Travel Diaries: Krakow, Poland Part I
I have seriously loved all the trips I've been on recently but nowhere has captured my heart quite like Krakow. It was so unexpected- I didn't realise the city would be so clean, the buildings so breathtaking, the atmosphere so safe. When I boarded the plane in Malta I had no idea I was hours away from falling in love.
We stayed in the Puro Hotel, Krakow and it was the nicest hotel we have ever, ever stayed in. We booked a corner room and the view was panoramic. The huge beacon of Galeria Krakowska on one side, a lush green park visible from the other. Everything in the room- the TV, the lights, the heating- was controlled from a tablet by the bed. Coloured LED lights in the bathroom and windows could be changed on a whim- pink, blue, yellow?- whatever you like!
The room was small but perfect with a huge, incredibly HD TV with lots of channels and internet access. Free calls to anywhere in the world from the tablet. 5 free coffees or teas per day per person. Under floor bathroom heating. And the view. The view. This is the view from inside the shower.
I share a huge amount of my life online but these are just words- I am no exhibitionist, so for me, showers were behind the net curtain. I could still see out but I was confident that no one could see in, but hey- so what if they could huh? It's a body. We've all got one and I kind of wish I'd had the balls (or lack thereof) to throw the curtain open and wash away the worries.
If I had to find fault with the room I would say that there were just two things I'd change-
1. The duvet was just not quite wide enough- we're talking a few inches here. If one of us rolled over a little in the night, there was no duvet left for the other but the rooms were warm so it's not like anyone is freezing to death.
2. The bathroom lighting- the lights in the bathroom come on automatically when you walk in. Great in the middle of the night. Not great when it's broad daylight outside and you're trying to do your makeup in the mirror- the light actually distorts the colouring and makes it impossible to see properly. I had to do my makeup in my pocket mirror by the window all week, but these are small, first world problems. The place was amazing, modern and trendy and the staff were exemplary.
We were very uncultured and didn't visit Auschwitz or the Salt Mines whilst we were there, opting instead to do lots of shopping and wander aimlessly around the beautiful streets, the square and the castle. We chose the Puro Hotel as it was directly opposite the Galeria Krakowska shopping centre and the first thing we see when we walk in? VALLETTA!
Coming from a tiny island with no shopping to speak of, the Galeria was heavenly. Somehow it always smelt amazing in there. There are 3 floors and a good mix of high end and high street shops including beauty, fashion, sportswear, home wear, jewellery, cafes, a supermarket and even a pet store- I spent longer than I'd like to admit staring at the adorable baby rabbits in the window!
As we were on a serious shopping mission we also walked down to Galeria Kazimierz which was about a 20 or 30 minute walk from the Puro Hotel- we took it slowly as the weather was lovely and we just wanted to wander and gaze around at the beautiful city. Galeria Kazimierz is a lot smaller than the Krakowska but if you're a shop lover like us it's worth the wander, even if only for CHOCOLATE FRUIT KEBABS! I went for strawberries and it was an absolute delight.
Oh and this? That's just a mango-fricking-ccino. That's right, mango flavoured cappuccino. Sounds ridiculous. Tastes out of this world!
I have so many pictures from Krakow so I'll be splitting them over a few posts- next up some parks, greenery and a beautiful castle!