits aren’t up and running yet. It will be amazing when complete. Ghetto Heroes Square, Path of Remembrance, Mila 18 Memorial, Umschlagplatz -the transfer place for trains to Auschwitz-all extremely moving and heartbreaking. Another bus to the beautiful Lazienki Park with the huge Chopin statue and the Palace on the Water. We walked back to our B&B through pretty streets with Embassies and fashion shops.
DAY 4: Toured the Castle which was amazing, another brief stop in St. John’s Cathedral, walked the quaint streets of “New” Town to New Town Square and St. Kazimierz church, found the clock on the old town wall. My daughter and I climbed St Anne’s church tower for a magnificent view of the whole city. Fabulous hot chocolate and dessert at E.Wedel.
ul Szpitalna, 8
Restaurants we enjoyed in Warsaw:
Pierogarnia na Bednarskiej ul. Bednarska, 28/30
Grill Bar Zgoda ul. Zgoda, 4
Bellini Rynek Stare Miasto 21
Banja Luka ul Szkolna,2/4
Honoratka- a restaurant that Chopin and his friends frequented! ul Miodowa,14
Borpince ul Zgoda,1
Kluska Polska ul Krzywe Koło 30
next: Krakow!
Apr 13th, 2014, 10:48 AM
#2
Wonderful! You beat me--I was in Poland July 2013 so my report is really overdue! I wish we had spent more time in Warsaw, especially reading about what you saw and did.
Looking forward to your impressions of Krakow.
Looking forward to your impressions of Krakow.
Apr 13th, 2014, 10:59 AM
#3
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have Polish heritage and would love to visit Poland but don't speak Polish. How difficult is the language situation? Could we get by with English and some Polish greetings?
Was 4 days sufficient or did you simply visit Warsaw? If we went I think Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw would be our choice of Polish cities and then maybe Munich for a return flight.
Was 4 days sufficient or did you simply visit Warsaw? If we went I think Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw would be our choice of Polish cities and then maybe Munich for a return flight.
Apr 13th, 2014, 11:14 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi pauljagman,
We did learn a few Polish phrases from CDs and the internet-"Please,Thank you,
Good morning, Good evening, Excuse me, do you speak English?, I'm sorry, I don't speak Polish" but everyone did speak some English and they really appreciated that we tried to speak their language. We spent 4 days in Warsaw and 5 in Krakow. While there is always more to see and experience, that was a good amount of time. I hope you can visit Poland!
We did learn a few Polish phrases from CDs and the internet-"Please,Thank you,
Good morning, Good evening, Excuse me, do you speak English?, I'm sorry, I don't speak Polish" but everyone did speak some English and they really appreciated that we tried to speak their language. We spent 4 days in Warsaw and 5 in Krakow. While there is always more to see and experience, that was a good amount of time. I hope you can visit Poland!
Apr 13th, 2014, 11:17 AM
#5
Paul, in my limited experience, I found English to be widely (but maybe not deeply) spoken by those in the tourist industry in Warsaw and Krakow. Perhaps less so than in other European countries, but you shouldn't have any major communication problems. I really loved Poland!
Apr 13th, 2014, 03:07 PM
#8
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,818
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
carol:
You just had to go on to mention A.Blickler's sinful bakery on Novy Swiat...ruins my light supper for tonight..not a Blickler goodie in the house! A woman told me that Novy Swiat was destined to be Warsaw's Rodeo Drive...but that was twenty years ago...I imagine they've made strides in that lofty direction since.
Treblinka, 75 miles north of Warsaw, is one of the most moving of the several K-camps I have vsisted over the past 40 years...and that's saying something. We were the only visitors there at dusk and the gates were closed..evryone left. We were still able to walk around the gated segment to get to the unusual monuments section...a most dramatic and chilling hour. Highly recommend a mission to Treblinka while in Warsaw. Adequate highway from Warsaw...easy to find. (I will try to post some pics)
Thanks for your very well presented report.
