07.42 I just want to wish the world a good morning. I am at the train station in Sundsvall. Everything is as it usually is when it comes to travelling. Well, almost the same, Christer isn't here. He is in Nyköping where he has been celebrating Christmas and I am on my way there. The backpack is filled. We are heading for Poland. It is over five years since my last visit there.

08.47 Far away in the east the sun is doing its best to do what I did four hours ago, to get up. I will try to get some sleep.

11.57 I both slept and read some in my book before the train reached the Central Station in Stockholm. I headed on to the City terminal, which is the main bus station. Here I´ve bought myself a bus ticket to Nyköping and I´m now having a sandwich and something to drink.

12.40 My time here at the City terminal is over. I am heading for Skavsta, which is the airport near Nyköping that we´ve been flying from a couple of times now. It´s called Stockholm Skavsta but it´s nowhere near Stockholm. It is 1½ hour by bus on a highway to get there.

14.39 I’ve met Christer here at Skavsta and we’ve checked in without any problems. We are now by gate 1 filling up with energy in a liquid form. We are one hour from flying to the south.

15.25 We’ve sat down on yet another plane from Ryanair. We’ve also checked in a newspaper about the current currency rate concerning the Polish zloty.

16.58 We’ve begun to descend towards Kraków Airport im. Jana Pawùa II. The papal name of the airport isn't used everyday. It is mostly called Balice, which might be an older name. So far so good and I hope it will remain like that.

POLAND

18.10 We didn’t have to show our passports, neither on Skavsta nor here upon arrival to Poland. We withdrew money with a Jack Sparrow look-a-like behind us. It was an English speaking guy dressed as a pirate. We bought us a train ticket after that. We followed the signs and walked towards what we thought was a train station. It turned out to be more of a train stop. We will catch a train to Kraków, Poland’s third largest city.

The Polish winter is not stopping Peter from writing in his journal.

18.19 A connecting bus from the airport came here just before the train from Balice Ekspres. Are people too lazy/afraid to walk a couple of hundred metres in unknown terrain? We are going to Kraków Glówny. That is the Central Station in Kraków.

19.21 We arrived and discovered a gigantic mall just near the train station, Galeria Krakówska. All that was here as we were here in 2001 was, well what was it? We have now checked in at our pre-booked hostel Trzy Kafki (http://www.trzykafki.pl/cheap_hostel.htm). We are in room 10B. We first went into room 10A. It is a room with six beds. All that is here in B are two beds, just what we need. It is to say the least cool in the room. Now we have to figure out where we will go to have dinner on this Saturday evening.

Peter in room 10 B at Trzy Kafki Hostel in Kraków.

Bigos, a Polish dish you should try if you´re in love with cabbage.

20.08 It is time for dinner. We’ve sat down at Chata, it means, roughly translated, the hut. Here we will be having traditional Polish food. I’ve ordered pork chop and Christer has ordered Hunters Stew, sauerkraut, meat and sausage. The dish is called bigos in Polish.

21.18 It was delicious food with fair prices. We are now in the Galeria Krakówska just by the Central Station. We met some Swedes on the zebra crossing, Swedes who were in front of us as we checked in at Skavsta earlier today. We are now looking for a grocery store.

22.21 We bought breakfast and a little more at Carréfour. We are about to sum up the day and the evening that has passed, is and will come. Our pillows are beyond flat. I have brought two pillows from room 10A.

Beautiful christmas decorations at the Galeria Krakowska mall.

Sunday 28th of December

10.08 The night has passed. It has been dark and cool. It is around +14º in the room. We’ve had the breakfast we bought yesterday. Next in line will be to stroll out towards the notable parts of the city.

11.43 We are seated on a bench in the Galeria Krakówska. We’ve been to the train station to buy tickets for tomorrows trip to Košice in Slovakia where we will celebrate the New Year. It seems that the train we had planned to catch isn't running any more. There has been a change in the timetables. We must get ourselves together and get going. It feels like something is missing, lacking.

Galeria Krakówska

Kraków Glowny, the main railway station in Kraków.

