Already in Love

We departed Prague this morning, and began our nine hour bus drive to Krakow, Poland. Certainly, we could have shaved 3 hours off the trip if we hadn't stopped, and having been trained by my parents on all those trips to Medford, that is the travel method I far prefer! However, we had to allow our bus driver breaks, so we stopped four times along the way, and made a day of the thing. They showed a couple movies on the bus - I saw Space Jam for the first time - and I read, slept, ate my lunch, stared out the window at the scenery, etc. Thanks to my earplugs and an empty seat beside me, the trip wasn't so bad.

When we arrived in Krakow we were given our room keys, maps, and city guides, and a few hints about the city. Dinner tonight was the first meal we were in charge of on our own. I went with a group of five other people in the direction of the old city. After walking around the main square a bit, we realized it would be better to use out guides to find a recommended restaurant. We ended up going to a restaurant just outside the old city that served traditional Polish food, and was extremely inexpensive, but with great service (not very common in this part of Europe) and a fantastic atmosphere. I really loved it! The decor was awesome! Pretty soon, three other IES groups arrived. I had a cabbage wrap with rice and mushrooms, and a mushroom sauce, as well as sweet cottage cheese Pirogi (Polish dumplings). It was way too much food, so I shared the Pirogi with my table, then with another IES group that was waiting for their food. Even so, with tip and a beverage, my meal was less than $8. 

After dinner we meandered back to the old city an wandered around the large square in the center, where we found ice cream! A perfect dessert! 

I don't know exactly what it is about Krakow, perhaps it's that fact that the layout feels more straight forward than Prague, or perhaps because there are a lot less people, but I instantly felt a connection to this city, and so much more comfortable. It feels less like a city, and more like an over-sized village. I'm already in love with this city, and ready to learn more about the history tomorrow!

For now, good night.