Krakow

I'm just back from a very pleasant few days Krakow where we went to celebrate my father in laws birthday.

We stayed in an apartment just off the main market square in the central tourist district so it was very central and had all the amenities required. This was our first time renting an apartment like this and it worked out very well, my one complaint is we where given a single set of keys which makes things very awkward for 6 people. In any case we managed but next time I'll check in advance the number of keys made available should we go down that route again.

Because Poland is an Eastern European country it goes without saying the local beer was excellent and my father-in-law and myself had a grand ole time sampling the different brews on offer. Though neither of us are vodka drinkers we did try some of Polish varieties (just to be social) and there was one in particular that was very nice but I can't remember its name (to be fair, it was in Polish) which is a pity because it was quite tasty. The next day I had to make do with a guess as I purchased a small bottle of what I _think_ was the nice one.

The food in Krakow was universally good. On the second night we went to a "fancy" restaurant that had been recommended to us by some Poles living in Ireland who obviously thought we are just the kind of people who eat Snail's & Foie Gras. After a quick look at the menu we beat a hasty and disorderly retreat to the nearest streak house where they serve the meat of the animal and not the offal.

There's some interesting sights in Krakow but here's what I liked. The city itself, which is lovely and very pleasant to walk around and admire. The church of St Mary which can rival most churches in Rome, the castle even though the ticketing system is ridiculous, the salt mines and Kazimierz. I didn't go to the concentration camps for various reasons so I can't comment on them. Finally, the Christmas markets where open so we could browse the stalls, enjoy some excellent street food and keep warm with some mulled wine.

It's a nice place Krakow, I'd definitely recommend it.