Photos, top to bottom: 1. The train with tell-tale clock tower in the background. 2. Na Zdrowie! 3. Dragon at Wawel Castle. 4. Chimney cone. 5. Medieval wooden waterpipes from Rynek Underground.
Travel day! We skipped breakfast and took tram #9 to the Prague main train station to arrive by 07:45. The train we were traveling on, the Leo Express, is reportedly notoriously late and did not disappoint. If you leave 60 minutes later than scheduled, the train company is supposed to refund you 25% of the ticket price. Was it coincidence that we left exactly 59 minutes after the scheduled start time?
The train layout had 4 seats together. Our travel companion was Johann, a most engaging German soldier (reserves) who was teaching, living and newly married (just 3 weeks!) in Krakow. He helped make the six hour trip pass in no time.
Our Krakow lodging, Hotel Maximum, was a short walk from the station. After check-in and quick refresh, we walked over to the main square for a scheduled tour of the Rynek Underground. The underground area of the town square's Cloth Hall had been excavated from 2010-2015, uncovering over 11,000 medieval artifacts. We saw shoes, toys, tools, coins, wax writing tablets and pencils, jewelry, etc. The ground level rise from around 1100 to today was attributed to trash that collected in the streets and was cobbled over every 100 years or so.
A fine feast was served up at Morskie Oko, a restaurant recommended by Johann, our German friend. (Excellent cabbage rolls! Would order again.) Also recommended by Johann was the cherry vodka specialty bar on the same square. Nonna Paola was encouraged to sample the wares. (Cherry vodka = not too bad.)
The night was wrapped up with a quick walk to the Vistula River, particularly the smoking dragon sculpture, followed by chimney cake ice creams and a slow walk home.
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