Our
trip to visit family, enjoy some down time from everyday stress and to see the
Euro 2012 opening game in Warsaw was spirited, fun and delicious. The emphasis
here must be on delicious because more often than not, we ended up eating our way through places we
visited. Our travels today are as much about seeing great places and enjoying
excellent company as they are about experiencing local specialties. From the
cakes at traditional cafes, to
drinking chocolate at Wedel, obwazanki, through the ice cream and gelato, and
onto unbelievable baked goods (nowhere in the US do pastries or breads like
that exist), not to mention delicious, hearty meals we brought back quite a
lot; in excess body weight that is.
The
trip entailed flying into Vienna and spending five days there. If you are in
town and have done most of the usual tourist things, do check out the Zentral Friedhof (large cemetery in a park-like setting).
Also, as always get your fill of traditional cafes. We visited a number of them
including the Hotel Sacher one, Café Imperial, Oberlaa and Heiner. All were
good but keep in mind that Café Imperial is more of an experience than a place
to enjoy a wide selection of cakes. If you are on a tour to find out who has
the tastiest Sacher Torte, don’t look further than Demel. We skipped Demel this
time as we wanted to try Sacher but Demel clearly wins the longstanding Sacher Torte war.
We also took in an interesting opera in the Museums
Quarter, more eclectic and interesting in the stage design, less
enchanting however in the actual singing part. Since we had more time on our
hands we saw an exibit at the Seccession Museum and the Vienna City Museum. The
exhibits at the Seccession were different, both cool and comical. The downside
of the city museum is that it mainly caters to German speakers so if you are
not with a guide or do not have a German speaker who can translate in your
party, you might as well skip it.
In Poland we explored the Collegium Maius (original
site of Jagiellonian Univeristy established in 1364). Aside from a courtyard
which you can check out fee-free, there are tours that take you inside the
library, professors’ congress room, lodgings and lecture rooms that served from
the 14th through the 19th centuries. Outside Krakow
we went to Pieskowa
Skala, a castle and fortress in the low hills. Both proved to be engaging.
The English tour we got at the Collegium really provided a nice snapshot of
what life was like at universities in times past.
Visiting
Poland during the beginning of the Euro Cup was not in the
least unpleasant. The game we attended was exceptionally well organized, from
the parking, to public transport etc. Many soccer fan tourists were visiting
Poland and Ukraine but there was little to complain about in terms of everyday
crowds. The take away from all of this, if you have only been to Austria so far,
do venture more east. Poland has a really great place to explore, from its
historical gems, to natural beauty, great food (stay away from touristy places
and go with local recommendations) and a culture that loves guests.