You just had to go on to mention A.Blickler's sinful bakery on Novy Swiat...ruins my light supper for tonight..not a Blickler goodie in the house! A woman told me that Novy Swiat was destined to be Warsaw's Rodeo Drive...but that was twenty years ago...I imagine they've made strides in that lofty direction since.
Treblinka, 75 miles north of Warsaw, is one of the most moving of the several K-camps I have vsisted over the past 40 years...and that's saying something. We were the only visitors there at dusk and the gates were closed..evryone left. We were still able to walk around the gated segment to get to the unusual monuments section...a most dramatic and chilling hour. Highly recommend a mission to Treblinka while in Warsaw. Adequate highway from Warsaw...easy to find. (I will try to post some pics)
Thanks for your very well presented report.
Apr 13th, 2014, 03:11 PM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am anxiously waiting the Krakow report as I just booked 5 days there in mid-October.... can't wait to go!!!
I feel bad for getting such great information from fellow Fodorites and not following up with a trip report... I did one for my Paris trip in 2008 and never finished it
Not enough hours in the day, I guess.
I feel bad for getting such great information from fellow Fodorites and not following up with a trip report... I did one for my Paris trip in 2008 and never finished it
Not enough hours in the day, I guess.
Apr 13th, 2014, 05:43 PM
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,818
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Carol W: I was finally able to dig these up from the "archives"
aspromised. They tell the story of Treblinka to some degree.
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...CPXAnry1qZrIEQ
aspromised. They tell the story of Treblinka to some degree.
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...CPXAnry1qZrIEQ
Apr 14th, 2014, 05:04 AM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DAY 5: Morning train to Krakow! An easy 15 minute walk from our B&B to the Warsaw train station, passing the Palace of Culture and Science. The 10:15 train was on time bringing us to Krakow at 1:15.
We checked into the lovely, old world Hotel Europejski.http://www.he.pl/ It’s steps from the train station and less than 10 minutes from the main square. The rooms were charming, the breakfast was great and the staff was helpful. The hotel restaurant was excellent and the prices are very reasonable. We had dinner there 3 times. Highly recommended, especially the mulled wine!
We had a late lunch at Cherubino http://www.cherubino.pl/restaurant_krakow.html
Poland does Italian and Polish dishes in the same restaurant very well! We wandered around the Old Town and Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny). We were told it is the largest and one of the most magnificent in Europe. It did not disappoint! The Renaissance style Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Basilica, Town Hall, etc.-all magnificent, as well as the square itself, which is surrounded by beautiful buildings. We went to St Francis-Pope John Paul II’s church and saw the pew where he prayed and the beautiful Wyspianski stained glass windows. Across the street is the window in the Archbishop’s palace where John Paul II spoke to the people. Window shopping on ul Grodzka and the Cloth Hall shops. Coffee and dessert at Wenzel in the main square. We were already totally charmed by Krakow!
DAY 6: Marta Chmielowska,our excellent tour guide, picked us up after breakfast for the tour I had booked. She took us to Kazimierz (the Jewish district), areas where Schindler’s List was filmed,Podgorze (the Jewish Ghetto), Ghetto Heroes Square with the 68 empty chairs, the Pharmacy under the Eagle, drove by the Schindler Factory Museum-which we planned to tour another time, and the Ghetto wall. All very moving. We then drove to Wawel Castle-which we also planned to tour at a later time, toured Wawel Cathedral with Marta.
She was extremely knowledgeable about everything we saw. It was a real pleasure having her as our guide and learning so much Polish history and culture! We walked with her to ul Kanonicza, John Paul II House and Center, St Francis church and Monastery, the beautiful buildings, campus, and clock tower quad of the University (Collegium Maius), Main Market Square- the very large “Head” sculpture, St Mary’s with the breathtakingly exquisite wood carved altar, the bugler in St Mary’s tower, (we heard the bugler several times-always wonderful), http://www.krakow-info.com/hejnal.htm, Florian Gate, the Barbican- a truly wonderful tour with a wonderful tour guide.
