I met Shannon again for an 11am walking tour of Krakow. Most of the tourist areas are contained within the city's medieval old town, which is probably about 1 square mile, so seeing all the major sites was easily done within a 3 hour tour. The biggest sights include Wawel Castle and the market square. After the tour, I said goodbye to Shannon, who was heading to Berlin.
I set off to wander around other areas of the city, first towards the historical Jewish district and continuing to the site of Schindlers' factory. I found that the factory had essentially been turned into a Universal Studio's exhibit, so I decided to spend my afternoon instead at the Contemporary Art Museum that was next door. The museum was decent; there were a couple of pieces that I really liked, but of course, given that it was contemporary art, some of the art was just really out there. After a couple of hours I headed back to the hostel, where I spent the rest of my evening hanging out in the common room. Someone turned on Schindlers' List, which was very appropriate given my day, followed by much lighter entertainment with the movie Road Trip.
Gate to Schindler's Factory
Krakow seems like a fine place, but nothing remarkable. The market square and castle are charming, the food is delicious, the locals are generally friendly, and the prices are great. Yet the city doesn't seem to feel all that wonderful. Perhaps it's because the place is packed full of tourists, or maybe I'm just a tad tired after a few weeks of travel, but I do not have any great hankering to come back here anytime soon. I've had a good time though, and it was a good opportunity to slow down a bit and recharge.
Market Square by Day
Market Square by Night
So far, I think my favorite city has been Berlin, followed closely by Bruges. On Wednesday I head to London, and Africa is not far off.
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