After the depressing trip to Auschwitz, and a good night's rest, we decided to visit Wawel Castle - well after all, it is one of the few recommended sights in Krakow. We had already seen it on the first day when we went in search of our concert tickets...but did not manage to go up cos it was too late already.
So the day started with a pleasant surprise - a lot of food for breakfast bright early in the morning. =) Even though the amount seems insufficient, it actually is cos few people are staying in this hostel (it is still undegoing renovations and this is not the peak travel season as well). So we happily helped ourselves to it before stepping out to Wawel.
After a short walk (the location of our hostel is really prime man), we reached Wawel (in the background). It was a bright and sunny day! Its quite good cos just yesterday when we were at Auschwitz, gosh you should see the rain!
Another picture of the Wawel Castle, cos the previous picture could not display the top of the castle. Assure you the weather was good despite the threatening grey clouds in the sky. =)
Unlike monuments and sights in Hungary, its neighbour, this castle is definitely older than 100 years! Despite the wars, this castle managed to survive. Were it in Warsaw, perhaps now it may still be undergoing massive reconstruction efforts! Cos unlike Krakow, Warsaw was flattened by the Nazis during the 2nd world war to quell the uprising efforts of the Poles.
The way up the hill. Twin is happy because of the good weather =) You prob cannot see but it is a longer way up than the picture suggests! By the way, can you see the signs of spring on the trees already? The weather is no longer as cold and leaves are already starting to sprout on the trees! Pretty! (Maybe this is another reason why twin is so happy - no need to wear thermals liao hahah)
Outside the gate onroute to the castle. =) Seriously, I think that we are the only Asians around. Somehow.
Well. the first corner that greeted us was the ticket office =) We wanted to go for a guided tour ard the castle, after all this is the most visited place in Krakow!, so we went to buy tickets. Sadly, the tickets for the state rooms and the garden grounds were not available. Think they closed the state rooms for cleaning and the gardens probably for pruning?
When we first walked into the castle, the first sight that greeted us was the cathedral and its museum, as well as the royal tombs. =) I think that the cathedral needs tickets to go into haha, and we wonder if they cost money...Anyway, we just went into the cathedral (no one checked for tickets!) without any tickets and looked around for a short while without taking photos. All the time, I was just telling twin that all the tombs are royal tombs. Haha! Actually, I think she took me with a pinch of salt...
Aren't the grounds pretty? All the white patches you see on the ground are actually flowers in bloom! =)
WOnders if twin was bored already. Anyway. upon turning left before the pretty flowers, we reached the armory place. It also has an admission ticket but this time, we did not sneak in =) Anyway. we were here mainly to find the royal apartments which we would be visiting before it was time so that we dun get lost and reach late. Its just up ahead from this point by the way. =) But can see from the pillar that Wawel castle is not the kind of castle that is lavishly and very expensively decorated...it seems more of a functional castle.
At the same place.. the courtyard. The pipes above on the roofs are shaped like dragons =) Can you see? The four sides of the roof are surrounded by these pipes, its really quite cool =)
See the openness of this courtyard! Haha, twin was just saying that no one could have a rendezvous in this place man. The whole palace could just look down and stare at the couple haha! Guess the gardens are a better place? Anyway, the courtyard is big enough to be a town square...like the old town square back in Old town in Warsaw.
Twin likes this clock =) Oh when we went for the royal apartments tour, we found out that the Poles like French clocks! Most of their clocks came from there! Wonder if this came from France too...But ya, its pretty isn't it? It looks like Christmas to me! Anyway this clock is from the cathedral!
We couldn't take picture during the tour therefore I guess the tour will be in words and no pictures. Basically both twin and I felt that the tour was a little brief. THe lady guide was basically telling us information on the art pieces of the rooms like who painted this and where he was from, rather than the people and their history...like who stayed in this room, what was he in the history of Poland or something. However, because of this, we learnt that most art pieces and deco came from other nations like Italy and France (esp the clocks...there was even a shiny golden one!). But they do use local products like Polish marble =)
After the tour, at my insistance? We went to look at the Vistula river. And this is the big bend, I think the biggest bend of the river in Krakow. BY the way, this river runs along Warsaw too! Separates our home and school haha! So we get to cross it everytime we want to go to school.
I wonder why but I always think that this kind of trees are pretty.
Twin is sleepy le I tell you =) Anyway, the wind was really really strong!
Another nice nice shot of the river =)
Ok this is seriously cool! You saw the river? They were all taken at the Dragon's Den which leads down to this dragon you see in this photo. SO this dragon is actually facing the river. And every 5 mins or so, the dragon will spew flames in the direction of the river. But the cool part about this whole thing is that the dragon actually spews fire. And we didn't think much of it, until we finished the scenery photos and were preparing to leave when from the corner of her eye, twin caught the ends of the flame. Thats when we starting camping there to wait for the dragon to spew fire. What a big sacrifice...standing still among the blasts of cold wind...
The signs that spring is coming. You see beautiful flowers blooming =)
This is a music records shop in the castle selling even old records! Those big big LDs! Hehes but mostly on the classical side...
You know the walk walk see see and must sit down eat something? =) We had a big breakfast so we weren't hungry, but we were still tempted by the idea of eating something nice in a warm place =) The lady at the counter was very nice. =)
And this is the cake with apple =) It looks like apple pie and tastes like apple pie =)
And this is the soup with meatballs. Seriously not what we expected. We were thinking of some thick soup with humongous meatballs. But this is good too, cos it tastes like Chinese cooking hehehes!
So with that, we ended our tour of the Castle. =) Will come back again for the state rooms =) I want to see!
Ending off with the last things we saw upon leaving the castle....The afternoon was spent on a Jewish walking trail..shall leave twin to cover it =)
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