We’re up – at the gym – showered and to breakfast. Packed and on our way downstairs at 9:30 to pick up the car, conveniently located in the lobby of the hotel. After an initial little glitch where they thought we were returning the car tomorrow – no – actually that would be Friday – we get the keys to our Opel Corsa and head out into the traffic. Scary – since we can’t read a word of Polish! But – Alice comes through – she can speak Polish and we can match the words written on the GPS to what we think she is saying. 
Traffic is ridiculous. On both sides of the road. But we finally make it out of Warsaw proper (through very ugly and sign-riddled exurbs) and onto the road to Cracow. It’s a schizophrenic road. Superhighway for about 30K then 2 lane road through little townships and farm land. You’re going 100KPH, then 50 – oh and you better watch the speed because there are cameras everywhere. Of course, you don’t really know what speed you should be going because there are no signs. But we’ve decided there is a code – and you just have to know the code to know the speed limit. Fortunately – because there is so much traffic, we don’t think we are speeding – we are following the locals! We finally get the drift that when you are in the country – you can go 90KPH, but once you see a city sign – it is only 50KPH. Oh – and if you are rolling at 90, but see a pedestrian crossing – it’s down to 70KPH. Got it? Yeah – sure! Makes for a very interesting 4 ½ hour drive to Cracow.
Along the way we pass these bizarre orchards. Bizarre in that we can’t figure out what type of trees are in the orchards. We see a big apple as a symbol for a town. But these things look like a cross between an apple tree and a grape vine. They’re just odd. And all in bloom with lovely white flowers. Very pretty – in a slightly scary sort of Harry Potterish way.
The orchards give way to farms of lovely green fields – maybe sod? – and vibrant yellow flowering plants (could they be the oilseed plants like in England? Don’t know). Although the drive itself is a tad annoying, the scenery is lovely.
Finally we reach Cracow and skirt around the city proper on what I’ll call a ring road, but what isn’t really big enough or fast enough to really qualify as one. Alice guides us perfectly to our Apartment just outside the old Jewish quarter of Cracow. Miss Anna is waiting for us and shows us up to our 3rd floor (really 4th floor for us Americans!) flat. It is lovely – 2 huge rooms with two futons in each room, a nice size kitchen with convection stove and built in refrigerator/freezer as well as a split bathroom – the toilet in one room – and the shower in a completely separate room down the hall. It’s all updated and lovely.
And there is a view of Wawel Hill. Fantastic!
Anna shows us where the garage is – where we can park for free – and we bid her farewell in the rain as we go to move the car to the garage.
The first thing we do is get oriented and go shopping at the Galleria for beer, wine and snacks. There is a wonderful grocery store there where we stock up – including eggs, sausage and cheese for breakfasts and a meal in later in the week. They also have the ubiquitous “Polish Pretzels” or “Cracow Bagels” that are sold all over the city (from little kiosks on every street corner). I really want to try them, so I grab one for a later snack.
After settling into the apartment, the skies actually clear up and we go out to explore. There is a cobblestone path leading away from the back of the Apartment that goes into Kazimierz – behind the new cemetery. It’s an easy 5 minute walk to all the sites of the old Jewish quarter as well as the many, many restaurants and bars. We take a detour through the cemetery – Ed covering his head (as is required) with his hood so we don’t have to rent a yarmulke - and look at all the old and new graves and tombstones here. Originally established in 1800, after the “old cemetery” – the Remuh – was closed because of “hygiene” problems, it is a very peaceful (if slightly overgrown) oasis within the tumble of city buildings. Graves date back to the 1800s, but newly interred sites can also be found here. There is a wall made up of old broken tombstones that is quite intriguing.
Leaving the cemetery, we cross under the train tracks and into Kazimierz proper. It is a lovely old area – largely, but not completely spared by Hitler’s bombs. This was the center of the Jewish population in old Cracow, a city within a city. At the outbreak of WWII, there were 64,000 Jews living here – almost 25% of the population of Cracow. Today it is a hodgepodge of old narrow lanes, the “new” square (the trading place for Kazimierz, even today where there is a daily souvenir/flea market and on weekends a farmers’ market), where , the oldest synagogue in Poland (constructed in the 15th Century), the tall synagogue, the Temple synagogue (established in 1860 with no segregation between men and women – quite progressive) and of course the old cemetery (Remuh) and synagogue. The Remuh and old synagogue were constructed in the 16th Century and are the most important religious places for current day Jews in Cracow.
After wandering around for a bit, seeing the sites, we decide to duck into one of the cute little bars for refreshment – and to avoid the rain swollen clouds that are threatening to burst. The bar is a tiny little cave like place with a wall that replicates the background of convict booking pictures. Somewhere there is a chalk board to write you name on – and there is a full of pictures attesting to everyone who has taken the photo opp! We didn’t but it was fun to look at. We simply ordered our beer and wine – that came with 2 little pizza roll snacks – and sat at a high top table sipping and planning. Perfect timing too – the darkening skies broke loose with a torrent of rain. Sunny enjoyed sitting in the candle light waiting for the skies to clear so we could walk home.
Back at the apartment, we organize and freshen up – then later head back into Kazimierz for dinner. We have chosen Trezo for our first night in town. Ed had read about it before we arrived and it got good reviews. The atmosphere is nice, with a duo that sings and plays music while we eat. The building is – as most are here – old with beautiful stone/brickwork interspersed with huge picture windows.
The food is a lovely as the setting. I start with smoked goat cheese crostini (which I really wanted as a main, but the waitress insists it is too small) and Ed has onion soup. Since I am really not that hungry, I opt (am forced!!!) for a salad with grilled chicken (scrumptious – I’m glad I was forced, it was the perfect main when I wasn’t so hungry) and Ed has the schnitzel, which is well prepared.
We eat, drink and listen to the duo play for a bit, then head back to the apartment so we can rest up for our early and emotional day tomorrow.
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