I arrived in Krakow yesterday after taking the night bus from Prague, and after a lovely day walking around and visiting the largest English language bookshop in Poland yesterday (am now close to finished the Kapuscinski classic "The Soccer War") today I', visitind Wawel castle - have already visited the Royal Apartments, and in another hour or so we're going for the tour of the Royal Private rooms. "We" is another Kate (from Wodonga) and Jenny, from Brighton, England, beginning study at Cambridge in October. In between our allotted visits around the castle we had lunch in the local bagel place. If you're beginning to think my blog sounds like a bagel tour of Europe you may be correct.

Krakow is gorgeous. I was chatting with Susan in Firenze, wondering where I'd go when I left Italy, and mentioned Warsaw - it was her suggestion that I go to Krakow instead, and I'm glad I took her up on it. Tomorrow we're planning a trip to Auschwitz, and the day after a journey to the salt mines, which were among the very first sites listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites (in the same batch as the Taj Mahal). The pope spent his share of time in Krakow before being given the funny hat - he was a bishop here. (Wait, doesn't that entail another funny hat?) Best of all the history of the places founding: it was founded by Prince Krak, after her outwitted the local dragon. I wandered through the dragon's den this morning too - a lovely cave. I imagine the dragon would have been quite at home there.

I'm still trying to think ahead to what will come after Krakow - I've definitely decided to go to Denmark, but am also thinking of taking a bus up through the Baltic states - I don't need a visa to visit them, and ferries from Tallinn to Helsinki, and then to Copenhagen are cheap. Feel a bit like I'm making a sudden dash everywhere, which, after several months of travelling slowly, is a welcome surprise.

I went out in Prague last Thursday night with Anna and others for Anna's birthday. Petra, the girl who cut my hair, came ut with us yesterday and took us to a couple of bars. After a while I worked up the courage and she got me an absinthe. A "small" absinthe. I'd hate to see what they call a large absinthe! I didn't bother with the whole process of caramelising sugar in a spoon and dropping it in - just drank it straight. Well, three sips. Three was enough. Anyway, I've since been told that the Czech absinthe isn't the really serious stuff - the only place you can still buy absinthe with the wormwood extract is in Estonia. It's strange the way I'm chasing after this stuff, when I don't even like to drink! Oh well...


Krakow