It was an eight hour drive from Berlin to Warsaw...
...that took us through the Polish countryside.
Our stop for lunch along the way was quite impressive...
at the Green Palace in Puszczykowo, Poland.
It was once a home for princes and chancellors and is now a restaurant and wedding venue.
A special lunch!
The Palace of Culture and Science or Stalin's Wedding Cake as it has been nicknamed...
dominates the landscape of city.
The Palace was built between 1952 and 1955 during Poland's years under Soviet influence.
It was a gift from Stalin to the Polish people.
They resent it!
Our first day in Warsaw had us touring the historic centre of Warsaw.
Belweder is the official residence of the Polish president. It was built in the 17th Century.
We toured Royal Baths Park...
where there is a monument to Frederic Chopin who grew up in Warsaw.
Charles de Gaulle Roundabout in Warsaw...
where a statue honours him for his role in Polish history.
Museum of History of the Polish Jews.
The word 'Polin' is printed repeatedly on the glass panels of the facade.
Polin is the Hebrew word meaning Poland or 'rest here'.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Lunch at Polkie Pierogi. We had perogies, of course!
Poland is known for amber...its national gemstone.
But I brought home a flint necklace...a striped stone found only in Poland.
Summer may have been over...
but the flowers were still blooming everywhere.
Window boxes...
...on homes and shops.
Old Town Warsaw
Warsaw Barbakan ~ a semi-circular fortified outpost
Old Town Market place...
...where the birds gather and the organ grinder plays.
Pilsudski Square
The Royal Castle. It was obliterated in in 1944 at Hitler's command...
and reconstructed in all its splendour between 1971 and 1984 to its original splendour.
The interior of the castle.
The Throne Room, Assembly Hall, the King's Bedchamber
...all showing priceless pieces from the past.
The Royal Castle is a state museum.
Warsaw city centre at night.
After two days in Warsaw...we left for Krakow.
When you are travelling by coach, you stop for a break every few hours.
Our morning break was at Hotel Gorski...
where washroom could be used for free.
That is the exception rather than the rule in Europe.
They know how to stack their wood in Europe!
Dave and Elmer had to inspect the construction.
We had a hearty three course meal that featured cabbage rolls for lunch...
...and then rolled on through the countryside to Krakow.
St. Joseph's Church, Krakow
Memorial in the Old Jewish Quarter of Krakow...
commemorating the Jew killed by the Nazis in WW II
The Jewish Heroes Square.
The 70 empty chairs scattered across the square symbolize the loss and absence of the Jewish residents who where persecuted and forced into the nearby ghettos by the Nazis.
The archway was the entrance to the Popper Synagogue built in 1620 by a wealthy Jew...
and totally destroyed except for the entrance in WW II.
Schindler's Factory.
The enamel factory is now a museum that tells the story of how Oskar Schindler tried to save 1200 Jews by employing them in his factory.
This is what a modern residential apartment in Krakow looks like these days.
I preferred the beautiful historic architecture!
We had dinner with Dave and Janet at a local hangout right next to our hotel in Krakow.
It was just us and a few locals and some good casual fare.
Wawel Royal Castle overlooking the Vistula River.
We saw it as we arrived in Krakow...situated right next to the Vistula River.
The following day we toured the castle...
...and the Cathedral on Wawel Hill.
Built in the 4th century, the castle was home to kings over many centuries and is now a museum.
The famous dragon statue on Wawel Hill is based on a Polish legend.
Our tour group...
the majority were from Australia and New Zealand, then some Canadians and a few Americans.
At the Royal Castle ...
Sigusmund Chapel.
A favorite mode of transportation in Krakow...
and most everywhere in Europe.
Pope John Paul's Window in the Bishop's Palace.
Pope John Paul II called Krakow home and returned there often.
He would appear at this window and speak to the people in the square below.
Old Town Krakow.
Main Market in Krakow.
We learned that Madame Curie (the first woman to receive the Nobel prize) came from Krakow.
And Copernicus attended university here from 1491-1495.
And then...
Auschwitz
Auschwitz was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland.
Memorial Wall between Block 10 and 11...
in memory of prisoners executed there.
The gas chamber and crematorium are still standing for all to see.
Most Sobering.
We could have visited Birkenau camp as well, but had seen enough. Too much!
Farewell.
Tomorrow we leave for Budapest.
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