Beautiful and touristy Krakow

The city of Krakow is now known as the new Prague, and I can see why. Problem is, not only does Krakow have the sights to compete with Prague, she also attracts the same immense crowds. And it's now a major stop on the Eastern European backpackers' trail, which means that they are everywhere.

I know I've complained in the last two weeks about the fact that so few people spoke any English around Poland. Well, you won't have any trouble in Krakow, what with all the English signs and menus and all. . .

Krakow is a gorgeous town that caters to tourists of every nationality. But for all its beauty, with its Wawel Hill and its castle and cathedral, with its neat Old Town and its gigantic market square (the largest in Europe), and everything in between. Add to that easy day trips to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, as well as to Auschwitz and Birkenau extermination camps, and you have a recipe for a wonderful couple of days.

The only problem is that it's too overrun by tourists to have a "genuine" feel like the rest of the cities I've visited. Nearly every other person you meet is from out of town. And it's too bad, for most travelers stop for the mandatory two or three days in Krakow and don't see the real Poland. Everyone stops here on there way to or from Berlin or Prague, and that's too bad. Though there was often a communication barrier, I'm so happy to have visited Warsaw, Gdansk, and Wroclaw. It made me appreciate Poland a lot more than I ever thought I would, and even now I'm considering coming back to check out towns like Torun, Poznan, Zakopane, Katowice, Sopot, and more.

Still, for all the foreigners arriving in Krakow every day, the most beautiful women remain the lovely Polish ladies. Nice to see that things remain the same, regardless of the hordes of tourists everywhere. And though I can't speak more than a few words in Polish, somehow it feels wrong to hear about 10 different English accents just by walking down the street toward Rynek Glowny. Okay, so Polish pronounciations sound mighty strange sometimes, but I'll take that over that Boston drawl (Park the car in Harvard Yard!) any day!;-)

I'm not much of a foodie, but Carmen (the Aussie I've been traveling with for over a week) is, and she introduced me to all sorts of Polish dishes. Say one thing about Polish food, say it's good, very filling, and extremely affordable. Hard to believe, but I've reached the point where I can now order my own pierogi, barszcz, zurek, golabki, nalesniki, and a few other dishes without making a fool of myself! Where else can you have such a good dinner with a half litre of beer for about 10$-15$!?!

Speaking of beer, it's quite nice and cheap, even when you pay between 25% and 30% more in touristy Krakow. Zywiec, Okocim, Warka, Piast, Tyskie -- at half a litre for about 3$-4$, it's all good! Especially when you're hanging out on the main market square, people-watching in either Wroclaw or Krakow!

Poland has some of the most beautiful women in the world, and it's in the college town of Wroclaw that you will find the sexiest. University towns are cool to visit when you travel. I have very fond memories of my "Nuit du Bac" in Montpellier, in southern France, or the two nights we spent in Salamanca, in Spain. Great night life and good-looking girls were everywhere. But Wroclaw was something else. I'd go back tomorrow!:p

Visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau extermination camps yesterday made quite an impression. I have already been to Dachau, near Munich in Germany, so Auschwitz wasn't that impressive in that it was very similar to Dachau. But when the shuttle bus dropped us at Birkenau, the impossible size of the camp defies the imagination. This place was purpose-built to be a killing ground, and it really disturbs the mind. Though the Nazis bombed a number of buildings to destroy as much evidence as possible as the Soviets were getting closer, all that's left is troubling enough. I feel that everyone should be made to visit that site at least once in their lives, just so that the errors of the past will not be repeated in the future.

One last night to go in Warsaw, and then I must say goodbye to Poland.:-( I thoroughly enjoyed my stay, and this country surpassed all my expectations. As I mentioned before, Poland makes you work a little harder than countries like Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany to fully appreciate its charms, but the effort has its own rewards. Believe me when I tell you that Poland is well worth a visit. But don't start in Krakow -- keep that for the end of your trip!

I'd be remiss if I did not give kudos to every hostel I've stayed at. Indeed, Poland boasts some of the best hostels in Europe. Modern, cheap, with every possible amenities, and full of freebies, they are slowly setting a new standard in Europe. Moreover, they are staffed by the nicest and most helpful people I have met, and I've been to 26 different countries. Thus, if you are thinking of traveling to Warsaw, book a bed at the Oki Doki hostel (www.okidoki.pl); in Gdansk, check out the Targ Rybny (www.gdanskhostel.com); in Wroclaw, Nathan's Villa is the place to be (could be the very best hostel I've stayed at); and in Krakow, look no further than Greg and Tom Hostel (www.gregtomhostel.com). By booking a bed at any of these places, you'll get more bang for your buck and a lot of extras!

Having abandoned Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, I have now moved on to Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. About 80 pages into it and I am completely enthralled!

And now, onward to Finland!:-)