Woke up in the early morning of the 8th August because it was ridiculously hot, the room had no fan or air conditioner and the sun was hitting the window, so the room was like a sauna.
Breakfast started at 7am so I went to have some (it was included). They gave me a plate with a slice of ham and cheese and some cucumbers and tomatoes. Then you have a selection of bowls with different things to choose from: gherkins, mushrooms with carrots and onions, butter, boiled eggs, you name it. They also have on offer bread, cereals, milk, coffee and tea. The only thing that they were missing (and this is just me being picky) was some juice, it was way too hot for tea and coffee something cold would have been amazing.
So after such a good breakfast I was ready to start my day.
As I mentioned before, my hostel wasn’t in the city centre so I had to take the bus to the Main Station. From there it’s a 10 minute walk to the Main Market Square, here you can find St. Mary’s Basilica, the first shopping centre (Cloth Hall) and the Town Tower Hall. Also here is where the free tour that I wanted to go on started from.
Because I’m so slow, I missed the tour that started at 10 that was going around the old city so I was planning on joining the one at 11 that was going around the old Jewish Quarter.
I got there and there were loads of people and a lot of companies offering free tours. I looked for the one that the hostel recommended, it’s called Free Walking Tour, simple as that. Lucky for me, I found a group that wasn’t too big so it just seemed perfect and I joined them.
We were walking and walking and our guide Chris, kept talking about graffiti, the first graffiti and that they have some legal and illegal street art in Krakow and he continued to show us around. That’s when I understood I wasn’t in the Old Jewish Quarter Tour, I was on the Street Art one. Oh well I got to see and learn something different.
I’ve got to see some interesting art old and new. Some of them have a powerful message. Others are part of the competitions that they do (part of the Grolsch Art Boom Festival). They are decorating the city in a really nice way. Some people might not like it but I call it art, well most of them are.
After 2 and a half hours of walking under the killing sun (almost 40ºC), we finished the tour, we were supposed to go up a hill to have a nice view of the city but no one could take it.
Once it was done, me and two of the girls that I met in the tour, Pam, a Kenyan girl backpacking through Europe, and Aurora, an Italian girl on holidays, went to have lunch, a cold beer and a short break before starting our afternoon tour.
This time we DID join the Old Jewish Quarter tour, and, once again, we joined our guide Chris. He is such a funny guy, with his unique sense of humour, always telling stories, he made history interesting.
Before you have Krakow and Kazimierz, so the things that we visited were in the last one. We went to the old synagogue, past some museums, the old market, the ghetto, the memorial and last, Schindler’s Factory. A lot of the places that we’ve visited appeared in the movie Schindler’s List. It was a really interesting and insightful tour, I learnt a lot and I got to understand a bit more about history and life back in the day, Chris made it a really good day.
It is hard to think what people went through, how they had to live and how everything ended up. Krakow is a place with a lot of history, it has a lot to say, you just need to pay attention and be willing to learn.
Even with all this history, nowadays Krakow is a vibrant city with a lot to offer, you have loads of bars, clubs that stay open until late. Perfect place to party if you want to. You also have lots of beautiful parks and benches everywhere were you can just take a break and relax. I love just looking at people walking past.
So, after over 6 hours of walking, I went to have another beer and a snack with Aurora. We chilled in a little restaurant that was in a courtyard for a couple of hours, I think it was because we couldn’t walk anymore more than anything else. We talked about life, dreams and places. A really interesting girl to whom I hope all the best in this new chapter of her life.
Once we were able to stand and walk again, I made my way back to the hostel. My feet were literally bleeding and cover in blisters (yes, yes, I know not a pretty picture but hey not everything is going to be pretty) but it was totally worth it.
Early to bed again, I needed to wake up at 6am to take a bus to go to a place that you definitely can’t miss!