One of the greatest things about traveling through Europe is seeing the castles. During the day they are fun to explore and see the insides. But at night, they become magical. Here is Krakow’s Wawel Castle overlooking the Vistula River.
RTW Budget: One Month in Poland
For the month of August we finished our stay in Florence, Italy and then our around the world adventure took us to the beautiful city of Krakow, Poland. Krakow was one of those cities I was not sure what to expect, but we ended up really enjoying it. We loved that it has lots of green spaces and parks and we also really liked how the city does not feel large despite approximately 800,000 people living there. We also found that most things, especially food and local transportation, were fairly cheap. While we were in Poland 1 USD was approximately 3.16 zlotys.
So how did we do on our budget? I am really excited because after several months of being really over budget we are back on track. Our total for the month of August was $3,154.43 or $101.76 per day or $33.92 per person per day.
Lodging
Our biggest expenditure for the month of August was for lodging at $1610.97. Unfortunately, lodging was more than half of our total expenditures for the month. However, during August we really struggled to find affordable accommodations. Like I mentioned in my previous budget post, we panicked. We probably should have kept on looking and until we found something cheaper. In breaking our lodging expenditures further down, we had 5 days of lodging in Florence, Italy for a total of $271.65. We spent 1 night in a bed and breakfast in Pisa for $53.20 and our lodgings in Krakow for the month of August was $1272. We also had $14.12 in miscellaneous costs, which included laundry and replacing a knife that we accidentally broke.
Food
Our next biggest expenditure for the month of August was food, costing a total of $564.96. We spent $464.21 on groceries and $100.75 for dinning out. This is the least amount we have spent on food so far on our around the world adventure. I must say that Krakow has some great cheap street food and wonderful markets with tons of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. We were in Poland during raspberry season and were able to pick up a huge carton of raspberries for less than $2. A similar amount of raspberries in the United States would have cost us close to $10. Overall, we really enjoyed the foods and cheap prices of Poland.
Transportation
Our next biggest expenditure was for transportation for a total of $504.33. We took the train from Florence to Pisa, which cost $25.74. We then flew from Pisa to Krakow, which cost $383.69. The remaining $95.40 was for local transportation around Krakow, being picked up at the airport, and local transportation to see Auschwitz and the Salt mines.
Entrance Fees
Our total expenditures for entrance fees were $187.16. Krakow has lots of fascinating historical places to see and most are pretty cheap. Our entrance fees included seeing Auschwitz, the Wieliczka Salt Mines, Wawel Castle, Rynok Underground, Schindler’s Factory, and the Krakow Zoo. Our favorite places to see were Auschwitz and the Weiliczka Salt Mines. The museum that I was the most disappointed by was Schindler’s Factory. I walked away feeling like I learned very little about Oscar Schindler.
Entertainment
Our total expenditures for entertainment were $115.30. This included a movie, 3 different walking tours, swimming, and Sydney doing Aqua Zorbing. During the month of August, we decided that we would treat ourselves to a movie in a cinema as the last time we had seen a movie in a movie theater was in Paris in December. It really was a treat for us to see a movie in a movie theater.
Miscellaneous
Our miscellaneous expenditures were $120.28. Our miscellaneous expenditures included horse-riding lessons for Sydney, ibuprofen and a haircut for Jason. A word of advice to those who plan to travel for a while in Europe, stock up on ibuprofen before leaving the US. For some reason ibuprofen is ridiculously expensive. After looking in several different countries, we finally found it for $7.19 for 50 tablets, which is really cheap in Europe. Most places we were finding 10 tablets for that same price or more expensive.
Lessons Learned
- We found it difficult to find affordable accommodations in Europe for August. We probably should have kept on looking, but we panicked.
- We probably could have gotten cheaper accommodations further outside the city of Krakow, but we really enjoyed being close to the center and was worth it for us to pay a little extra to be closer in.
- Food is actually pretty cheap in Krakow especially the street food. So have fun tasting the foods of Poland. I encourage you to wander through the markets and try the street food.
Overall we were pleasantly surprised by Krakow and really enjoyed staying there. We found Krakow to be very family friendly. We loved all the green spaces, which make it a very walkable or bikeable city. Krakow also has a very interesting history. We would definitely like to return to Krakow someday.
