Day 9 - Berlin to Krakow

My alarm went off at 4.45am today, I could have cried. We have an epic day of travelling ahead of us. 2 S-Bahn trains to the main station in Berlin and then on to our first main train to Warsaw. We got a little cabin with 6 seats and shared it with a Polish lady for the majority of the journey and a very smart old lady for about an hour of the journey. I slept for most of this so there's no point attempting to comment on anything because I was out of it. We got off at a station just outside of Warsaw and waited on platform 6 for our connecting train to Krakow.

Well, at least we thought it was platform 6. Turns out we mixed up 'platform' 6 and 'track' 6. We missed our train. Our first mishap of the trip. However, we weren't the only ones to do so. A group of English lads had done the same. They were Southern tho, so we didn't make much conversation. We ha an hour wait on the real platform 6 in sweltering heat with no shade. I think we were near melting point. We had bought brea and cheese to make buttys and we were attracting winged vermin. I had also stolen a sweet chilli dip from mcdonalds in Berlin... WINNING.

At last we got on the right train. Sharing a cabin with a freakishly tall man, we settled down with our free coffee and began the 3 and a half hour journey. 6 chapters of Jane Eyre later, we arrived at Krakow station. Well, Krakow train station, bus station, metro station and main shopping centre. It took us half an hour to find our way out. The hostel website said we should only have a 15min walk from the station, but we had already trekked around the shopping centre looking for a way out and it was still boiling. My bag was cutting into my shoulder and I had pins and needles right down one arm. A taxi was our only choice. We settled on a price before we got in and we set off.

He tried to overtake a tram, he nearly killed a cyclist, I thought I was going to die. As if driving on the opposite side of the road wasn't alien enough to us, we were now faced with certain death. I was ready to send my mother a goodbye text. Despite the erratic driving, we go to the hostel in one piece. We have our own room, just the 4 of us. Bliss.

Now we were hungry.

We went across the road to a lovely looking restaurant, and it was in that establishment that we all decided to apply for Polish Visas. We had never tasted food like it. The main was unbelievable, but the dessert. Oh my word. I genuinely shed a tear. Baked cheesecake with a little sherry glass of this spectacular raspberry sauce, with chocolate drizzled over and fruit on the side. Words cannot even describe what was going on in my mouth. I could live here. The actual restaurant was gorgeous as well, we were sat out in a candlelit courtyard under the stars. So romantic! Shame I was with these three tho. The waitress was lovely too and seemed so proud of the food (with good reason) and when we asked or something she didn't think was right, she had no quarms in telling us it any nice, much to our surprise!

We rolled back to the hostel, full to the brim and came across a Polish wine tasting evening in the hostel garden. Most. Awkward. Ever. We were sat with Thomas and Marie, a middle aged couple from Germany and Poland, and Grigory, a Frenchman who had been in Krakow for 2 weeks on his own so far. We attempted polite chit chat, downed some wine, and made an excuse about being tired. It was damn good wine tho.

Day 10 - day trip to Auschwitz and the Salt Mines

Early start again today, but we had an early night last night. Picked up by the minibus at 8.55am (very precise) and we appeared to be he first ones on the bus. We drove around the other hotels picking up the others on our tour and set off for Auschwitz. During the hour journey there, we watched a film about the history of the camp.

Then we arrived at the first camp. We had a lovely guide who knew so much about the camps and also knew individual stories from survivors, which made it so much more personal. He took us around Auschwitz I and into different blocks, such as Block 11; the death block. The exhibitions displayed artefacts discovered when the camp was liberated, things such as tonnes of human hair, approx 9,000 shoes, children's clothing, toothbrushes and artificial limbs taken from prisoners. We also went into real gas chambers. The tour guide was so respectful and informative, he said that the enormity of what we had seen wouldn't hit us until we left. He was right. On the minibus to the next camp, we all just sat in silence. No one spoke to each other. We arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau and driving up to the entrance we saw the image that comes into your head when you think of there. The giant brick entrance with the train track leading up to it. The vastness of this camp was unreal. Hut after hut, ruins of old huts, they seemed to go on forever. We walked around with our guide, saw the children's quarters, the remains of the gas chambers and the memorial to all those who died. Our guide ended the tour by saying he hoped today was a day that will stay in our minds forever, and we should not pity those who suffered there, but learn from what happened to ensure it never repeats itself. Today will definitely stay in my mind forever. Only sitting here now writing my blog has it actually dawned on me that we visited Auschwitz today. The place I have read about for years, where all those horrific things happened to people. It just beggars belief that humans could do this things to other humans.

This afternoon was spent in the Salt Mines. We were 137m below ground and looking at sculptures, alters and grottos carved into salt caves. It was a world away from this morning. The caves were fantastic tho, there was even a chapel they were preparing for a wedding this evening, it just looked spectacular. We learnt a lot about salt and the lady said we could lick the walls if we wanted to. I didn't want to. I don't lick salty cave walls, thank you very much. We were down there for 2hrs and it was great, there were salt dwarves mining salt and they come to life after dark. Apparently. There was also a giant salt sculpture of Pope John Paul, who I think is my favourite Pope, because he grew up not far from the mines. After seeing all kinds of salty wonders, we were led through windy tunnels to the lift up to ground level. However, they led us to the wrong exit. We ended up coming out in the middle of some village an had to navigate our way back to the minibus. We let the older people take charge there. It was 34degrees but after what we saw this morning, we were not about to complain.

Back to the hostel and we went in search of food. We discovered another restaurant, this one looked quite posh, but we went in anyway. Oh my, I had the most amazing spinach gnocchi ever (Naomi, it was better than the gnocchi in Pesto). I also had a giant beer. It came to 35PLZ which is about €8,50 and then about £6. Six pounds for that food. At home, you would pay more than that just for the beer. This I why I love Poland.

We have spied a beautiful looking main square, a market and a castle. Tomorrow, we explore Krakow.

PS, Mother you would love it here. We are staying in the Jewish quarter, right by a synagogue and a cemetery. I'll get a pic for you!