Poland - Krakow

We caught the train to Krakow and got to our accommodation. We were staying about 15 minutes’ walk from the main square which was really busy. It was nice to see so many people out and about and it had a great vibe. We tried some Polish food - dumplings and grilled cheese.
It was freezing and we didn’t have warm enough clothes to deal with it! There were lots of towers around and the old town wall was also really interesting.
18th November – We got up bright and early for a day trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines and Auschwitz. We met three American men who were lecturers and travelled a lot for work. They were really friendly and we got along with them well.
The Salt mines were really interesting – it has been working since the stone age and over 300km of passageways, and we only covered 3km. The size of it was mind blowing and there was a cathedral within the mines. Carvings were made into the salt and they also had concerts in some areas. There’s a health and well-being hotel there too!
Next was Auschwitz. We got a tour by a Polish lady and even though it was my (Danielle’s) second time there, it was still very shocking. It was so cold and very eerie. It started to snow very lightly when we were at the crematorium which was creepy and sad. The mind cannot comprehend what evil

humans are capable of.
We went to Birkenau next and even though there were less buildings, it almost felt worse. The stories that our guide said were more personal as they were recounts of ex-prisoners and their personal stories. It was horrific and so cold. A very tough thing to see but so important.
The following day we took it easy and walked around the main square. We bought Leon a chess set from the market and had a traditional dinner in the square.
- Danielle