After a very good lunch at Babci Maliny that Marta recommended http://www.kuchniaubabcimaliny.pl/na...kowska-17.html
my daughter and I went shopping, wandered the quaint streets and went back to the University at 3:00 pm to see the Clock Tower figures come alive! We stopped at St Peter and Paul church, bought some gifts and souvenirs at Krakuska Sztuka Ludowa on ul Szewska-a shop Marta recommended,( we returned to this shop a few times- lovely gifts and good prices!), looked at ceramics and then met back with my husband and had an excellent dinner at our hotel. My daughter and I made a short trip to the Krakow Galeria-a very large mall adjacent to the train station.
DAY 7: Salt Mine at Wieliczka. We took the #304 bus, had a little trouble finding the bus stop but a nice man helped us. It’s about a 45 minute bus ride and we arrived in time for the 11:30 tour in English. The Salt Mine is truly jaw dropping with the incredible salt sculptures hundreds of feet hundred underground! (this is not a place for anyone who is claustrophobic!) After the bus ride back to Krakow and a short rest in our room we went for a delicious early dinner to Restauracja Galicyjska, http://www.galicyjska.com/en/index.php?set= then to the Main Market Square-filled with musicians and vendors selling food, flowers and various crafts-bought some amber jewelry at the Cloth Hall shops, and stopped again in the beautiful St Mary’s Basilica.
Part of our evening was also spent underground! The Rynek Underground is a fascinating museum under the main square that cleverly combines modern technology with original artifacts,among them the remains of an 11th century cemetery. After some yummy gelato at Lodziarnia on ul Grodzka, and some shopping on ul Florianska, we returned to our lovely hotel for a late night glass of mulled wine.
DAY 8: We took Tram #20- across the Vistula River to the stop a few blocks from the Schindler Factory Museum-actually the Museum of Krakow Under Nazi Occupation.
We weren’t sure which way to go so my husband, in his halting Polish, asked a young lady if she spoke English. She said “a little” but when we asked for directions she told us in perfectly flawless English! The museum is very well done and tells an extremely tragic story. At the end of the tour is a large white book called the “Book of the Righteous” that has the names of people who helped the Jews. It was very moving to see listed a Helena & Kazimierz with the same last name as my husband’s, spelled exactly the same way. We like to believe his ancestors somehow helped the Jewish people.
Back in the old town we had a delicious lunch at Miod Malina (translation: Honey Raspberry) http://miodmalina.pl/en then walked to Wawel Royal Castle. It was a beautiful day so we took lots of pictures outside of the magnificent castle, cathedral and grounds. The inner courtyard of the castle is a spectacular Italian Renaissance style and one of the largest in Europe. The rooms inside are interesting with many beautiful tapestries but the highlight was Leonardo’s “Lady with an Ermine” that was on temporary exhibit while the Czartoryski museum was being renovated. It was a thrill to be so close to this masterpiece with very few people around! We went back inside the splendid Cathedral,sat for awhile at the outdoor cafe and then walked to the foot of the castle along the Vistula River and saw the statue of the “fire breathing” dragon.There is an interesting legend associated with the dragon: http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/class...egends/WD1.pdf
We bought some Polish ceramics and other gifts, stopped at St Mary’s,had a delicious dinner at our Hotel,and went back to the Main Square for fabulous desserts at the restaurant of the Hotel Wentzl. The Main Square was absolutely beautiful lit up at night!
DAY 9: Sadly,our last day in Poland.
We found out about the Sunday morning flea market a 10 minute walk from our hotel so we checked it out. Very interesting seeing the locals. I bought an old silver demitasse spoon for my daughter-in-law. On the way home we went to Mass at another of the many gorgeous churches in Krakow, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Krakow is second only to Rome in the number of Catholic churches!
