Travel Notes from Poland...

About 18 months ago I meandered over to Krakow. I've included the projected itinerary vs the actual itinerary....

Projected:-

Friday PM - Fly London to Munich
Friday PM - Fly Munich to Krakow
Friday PM - Meet BTLC and catch up for ales
Friday PM - Sleep @ Nathan's Villa Hostel (Proper Bed), Krakow.

Saturday Day - Tour Auschwitz & Birkenau
Saturday PM - Tour Old Krakow
Saturday PM - Sample the local nightlife
Saturday PM - Sleep @ Nathan's Villa Hostel (Proper Bed), Krakow.

Sunday AM - Finish Krakow & surrounding areas
Sunday PM - Fly Krakow to Frankfurt
Sunday PM - Fly Frankfurt to London (Lufthansa)

Actual:-

Friday PM - Fly London through the greatest turbalence ever,
Friday PM - Unable to land in Munich, circle for 40 minues,
Friday PM - Running out of fuel, flee to Nuremburg
Friday PM - Get stuck on the tarmac @ Nuremburg in massive storm
Friday PM - Beer runs out on Lufthansa flight
Friday PM - Refuelling takes an additional 45 minutes
Saturday AM - Arrive in Munich - No more flights
Saturday AM - Baggage services stop, luggage somewhere in Munich airport
Saturday AM - Told we have to stay in Munich
Saturday AM - Told there are no direct flights to Krakow later in the day
Saturday AM - Told a connecting flight in Warsaw is required
Saturday AM - Consider assaulting Lufthansa staff
Saturday AM - Arrive (230am) at hotel on outskirts of Munich
Saturday AM - Set off for Munich airport (630am)
Saturday AM - Arrive Munich airport
Saturday AM - Told that luggage 'should be' on the flight
Saturday AM - Take off on Lot airlines to Warsaw
Saturday AM - Arrive Warsaw International gates
Saturday AM - Cant get through to domestic flights
Saturday AM - Still can't get through
Saturday PM - Flight to board soon
Saturday PM - Almost to domestic flights
Saturday PM - Get through, run like buggery, get to domestic flights
Saturday PM - Flight's delayed
Saturday PM - Still waiting in departures
Saturday PM - Get the boarding call an hour late
Saturday PM - Get on transit (bus) to the plane,
Saturday PM - Plane has PROPELLORS!!!!! Wtf?
Saturday PM - Arrive in Krakow
Saturday PM - Happy days!
Saturday PM - Where's our luggage?
Saturday PM - Told it will be there at midnight....handy!
Saturday PM - Find transport to hostel
Saturday PM - Our beds have been given away
Saturday PM - Buy replacement clothes
Saturday PM - Check out old Krakow
Saturday PM - Buy alcohol
Saturday PM - Drink alcohol
Saturday PM - Continue consumption
Sunday AM - Hopes soar heading to hostel
Sunday AM - Luggage is there!!! Richard's at least!
Sunday AM - Rage about my luggage not having arrived
Sunday AM - Send abusive drunk emails to friends and random people (I know you're surprised at this)
Sunday AM - Head to bed (5am)
Sunday AM - Wake up with only a few hours opportunity to head to Auschwitz/Birkenau
Sunday AM - Find out my luggage is in Frankfurt (nice work there)
Sunday AM - Make it clear to staff that they need to ensure that my luggage remains in Frankfurt
Sunday AM - Make the mistake of letting Richard navigate
Sunday AM - Do a ridiculous 30 minute circuit, ending up back LITERALLY where we start
Sunday AM - Return to hostel
Sunday AM - Catastrophe, one of the biggest craps in history, no toilet paper.
Sunday AM - Make do...
Sunday AM - Get back on track, heading for bus stop
Sunday AM - Bus from Krakow to Oswicz
Sunday AM - Auschwitz/Birkenau lightning tour
Sunday PM - Bus back to Krakow
Sunday PM - Running out of time
Sunday PM - Running to the hostel, time runs faster
Sunday PM - Hungover, knackered, running from hostel to tram/bus
Sunday PM - An hour until flight, still waiting for bus
Sunday PM - Bus = 40-50 minutes (Minimum)
Sunday PM - Hail a cab
Sunday PM - Make mistake of using the words 'airport really fast' and ommitting the word 'safely'
Sunday PM - Watch helplessly as cab ploughs through a pedestrien crossing
Sunday PM - Point out a mother and pram about to be killed by crazy cab driver
Sunday PM - Get stuck behind worlds slowest driver and cops
Sunday PM - Realise the plane is due to depart in 30 minutes
Sunday PM - Beginning hyperventilating (ok, not really)
Sunday PM - Arrive at Krakow Airport
Sunday PM - Notice that everyone else in Poland is at Krakow Airport
Sunday PM - Pull the 'I'm Australian, I dont speak Polish or understand queues' routine
Sunday PM - Jump 175 spots in the queue - a new Polish record
Sunday PM - Get stuck behind a dumbar$e family sendoff at passport control
Sunday PM - Feel the urge to maim grow rapidly
Sunday PM - Run into departures
Sunday PM - Find out that the plane is late
Sunday PM - Miss another connecting flight
Sunday PM - Arrive in Frankfurt
Sunday PM - Find out that my luggage has been sent to Krakow, via Warsaw
Sunday PM - Watch BTLC get felt up by a chubby german guy at the airport
Sunday PM - Catch a BA flight to London

To understate things, it could have been a bit smoother or simpler, but such is life.

On the positive side, Krakow is a magnificent place, it's cheap as chips and if you are unmoved going to a place like Auschwitz or Birkenau, then I'd be very surprised. Amazing place, and one I need to go back to some day, that's for sure.

After the Polish incident it took a few more days before I received my luggage, as it went to Krakow, then back to Frankfurt. MUPPETS!!!