The Eros Bendato, or 'empty head', is the most popular piece of art work in Krakow's main square. Yesterday morning at 7am I was taking this photo when I heard singing coming from nearby. I approached the eye and had a look inside; I found 2 young drunk guys singing Polish folk songs. They raised their beer cans and I gave them a thumbs-up.
A few images of the countryside outside of Krakow
Last night's dinner at Morskie Oko: it is meant to capture the mountain spirit of Zakopane
Beautiful girl
Kielbasa
I had the beetroot soup
Kate had the cabbage rolls
Luke & I shared the meat platter
We were up to the challenge
Polish apple pie
Baked cheesecake with raspberry
Fortunately, this was not our tour bus to either place
A Polish snack
Poland has the most beautiful fir trees
We visited the 'Garden of Professors' at Karkow's Jagiellonian University (formally the University of Krakow) - The uni was established in 1364
Nicolaus Copernicus - who was the first to formulate a model that had the earth revolving around the sun - was a graduate of the university
The university's crest - its motto is:
Let reason prevail over force
A plaque commemorating the 'Sonderaktion Krakau', which was the code name for the Nazi operation against professors and academics at the university
St Anne's Church - We have visited quite a few famous churches over the last few weeks, but this is as stunning as any of them
Poland has a population of 38 million with 95% officially Catholic
The pulpit
The confessional of?
Recognise the name? Pope John Paul II
Unlike Italians, Krakowiaks (that is the offical term) follow road rules. Trams even stop at pedestrian crossings
Who's that inside this shop?
I'm sure you guessed. With a new bag
This is the place I have selected for dinner tonight
A donation 'box' for the continued restoration of Krakow's old town
Got my nun shot for this country. I think she was on the phone to her betting agency . . . but my Polish isn't great
I don't know why this was here
A tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine that is just outside of Krakow. A World Heritage Area, it is just extraordinary
We are going 130m below ground
The lattice of timber is how the miners held up the ceilings of this 800 year old mine
Four men turned this to lift the 800kg barrels of salt
You are encouraged to taste the walls which are 80% salt. It is grey because it has yet to be refined.
A salt statue of Nicolaus Copernicus
Salt statues
This is known as cauliflower salt
Horses were used and were kept down the mine permanently
Kate had a go being a miner
Water is removed to prevent mine flooding
A salt floor
A cathedral carved into the salt. You can book a wedding here
The next eight are all in the cathedral and are all carved out of salt
A salt chandelier
Pope John Paul II
This is also a salt floor
A salt lake inside the mine
This is holding up one of the chambers
Another lake
A little known fact: Krakow has two of the first twelve sites placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List - this mine and the city's historic centre
You can hold a variety of events 130m below the ground
We made it to the authentic Polish cuisine restaurant I chose earlier in the day