It was a beautiful day and we spent a lot of it walking the Planty -the park that encircles the entire Stare Miasto (Old Town). We stopped in St. Anne’s near the University and St. John’s and had a very good late lunch at the cute, inexpensive self-service Polskie Smaki. http://www.polskie-smaki.pl/
After a little more shopping we sat in the Main Market Square having coffee and cappuccino at Cafe Art. We just stayed in the magnificent square for a while trying to absorb it all! We went back to St Mary’s to hear the bugler and see the carved altar one last time. It was almost dark when we walked back to our hotel for another excellent dinner.
We went to the train station to find out about transportation to the airport and then it was time to pack and say farewell to this wonderful place.
A few notes:
We used carry-on luggage only. I was overly concerned about fitting liquids into my one quart bag. Of course,Poland does have drug stores and pharmacies. Rossmann-a large chain with stores in Warsaw and Krakow-has toiletries of every kind.
The Polish people we met were warm, kind, and helpful. They were very appreciative whenever we tried to say something in Polish!
We couldn’t help but admire the Polish people. They have endured so much hardship over the centuries-invasions from several countries, Nazi occupation, life under Communism. Poland didn’t exist on a map for over 120 years. But as our tour guide Marta said,”We were always Polish in our hearts.”
We checked into the lovely, old world Hotel Europejski.http://www.he.pl/ It’s steps from the train station and less than 10 minutes from the main square. The rooms were charming, the breakfast was great and the staff was helpful. The hotel restaurant was excellent and the prices are very reasonable. We had dinner there 3 times. Highly recommended, especially the mulled wine!
We had a late lunch at Cherubino http://www.cherubino.pl/restaurant_krakow.html
Poland does Italian and Polish dishes in the same restaurant very well! We wandered around the Old Town and Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny). We were told it is the largest and one of the most magnificent in Europe. It did not disappoint! The Renaissance style Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Basilica, Town Hall, etc.-all magnificent, as well as the square itself, which is surrounded by beautiful buildings. We went to St Francis-Pope John Paul II’s church and saw the pew where he prayed and the beautiful Wyspianski stained glass windows. Across the street is the window in the Archbishop’s palace where John Paul II spoke to the people. Window shopping on ul Grodzka and the Cloth Hall shops. Coffee and dessert at Wenzel in the main square. We were already totally charmed by Krakow!
DAY 6: Marta Chmielowska,our excellent tour guide, picked us up after breakfast for the tour I had booked. She took us to Kazimierz (the Jewish district), areas where Schindler’s List was filmed,Podgorze (the Jewish Ghetto), Ghetto Heroes Square with the 68 empty chairs, the Pharmacy under the Eagle, drove by the Schindler Factory Museum-which we planned to tour another time, and the Ghetto wall. All very moving. We then drove to Wawel Castle-which we also planned to tour at a later time, toured Wawel Cathedral with Marta.
She was extremely knowledgeable about everything we saw. It was a real pleasure having her as our guide and learning so much Polish history and culture! We walked with her to ul Kanonicza, John Paul II House and Center, St Francis church and Monastery, the beautiful buildings, campus, and clock tower quad of the University (Collegium Maius), Main Market Square- the very large “Head” sculpture, St Mary’s with the breathtakingly exquisite wood carved altar, the bugler in St Mary’s tower, (we heard the bugler several times-always wonderful), http://www.krakow-info.com/hejnal.htm, Florian Gate, the Barbican- a truly wonderful tour with a wonderful tour guide.
