On Krakow Time

There's not much this tourist can say about the first day in Krakow.  We walked around.  Wow.  I'm thrilled.  Are you thrilled?

Nope, that's not the story I want to write, so you don't have to decide whether or not to read it.  Here's the story.

As you remember from our last episode, Adam and Naomi took naps almost immediately upon arrival.  The big question then became, could we find Naomi a cup of coffee soon enough for her to enjoy the first day.  As we walked into the old town square, looked we heard a thud behind us and turned to see that an older guy, in his sixties, had fallen in the street.  An Asian woman, also a tourist, said he had walked past her, then suddenly veered into the street.  I tried to revive him with a cop trick I once saw of tapping the bottom of the foot.  I was a lot softer than the cops had been that time.  No doing.  A couple of women stopped to help by calling emergency, I think.  Though we didn't understand a word they said, the lack of cooperation and help was evident.  Naomi and I moved the guy further out of the road.  Then a larger group arrived, and two of the men and I got him on the sidewalk.  It turned out that he has paperwork saying he has epilepsy.  It was a fit, one that left him pretty damn close to the trolley tracks.  Once the Polish people, all in their 30s it seemed, had things under control, we continued on our way with many thank you's from the Poles.

Dinner was at a tiny pierogi joint.  Order at the counter for the best pierogis I've ever had..by far.  A dish each, plus their fruit kompote drink came to 30 zloty -- $11-$12.  Gotta go back there and try their venison pierogis before we leave.

Second day was oh so very different, dominated by one thing -- the trip to Auschwitz.  That, though deserves its own post.

 We walked around part of the Jewish quarter a bit, then back to the main square where we had an unremarkable lunch in another recommended traditional place.  The whole square is very festive with restaurants, gift shops, living statues, music, and horse drawn carriages.  I have a limited tolerance for that kind of thing, but the lure of one of the chocolate cafes will draw me back on our last night.

I must say that the layout of the area is confusing.  Even with a map, I've had trouble figuring out where I was and where I was going...and if any of you makes a crack about my age...