M-whY

By the time I found the bus station I needed, it no longer made sense to go. It get dark nowadays around 4:30pm, and getting there would eat up the better part of an hour. I made up my mind to put the trip off til tomorrow, then headed to Krakow's Rynek Glowny, the largest medieval town square in Europe. I was disappointed to find out a significant chunk of it was being dug up for restoration or repairs. A large souvenir market occupied the center, and to the northeast was St Mary's Church. The southwestern corner held the Town Hall Tower and tourist information center, whose toasty interior was a good place to pick up maps and defrost.

"Ow!" I muttered, as a pigeon crashed into me. Also congregating in the square were these plump birds that, like trained parrots, ate our of people's hands at every opportunity. They were a source of amusement to many. When the bread ran out though, the flock dispersed in search of more handouts, flying so low tourists had to duck to avoid having their heads taken off. A particularly dumb one flew right into my legs. Look, stupid, I don't care how fat you are, you're not going to not going to win in a collision with me...

I had a kebab on the move so as to not attract more pigeons. Krakow's Royal Route led me to Wawel Hill, where Prince Krak slayed the ferocious dragon back in the 7th century and founded the medieval capital. Next to the castle was the cathedral where many Polish kings were crowned and buried. A man at the entrance reminded me to remove my hat as I walked through the stained glass chapels. Beneath it all was a royal crypt - I felt better about being down here when I heard other people coming down the dimly lit staircase. I'll always remember it as a spooky place, deathly quiet save for the occasional sound of footsteps. Footsteps of humans, I hope.

I climbed the bell tower, then returned to the main square. I'm almost positive the weather makers are toying with me; One minute it's picture perfect outside, the next it's threatening blizzard. I ducked into a museum, another good place to escape the cold while studying a Da Vinci painting. Back at the hostel, I approached reception and did what I should've done yesterday.

"Can you put me down for tomorrow's Auschwitz tour?"

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