pics #586 - #631

Saturday February 26th - Yellow Spectral Seed
After a traditional breakfast taken together with my hosts, we all leave for week-end. From Oświęcim, they indicated me a quiet road to Kraków, in good state, not busy by cars. Weather is not perfect but despite a constant head-wind, the ride goes well enough to enter the city in daylight. This is rare enough to mention. After a bridge over the Wisła river appears the Wawel caste, looking well in the descending sunlight. Easy ride in the center, easy ride along a long alley, I reach my hosts, Magda and Maciek, who spent many holidays cycling together.
           A monastery on a hill, just before entering Kraków

          Kraków: Wawel castle

Sunday February 27th - Red Cosmic Serpent
While my hosts are at church, I am practicing yoga. Then we share a breakfast at time of lunch. It is nearly dutch 'cuisine' , adding radish cucumber and tomato to bread-butter-ham-tasteless cheese. In the afternoon, Maciek gives me a tour of the historical center on bicycle of course, with a huge medieval town square, a medieval university, many churches. Karol Wojtila, archbishop of Kraków became pope as John Paul the Second - for my part I like better John Paul Jones-. Most buildings are made of brick, Polish have been creative with it. Seeing the nonsense on bicycle roads, I feel that a Dutch-Polish exchange on bike roads and brick building would benefit both countries.

           Kraków: main square

          Kraków: inside Kosciol sw. Anny

Monday February 28th - White Magnetic Worldbridger
I meet Ania, a couchsurfer who knows a place where I could teach yoga. Later in the evening I join a very relaxed meeting in a pub, it goes on rather late in an international group.
           Kraków, main square: the big head in front of Sukkenice

Tuesday March 1st - Blue Lunar Hand
I change host to meet Michał, a cycling fanatic: holidays on a bike, delivery boy on a bike, and always looking for more hints to make bike trips more independents and cheaper. He and his mother are doing there best to give me advices on what to visit, to eat...

Wednesday March 2nd - Yellow Electric Star
For today I buy a Polish Simcard to pay phone in złoty. Then I ride up to Kopiec Koscziusko, a mound named after a national hero, from which there is a nice view on Kraków, while facing a strong freezing east wind.

           Kopiec Kosciusko

           The Wisła river and the Wawel citadel