prague and krakow,poland.

Springtime in Prague!

I know I haven't spoken about Prague much since I've been traveling every weekend, but I will now take this opportunity to update you on my recent activities in Prague, the most amazing city EVER! So the weather has been pretty on and off. Luckily last week the weather was phenomenal... I mean, I actually wore SHORTS around town. I was so excited considering those were at the bottom of my drawer. Because we wanted to take full advantage of this weather, Jenna and I had some fun adventures when the sun was out. One of the days last week, we walked across the Charles Bridge to a little park. We walked closer and found a cute ledge over looking the entire river, with a view of the castle to our left, and the city across from us. While we were sitting and chatting, some man came up to us to ask to take a picture for the Prague Newspaper because he was writing an article about Spring in Prague. Of course, we immediately turned to our best angles, and let him snap away! The pictures actually turned out cool, so the next time you pick up a Prague newspaper, let me know if you see us!

It started getting a little chillier later in the week so I had to pack my shorts back away... Jeans came back out. Jenna and I decided to be historical and so we went to the Museum of Communism. It was actually much more interesting than I thought it would be. It is crazy to think that communism lasted until 1994. The museum consisted of a bunch of pictures, artifacts, and movie clips from life in Prague under Communist rule. It was crazy to watch the movies of students being beaten up by police in Wenceslas Square, an area we walk by almost every day. After the museum, we walked by Old Town Square. For those of you that are unaware, Easter is HUGE in Europe, Prague especially. Until May 1st, there are easter markets located in Old Town Square & Wenceslas Square consisting of souvenirs, easter decorations, honey, breads, sausage, candy, baked goods, hot wine, live music, and even a petting zoo. It is such a great vibe, so whenever we have time in between class, we work our way to Old Town.

Jenna and I in the garden in front of the Castle

This weekend we went to Krakow, Poland. Unfortunately we were really only there for a full day considering we got there at about 8pm on Friday and left on 8am Sunday. I don't really know why (probably because the bus driver refused to do an overnight trip) but we left Friday morning and it takes about 8 or 9 hours to get to Krakow. Oh well, it was fun I guess... bonding/sleeping time. Once we got to Krakow, we were pleased to find that our hotel was one of the nicer ones we've stayed at with AIFS so far. They even had 2 english channels!! (Most of the other hotels just have one, BBC Worldwide...) The first night there, we were taken into the town, which actually reminded me a lot of Old Town in Prague. They even had a clock tower and church! That night, we went to a pub and got Polish cuisine: a bowl of borscht and a plate of pierogis. Most of my friends got them filled with potatoes and cheese, but I branched out and got the cabbage and mushroom filling. They gave you ten on a plate, and I could barely finish 5 before I felt sick to my stomach. They were definitely delicious though!

Jenna and I in the center of town- Krakow.

After dinner, we walked around and went to some local pubs but I got exhausted and called it an early night. The next morning, after another continental breakfast provided by the hotel, we headed out for our first tour. The morning tour was a walking tour of the city of Krakow, including many churches and important monuments. The city was beautiful, and we got lucky with the weather. It was supposed to be rainy all weekend, but it was actually clear skies! After the morning walking tour, we went to their version of easter markets (see I told you Easter's huge in Europe). I got a couple souvenirs and we picked up some lunch in the main square. After some shopping and eating, we made it back to our meeting point for the second tour: the castle and Jewish quarter.
The castle was a little different from Prague castle, but equally as gorgeous. The church at the castle is the largest in Krakow, and it was very gothic style, many statues and paintings inside the church. After walking around the church, we went back outside and took in some great views from the top of the castle. Next, we headed to the Jewish quarter. We learned that there only remain 200 Jews in Krakow because after the war and the brutal treatment of Jews in Poland, many did not come back. We walked by the synagogues and actually saw a JCC! Unfortunately it was Saturday so none of the main Jewish stores were open, but it was interesting walking around and seeing the area where so many Jews used to live and no longer do. After a long day of walking, we headed back to the hotel, took a nap, then went with a small group to the markets for dinner. A fresh plate of grilled veggies and a chicken kebab, and I was set!

The remains of the gas chambers- Auschwitz II

This morning was definitely not an uplifting one. We checked out and left the hotel by 8am and headed to Auschwitz I. It was established on June 14, 1940 approximately an hour outside of Krakow. Auschwitz I held up to 20,000 prisoners during the Holocaust. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to bring our tour guide into the campgrounds (strict museum rules) but we were able to walk around and see the concentration camp. Wow, so chilling. The part that got me thinking the most was walking through the living situations of the prisoners... tiny beds that had to fit 4 to 5 grown men. In addition, I walked by the "shooting wall" where prisoners would be lined up and shot. It was very eerie and scary to be at such a well- known concentration camp. After walking around the camp and going through different museums within it, we headed to Auschwitz II- Birkenau. This was turned into mostly an extermination camp by the end of the war. The Crematoria in Birkenau could burn 4500-8000 corpses in 24 hours. Unlike Terezin, multiple corpses were cremated at a time, which made the process faster. It was interesting to learn that in Birkenau after the war, Nazis tried to destroy as much evidence as possible- they wanted to get rid of proof of mass murder. This is why the camp is partly damaged. We walked by the remains of the gas chambers and crematoria. The second concentration camp was much scarier looking and definitely harder to walk through, while obviously both were equally shocking to see. However, like our guide said, it is important to acknowledge that such an awful series of events occurred to the Jews, and Auschwitz is definitely somewhere to go at least once in your lifetime.
After the visit, we headed back onto the bus to Prague. Overall, I learned a lot this trip... While it may not have been the most exciting and upbeat trip, it was definitely one I will remember.