Hello,
I just spent 5 terrific days in Cracow and wanted to share my impressions.
I flew from and back to Brussels with Sky Europe (good service, nothing to complain about, both flights arrived earlier than scheduled). My Polish friend was expecting me at the airport and we took a bus to go to her house. Everything was OK with the bus service.
On Saturday and Sunday, we visited the city. We went to the royal castle on the Wawel, visited the cathedral and the oldest church of the city. We also went through Kazimierz, to its market, and tried two of its pubs. The rest of the time, we just wandered through the streets and parks.
My friend's parents gave us their car so we could travel around easily. As she doesn't have a driving licence, I had to drive. Roads were OK, the logic behind traffic organization fitted me perfectly and other drivers behaved adequately except maybe for a slight tendency of excessive speed. Not everywhere of course, as "photo radars" are in service as well...
Monday morning, we went to Wielicka to visit the salt mines. It was impressive, especially the subterranean cathedral. Tuesday, we went to Zakopane and had a short walk in the mountain. My feet and lungs were delighted with this maintenance operation, but the eyes remained frustrated as mountains were partly hidden by some unfortunate haze.
In Cracow, I was impressed to see how clean the streets were. Apart from a few exceptions, people actually do use the trash bins (which include ashtrays). As a male having switched to "reception mode", I watched the young Polish ladies and admired their style and pride. People were quiet on the street and I couldn't feel any agressivity at any time. Actually, the only disruptive behaviour I witnessed was a group of young British guys (I recognized the accent) who were drunk and talking loudly, passing by Poles who treated them the only way mediocrity deserves : with indifference.
I had the opportunity to try Polish cooking in several restaurants. Although not sophisticated, it was absolutely delicious. Accidentally, we also went to a georgian restaurant once, which was good. For night life, we saw a movie at an independent cinema, went to see the concerts for the 750th birthday celebration of Cracow, and tried pubs.
Too bad it was only five days. But what a discovery ! I tend to love Paris and New York. Could I live in Cracow ? Yes. And I recommend it to all foreigners who feel able to appreciate it.
See you soon !
