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- Bakery breakfast
- Minibus to Auschwitz (no photos inside camps)
- Film first - needs to be updated - seems about 30-40 years old, besides the necessary WWII-era newsreel footage
- Signed up for English tour - ended up w/ a private tour guide - bus to Auschwitz II-Birkenau - guide explained layout from top of gate tower - huge complex - saw latrine + bunk buildings - latrine building had 201 concrete seats - memorial offerings in bunk included a chain of origami cranes - back to Auschwitz I - main administrative center - barracks (built w/ bricks from houses in surrounding villages) are filled with prisoners' belongings (suitcases, shoes, eyeglasses, etc) - extremely powerful - last stop was the one remaining crematorium - low-ceiling'd + somber - difficult tour but recommended for anyone who goes to Poland
- Can't imagine seeing Auschwitz at any other time of year - this was the sunset outside Auschwitz I
- On a lighter note, the recycling bins look like PacMan ghosts
- Bus back to Krakow
- Pierogi snack in xmas market
- Dinner w/ Maciek + Ania at local cellar restaurant - traditional Polish fare - Shan had this gorgeous plate of liver, sauteed w/ apples + onions, served w/ mashed potatoes
- Aw, man, we shoulda had the chicken breasts! (local telecom mascot?)
- Hiked to a hilltop cathedral - trail is a very old pilgrimage route + includes stations of the cross
- Private tour by monk @ cathedral, including crypts
- Bus to Kielce
- Kamil wanted to take us to a nearby cave - closed!
- The lower roof on this Kielce cathedral is getting new copper panels
- Kamil wanted to show us a plaque on the side of the building - construction foreman said no!
- Greek dinner
- Kamil took us to see an important sculpture off the main street - street lamp went out just as he began telling us about it - poor Kamil!
- Nice tea near train station
- Train to Krakow
- Walked through Galeria mall b/c Shan thought she knew the right exit to get back to hostel - wrong! damn! - Dave found our way back
- Late dinner at Christmas market
- Slept in - ahhh :)
- Back to Wawel Castle to see cathedral and grounds
- Antennae across from Wawel hill
- Met Kamil for dinner
- Walked to Barbican + memorials
- Bought fried pies @ McDonald's to use the toilets!
- Awesome buffet breakfast @ Felsenkeller
- Flight: Frankfurt-Hahn to Krakow
- Met @ airport by Maciek + Ania - tea @ their flat - nice!
- They got us a deal on a private room @ Sky Hostel - signs like this one line the main hall, 'cept this one is inadvertently funny
- Walked to Christmas market in main square - youth choir singing carols on stage - hot, mulled wine - grilled wurst + kraut snack - lovely
- Met Maciek for dinner in cellar restaurant
- Walked around Wawel Castle
- Sculpture of Smok Wawelski (The Wawel Dragon) below castle, next to Vistula River - sign said to text SMOK to #7168 + the dragon will breath fire - we tried twice - apparently Smok was taking the night off
- Very little sleep
- Picked up rental car @ MUC - super helpful Budget desk agent - nice map
- Drove to Sohren - ~6 hours - stopped partway to nap @ rest stop - saw snow for first + last time this trip
- Checked into Hotel-Restaurant zum Felsenkeller - excellent!
- Owners are chef + his wife - great dinner - Shan had stroganoff-type meat + mushrooms over spätzle - mmm...
