Poland, Summer 2017: Trip Summary

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The Trip

July 22–August 5, 2017. Fifteen days, four cities: Kraków, Gdańsk, Warsaw, and Wrocław, with side trips to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wieliczka, and Książ Castle. Ksenia greeted me at the airport with flowers and hugs. We ended with too much bread and one last walk around Wrocław.

Where We Ate and Drank

Kraków

Place Rating What I thought
King’s Restaurant — Beef tartare, foie gras, duck, wild boar, and mushroom ice cream on our first night.
Pod Nosem — Beef tartare and duck with foie gras for me; more foie gras and strawberries for Ksenia.
Jama Michalika — Tea at the old home of the Green Balloon cabaret.
The Black Duck — Salmon tartare and Old Polish duck with red cabbage.
Szara Gęś (the Grey Goose) — Foie gras ice cream and roast goose before our flight.

We also had pierogi, duck pierogi, Polish crêpes, and blueberries between the named stops.

Gdańsk

Place Rating What I thought
Gvara ★★★☆☆ 3/5 The goose liver with apple sauce wasn’t for me, but the ham hocks were tasty and tender. Ksenia liked her cold borscht and potato pancakes.
Pod Łososiem ★★☆☆☆ 2/5 Dinner was okay and the place seemed past its prime. The cherry flambé dessert was good.
Craft Cocktails — Slow Fader and a gin cocktail; the latter took too long and got warm.
NaLeśnikowa — Local crêpes for breakfast.
Lodziarnia Miś — “Famous” lemon ice cream, though the flavor I wanted had sold out.
Bar Turystyczny ★★★★★ 5/5 Simple, well-executed pork cutlets. Dinner for both of us cost 32 złoty.

We also stopped for a John Collins, snacks, and tea after watching the candy makers at Ciuciu.

Warsaw

Place Rating What I thought
Czerwony Wieprz — I ate from the “Dignitaries” menu; Ksenia ate from the “Proletariat” menu.
Croque Madame — Better-than-average lemonade.
Być Może — Fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes for me; scrambled eggs for Ksenia.

There was also a zapiekanka, pierogi, ice cream, and dinner with friends.

Wrocław

Place Rating What I thought
Dwór Polski ★★☆☆☆ 2/5 Roast stag and duck with cherries. So-so.
Graciarnia ★★★★☆ 4/5 Sobótka was clean, crisp, a little bitter, and an excellent summer beer.
Café Vincent — Breakfast came with so much bread that we ordered too much.
Karczma Lwowska — Delicious kielbasa and potatoes on our first visit; odd but surprisingly good marinated pears on our second.

I also had an open-faced roast-beef-and-fried-egg sandwich for breakfast before touring the university.

Where We Stayed

We also stayed in Gdańsk and Wrocław.

Places and Days Worth Remembering

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial was a difficult, necessary day. Kraków also gave us Wawel, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, St. Mary’s Basilica, and a Jewish Quarter tour. In Gdańsk we visited the European Solidarity Centre and the Museum of the Second World War. Warsaw gave us the Warsaw Rising Museum, the Rising anniversary ceremony at the cemetery, and Ksenia’s verdict from the top of the Palace of Culture and Science: the best view in town, because the building isn’t in it. In Wrocław, the Racławice Panorama, Centrum Historii Zajezdnia, dwarf statues, the Pan Tadeusz Museum, and Książ Castle filled out the trip. The train to Wrocław provided five hours of its own entertainment, without air conditioning.

Day by Day

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