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| Robot Barrista at Warsaw Central Station |
As Mr. and Mrs. Gym were now Polish rail veterans, they confidently entered the Warsaw Central Station on December 2, 2024. There they joined Brenda and Roland Anderson to begin the train trip south to Krakow. They descended down to the appropriate platform with the Canadians lagging somewhat, due to the fact that they had over-packed (it turned out that Gym had enough clothing to spend a month in Europe). After grabbing a coffee from a friendly robot on the platform, Gym and the rest of the party boarded the high speed train that was to take them on the 2-hour and 20-minute trip. Again they rode in the First Class car and the price included soft drinks and snacks.
The countryside south of the capital differs from that in the Gdansk direction. Towards Krakow there are miles of vineyards instead of vegetable crop land along the railroad. The soils are obviously different and the micro-climate is dryer. After leaving the outskirts of Warsaw, the train sped along and they arrived in the Krakow Central Station on-time.
Krakow is about 290 kilometres from Warsaw. Warsaw is in the centre of Poland and Krakow is situated in the southernmost part of the country. From Krakow, it is a 3-hour drive east, to reach the Ukrainian border and a 90-minute drive south, to get to Slovakia.
Unlike Warsaw and Gdansk, Krakow was spared major destruction in WW2 and the buildings in its Old Town are centuries old. For much of Poland's history Krakow was the capital and home to Polish royalty who resided in Wawel Castle. This impressive fortification is located high up on Wawel Hill overlooking the Vistula river and the Old Town.
Gym and his lovely sidekick grabbed a taxi for the short ride to the Stradom House Hotel. This place is really cool. The 125-room hotel was built into the historic streetscape without altering the front facade. Inside there are two good restaurants and a very chic drinking establishment located inside a former chapel. There is also a large, fully-equipped fitness area, spa and a stylish indoor pool with change rooms. Gym and Mrs. Gym's room was beyond the pool and spa, down a long pink tunnel in the stable block. This would be HQ for 5 nights, while they explored Krakow.
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| Rynek Square, 13th Century Square in Krakow |
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| Pirogies at Christmas Market |
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| Polish Meats at a market stall |
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Prize winning Schnitzel that Gym could
not finish |
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| Wawel Castle |
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| Vineyards outside of Warsaw |
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| More vineyards |
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| Gym's new friend |
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