Tag: Krakow

Posted on

Next stop Oslo, Norway!

In a previous post I mentioned struggling with the Poland itinerary, trying to get up to Sweden via ferry was too difficult, and about our only other option was an 8+ hour train ride to Berlin. We need to end up in Copenhagen since we've already booked our flight from there. This is why I wanted to skip Poland. Then Yanmei came up with the idea of flying past Copenhagen and approaching from the north instead of the south. It turns out there are direct flights between Krak贸w and Oslo, so we decided to do that, adding another unplanned country to our trip. 馃檪 We've both been to Berlin before, so skipping that isn't such a big deal.

It was about a two hour flight to Oslo. Although we had a place to stay, we'd done almost no other planning for Oslo. We quickly realized that Oslo is not the place you want to see in Norway, or at least not what I think of in Norway. I think of fjords and majestic landscapes. We looked into taking a train to Sognefjord, which would include the Fl氓m Railway which is supposed to be the most beautiful in the world. From Fl氓m we could catch a ferry through the fjord to Bergen. Unfortunately it was completely sold out. 馃檨 We are at peak season right now for Norway.

Yanmei is a bit frustrated because she thinks it's her visa causing the problem. Without the visa forcing our timetable we could extend our stay and probably find a day with tickets available. However I think it is just our travel style. We arrive somewhere then look for things to do, so anything that requires significant advance booking is not an option. We missed out on a number of things due to this, for example the French Open was on while we were in Paris, that would have been cool to go to, but by the time I looked for tickets it was sold out. On the other hand our flexible style gives us the opportunity to change plans. We never planned to visit Norway, and now here we are!

Walking up the roof of the Oslo Opera House, it extends all the way down to the water.
We saw this Amazing Race clue at the top, although I don't think it was the real show, probably something for a special party or event. No box containing the clues and only one clue stuck next to the flag.
Yanmei at the top. Behind her is the Barcode district, so called because the buildings alternate black and white and have different widths, so it looks like a barcode from the harbor.
Panorama of the Oslo fjord

We finally escaped the cloudy rainy weather and had fantastic weather in Oslo.

Lots of Norwegians enjoying the weather in Vigeland park
Vigeland park is named for Gustav Vigeland who created hundreds of granite and metal statues in the park, all of nude people.
A unique version of an obelisk

Sunset was at 10:43pm and by midnight it was still dusk and not dark. Sunrise was 3:57am.

Picture taken at 10:52pm, still quite light out.

-David

 

Posted on

Krak贸w

After we arrived in Krak贸w on the night train we headed to our hotel, or rather apartment. When I was looking for places to stay it seemed like hotels were rare, but apartments were common. I booked us at a hybrid, it is an apartment but at least there is 24 hour reception. Of course we couldn't check in because it was before 8am, but at least we could drop off our luggage. Then we headed out to find some breakfast. Unfortunately it seemed like the rain followed us from Prague.

St. Mary's basilica in Krak贸w square

After breakfast we headed to old town square to join a free walking tour. I thought hardly anyone would show up because it was cold and rainy (we probably wouldn't have gone if we had somewhere to stay), but there was still a big crowd of over 30 people for the tour.

We met outside St. Mary's basilica for the tour. Every hour, instead of bells a bugler plays a Polish tune from the top of the tallest tower, four times, once for each cardinal direction. The guide told us this happens every hour, so if you happened to be there at 3am you would hear it, unlike bells which don't ring at night. He also told us the bugler shift is 24 hours long.

Krak贸w barbican guarding the entrance to old town
Clock tower, the rest of the old town hall has been demolished
Pope window in the Bishop's palace where Pope John Paul II stayed on visits to Krak贸w and addressed the crowds from this window. He went to university in Krak贸w as a young man.
Wawel cathedral with a hodgepodge of burial chapels
Yanmei with Wawel castle in the background. I believe this is the approximate spot my brother Graham proposed to his wife Jessica.

After the tour we headed back to the apartment where we could finally shower and change out of the clothes we'd been wearing for two days. The apartment was quite nice, it was large and actually had a loft with a second bedroom.

On another day we joined a tour to Auschwitz and Birkenau. This is not an enjoyable tour, but it is powerful and worthwhile. It was literally incomprehensible and unimaginable to me. You can listen to the descriptions of the conditions and activities and look around and try to picture the horror of it, but I'm sure I didn't even imagine a fraction of the reality.

 

-David

 

 

Posted on

Night train to Krak贸w

[Bonus post by Yanmei.]

Originally I was optimistic about our second night train. The first night train from Florence to Vienna was horrible because we had upper beds and I was anxious about falling down and I couldn't have a good sleep. So this time we booked lower beds and also I prepared a blindfold and ear plugs, so I thought I could have a good sleep. Unfortunately something unpredictable happened.

When we arrived to our cabin we found it was six beds instead of four beds, so the space between the beds was very small. It was impossible to sit on the lower bed. I also worried about hitting my head if I sat up in the middle of the night. However this was not the worst thing. I thought David and I would have the cabin to ourselves. Suddenly two other guys came into the cabin to sleep above us. I started to despair. The first guy was very tall and strong, at least 300 lbs. The second guy after him looked like a Sumo wrestler, he looked double David's size. He had the bed above me! OMG! When he climbed into bed I saw his leg, it looked as big as an elephant's. I asked David if he could switch with the guy, but David said it was too late and not polite.

After he lied down I felt like the bed would crash down any minute, even though he was nice and didn't twist his body. I started to imagine the injuries I would suffer if the bed fell on me. I probably wouldn't die, and we had insurance to pay for injuries. But I would still have to suffer the pain. Maybe my face could get twisted and I could get disabled then David would leave me. It made me anxious and I felt helpless so I prayed to God that the bed was very strong and could support 500lbs and that nothing bad would happen.

After turning off the light and closing the cabin door, I started to smell some stinky feet. I moved my blindfold from my eyes to my nose and mouth. Also the bed was super hard. I had to turn every few minutes or it would start to hurt. I also worried about how David would sleep. After the last night train he told me the beds remind him of the ones in jail, very hard and only 1 blanket. Actually this time we had no blankets. I guess he will suffer all night, however after a few minutes I heard him start to snore.

In the morning I woke up and nothing bad had happened. I had a pretty good sleep. David told me the guy above me nearly didn't sleep and didn't stay in the bed above me much. I felt very lucky. They were nice guys. But I guess this is that last time we will take a night train.

-Yanmei

[David: also these night trains have no showers. This particular one had no dining car either so there was no water or breakfast. Luckily we brought bottles of water with us. I agree no more night trains.]