Last blog for some time; no more holidays booked and passport is about to die.
Had a massive 4 course breakfast, to last til we got home. We walked up into the central square and were there when the hour struck.  Every single hour on the hour a guy walks up hundreds of steps to the top of a tower and plays a tune on his bugle and then stops in the middle as though he's been shot in the throat with an arrow. But he's not really dead, he waves at everybody before he comes down again. There is a vacancy if you fancy a fairly cushy job, although you may need some quick bugle lessons. But still, there's only one tune to learn and even that one you don't need to know all the way through as you never finish it!
We went in a cafe that is famous for the most incredible hot chocolate but of course nobody wants it in a heat wave! So beer and latte it was, with cake (you've seen the photo). Did a bit of shopping then went back to the hotel for a last beer. I'm sure there was a tear in the barman's eye when I told him we were leaving.
There followed the usual hours of queueing and waiting but the worst was when we got back to the car! Having paid £39 to park the car, we couldn't get out of the car park as the barrier was stuck! The queue was growing and tempers were rising until, after 13 minutes a guy in a yellow jacket came and put the barrier up to let us all out. So we drove home in an amazing electrical storm. Welcome back!!

First of all, something I forgot yesterday. I always like my peach flavoured ice tea when on holiday and I found some ice tea in the local shop. Unlike most languages you can't really decipher Polish, but it had a picture of a peach on the label so I should have been OK with that. No, maybe the green lid was a clue but it was actually mint peach flavour and it tasted as bad as it sounds. When I get home I will not be rushing to the Polski Sklep shop for any of that!
So, to today, the good news was it wasn't as hot as yesterday but the bad news is it was even hotter! 34 today. Now I'm in a rhythm of having a 3 course breakfast to last all day.  We had a walking tour of what became the Jewish ghetto in the Second World War. We saw the house where Helena Rubinstein was born (she made perfume and cosmetics apparently) and we went in a synagogue. I had to wear one of those funny little skull cap things, in a nice Man City blue. We saw lots of places which feature in the film, Schindler's List; we'll have to watch it again soon.
We only had an hour to spare at the hotel before the afternoon trip so we went straight in the bar. Mum reverted to Latte today but I had 2 beers; nothing to eat as still full of breakfast👍
So, the afternoon trip was to the concentration camps at Auswich and Birkenau. Weirdly it wasn't upsetting which I'd expected it to be. I think it's because there are no people there. We saw the dreaded sign over the entrance, the railway line and buildings we've seen many times over the years. We walked up the road to the gas chambers which was a one way trip for all those poor people, we went inside the gas chamber where they died, but somehow it didn't seem real, it was just another place full of tourists. But when I watch the black and white film made by the liberation troops it brings tears to my eyes; the sheer fact and scale of these atrocities that were happening just 6 years before I was born, just blows me away.
Anyway we didn't get back to the hotel till after 8 so went straight in the restaurant for more beer and food. I'd enjoyed the steak so much the first night I had another one and it was just as good. Mum had a burger and chips; bill for 2 meals and drinks, £23!  I could live here!

Good grief it's hot here in the Middle East, of Poland! Very fortunately the room has air conditioning and we have 2 king size beds so had one each and spread out, so managed to sleep ok. Breakfast is buffet style; the dining room was very busy but mum managed to get egg, sausage and beans, and a banana. I had a bowl of 4 different cereal/muesli/dried fruit/some kind of good for you seeds! Then a croissant, a pain au raisin and a piece of cake! They're probably good for you too, right?
We went by coach to the far side of the city centre so we could have a walking tour back. To sum up our guide's talk, everything in Kraków is either the biggest or oldest (and usually both) in
Poland. We finished at the castle and we were so hot we BOTH had a beer!

Photo taken by the King of selfies (no stick was used in this production)

After our liquid lunch we went to the salt mines (personally I think that was too harsh a punishment but hey ho). This mine operated for hundreds of years. It has 9 levels; we descended, via 3 million and 4 steps as far as the third level down.  Way down there is a full size cathedral literally cut out of the rocksalt and the gift shop is way down there too. You can buy all sorts of gifts, as long as they're made of rocksalt. I didn't see the point in buying some expensive souvenir given that the first time there's a bad frost it will end up on the front steps.

But the chamber, 400 feet below the ground is apparently in the Guinness book of records because the first "indoor" bungee jump and the first ever indoor balloon flight took place in it!

Here's another picture of me with beer. I'm getting so good at selfies I could probably have taken this one myself too, but on this occasion I got my lovely assistant to assist!   

The alarm went at 4 o'clock to signal an early start! We drove to Yeadon and arrived at the airport in the dark, to be met by the busiest I have ever seen Leeds/Bradford. I've often noticed when walking the dog before 7am that there is a constant stream of aircraft taking off and today proved that most flights from there, it seems set off early morning. The queue for security went right round the departure lounge and past the entrance door.  It confused people and many joined this queue still with their luggage as they couldn't see how to get to check in!
Just for a change mum sailed through the scanner, so who got stopped for setting it off instead? Then subjected to the new full body scanner! Needless to say I passed easily; I can only conclude that the guy was overwhelmed by my impressive physique and wanted a peek at my magnificent torso unfettered by clothes!
The flight was ok but we were shocked when we got off the plane in Kraków, it was just like when we went to Spain; the heat hit you! It's hot here; who knew Poland was hot? Not me, I didn't bother packing any shorts. The forecast expects it to be hot throughout our stay so I look like being over dressed!
Hotel is very nice, they gave each of us a drink of fruit juice on arrival and a voucher for a free drink in the restaurant or bar if we ate there. Had a very warm walk round the centre of the city then had tea in the hotel restaurant where I had possibly the nicest steak I've ever eaten! With the free drink and 15% discount for out tour company the total bill was about £18!
The heat and the extremely early start then caught up with us and we dozed all evening!
The thing that is puzzling me so far is that Poland seems a really nice place and has everything you'd want plus fabulous weather. So why are so many of them living in the most seedy parts of the U.K.?