Peace Out Poland!

Wednesday 20^th April

Our holiday and therefore my sickening travel related happiness has come to an end. We had the apartment until 12 noon so we spent the morning relaxing  and getting ready for our impending  departure. After handing in the keys and dropping our bags off at the train station, we set off in search of lunch. We considered trying a new place but I couldn’t face traipsing back and forward from restaurant to restaurant, trying to find something that looked good so we went back to the Old Town Wine Bar and Restaurant. 

The menu had changed slightly and I wasn’t sure what starter to get so we decided to order two main salads as starters. The free bread and spreads had somehow slipped our minds so we ended up fairly full and that was before our mains arrived! Rory decided to splash the cash (probably because I as the one who withdrew it from the cash machine) and ordered himself a steak.  I on the other hand went for something different – a curry. It  reminded me of our favourite dish in Thailand and I was surprisingly  happy that I chose it over steak.  Miracles can happen apparently. Another miracle was the bill – bread and spreads, two main course salads, a steak, a curry and three soft drink, they even threw in two complimentary shots of apple and cinnamon vodka. I didn’t want to offend them so I made Rory neck my shot and then he sipped his. Apparently he’s a vodka connoisseur now too! All that for £24! I honestly don’t know how I’ll adjust to UK prices!

From here we went to Cupcake Corner,  purely be cause we had time to kill,  it had nothing to do with the amazing cupcakes that we devoured. It’s also a well know fact that eating ice cream is a great way to kill time so that’s what we did, went back to the ice cream shop where a lady weighed out our ice-cream on tiny ice cream scales! The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the Old Town and through the Planty Park.

Krakow is a really beautiful place, even the areas outside the historic Old Town have their charm and I have really enjoyed our time here. I can’t quite believe how good the food has been, not only in Kraków but also during the rest of our trip. It might be a bold claim but I’d go as far as saying it’s the best food we’ve had on a trip, especially in terms of the consistently, quality and price. I have also been really impressed  by the people here in Poland.  Everyone we encountered  has been pleasant, polite and willing to help.  Not only that, everyone speaks perfect English and while it’s not ideal, I don’t feel horrible for not speaking any Polish. And my favourite thing about the people of Krakow? They stop their cars to let you cross the street! Even if you aren’t on a pedestrian crossing, even if a hundred people have gone before you, even if you look like a massive tourist with your backpack and expensive camera, they stop and wave you across. It’s one of the things I hate about Europe, people not stopping to let you cross and constantly fearing for your life (despite knowing the importance of “stop, look and listen”) but Krakow has been a welcome change and I’m thankful for their considerate citizens. Take note rest of the world!

When we’d exhausted our options we finally took a train to the airport, arriving slightly early at 7pm, a casual 3 hours before our flight was due to depart! Naturally this didn’t bother me, after all, airports are full of discount niceys... not this one apparently! Not only was the airport painfully small, it was busy beyond belief and everything was outrageously overpriced! To be fair the time did pass quite quickly and we boarded the flight, luckily got the last two spaces in the overhead locker for our bags and got cosy, ready for the short flight home!

While it hasn’t been our longest trip or the most exciting in terms of life threatening activities and adventures, I’ve really enjoyed our little European Adventure.  Expectation wise I didn’t have any, after all,  it couldn’t have cost more than £700 and that barely covered our wildlife watching excursions in Canada, but it was better than I could have imagined. The food, the people, the places, the history – all impressive and all worthwhile. It might have been a busy holiday, constantly on the go and there certainly haven’t been days dedicated to  sunbathing but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I’m also glad we saw some of the tragedy. Rory and I discussed the memory of the holocaust and of the world wars. We wondered how long it will be before we stop thinking about them, teaching their history in our schools and how long before the commemorations fade away and eventually cease. I hope it won’t be for a very, very long time and I really believe that by visiting our past, as difficult and morbid as it may seem, we keep it and the people involved alive. I am very aware that I am incredibly lucky with the life I have and the things I have experienced and while I would like to think that I’m grateful, I think this trip has only increased my appreciation. I have absolutely loved this holiday and I cannot wait to one day, come back.