After a very good lunch at Babci Maliny that Marta recommended http://www.kuchniaubabcimaliny.pl/na...kowska-17.html
my daughter and I went shopping, wandered the quaint streets and went back to the University at 3:00 pm to see the Clock Tower figures come alive! We stopped at St Peter and Paul church, bought some gifts and souvenirs at Krakuska Sztuka Ludowa on ul Szewska-a shop Marta recommended,( we returned to this shop a few times- lovely gifts and good prices!), looked at ceramics and then met back with my husband and had an excellent dinner at our hotel. My daughter and I made a short trip to the Krakow Galeria-a very large mall adjacent to the train station.
DAY 7: Salt Mine at Wieliczka. We took the #304 bus, had a little trouble finding the bus stop but a nice man helped us. It’s about a 45 minute bus ride and we arrived in time for the 11:30 tour in English. The Salt Mine is truly jaw dropping with the incredible salt sculptures hundreds of feet hundred underground! (this is not a place for anyone who is claustrophobic!) After the bus ride back to Krakow and a short rest in our room we went for a delicious early dinner to Restauracja Galicyjska, http://www.galicyjska.com/en/index.php?set= then to the Main Market Square-filled with musicians and vendors selling food, flowers and various crafts-bought some amber jewelry at the Cloth Hall shops, and stopped again in the beautiful St Mary’s Basilica.
Part of our evening was also spent underground! The Rynek Underground is a fascinating museum under the main square that cleverly combines modern technology with original artifacts,among them the remains of an 11th century cemetery. After some yummy gelato at Lodziarnia on ul Grodzka, and some shopping on ul Florianska, we returned to our lovely hotel for a late night glass of mulled wine.
DAY 8: We took Tram #20- across the Vistula River to the stop a few blocks from the Schindler Factory Museum-actually the Museum of Krakow Under Nazi Occupation.
We weren’t sure which way to go so my husband, in his halting Polish, asked a young lady if she spoke English. She said “a little” but when we asked for directions she told us in perfectly flawless English! The museum is very well done and tells an extremely tragic story. At the end of the tour is a large white book called the “Book of the Righteous” that has the names of people who helped the Jews. It was very moving to see listed a Helena & Kazimierz with the same last name as my husband’s, spelled exactly the same way. We like to believe his ancestors somehow helped the Jewish people.
Back in the old town we had a delicious lunch at Miod Malina (translation: Honey Raspberry) http://miodmalina.pl/en then walked to Wawel Royal Castle. It was a beautiful day so we took lots of pictures outside of the magnificent castle, cathedral and grounds. The inner courtyard of the castle is a spectacular Italian Renaissance style and one of the largest in Europe. The rooms inside are interesting with many beautiful tapestries but the highlight was Leonardo’s “Lady with an Ermine” that was on temporary exhibit while the Czartoryski museum was being renovated. It was a thrill to be so close to this masterpiece with very few people around! We went back inside the splendid Cathedral,sat for awhile at the outdoor cafe and then walked to the foot of the castle along the Vistula River and saw the statue of the “fire breathing” dragon.There is an interesting legend associated with the dragon: http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/class...egends/WD1.pdf
We bought some Polish ceramics and other gifts, stopped at St Mary’s,had a delicious dinner at our Hotel,and went back to the Main Square for fabulous desserts at the restaurant of the Hotel Wentzl. The Main Square was absolutely beautiful lit up at night!
DAY 9: Sadly,our last day in Poland.
We found out about the Sunday morning flea market a 10 minute walk from our hotel so we checked it out. Very interesting seeing the locals. I bought an old silver demitasse spoon for my daughter-in-law. On the way home we went to Mass at another of the many gorgeous churches in Krakow, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Krakow is second only to Rome in the number of Catholic churches!
It was a beautiful day and we spent a lot of it walking the Planty -the park that encircles the entire Stare Miasto (Old Town). We stopped in St. Anne’s near the University and St. John’s and had a very good late lunch at the cute, inexpensive self-service Polskie Smaki. http://www.polskie-smaki.pl/
After a little more shopping we sat in the Main Market Square having coffee and cappuccino at Cafe Art. We just stayed in the magnificent square for a while trying to absorb it all! We went back to St Mary’s to hear the bugler and see the carved altar one last time. It was almost dark when we walked back to our hotel for another excellent dinner.
