Wow . . . Krakow

I'm home now, but below is the post I wrote on the road.

I'm writing this on my first full day in Krakow, Poland.  What a beautiful city, although it has a very small town feel.  I opted not to bring my laptop, in an effort to travel lighter.  I realize now because of that, I'll have to wait to post, so I hope you won't mind a flood of info when I get back home.

The first thing I noticed as we very ferried by bus from the airplane to the terminal, was a large (several stories high) picture of a Mike Tyson ad.  I was so surprised to see him, I didn't notice what he was selling!

Getting through the passport checkpoint took a while.  The only other people of color on this flight were Asian guys, and the man checking their passports gave them a heck of a time.  I'm watching this, hoping that my treatment is better.

Yes, thank God it was!  Once I got to the counter, the check of my passport went very quickly.  I was asked why I was visiting.  I told them I was here to see the salt mine, and I was welcomed and sent on my way.

I took videos of the landscape on my way to the hotel, but I'm having technical difficulties with the upload.  I'll try again later.  

I was struck by how rural it was.  We were on a two lane road for a while before we entered a highway, and even that wasn't a busy thoroughfare.

When I arrived at the hotel, I was given directions to the town center which was like a town square.  A beautiful park-like setting surrounded the area, making it a lovely place to stroll and relax.

Where I stayed - The Ostoya Palace Hotel

Across the street from the hotel

View of the look down the street from the hotel.
Notice the cars are parked on the curb.

The weather was damp, rainy and cool, which was a welcome break from the blistering heat of the UAE.

I washed off the road dirt with a wonderful shower, then I was on my way to explore.

This area looks a lot like Prague, but quieter and slower.  The buildings were painted in pastel colors, and the streets were clean.

The town center/town square is a large open area with a stage, statues, and restaurants surrounding it offering outdoor seating.  This area is really, really nice. Also in the middle is a long, covered corridor with souvenir shops all along the way.

This beautiful, luscious park surrounds Town Center

This is on the way from my hotel to Town Center

Town Center

The head is hollow so you can climb in and look out through the eyes.

This is the awesome shopping area in the middle of the square with souvenirs galore.
This picture doesn't do it justice.  This is a really nice area.

A church on the square.

Outside dining area surround the square.

Closeup of one of the dining areas.

Statue in the square.

Another view of the above statue.

After walking around for a couple of hours, I was tired, so I headed back to the hotel. It was an all-night flight, but I didn't get much sleep on it, so I was ready for bed for the night at bout 2:30 in the afternoon.

After a wonderful night of rest, I awaken this morning to a quick breakfast in the hotel, then I walked for about ten minutes to the gathering place for my trip to the salt mine.

I'll stop here and pick up on that adventure in the next post.