Krakow, POLAND: Ringing in the New Year.

On the heels of a ten-day stint with my pops, I was naturally a bit bleary, but something told me it was a good idea to keep pushing... so, I booked a trip to Poland for the last few days of the year! I took off directly from Budapest (without going home first), on a solo mission to discover what the Poles have up their sleeves for the new year's celebration...

I flew into Warsaw and spent my first day there. The capital of Poland is big, but really not that cool. It's probably not fair to judge a city in six hours, but on first-impression, I just wasn't too excited about Warsaw. About eighty-five percent of the city was wiped out in WWII, and the communist-style reconstruction is less-than interesting. Of course, the historic Old Town is worth a visit... except if going on the twenty-ninth day of December, expect the weather to be absolutely bitter (reminiscent of the Massena, NY chill).

Nonetheless, I was able to find a kind little Polish man cooking up pierogies in the central market square in Old Town... and he made my day! I learned the perfect compliment to authentic pierogies on a frigid day is Barszcz Czerwony (Polish beetroot soup)... amazing!











Now... Kraków... wow! I flew into Katowice Wednesday afternoon and took a bus to Kraków a few hours later... and it didn't take me but a few steps off the bus to realize Kraków is rad! Still bitter cold, but there's a different feeling in the air... a city with more life and variety and charm. I was immediately pleased with my decision to spend my time here and ready to go exploring. My hostel was a simple walk from the bus station, right in the city centre, so I stopped in to drop off my pack and get my bearings. The girls at the Zodiakus Hostel are great; they were happy to show me around and point out the must-sees and must-dos for my four-day stay.

With so much on the list, I didn't have time for (or interest in) sleep, so I met the dudes staying in my room and we hit the town right away. The guys are from Brazil (São Paulo and Rio), but are currently living in Lyon, France as engineering students. We get along great; they bring the party and I bring the adventure... so, we filled our three nights with plenty of fun.






Lucky for me, one of the Brazilians (Moises) has some Polish connections from his previous studies in Germany... and, so I met his old flatmate Adam. Adam is originally from Poland and has been living in Kraków for years. He is an amazing host and gave me the inside perspective on Kraków, Polish people, and the Polish way of life. His friends were also very welcoming and I'm really grateful for my time with them. They took us to a mix of clubs and house parties, giving me the roundup of Kraków nightlife... Turns out they're on my kind of schedule; I only got back to the hostel one evening / morning while it was still dark. Spent the wee hours in a some cool places and met a lot of great people (Josefin and Maja from Uppsala, Francesco from Sienna, Mihailo and Andjela from Belgrade, and a whole lot of wonderful Poles!)...

During the days, I took off solo, trying to see as much as I could. On the first day, I explored the Main Market Square, the largest medieval town square in Europe! I went to the International Cultural Gallery to see an exhibit, British Bohemia: The Bloomsbury Circle of Virginia Woolf. Then, I got lost in the park for a while (on purpose) and finally found my way back to the Barbican at the edge of the Old Town.

On the morning of New Years Eve, I did some hiking around Wawel Hill and realized that the gothic Wawel Castle is really a whole courtyard full of structures (towers, chambers, exhibitions, dens, etc.)... it's all pretty impressive! From there, I spent some time in the Jewish Ghetto, Kazimierz. I really dig learning about the history of this district (where Schindler's List was filmed)... navigating through the labyrinthine streets and popping in and out of the underground bars, cafés, and galleries.

Last night, we ended up back in Kazimierz at an exclusive New Years Eve party with Adam and his friends. We had reservations for the back room of this typical underground restaurant in a beautiful brick-lined banquet room... I only regret not taking photos.

At around eleven, we left the underground party for the highly-anticipated and hugely-hyped Market Square celebration. Sure enough, it was outta-sight... thousands of people, live entertainment (Kelis, and American R&B artist headlined), and huge fireworks at midnight. It was quite the party (they call it Wow Night)... Na Zdrowié!

Today is my last day in Kraków, but the first day of a new year. The only thing open on New Years Day is the church, of course... the magnificent St. Mary's Basilica... what an amazing last thing to see before leaving town!