Krakow

We got an early start out of Berlin this morning and headed east to Poland. The busy autobahn thinned out considerably by the time we reached the border, at which point the quite bumpy road made it clear we were in another part of Europe. After a while the road got better and we flew past miles of sparsely populated farm land.

Traffic in Krakow was challenging but John got us through it with the help of a couple of maps, a couple of computers and our trusty nav system that we've nicknamed Hermione for her polite yet slightly bossy attitude and British accent. We dropped some laundry off and went to see the old Jewish section first. It's pretty, a little run down yet obviously up and coming. Had an incredible onion soup for lunch with a phyllo pastry with cheese.

Next we went to the Jewish ghetto, where all of the Jews were moved by the Germans. Not much remaining of the buildings of the day.

We spent a good deal of time in the Schindler factory (as in Schindler's List), which is now a museum dedicated to Krakow throughout the German occupation. Yet another fantastic museum. It's very sensory, seeking to put you into the scene of life in Jewish Krakow using props, sounds, pictures, stories and video. You really get the feel for life before the war, then during the Nazi occupation, subsistence in the ghetto, etc. We were expecting a meager display related to the story from the movie and got much more. These few photos don't do it justice.

This was a little tunnel you walk through on the way to the museum. The sun coming through cutouts in the roof spells "Auschwitz".

After the museum we checked into our hotel.

The we wandered around Krakow. What a beautiful city! From a pure western perspective the language and sights make you feel like you've travelled someplace far away. Not that it isn't modern, but rather it's just very different than going to, say, Italy or France. Krakow feels more real than many tourist sites in Europe. It has the beautiful squares, alleys, shops, etc of many tourist cities, but at the same time you see the residents carrying on their daily lives. I highly recommend it.

Had the best pierogies (dumpings) I've ever tasted, an assortment of 30 for the table.

Most got the (wonderful) kielbasa with onions

I just had a couple of pieces of lettuce for my main dish (with sides of olives and dates wrapped in bacon and fried cheese slices - the English name for it was "glutton's delight"). It was really good.

Finally we sat out on the main square for a drink and just enjoyed the ambiance of a world-class location and good conversation with loved ones. Krakow is supposed to be Poland's most beautiful site and we couldn't have asked for a better evening, so I believe we can leave in the morning knowing we experienced the best it has to offer.

Tomorrow is Auschwitz. I wouldn't miss it, but at the same time I'm nervous about what I'll see there.