12.39 Things are not running according to plans. Sure there are trains going to Košice, but no one that leaves from here. We are forced to change to another train and it is going to take time. Speaking of time, it sure flies; will we be able to see all the things we planned to see? We do have time for a cup of coffee at Coffee heaven. The coffee is hot but just what I lacked, needed.

13.43 We are standing on the Rynek Glówny (Main Square) in the Old Town. There are plenty vendors here and even more pigeons. It is marvellous and fantastic but the absence of a ticket with a good train tomorrow hangs on like a ball and chain.

The largest medieval square in Europe is here in Kraków.
You can also see the St Mary´s Church (in Polish: Bazylika Mariacka).

To drink something hot is important a cold day.
Here you can order the polish hot wine (glühwein) Grzaniec Galicyjski.

It is easy to travel with horse & carriage in Kraków. Many to choose from!

14.11 We’ve left the square. The last thing we did was to listen to the trumpet signal from the St. Mary’s Basilica. It is cut off mid stream to commemorate the trumpeter who according to the legend was shot with an arrow as he was trumpeting out a warning. It is supposed to have happened as the Tatars attacked the city in 1241.

15.25 It is time for afternoon coffee at Café Zakatek. They have given us some gingerbread with the coffee. I’ve also ordered a sandwich. We’ve managed to see different things, among them the Wawel Castle. The cold and damp air sends chills through our bodies and all we wish and long for is to get warm. It is around - 5º with damp air. Some beer glasses are strolling around on the square. No, we are not hallucinating! The beer glasses handed out coupons for beer at a restaurant that we’ve passed earlier. Have two to the price of one at Pod Wawelem! Believe it or not but the thirst for beer isn't so strong on a cold winter day, nor is the will to ride a horse drawn conveyance, something that is offered the year around in Kraków.

Christer enjoying the cold weather on his way to the Wawel castle.

The castle Wawel, the Polish royal castle and final resting place for the Polish kings before 1596.

A glass of beer taking a walk around the main square.

16.31 We are back at the central station Kraków Glowny. I bought two smaller bottles of spirits before we got here, one for the road and one to take home. We are about to find out possible ways to travel tomorrow. We are doing this with the help of an internet machine, a web-kiosk. The problem now is the fact the machine felt for hanging itself. We are in the world under the platforms.

16.44 We are going to find out if we can travel through Žilina in Slovakia. Christer is writing a note about this. This note will be shown at the counter to avoid any language problems. We have plans to have a lunch in Žilina before we travel onwards.

17.07 The lady at counter 3 here in the world under the platforms didn’t have any tickets for us. She referred us to counter 9 and 10. We searched for them and finally found them in the station building above ground. We are about to buy tickets to the 07.05-train to Žilina.

Peter in front of the ticket counters at Kraków Glowny.

17.42 It went just fine to buy tickets at counter number 9. We do have tickets to Žilina. They cost us 96 zloty a piece. That is around US$33. We are back in the mall. We are getting hungry. The question is when and where do we eat?

17.58 We are about to have dinner and we will be having it here in the mall at Sphinx. It is a part of a chain that we’ve dined at before. Their grilled meat is highly recommended.

19.57 We had large and filling portions, grilled meat with rice or fries, bread and some tasty cabbage. We went back to Carréfour to do some shopping before we went home. The journey home took around 20 minutes. That is good to know as we are going the opposite way tomorrow morning.

Sphinx Restauracja, this day´s dinner restaurant.

22.07 We’ve just tried some 37% strong Polish Cherry liqueur. The taste and strength was OK. I just wish it could be a little warmer in the room. It will be an early morning. We are sitting down making up plans for the city to come, Košice. We’ve also got ourselves some neighbours. They might be Japanese ladies. They are staying in room 10A. I am glad that we didn’t remain there. I wonder if they miss the pillows that we borrowed.

Monday 29th of December

05.35 It is time for breakfast. It is early but we slept well. Christer has been forced to sleep right next to the radiator to remain warm though.

06.38 A brisk, refreshing walk took us through a chilly/cool awakening Kraków to the station. We are standing on platform 3 waiting for the train. We’ve seen several passengers with gear for alpine skiing. Is our train passing some ski resorts or are they waiting for some other train?

