Long Road to Krakow!

We left Prague reluctantly before the morning rush hour traffic for an all day drive by the same  motor coach we will have for the rest of the week.  Piotr is our driver and he and Adrian have a great compatibility, joking back and forth, but all the while Piotr keeps his eyes on the road and the bus temperature comfortable.  The full size coach had ten seats removed and was reconfigured giving plenty of let room  It does not have WiFi or a plug at each seat as some did.

The day was broken into segments and the first comfort stop was at a McDonald's truck stop.  Free toilets and a McCafe for a wake up snack on this cold day.  The lunch stop was for two hours at Olomouc,  We were parked on the main street into town but took a short, quick walk to the Market Square to see the noon display of the Astronomical Clock.

This one is very different than the one in Prague because this area of the Czech was bombed.  The clockworks were still working so the  conquering Soviets made it a clock of the people.  Instead of cute little boys and girls dancing, or Saints marching in, this clock features, working people.  A nurse in her white uniform, a miner with a pick ax and a man with a briefcase, among others stride in and out of the little windows in the post-war style of Socialist realism.

 

 Featured on the Olomouc Astronomical Clock are the date, time and zodiac like on others if its nature.  But also the 365 days of the year show the name day saint.  Most importantly it also marks in red which mark the birth and death of Stalin and birth of Lenin.

When, after three songs, the golden cock crowed, it was time for us to spread out around town and have lunch.  Elva and I checked out the tourist office, had our usual picnic, and explored much of the little town.  Two hours is too long in Olomouc!  We waited at the meeting place by the Plague Tower.  It is always the perfect meeting place because it is highly visible and in a large open place.

 These monuments were built in most cities or towns, large or small, of Europe, in the Middle Ages.  Mostly they were to thank god for keeping the Black Plague, or Black death away from them.  In some cases they were peremptory in that they were erected to plead with God to keep the Plague away.  Either way the have many saints depicted but ones preferred by their region.  The main statue on top is usually gold and is of Mary, or Guardian Angels, St Michael or Jesus Himself. 

We walked back to the bus and continued on for another hour and a half to a gas station outside of Krakow.  A final potty stop and we made our way into the heart of the Old Town at the Wawel Hill.  the Radisson Blu was lovely and quickly got out bags to our rooms so we could head out to explore.   Clare, Rosemary, Elva and I took about an hour to walk around the area immediate to the hotel and checking out restaurants for dinner. 

Camaldolese Hermit Monastery, as we entered Kraków.  These are Hermit Monks.

 

 Wawel Hill is the highest place in the city and is topped by what turned out to be a 

beautiful castle and amazingCathedral.

Beautiful horses and carriages offer tours around town, particularly here in the Old Town.

 We ended up eating at the White Rose right next door to the hotel.

Elva and my room opened a window right into their kitchen!

the A'muse Bouche was a Salmon Tartar with Parmesan Crisp.  No one ordered it but these hot rocks appeared by all our places.  An after dinner liquor was also brought to us to finish the evening and Rosemary had to drink them all.  Not sure what he said it was but wish I knew.  I would never order it in the future!  Dinner was delicious and including drinks and dessert cost about $20 each! Poland is very inexpensive.  The atmosphere and service were very nice and way classier than my usual haunts.
After about two and a half hours of good food and good fun we returned to our home for the next few days and tucked ourselves away as we have a nine a.m. start in the morning to have a coach /walking tour of the city.