We spent a week in Krakow and in Warsaw and I noticed some interesting facts about these cities and the Poles. I made a list of them while we were traveling so I wouldn't forget to put them here on the blog and I think I'll start doing this on every trip to new destinations.

Let's go:

1. I don't know if it's because I went to Poland with low expectations, but I was surprised by how clean the cities were. We didn't see any trash on the ground and we saw lots of old people working to keep the streets and parks clean. Is there some bill or law that says only old people can clean the cities? Hm...I wonder.
2. Oh, the place to be for those who love sugar! The amount of sweets displayed in the windows of snack bars and coffee shops. It's common to find menus with several dessert options in any bar and from what we've seen, they even eat it for breakfast. Pretty healthy, right?
3. There are ice cream shops everywhere too! I don't know if they're open in the winter, but we went on a really cold week in spring (we were unlucky) and people were lining up in huge lines for ice cream.
4. We love the idea of combining a train station with a shopping, which doesn't even happen in Krakow. When we arrived by train in the city and started walking around the station, we were impressed by the level of the shops and decoration (stations are usually ugly, right?), but soon after we noticed this integration and it made perfect sense.
5. We saw construction work in several places in the cities we visited. This could be a sign that the economy is doing well or that the work is poorly done and needs to be fixed all the time. From what I've read, it's a bit of the first option.
6. How do Polish women manage to be so beautiful and so thin, especially considering that there are sweets everywhere? I was really puzzled by this fact and, of course, uncomfortable going into any store/attraction/restaurant and my husband being super discreet with the attendants. #sqn
7. Oh, another important point: it is very rare to find men serving in restaurants, cafes or stores. Only women and 90% of them are models, but at least they are not very smiley or friendly.
8. We haven't even once been able to sit down at a restaurant and look at the menu calmly without some waitress interrupting and asking if we've already made our choice. How annoying!
9. We saw many exchange offices in Krakow and my naughty husband wanted to go into all of them to find the best one for us. The differences in exchange rates are really big, but I don't know if it's worth the effort... I suggest you go into any one off the main streets with small print on the exchange rates and exchange without fear.
10. We found Krakow to be more prepared to receive tourists, because there are many options for excursions with companies and guides to walking tour and tours inside and outside the city. I confess that I thought the number of them was a bit excessive, especially in the main square, but at the same time I was happy to see that there is supply because there is demand. (Yes, I feel sorry for the Poles, because you only have to read a little about the country's history to see that they have been through some tough times for many years.)
11. If you want to explore Krakow without making too much effort, there are electric carts with guides who speak several languages and they are located all over the city. I would definitely take one if you have mobility issues or if you have children, because it ends up being fun and useful for the whole family. I don't think it's very expensive, because everything in Poland is cheap (by European standards).
12. Don’t like excursions like we do? Then you’ll love walking around Krakow, because there are explanations of the attractions in several languages on copper models next to them. Every city should have these at its tourist attractions.
13. I was moved to see the altar of St Mary's Basilica being opened when we were inside. This happened between 11:30 and noon, but I don't know if it's always like this. If you can go there at that time, go because it's a beautiful moment! (I'll put the video on post of Krakow). Oh, and this one is now taking the place of most beautiful church I have ever seen in my life.
14. Several main dishes with meat are served with sweet sauces made with red fruits, honey, etc. I don't think they go well together, but I didn't have the courage to ask for them to take them off the plate – I just didn't mix them in at the time.
15. We didn't see many Polish wine options in the restaurants and the few we tried were bad. It was a shame.
16. On the other hand, all the natural orange juices we ordered were delicious.
17. And the local beers are tasty too.
18. We found many houses of jazz around Krakow, but since Celo was a little sick, we couldn't stay out late. Try to go at night, because they are quite famous for that.
19. We stayed in the old parts of both cities and I think buildings with elevators in these areas are rare, but at least they have a maximum of 4-5 floors. Be prepared.
20. We saw several buildings with internal courtyards with gardens and people sitting on their benches talking to each other while children played around. It was a feeling from the interior, you know?
21. There are stores of souvenirs everywhere, but the ones that caught my attention the most were the porcelain shops. Each one is more beautiful than the last! The white ones with blue and green details are the most typical and I made sure to bring one to our little corner.
22. Churches are not usually open to visitors outside of mass hours, so if you want to visit them, arrive a little before or after the services. It is quite common to find their external doors open throughout the day, but then you go in and find bars inside, you know? At least they allow you to see inside…
23. Warsaw was completely destroyed in the Second World War, but you can't really see anything when you walk around the city. Of course, there are some photos from before the war and after the war, mainly in the churches, but apart from that, there's nothing left that was destroyed to remind us, you know?
24. English is really not widely spoken among the elderly. We went to a little market in Warsaw and liked a kiosk with sausages and cheeses, but when we went to talk to the lady, she simply said “in english“This was at a little fair that seemed to be touristy.
25. We found the restaurants to be very cozy inside, but the facade wasn't always interesting. It's common in some places in the world to see the opposite, right?
26. THE Pierogi, one of the country's main dishes, is a delicious ravioli, but it would be better if it had a little sauce on the outside. #readyI said
27. If you need to buy personal hygiene items, you should look for Rossmann or a drugstore. Pharmacies (usually with green crosses) only sell medicines and you need to speak to a clerk behind the counter to get one.
28. We met many gypsies around the cities, mostly playing instruments or begging for money. But a couple caught our attention with colorful pigeons in a square in Warsaw and we are almost certain that they were gypsies too. They had a pigeon of each color and earned money because people wanted to take pictures with these animals on their heads, hands and shoulders. Pigeons, people!
29. I don't know if tap water is drinkable or not, but bottled water is VERY cheap. Less than 50 cents.
30. We found many police officers roaming the streets and they were all armed. Dublin has a lot to learn…

I think that's it. Some pictures of the items mentioned above:

I hope you enjoyed it, because it was a delight to remember…

Read about the entire trip to Poland in the links below:

• 10 days in the Czech Republic and Poland
• Our 30 impressions of Poland
• Krakow in 4 days
• Warsaw in 2 days