Day 4: Heading to Kraków! [Poland]
After a very pleasant evening at the hotel, we were up and ready to make our way to Kraków! But first we were going to make two stops on our way there. First up was a town Pszczyna [Poland], here we had some free time to see the town and then a group lunch. We had read that there was a small animal exhibit, seemingly, not too far away from where we were going to be having lunch. Nicole and I headed in that direction, it was quite a bit farther than we expected by just looking at the map, but we did indeed make it! Here at the Zagroda Żubrów, there were Bison, a type of deer and the geese there were just as mean as the North American geese! We managed to escape the geese unscathed, but did enjoy seeing the Polish Bison and other native animals at the exhibit. After that, we high-tailed it back to Piano Nobile for lunch! It was very good and included a nice salad, an extremely good soup along with tasty bread!
Things you should watch before you go!
- Ida - The Rape of Europa - The Jewish Cardinal - The Pianst - Schindler's List - Karol - Paper Clips -
From Pszczyna, we were heading to Kraków, but stopping at Auschwitz and Birkenau along the way. While this is a horribly sad part of history, we feel it is a very important part to understand. Nobody that we spoke to within our group wished they had not gone afterwards. The sites were very well maintained and displayed items in a manner to help you grasp the magnitude of what took place here. Our walking tour guide was exceptional in depicting the conditions, what took place here and helping you understand the situation from different aspects. The tour was emotionally challenging, however the site displays and tour guide will help you maintain composure and not be emotionally overtaken (well, until the end, when he explained that the reason he was a guide was because his grandfather was at Aushwitz). At least this way the case for our group. Everyone should visit Auschwitz and it was a life-changing experience.
Tip! We had spoken before our visit that we probably should not take pictures, but Tomasz explained that it is important that people see and hear about our visit in order for us "Never to forget." So absorb the enormity of Auschwitz and share your experience with others.
From here, our tour bus departed toward our next big city, Kraków.
We have arrived at Kraków! We pulled right up to and checked into our hotel, Hotel Francuski. It is in a primo location, just a minute or two walk away from the main square in Kraków!
After everyone checked in, we were to meet down in the lobby and head over to our next group dinner! We loved these group meals, it's so fun to have the same small group travel with you and share the experience! We tried to sit with new people every meal so that we would be sure to enjoy a meal with everyone. Dinner was fantastic and was at Marmolada!
After everyone checked in, we were to meet down in the lobby and head over to our next group dinner! We loved these group meals, it's so fun to have the same small group travel with you and share the experience! We tried to sit with new people every meal so that we would be sure to enjoy a meal with everyone. Dinner was fantastic and was at Marmolada!