Peter reading a Swedish book on a slovak train in Poland.

07.02 We are once again in a compartment. We are alone and got great seats. In the other compartments there are slalom skis, people and youngsters in elf caps. Are the elves on holiday?

08.38 We’ve returned to Oswiecim. The last time we were here we got off. We went out to visit the concentration camp Auschwitz and the nearby museum. (22nd of July 2001)

09.10 We’ve made a stop in Czechowice-Dziedzice. The platform area is deserted. Something is cracking under us and the lights just went out. I am thirsty for some coffee.

A cold monday morning in Czechowice-Dziedzice.

09.47 Our train switched direction and we’ve just left Bielsko Biała. We are going through a tunnel. We just got out again. The sun is shining over the snow covered ground. I want to have coffee.

10.14 We’ve stopped in Żywiec, a town that I connect with a beer brand. The elves got out here. Two of the gentlemen who boarded sat down in our compartment. One of them just opened an Okocim. I had expected a Żywiec beer. But I guess it can’t be a prophet in its home town.

11.28 We’ve been standing still for about ten minutes at the station in Zwardoń. OK, we are on the move again. That is good. We will not get where we want if we keep standing still. The Okocim-man has left us.

11.40 The other of the boarding men has asked me if I had some Slovak koruna and then he followed a lady out in the corridor. The lady in question was checking the tickets. I guess he wanted to buy a ticket. He just got back and I don’t know if he has bought a ticket or not. I do know that we are in Slovakia. There was no need to show the passports this time either. It was hard to tell where the border was. Zwardoń is for sure in Poland and the dogs that played by the train there most likely were barking in Polish. We passed a slalom slope and a couple of minutes later got to Skalité which is a Slovak town.

SLOVAKIA

12.29 A new conductor seems to have solved the man’s ticket problem. Other travellers have come and left. The sun is shining outside and I do want coffee.

12.59 We are standing in the ticket queue at the station in Žilina. The lady before us seems to be having some problems getting a ticket. I hope that we will have no problems.

13.16 There were no problems at all. We got us a ticket each for Košice at a cost of 316 koruna (US$13). We are back at Pizzeria Piccolo (18th of June 2003). Here we’ve ordered pizza and beer. We are not sitting outside as we did in 2003.

We returned to Žilina after 5½ years.

Christer is having lunch at Pizzeria Piccolo.

14.12 It was delicious food and beer. I’ve also, finally, got me a cup hot, strong and tasty coffee. Three gentlemen by the table next to ours had beer and brandy. Now we will pay for the food before we take a quick look of the city. It is nothing wrong with the pizzeria but maybe a little expensive to be in Slovakia. Many got inside; checked the menu and left in a haste.

14.53 We had time to take a quick look at the Hlinkovo Square before we went back to the station. We are seated on the train that will take us to Košice.

Hlinkovo square in Žilina with the Tesco department store in the background.

Church of The Holy Trinity in Žilina.

The railway station in Žilina.

16.04 Liptovský Mikuláš is the name of the station that we have stopped at. People carrying skis can be seen on and outside of the train. The dusk is here and we can see white mountain tops.

17.54 Soon there will be no more train riding today. We should reach Košice within 10-15 minutes. There we have a pre-booked home and we know the city from earlier visits. What has happened since our latest one?

19.08 We’ve checked in at Študenský domov TU and are sitting in room 002V. The room is booked through http://www.travelguide.sk/eng/accommodation/sd-tu-kosice_50098_0_1.html. It was quite a distance to walk here. So close on the map can be so far in real life. We’ve come to this conclusion way too many times before. Now we have to walk back. We need breakfast and something to eat.

Peter is checking the receipt after this year´s first slovak dinner.

20.42 We’ve bought breakfast at the supermarket Tesco. After that we’ve walked in old familiar areas. We realised that our old classic restaurant Sedliacky Dvor is no more but life goes on. We are now at Pizzeria Modena instead. Here we will be having spaghetti and chicken stroganoff.

22.21 It feels great to be back in our room. It is wonderful to have a room considerably warmer than the one in Kraków. We will just relax a little before we go to sleep.

We stayed in a university guestroom at Študenský domov TU in Košice.