This city is incredibly pretty. I’ve been here since Sunday evening for a conference (very boring!). Today was the first day I had any time at all to walk around and start getting oriented. The weather all week was beautiful, like Indian summer–eerily reminiscent of descriptions of the weather in August and September 1939, 70 years ago, when the Germans invaded. But sill quite pleasant.

Today, it’s overcast and a little rainy, but the cool temperature makes for a pleasant change, and the gray skies go with my mood of laziness and relaxation, even sleepiness.

The other thing I can say about Krakow so far is that it’s full of fantastic restaurants and amazing food. I’ve had a few crummy meals (pizza with a view–maybe not a good choice–but it wasn’t my idea) but mostly I’ve stuck with local food and it’s been incredible. I’ve definitely gained weight, maybe a lot of weight, but if I manage to lose it again it will definitely be worth it (and maybe even if not).

The beer is great (Tyskie or Zywiec–I think I actually prefer Zywiec, but Tyskie is good too) and quite cheap. A half-liter of Tyskie at a great little restaurant with tables on the main square, “Polskie Jadlo” (more about this below) was 7 zloty, i.e. about$2.40 US. And I think that’s a pretty expensive beer, although I have to admit I haven’t been paying much attention to food prices, since I’ve had an immense breakfast in my hotel every morning and free lunch at the conference.

Tomorrow I’ll be checking out the sights of Krakow, and Sunday I’ll head on to Prague. Check back for Krakow food and restaurant recommendations, and some photos. For now, all I can say is, this is one to come back to.