Why Poland?

When Nick and I told people where we were going for this 3 week trip, several people commented about how lovely some of the other cities would be (Budapest, Prague and Salzburg) but out of curiosity, many asked why we chose to visit Krakow (and Poland for that matter). The answer is plain and simple: while studying abroad in Spain, I met a girl in our hostel in Zurich, Switzerland who studied in Krakow and told me it was the most beautiful city in Europe since it was virtually untouched by WWII relative to other cities. Ever since, I've always wanted to go and explore this gorgeous central European city. After being here 2 days, I am so very glad I listened to her, because I think I've left a piece of my heart here (another piece is in Barcelona, Spain). I don't even think these pictures accurately capture the beauty and history of this city...but we tried as best we could.

On Wednesday morning, Nick and I took Ryanair from Manchester to Krakow, a 3 hour flight. We were new to Ryanair so weren't expecting much and it's very bare bones. Thankfully, our friend Dave got us there early and I was able to do some blogging beforehand at the airport. We both had a little snooze on the plane - this trip has helped us both learn to sleep in the most uncomfortable places when one is sleep deprived.  When we got off the plane, our AirBnB hosts arranged for someone to pick us up from the airport and drop us off at our Krakow home for the next 2 days.

For lunch, we stumbled upon one of of Krakow's oldest dining establishments - Jama Michalika. Upon entering the restaurant, we felt as though we had time traveled  back to the late 1800's - lush green velvet chairs, dark wood furniture, old fashioned lighting, etc. Turns out, this cafe has seen Krakow's actors, literary greats and cabaret artists drink coffee and absinthe since 1908. Apparently, when these artists were unable to pay their tabs, they would pay with their paintings/poems/drawings/etc which is why the walls are now decorated with caricatures of these cultural firebrands. The photos aren't the highest quality since we used the camera on our phones and it was quite dark - we forgot to bring the camera!

Inside Jama Michalika

Another interior view of the restaurant

Okay, so now on to the food - since this wouldn't be a blog written by me if it didn't have photos of the food. Nick and I ordered traditional Barszcz as our starter, which means "Borscht" in Polish. It's beet soup served hot with a strong garlic and onion flavor to it. I devoured it, Nick thought it was alright in small doses. For our main, we had pierogi or Polish ravioli stuffed with either mushroom and cheese or beef. It was so incredibly filling!

Polish Borscht..mmm delicious and garlic-y!

Polish ravioli filled with either meat and/or mushroom and cheese. 

 They were kind enough to give us a to go box (which I don't think most people ask for). Oh and last but not least - our meal cost less than $16! We could definitely have dined for less but this goes to show how far you can stretch your dollar and eat REALLY well in central Europe, unlike western and northern Europe where the exchange rate tends to hurt Americans.

With full bellies, we finished just in time to join one of the many free walking tours offered in Krakow. We chose to do the Old Town tour, which was excellent! Our guide walked us through all of old town, sharing historical tid bits and stories with us and it lasted 2.5 hours! Check out the photos from the walking tour.

The Oldest University in Krakow...gives Santa Clara a run for its money no?

Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, looks over the entire city. 

Fire breathing dragon statue just oustide the castle. 

Gate as you enter the royal castle. 

Up close shot of the castle and its gorgeous gardens. Our jaws dropped when we saw this. 

The main square in old town. You see lots of horse drawn carriages taking tourists around. St. Mary's Basilica is on the right. 

A local artists sells his paintings. Nick and I are contemplating purchasing one! 

Another horse drawn chariot. This was my favorite! And I took this one :) 

One of my best photos I think. I love the italian style houses in the back - so colorful and beautiful 

Nick and I in front of St. Mary's Basilica. I think I've worn this outfit far too many times but it does get chilly at night here. 

View of the fountain, plaza homes, and St. Mary's Basilica. 

View of the Market/Merchant's hall on the left and clock tower in the middle-ish. 

Visitors enjoying their meal under the roof of Market/Merchant's hall. 

Nick and I in front of Market/Merchant's Hall. 

The clock tower in Krakow. 

The weather was absolutely incredible and it was such a wonderful way to welcome us to the city and get acquainted to the culture. Total step count per my fit bit: 19,872 steps in one day. Crazy!

The walking tour worked up our appetites as well, so we used the free map given to us by our guide, which has been a huge life saver. It has Polish phrases, customs, cultural nuances, and restaurant recommendations with discounts. We went with the closest one (Nick was really hungry and I never say no to food :) ) , which was Dorba Kasza Nasza. We were pleasantly surprised by how filling the buckwheat was. It was a very trendy, hipster restaurant (reminded us of Portland actually) and we had a liter of freshly squeezed Lemonade to complement the meal. I ordered the Curry Chicken which had olives, chicken, onions, along with a garlic sauce mixed in with the buckwheat grain (similar to quinoa in texture but a bit bigger) and Polish salad mixture. Nick ordered the pork with buckwheat.

Curry Chicken with Buckwheat! mmmm!! With freshly squeezed lemonade in the background. 

Polish salad - it's a mixture of different "cold salads" - sauerkraut, carrot, celery with raisins, etc. 

Not only was it incredibly delicious and filling, but very affordable. The whole meal came out to 50 PLN, or $14 USD.

We came back home, edited some photos, and quickly fell asleep. What a fabulous first day in Poland!