Czech Republic and Poland, (Day 5). Monday 8th July 2019.
I had two weeks booked for roaming around the Czech Republic and Poland, an NFP Grumpy Rail tour on the first Sunday out and then up to Poland for a 5-day Interrail.
With 4 days behind me in Czech Republic, I was heading towards Poland, but wanted to spend a few hours at Ostrava on the way through, so I left the Safestay early and caught an express out to Hranice Na Morave for a change to Ostrava hl n.
Ostrava is an amazing junction and one I`ve visited many times, always something interesting passing through or indeed on shed. I made my way over the footbridge to the depot and was very kindly given permission to go around, I really don`t have enough praise for the Czech Railway men, these people allow us around their place of work without concern and we equally give that respect back and always thank them on the way out, absolutely lovely people who appreciate our interest.
to be more Grumpy`s lined up in the scrap yard since my last visit. I made my way back to the railway station and booked tickets for a train into Poland Krakow where I was staying for the night, I`d booked a train that wasn’t due until 14.09 in the afternoon, so that gave me a few hours on Ostrava railway station photting the passing freights.
My train arrived, it was a Hungary to Krakow with one half going to Warsaw via Katowice, so I boarded the train at Ostrava and it split at Bohumin on the Czech Polish border, unfortunately, although I was in the right seat in the right coach, they split the coaches leaving my coach on the Warsaw bit, I`m not sure how the shunters got this wrong but they did, so I missed on some new track from Bohumin to Krakow, and instead diverted via Katowice and then had to catch a stopper from Katowice to Krakow and I arrived two and a half hours later than I intended to do, but no bit issue really.
I walked across the town and into the old town to my accommodation for the night, but after walking across the city, I was told that my apartment block was actually located in another location, so one of the girls took me to it, it was again a fair old walk but back in the direction I`d just walked, but closer to the railway station. I`d booked a hostel and got a private room, it was great and only cost around a tenner for the night, so no complaints there. I took a cool shower, dropped off my gear and went out in the old city for a pint before having an early night, I slept well that night and was about to start the rest of my holiday in Poland with 7 wonderful days in front of me.
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