We definitely ended the holiday with a bang. Prague is one of the most magnificent cities we have ever experienced. We checked into our mediocre hotel (Scott’s room gave him flashbacks of the seminary at de la Salle High School) and set out to see the sights…and sights there were, everywhere. The buildings in Prague are magnificent in terms of size, architecture and in most cases, colour. Every direction you look there is another building demanding your attention and making you gasp in awe. We had to sample the local specialty so we stopped for a beer in Wenceslas Place before strolling into the Old Town where even more magnificent buildings stole our attention. The astronomical clock is a very intricate machine and the church that dominates the skyline in the square is very fairytale-esque. As in Kraków, we took advantage of the horse and carriage tour and experienced the city old-style. We dined in a traditional Czech restaurant that was recommended to us by a local and were delighted with our dishes of goulash, dumplings, cabbage pancakes and soup. We then walked back to our hotel and set our alarms early so that we could make the most of Sunday, our last day all together.
After an interrupted sleep due to paper-thin walls and a terrible shower, Teresa decided that her and Michele would splash out for their last night and booked a great deal on a room in a five-star hotel. We checked out of the other place early and headed over to the Kings Court Hotel to drop off our bags. After checking out our plush room and making Scott jealous at our living quarters for the night we took a stroll over to Charles bridge. Once on the other side we treated ourselves to a guided tour in a replica of an original Alfa Romeo. Our guide, Jan, was very cheeky and informative, although his habit of turning around to explain things while still driving had Michele gripping the edge of her seat! We were dropped off at the largest castle in Europe and admired its majesty before walking the beautiful cobble stone streets and finding a lovely little restaurant to have our last meal together as a family.
Driving to the airport was a bit scary as a thickening fog was descending on the night roads. Once again Scott did a great job driving in the low visibility and we dropped the car off at its final destination. Saying goodbye to Scott was difficult as expected, we had grown used to being together as a family once again and the holiday was ending too fast!
The next morning Teresa and Michele awoke in their extremely soft and comfortable beds and went down to experience what can only be
described as a breakfast buffet on steroids. Amazing! We managed to squeeze in some
last minute shopping, one last blow dry and a couple of horseradish Bloody Mary’s before heading to the airport homeward bound ourselves …..

Wenceslas Square, Prague

Read the small print – THC free – what’s the point then?

Checked out of our Warsaw pokey hotel and got on our way to Krakow. We had a Maccas breakfast where there was so much choice. Of particular note on the road was the fog all along the highway which gave the environment a haze that hid the greenery and lovely colours of the landscape but also gave it an eerie and picturesque look. It was a long drive and very slow as we entered Kraków. Scott did a fantastic job of driving in unfamiliar conditions. We had a Maccas stop for breakfast and coffee then the long trip started.
We finally found our accommodation, Atelier Aparthotel and it was in a great part of Kraków and our individual double rooms were super cheap so we stayed for two nights. The rooms are really spacious, centrally heated with nice bathrooms! We made the decision to take Zakopane off the itinerary because it would mean more car travel than sight seeing. We walked down to the main square and although it was only around 5pm, it felt like 10pm because of the darkness and lighting in Kaziermizc square. There was lots of activity and memories for Teresa and Michele from previous visits last century. A magical part of the evening was the decision to take a horse and carriage ride through the old town and past Wawel castle.
It was also Halloween and All Souls’ Day so we noticed a lot of activity around cemeteries and the placement of very colourful flowers on all graves. We walked to the Podgorski Ghetto and felt quite solemn until we discovered a lovely coffee shop.
We were going to Alchemia, a very popular restaurant, in the Nowa Plac for lunch but they were so cool and inattentive that we walked out. Seems this is the Bohemian part of town and service is at a minimum. We did find a couple of lovely Polish restaurants each night for dinner where the service was exceptional and our tips reflected our appreciation. Wawel castle was a highlight. We admired the ground, the chocolate and the views. There was some shopping in the Kraków Galeria and then home to rest our weary feet!
Kaziermizc square is just as magical in the daylight. We enjoyed our time in Kraków together and wish we could spend more time in Poland…… But onward we must go…….