Krakow

One of the first things we notice upon crossing the border into Poland is that the roads have improved, significantly. Our journey along the A4 is smooth and straightforward and we reach the hotel ahead of time.

Meeting up with Eoghan and Jenny, who have taken a more conventional route from Dublin, we head to the Christmas markets at Rynek Glowny, the main square in the old town. It's Saturday night in one of the most popular tourist towns in Poland, so unsurprisingly there's a lot of people around, but we are able to enjoy some excellent mulled wine and sausage and potato snacks from the stalls. The snow on the ground makes walking a little trickier, but provides a beautiful backdrop.

The following day, we take a pleasant walk towards the Wawel castle, which overlooks the Vistula river. Next to the fortress walls is the statue of a dragon, recalling the local myth of the Wawel Dragon, which terrorised the townspeople before being slain by the hero of the tale. The statue draws a lot of tourists, as precisely every ten minutes it breathes fire for a few seconds (thankfully up into the air and not down at the tourists).

The castle grounds also house a statue of Pope John Paul II, who was born near here.

Venturing back into the centre, we find the main square slightly less crowded than the night before and are able to have a better look around. In the middle of the square is the Cloth Hall, a permanent market building selling souvenirs and crafts from the area. Once again, we are tempted by the food offerings and indulge in a pork skewer topped with a bread roll.

In the evening we enjoy traditional cuisine at Starka restaurant in the Jewish quarter, and take an early night ahead of two busy excursion days.