So, Krakow - cultural capital of Poland, home to numerous theatres, museums, art galleries and other culture vulture hangouts... but who needs any of that when you've got cheap beer, salt mines and death camps?
One thing I definitely didn't expect was to return home with a hankering for more Polish food. The signs were there - I like both beetroot and cabbage after all - but who knew everything would be quite so tasty? One word of warning though: if you ever go to a Chlopskie Jadlo outlet, don't get carried away with the complimentary bread and lard and the Best Cottage Cheese in the World Ever(TM), or you may well struggle to finish the rest of your meal. The food is ridiculously cheap by British standards, though this can lead to the mildly stupid problem of excessive bargain hunting; once you've discovered that you can get dinner for two, drinks and a tip all for the princely sum of approximately ten pounds sterling, stretching to as much as £15 seems like a ludicrous extravagance.
Despite the robust nature of the national cuisine, the Poles somehow seem to remain a fairly slim nation. Either that or their fatties are so obese they can't even get out of their front doors, and thus are hidden from the eye of the tourist. Maybe I've spotted a gap in the market, is it time for the Polish Diet book?
One thing I definitely didn't expect was to return home with a hankering for more Polish food. The signs were there - I like both beetroot and cabbage after all - but who knew everything would be quite so tasty? One word of warning though: if you ever go to a Chlopskie Jadlo outlet, don't get carried away with the complimentary bread and lard and the Best Cottage Cheese in the World Ever(TM), or you may well struggle to finish the rest of your meal. The food is ridiculously cheap by British standards, though this can lead to the mildly stupid problem of excessive bargain hunting; once you've discovered that you can get dinner for two, drinks and a tip all for the princely sum of approximately ten pounds sterling, stretching to as much as £15 seems like a ludicrous extravagance.
Despite the robust nature of the national cuisine, the Poles somehow seem to remain a fairly slim nation. Either that or their fatties are so obese they can't even get out of their front doors, and thus are hidden from the eye of the tourist. Maybe I've spotted a gap in the market, is it time for the Polish Diet book?
Our hotel was located just north of the Old Town, a perfect distance for strolling around admiring the architecture, and stopping every so often for a small refreshment. And fine refreshment it was too - the three main Polish beers, Tyskie, Okocim, and my personal favourite Zywiec are most pleasant beverages, and there are far worse ways to pass the hours than seated in one of the cafes lining Rynek Glowny with a glass in hand. And should you make it as far as Kazimierz, Alchemia also has the rich and chocolatey Zywiec Porter.
Still to come: The Street Of Which We Do Not Speak, the art of paranoia, and makeshift stars and stripy jammys
No comments:
Post a Comment