Today I could relax, and the only distance I had to cover was as far as I wanted to explore on foot in Kraków. This city is beautiful, it is crammed with the most beautiful architecture I have even seen, it is clean and seems to have everything I could want.
The Main Market Square looked so different in daylight, still stunning but the building that surround it are incredible. And the covered market in the centre of the vast square was itself a masterpiece. I spend a couple of hours pottering around the square and it’s side roads, walking through shops, drinking coffee and taking in the sights and sounds of this wonderful place.
I headed towards the river Vistula where the old jewish district was. It was a different place, still beautiful but there was a sense of sadness, knowing that almost everyone who lived here had been systematically murdered by the Nazi’s over 70 years ago. I wandered through synagogues, squares and down shopping street that have frequent reminders of who used to live here.
Finally I made it to the river and crossed a pedestrian bridge that was lined with padlocks. It looked like thousands of locks were attached to the bridge and on closer inspection I realised that they were like love notes where young couples would etch their initials into the lock and leave it for the world to see, declaring their love for each other.
It started to rain and I headed back to into the Jewish Quarter to find a bar for shelter and a beer. The first one I fond looked inviting and had sheltered seats outside. I went in and ordered a local brew. It seemed that they were just opening and hadn’t any change for so I said I’d be here for a while and we can talk money later. I stayed for a couple more as I enjoyed watching normal, everyday Krakowian life go by.
That night I had dinner in the main square and slowly made my way back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow I had a long ride to Prague but before leaving Poland I wanted to see Oskar Schindler’s factory and the Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camps. Tomorrow was going to be a heavy day, if anything I would ride to the Czech Republic with a lot on my mind.