Sydney’s Corner: The Fierce Krakow Dragon
The Tale of the Krakow Dragon Smok
We were in Krakow, Poland where a dragon once lived. Here is the tale of the Krakow dragon named Smok.
Once there lived a really nice King called King Krak. He had a daughter that was very nice too. The villagers loved him. One day an evil dragon settled right outside the town. The people did not know what to do. The dragon kept on eating everything. One day a cobbler said, “I will fight the dragon.” The King said, “Okay.”
The cobbler made a fake sheep. He sewed a sheepskin together and he put sulfur in the fake sheep. Early that morning he put the sheep next to the den. When the dragon saw it he ate it. All of sudden the dragon felt his body burning. He ran toward the River Wisla. He drank and drank and drank until he exploded. All the villagers were so happy. The daughter married the cobbler and they were all happy again.
Sydney’s Tale
Some say that this cave in Krakow has a dragon in it, but some believe that the dragon was made up.
I, Sydney the explorer, will see for myself. So, I went to the dragon den. As I crept into the cave, I heard something snoring. I looked to my right and saw a huge dragon. But as I looked passed him I saw a mound of gold from the people who tried fighting the dragon. I named the dragon “Smok” because everyone knows in dragon speak that means gold keeper.
As tipped toed past him, he awoke. The dragon smirked and said, “you cannot kill me. No one can.” I said, “Try me” even though I was scared in the inside. I knew that I could not kill him. But I could steer him to the castle and the knights could kill him. Here is the question. How would I steer him to the castle? I love horses and started thinking about them. Then I had the idea that I could ride him to the castle like they do on horses.
As fast as I could I jumped on his back. I put rope around his neck and I steered him to the castle even though Smok set the village on fire. When I got to the castle I called out to the knights, “Kill this dragon!” They said, “Here is a sword. Kill the dragon yourself.” So I grabbed the sword. As soon as I grabbed the sword the dragon realized what was happening. He started bucking up and down. I managed to steer him to the moat and then got him in the moat with the alligators. All of a sudden, the alligators started biting Smok. It was so funny I started laughing.
But there was work to do. I had to cut off the dragon’s head with the sword. I took the sword out of my jacket and pushed it against the neck of the dragon and sliced off his head. The town’s people were so happy that they had a party that lasted around 10 days or so.
The End
I hope you liked the story of the fierce Krakow dragon.
Photo of the Week: Brasov from Above
During our stay in Brasov, Romania we have discovered the great hiking trails that lead to the top of Mt. Tampa. The climb is steep and will take you 1300 vertical feet above the city which offers great views. Also on the top of Mt. Tampa is the giant Hollywood styled “BRASOV” sign and at the top of the gondola there is a nice little restaurant where you can grab food and a beverage. Wait, did I just say there was a gondola to the top? For those not wanting to spend an hour battling a steep incline and switchbacks, you can take a quick gondola ride to the top. But that’s cheating!
Sydney’s Corner: Making Hard Candy
In Lviv, Ukraine we got to see how they make hard candy. So, in this blog you will learn how to make hard candy.
Let us talk about how hard candy and candy canes are made.
Steps of Making Hard Candy
1. First you wipe down the counter with grease so the candy won’t stick.
2. Add the ingredients to a pot.
3. Put the pot on a stove and get it to 300° Fahrenheit. Stir constantly.
4. When it gets to that point of 300° Fahrenheit pour it on a counter.
5. Fold the candy over and over with a scraper until it cools.
6. Cut the candy into 2 parts.
7. Add some flavor and add some of the color to 1 of the parts of candy.
8. After you add flavor and color you will work the candy till it is all mixed.
9. After the candy is worked, you put part of the non-colored candy on a hook and stretch it over and over again until it turns white. The candy turns white because gets little air bubbles in it.
10. When you done working it, put all the pieces together and make a candy burrito.
11. After you are done making the burrito shape it.
Tada there you go. Now you have a candy cane. I got to taste 2 flavors of lollipops. They were pretty good. It was interesting watching them make the candy.
The Recipe to Make Candy
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon flavor
- food coloring
Other Supplies Needed
- Plastic gloves
- Pan
- Candy thermometer
Now you know how to make hard candy.
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