A Day In Krakow

Using the Polish spelling of Crakow, my account starts on a morning of on and off rain. We had hiked up the hill to the grand old fortress of the Wavel. There, one visits the Cathedral, a surprisingly successful exterior combination of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The other main attraction is the Wavel Castle, home of the Polish kings from the 11th-17t centuries. We toured the Treasury, State Rooms and Royal Private Apartments. Then we headed to the Old Market Square, on the way dining at the excellent Zen, a Japanese restaurant. As our friends know, Japanese food is one of our favorite cuisines. Then we heard the trumpeter play his tune from the tallest tower of the grand Gothic Basilica of St. Mary. Inside that church we saw restoration work on the polychromed wooden, 15th century altarpiece by Veit Stoss. Our last stop on our Crakow tour was the National Museum, to see the sublime portrait "The Lady With An Ermine" by Leonardo da Vinci. - Dan