Month: July 2012

It was another very hot and humid day. After breakfast we walked to Wawel Castle. We arrived at the entrance and spent the next 15 minutes trying to work out what the charges were. You buy entrance tickets for different parts and only so many tickets are on sale each day and as we were reading it all, the numbers were reducing on the board at the entrance. Very confusing. We decided in the end we would come back another day!

We then walked along the river through the Jewish Ghetto to Schindler’s Factory. That was really interesting and the nearest I was going to get to that part of Poland’s history as I wanted to visit Auschwitz but Mal said he didn’t want to as it was far too depressing.

In the evening we ate at Camelot. It is a lovely cafe in the old part of the town not far from the square. Prices around the square are more expensive so it was nice to find this place. We both had salads which were enormous and then I ordered the “cherry wine”. That really was a surprise! It came in a glass  with ice cream in it as well and as I tried  to start drinking it I discovered that there were 15 cherries in it that must have been soaked in cherry liquer for days. This was as well as the extra fruit decoration on the side of the plate!   I am not sure whether it was a drink or desert but it was delicious! Well worth a visit if you are ever in Krakow.

We walked back to the hotel stopping in the “Dog in the Fog” on the way back as Mal was getting to really like Polish beer!

Torin, Mal and I were up at 3.30am, so that Torin could take us to Stansted. A good flight and on time (Ryanair!) In fact it seemed a really short flight compared to going back to North Cyprus.

We arrived in Krakow and managed to work out the train and buy tickets with our non existent Polish and walked from the train station to the hotel which wasn’t far. It was really humid. We were staying at the Ascot Hotel, a really good location as it is in one of the quieter streets and only a short walk from the main square. We booked through Alpha rooms and found a very good deal. As the flight was so early, even with the time difference and walking from the station we were there at 10.30 and we were going to ask to leave our luggage but instead they told us our room was ready, so we could go straight in.

We unpacked and then walked to the main square and later had lunch at Cherubino Restaurant where they did a very good beetroot soup with dumplings and a good mojito too, of course Mal had beer. Another wander round, back to the hotel for a shower and then to Chata Restaurant for dinner. We were really looking forward to this as it is an authentic Polish restaurant and we were not disappointed.  In the evening everyone collects in the main square and that is what we  did.

 

We went to the Duck Race in Biggleswade which had been postponed from an earlier date because of all the downpours.

Scarlet and Jack went on a lot of rides. There was also a snake there that Jack was a little concerned about so Karen volunteered to hold it!

From there we went on to the Green Man at Stanford. I used to take my kids there years ago when they had animals as well as the swings. No animals now, just very expensive beer! But as everyone reminded I was going back a long time!