Krakow Notes

1. On the way out, Bristol airport was full of rugby fans flying out for Wales’ game in Rome and stag parties heading for Krakow. With lashings of lager and full English breakfasts at 6 in the morning, it looked like the bar from Star Wars.

2. We stayed at the Hotel Chopin. It was one of Dai’s better hotel picks in recent years. The hotel in Berlin last year was very strange – reception was on the third floor of an East German apartment block and completely deserted when we arrived. The only downside to the Hotel Chopin that we could see was that it was a little out of the city centre. With trams running from the hotel for just 3zl (about 50p), this wasn’t exactly a problem.

3. There are lots of wonderful sights in Krakow. The Market Square is a natural tourist draw, with its medieval buildings and basilica mixed with outdoor cafes. Along with the royal castle, it’s the main centre of tourist life.

4. Lots of bars, many of them located down in the cellars of the old town. This meant lots of steps for John and his newly reconstructed knee. Never mind, the booze at less than £1 a pint eased the pain.

5. Food in general was ridiculously cheap, with a full three-course meal costing around £5. Lots of borsch, goulash and cabbage on the menus. Good wholesome food.

6. Bagelmama.com does the best bagels in Krakow, which is allegedly the home of the bagel. Located next to a synagogue in the heart of the Jewish quarter, they indeed lived up to expectations.

7. Saturday saw a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The trip down the mine goes almost 1000 feet underground, and starts with a wooden staircase. A long staircase. 54 flights of stairs, to be precise. Thankfully there was a lift back up though. The tour takes in mineshafts and underground lakes, as well as a huge cathedral carved out of the salt. And yes, you can lick the walls and they taste salty!

8. Sunday was an early start for a day trip to Auschwitz. Not exactly somewhere you want to go, but rather somewhere that you feel that you have to go. A very sombre experience. Our Polish guide explained in graphic detail the atrocities that were carried out there during World War II. The sheer scale of it is almost impossible to comprehend: at one point 10,000 people were being killed there every day. In total, it’s estimated that around 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered there before the liberation in 1945.

9. The final night away involved far too much to drink. Ridley had an idea for a round a tequila to go with the local Zywiec lager. One round turned into many more. The only bit of the end of the night that I can remember is falling out of a taxi outside the hotel! The airport was very quiet as we all waited for the flight home the next morning; everyone nursed their headaches. A subdued end to a great trip.

Rugby notes

1. It’s an unfair advantage to know exactly how many points you have to score to win the Six Nations.

2. What exactly is the role of the Television Match Official? The ref in the France/Scotland game said “it’s a try unless you can see anything to rule it out”! At this rate, the game will be entirely refereed by the TMO.

3. Twice France robbed Ireland. First it was in the last minute of their game at Croke Park and again in the last minute of their Scotland game. If games were 79 minutes long, Ireland would have won the Championship and the Grand Slam.

4. Shane Williams again looked too greedy. He needs to be a team player and have an awareness of who is around him. Headless chicken is not a good look at international level.

5. Ryan Jones had his best game of the series.

6. So did James Hook. The number 10 debate is now officially over.

7. Alfie’s coasting gave Harry Ellis his try. He should have played for the bounce. Ellis did. Thomas didn’t.

8. As long as wee beat the English, everything in the Welsh rugby garden is fine. And therein lies the problem.

9. Quote of the weekend from Brain Moore, one of the better commentators simply because he actually has an opinion. “You can’t let the ball bounce. It could go anywhere. And it did.”

10. My team of the Six Nations Championship:

15. Morgan (Wales)
14. Patterson (Scotland)
13. D’Arcy (Ireland)
12. O’Driscoll (Ireland)
11. Robinson (England)
10. Skrela (France)
9. Ellis (England)
1. Lo Cicero (Italy)
2. Ibanez (France)
3. Hayes (Ireland)
4. O’Connell (Ireland)
5. Thion (France)
6. Bergamasco (Italy)
8. Parisse (Italy)
7. Wallace (Ireland)

That’s one each from Wales and Scotland, two Englishmen, three each from France and Italy, and five Irishmen. Seems about right. The pack may be a little biased in favour of Italy, but they were a tower of strength in the tournament.