Cracovia

So, I really havent been slacking on my blogging duties, I swear! I had this very nice, very long blog typed up the other night and then the electric went out and it was lost. Oh well... Heres my take on the epicness that is Krakow, Poland.

My first day there I arrived early so I threw my stuff in the hostel luggage room and hit the streets. I happened upon some sort of street fair complete with stands, food and music and dancing. It was so much fun and a great time to take in the old city--when it was alive!

The next day I took a tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau...I really still cannot describe this experience. It was moving, shocking, awe-inspiring. Im glad that I went with a group because I was able to see the highlights as Birkenau is MASSIVE and Auschwitz has so many little places filled with memorabila, etc. Oh, and a bird pooped on me...that was gross. Of course, seeing as I was at Auschwitz, a little bird poop--not that big a problem.

Tuesday was September 1st, the 70th anniversary of Germany invading Poland. I took a Jewish Heritage tour which encompassed an 11 km walk across Krakow. I saw so much and unfortunately, I had forgotten to charge my camera so I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked to. Oh well. We saw a few places used to film Schindlers List --side note, I cannot figure out how to use either parenthesis or apostrophes, so please forgive--which was super exciting! We also saw the real Oskar Schindler s factory.
That night, although I was planning to go to bed early in preparation for my 653am train ride, I was coaxed into going out with a lovely girl from Berlin, who is currently living in Poland. We went to club Kitsch, which is supposedly famous...? We went with a couple others from the hostel and I had a blast! Rolled back into the hostel around 330am and due to this lovely German girl I managed to get up at 620 and make my train! She came over, woke me up and I freaked...THANK YOU!

All in all, I really enjoyed Krakow. It was more of the Poland I pictured in my head. Definitely less commercial than Warsaw and very beautiful. I definitely want to go back...and this sounds crazy, but I kind of want to go in January --I think it was Jan 27-- for the Auschwitz memorial stuff....but Poland in winter? We will see!