Krakow, Poland

So last night was not the best way to meet Krakow, Poland, for the first time, but I wake up to its bright, puffy clouds gazing down at me through my hotel room’s skylight, which sadly is the only fabulous feature in my room. Well, that and the strong water pressure. I tell myself daylight is probably a better alarm clock than the one on my phone. After a quick breakfast in the hotel’s basement restaurant, I grab my camera and head outside.

It turns out my hotel is just around the corner from the central train station, Kraków Główny, that I tried to navigate last night. And the station is adjacent to a large modern mall that’s no different from anything we’d find in the US, including a food court with the ubiquitous McDo.

Steps away from the mall I walk through the tunnel where locals and tourists rub shoulders as we rush between trains and trams, but today I’ll not be taking any public transportation. Its historic center, deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is best toured on foot. The first thing I notice is how many carts there are everywhere hawking pretzels and bagels.

I follow one of the sightseeing routes the Information Center suggested to me and let my camera do its thing.

Krakow has come a long way from its humble Stone Age beginning and now ranks as Poland’s academic and economic center. Tomorrow, as we go beyond this street, we’ll see evidence of its rise to fame, and in a few days I’ll take you to a place that’s been on my bucket list for a very long time.

September 20, 2010