After a fantastic week in Switzerland, which brought me joy, love and laughter, it was time to squeeze my stuff back into my little hand luggage and continue with my journey.
Early (and by early, I mean very early, like 3.35am train 😵) Saturday morning, my dad drove me to Lucerne, where I got on the train to Zurich Airport. Despite the warnings and headlines that Zurich Airport was understaffed and had long queues to be expected, I got through security smoothly and had extensive time to wait until my flight was called.
Luckily for me, the cafes after the duty-free shops were open. The first restaurant I walked into didn't really acknowledge my waiting, so I grabbed my stuff and moved on to the next place, where I could place my order with a QR code. I still waited 20 minutes for my coffee to arrive, but in all fairness, the place was packed. It was the Swiss picture at its best. Arrive early to avoid waiting times with the security check, which resulted in hundreds of people waiting for their flights to depart. And how to spend waiting around better than having a cup of coffee and a fresh croissant?
Around 6.30am it was time for me to board the plane to Krakow, no passport checks, only a boarding pass - the freedom of movement between European Countries, I was not used to this anymore. Flying to and from England means you need to have your passport ready! This made the boarding process smooth and easy, and after a bit of waiting time on the plane, which I almost slept through anyway, we landed in Krakow at 9.30am.
An unexpected heat welcomed me as well as my long-lost friend from London! I was welcomed with open arms by her and her boyfriend, and then we drove to a nearby parking, and took an Uber to our apartment hotel, where we got the keys to one room. I changed into shorts to finally embrace the Summer weather, and we made our way to a nearby coffee specialising in hummus to fill our stomachs. I opted for a Jewish breakfast version (avocado and poached egg on challah bread), which was probably the nicest plate I was ever served. I mean, look at that!
With a stuffed stomach, we walked into the city centre and I was amazed by its beauty! The pictures don't do it enough justice! I immediately wanted my boyfriend and my family to be here and visit Krakow as well! The colourful walls of the houses reflected the sunshine brightly and restaurants, markets and cafes welcomed everyone who walked past. The marketplace was filled with jewellery booths that sold all sorts of necklaces/bracelets and rings with amber, a stone Krakow is famous for. After a short stroll through said market, we headed to the castle, as we had a tour booked. The sun was burning down from the sky and we were lucky to escape it by visiting the castle. It was beautiful and we learned a lot about the paintings, wall tapestry, and the King who ruled over Krakow.
A good three hours later, we finished our tour, enjoyed more sunshine and headed back to our aparthotel for a quick refreshment before heading out for dinner. My friend brought me to a quarter that reminded her about Shoreditch, with all its graffiti and independent bars/restaurants. We had dinner and strolled back through the city, hunting down some blister plasters before settling for a final evening drink in a bar. I was almost awake all day, so just before midnight, we wandered back, and with a happy smile, I went to bed in a rather hot attic room (still loved it!).
Sunday morning, we opted for brunch at the same place as yesterday, but we sat in the sunshine, overlooking the Jewish quarter, where we had a quick stroll before we left Krakow. We stumbled over a Jewish bookshop, and I found a book in English with different notes, thoughts and poems about Krakow, which I bought as my personal souvenir of this trip. Our journey brought us to Wieliczka Salt Mine. I didn't really know what to expect and was totally blown away when we started the tour. We were taken through the tunnels and corridors of this 700-year-old mine, which is so big that tourists can only visit 2% of the whole mine!! And we spent 3 hours underground, so you can only imagine the size of it! The highlight was definitely the cathedral built inside the mine, which was huge and absolutely astonishing. The pictures don't do it justice at all; if you are ever in Poland, please go and visit; I can only recommend it.
It was almost 5pm when we left, had a typical Polish snack and then made the three hours journey to Lublin, a lovely city around 112km away from the Ukrainian border. After the check-in to the hotel, we wandered around the city, had dinner in a local restaurant and headed to sleep soon. The next day we went for breakfast in a local coffee shop and I had a very tasty asparagus and poached eggs on toast. Despite the fact that I had to do a few work calls, we had a lovely stroll through the city during daylight before we went to have lunch with my friend's parents.
After a delicious meal and lots and lots of homemade coffee made with a special receipt, that I have now tried to copy (and failed!), we headed towards the old town and went to a bar that looked rather like a living room of a musician and bookworm. I found my dream inspiration! Despite the wonderful setting, we opted to sit outside in the warm evening air, with some traditional music playing nearby, and had some drinks until we decided to get some sleep.
The following day, my friend took me to another breakfast place, once again a place that looked completely different from the outside than from the inside. I had a delicious bagel and latte. Strengthened and ready for the day, we took the bus to a nearby open air museum that showed how people lived in the 18th and 19th centuries in Poland. The weather stayed on our side, and despite the rainy forecast, the sun came out, and we had a beautiful day in nature! The highlight of the day was the little bunnies in one of the stables. If I could have, I would have taken one home ❤️
After that, we packed our bags and drove to Rzeszow, where my friend lives and where I spent my remaining days, working from home. The holidays had finished, but it was still nice to spend time with her, wander around the little city and enjoy the sunny weather after work, as a rainy week was waiting for me back in Manchester.
Every day she brewed more of that fantastic coffee that I already miss, and it was so nice to spend so much quality time with her. Not even a stressful day at work could change the happy mood I was in whilst there. The last evening we spent walking along the river and with some drinks in an open-air bar, that was slightly crowded with, what we assumed, American soldiers. Music was playing in the background, the drinks were tasty and we just enjoyed life as it was in that moment. 😊
Saturday morning was the time to say goodbye. They drove me to the airport, which only has four gates, but as Swiss as I am, I wanted to be there with enough time before departure. Many people were waiting to board the flight to Manchester, and shortly a
fter 1pm we took off. After a turbulent flight, lots of crying babies and a rocky landing, my trip came to an end and a rainy and windy Manchester welcomed me back. I truly had an amazing time and am sure to visit Poland again. The question now is, where to next? 😜
