After a very delayed train yesterday south to Berlin, we had to change our plans to stay overnight in Poland. We made it to the Polish border at Frankfurt, on the Oder river. Stayed in a nice old hotel. Ben and I shared a Domino’s (!!) pizza and hit the sack.
We caught the early morning train to Poznan and hailed a cab to take us a few kilometres south to ‘Makieta’, a fantastic model train layout created by Robert and his wife Renata. They were excellent hosts, opening specially for Ben and I for a small charge. Robert and Renata have been working on the model for almost twenty years, with about twenty employees and volunteers. They have about $250k invested in the project, and charge admission on the weekends. The taxi ride was very entertaning. Our driver knew no English, and he obviously couldn’t believe where he was taking us. The last kilometre to the model train was on a very narrow and poorly maintained dirt road.
Renata kindly gave us a ride back to the Poznan train station and we continued on our way to Krakow. Both Poznan and Krakow have train stations that we in Canada can only dream for. Many platforms and tracks, wonderful eating facilities, and connected to huge shopping malls.
Krakow is famous for its Old City square. with a long beautiful market building dividing its two halves. We enjoyed a delicious Polish meal of cabbage rolls, perogies, mutton, veal cutlets, and potato latkes, washed down with Polish white wine.
Tomorrow south to Zakopene, then a bus over the high Tatra Mountains, followed by thrilling cog trains south to Poprad in Slovakia.