Tales of Krakow
There is that time of the year when I want to go for a random trip, to a place I know nothing about. This time the chosen spot was Krakow, before heading to a place which instead I had many expectations about…
The tales of Krakow must be true. The city looks really magical, a pretty town which is loyal to its medieval heritage. Krakow did not disappoint when it comes to its magical historical center, the majestic cathedral and the green parks that add the cherry on top of this gracious cake as the town is.
Nevertheless, Krakow did not spare some source of disappointment…
The Sad Side of Globalization
When I was a kid I was excited about the future. I was picturing spaceships, interstellar travels, and contact with alien civilizations, all moved by clean and infinite energy! Now, I am aware that those things probably will never happen as we chose to steer toward a boring and sad future, made of algorithms obsessed in finding out what you like to make you addicted to that particular thing. We are harboring a system to make everything and everyone think and act in the same, predictable way, just to maximize the sales.
Because of this self-enslaving logic, wherever you go you will find Starbucks, Mc Donald’s and “Italian” food. It is so annoying! We had to struggle to find some authentic Polish food, but it was worth it. Polish people know how to cook! The mashed potatoes were a sublime cream, the cheese dumpling is the delicacy I recommend and their craft dark beer goes down your stomach smoothly! First course, second course and beer go for something like 10.00 EUR! In Krakow! Imagine how cheap gets in the rest of Poland!
If you love good food and good beer and you are a remote worker, Poland should be a place to consider for relocating.
The City Center
Beside food, and as said before, Krakow offers a great historical heritage. The city center is a must-see. It looks really magical. The style is essentially Gothic, but there is a special touch which seems coming from a fairy tale.
The magic inebriates you in the main square, still hosting the biggest medieval market in the world and everything becomes relaxing when the trumpet plays from the cathedral bell tower.
Just one point to mention on the city center: you will see many beautiful coaches around the streets, carried by gorgeous white horses. Please, don’t take them, even though they look treated much better than in Malta. We are in 2018, so there is no need to abuse those wonderful animals. You can still rent a bike or rely on the supercheap, superfast Taxify ;-)
Night Life
The night life is still to be checked properly. We just found a couple of nice bars and an Irish pub full of drunken people (what a surprise…). The rest was all strip clubs, for sure made to rip tourists off. Every few meters some girls were trying to lure us in. They didn’t know I have 7 years of Paceville experience…
This was probably the most disappointing side of Krakow. I didn’t imagine finding strip clubs there, not in the city center at least. Two strippers stopped us even at 2 pm! Come on!
Impressions from Krakow
Anyway, the brief experience in Krakow was positive and regenerating. For a quick wrap-up, here is the data according to my senses:
Weather: Cold, rainy, but tolerable
People: Nice and friendly
Food: Excellent
Cost of living: Low – less than 15 EUR a day to eat
Safety: Good
Monuments: Many and beautiful
Transport: Tried only taxis and were great
Nightlife: Cheap alcohol that could potentially lead you to expensive “VIP” clubs…
One experience to recommend: Sit on a bench in the main square, clear your mind, forget about your damn phone and listen to the trumpet at 5 pm…