One Day in Krakow

First thing’s first. You’re in Poland; you will have vodka.

The first and most important thing to see in Krakow is the main square. Here you have two of the most famous churches in Poland; the Polish people are known for their steadfast devotion, so I guess all that vodka is good for something.

Here in the square, or Rynek, there are shops, restaurants, and seasonal markets. The architecture is stunning with arcades and cobblestones and the indoor market offers a break from the heat in the summer.

But you’re tired and jet lagged—you need a coffee.

I recommend taking the quick stroll to cafe Camelot. It’s cute, quaint, and oh, so Instagrammable. The cakes and pastries here compliment the food and drink well. For those who know me, you know I’m going to get chocolate anything and everything, so I had the chocolate cake and it didn’t disappoint. (You will notice this recurring theme of chocolate as I travel.)

As you walk around the city, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of visiting the churches. Even if you’ve never been in a church before in you entire life, now is the time. The art, the history and the breathtaking beauty will be an experience you wont forget. FYI, some churches don’t allow picture-taking, so you have to look very innocent and be very sneaky and ninja-like.

Ok, back to food. I’m very food motivated so it must be time for lunch or something by now. I went to Restauracja Szara multiple times. They have two different areas of the restaurant. One for breakfast and another for lunch and dinner. I’m an adventurous eater, so I tried the reindeer tartare and it was absolutely amazing. It was lean and gamey and the right amount of protein to keep me going. Best of all it didn’t make me sick and scrambling to find out about international health insurance.

Now that you’re fed, you should go to Wawel Castle. This is a great place for kids as the legend behind the dragon is pretty cool, but it really doesn’t matter what age you are, everyone kinda believes it. There’s a cathedral attached to the castle as well as a beautiful courtyard and gardens. I were attracted to the elf-like residence built into the castle wall. I knocked at the door, but unfortunately, the day I was there, no one was home. There is also a giant life-size dragon statue that breathes fire and some sort of mammoth tusk that hangs outside the door of the cathedral; stuff most people don't see every day, unless you’re lucky enough to live in the castle.

After being overwhelmed by legends, majestic buildings, and other tourists (hopefully wearing deodorant), now would probably be a good time to shop and find some treasures. The stores don’t all stay open very late, so I would recommend shopping before dinner. There are loads of places to grab an ice cream, Lodi, as you peruse.

I have a confession to make here. We didn’t get Polish food everyday and I can honestly say that the pizza and mojitos in Poland were some of the best I’ve had in the entire world. We went to pizza at Fiorentina. I’m pretty sure the waiter was cute here, but after walking all day I didn’t have much of a chance of getting his number. Anyway, they gave us olives to start and I’m not particularly into olives, but these were delicious. I am into balsamic vinegar, and the type they served here was out of bounds. I can't say that I drank it, but I wanted to. The pizza was incredible and if you get the right seat this is another good place to take come pics for the ‘gram ( they have a great brick wall inside the dining area).

Of course we couldn’t leave without dessert and ordered the tiramisu. It looked like no other dessert I’ve ever had. There was one big sphere is filled with cake and a small one is filled with creme while a balance beam of chocolate cream connecting the two reminded me that I would not feel agile and weightless after this meal, but hey, its vacation.

On a side note, if you decide to go to an authentic Polish joint for dinner, they will probably give you vodka at the end of your meal.

Nightlife. This word doesn’t usually exist in my vocabulary because at night I sleep. That way I wake up feeling friendly and not full of regret. However, there are some good spots. I liked this bar called Piano Rouge. The place is in an underground brick cavern with that creates a unique old world feel while simultaneously keeping the party vibe and they have an awesome keyboard bar that is really unique.

Breakfast is my favorite-—I love breakfast. In Poland breakfast is great; it usually consists of open-faced sandwiches called kanopki which may be bread, meat, cheese, sliced tomatoes, etc. However, you can really make them your own, you do you. I don’t advise putting the beloved choice of the Poles, the jarred, pickled herring on your breakfast toast though—that was a food adventure I could have lived without. Breakfast is hearty and after 24 hours in Poland and possibly quite the hangover, it's just the ticket to keep you on the move.