We went to the train station to find out about transportation to the airport and then it was time to pack and say farewell to this wonderful place.
A few notes:
We used carry-on luggage only. I was overly concerned about fitting liquids into my one quart bag. Of course,Poland does have drug stores and pharmacies. Rossmann-a large chain with stores in Warsaw and Krakow-has toiletries of every kind.
The Polish people we met were warm, kind, and helpful. They were very appreciative whenever we tried to say something in Polish!
We couldn’t help but admire the Polish people. They have endured so much hardship over the centuries-invasions from several countries, Nazi occupation, life under Communism. Poland didn’t exist on a map for over 120 years. But as our tour guide Marta said,”We were always Polish in our hearts.”
Apr 14th, 2014, 05:26 AM
#13
"Poland does Italian and Polish dishes in the same restaurant very well!"
There may be a good reason for that. In 1518 an Italian Royal, Bona Sforza, married the widowed Polish King Sigismund I; thus, in my humble Polish opinion, merging two of the world's best cuisines.
There may be a good reason for that. In 1518 an Italian Royal, Bona Sforza, married the widowed Polish King Sigismund I; thus, in my humble Polish opinion, merging two of the world's best cuisines.
Apr 14th, 2014, 05:49 AM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That's right and I agree! Especially since my husband is Polish and I'm Italian! 
You can also see the strong Italian influence in the architecture of the Cloth Hall and Wawel Castle.
You can also see the strong Italian influence in the architecture of the Cloth Hall and Wawel Castle.
Apr 14th, 2014, 09:43 AM
#18
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,589
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glad to read about your Warsaw-Krakow trip. We were there a few years back on a tour. Stayed at the Radisson SAS in Warsaw. What a miracle that the old city was restored after being totally demolished. So the Old Town is really not that old while the New Town nearby is pretty old. One treat was a trip to a rural farm for a meal. Once prosperous but today such farms seek out tourists and school groups. Also heard a Chopin recital in he country.
En route to Krakow a visit to the shrine of Black Madonna in Czestochowa. We enjoyed a stay in Krakow...SAS Radisson near Old Town. Down pedestrian way (Grodzka) and the Cloth Hall in the square. Also toured Wawel Castle. Yes, many churches in Krakow. Notable is that Pope John Paul II came from here. We had a professor lecture on history, then want across river to Kazimierz, former Jewish center. Glad to know of Schindler Museum now in operation a short distance away.
Has anyone been to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains? Delightful day trip. But I must add that a tour of Auschwitz is a must.
En route to Krakow a visit to the shrine of Black Madonna in Czestochowa. We enjoyed a stay in Krakow...SAS Radisson near Old Town. Down pedestrian way (Grodzka) and the Cloth Hall in the square. Also toured Wawel Castle. Yes, many churches in Krakow. Notable is that Pope John Paul II came from here. We had a professor lecture on history, then want across river to Kazimierz, former Jewish center. Glad to know of Schindler Museum now in operation a short distance away.
Has anyone been to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains? Delightful day trip. But I must add that a tour of Auschwitz is a must.
Apr 14th, 2014, 10:40 AM
#19
You saw a lot while in Krakow. There are indeed so many beautiful churches.
And I also had a meal at Miod Mialina while in Krakow last summer--nice place. Not my very favorite beet-and-dumpling soup, though (I tried quite a few because I took such a liking to them!).
Thanks so much for posting this, carolw. Reading it is like re-visiting Warsaw and Krakow.
And I also had a meal at Miod Mialina while in Krakow last summer--nice place. Not my very favorite beet-and-dumpling soup, though (I tried quite a few because I took such a liking to them!).
Thanks so much for posting this, carolw. Reading it is like re-visiting Warsaw and Krakow.
