Poland

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WARSAW

It is with a little uncertainty that we board our train to Poland. Why were we leaving Germany in the middle of the world cup ? The whole country had such a massive buzz & it was a constant party. Knowing that the Poles were big soccer fans also, I thought it would be much of the same.

The train ride was fine & we crossed the border without a worry. Upon arrival we were greeted by Di's Mum cousins. The entire family was very welcoming & their two daughters were around our age (Mira & Ola).

We spent our days taking in the sites. The old town is pretty special, especially by night. The palace museum is also good but I get in trouble for wearing my hat inside ! It was pretty funny.... I was plugged into a headset getting my own personal guided tour when I get a slap in the back from some old duck looking very unhappy. I assumed that I was in the way of her tour group & edged away but she kept glaring at me & then started to shout. I took my earphones out but spoke in Polish so I was still none the wiser. Finally someone said in English.... take off your hat ! I did so quickly & placed it on a cupboard so that I could rearrange the headset..... bad move.... a security guard comes exploding at me....the cupboard is one of the artefacts.....classic !

We are in Poland for the 1st day of Summer & what a beauty... a nice 35 degrees. All the locals are taking shelter from the heat. Many play in the water fountains. It is pretty bizarre to think that the temperature drops to below 27 degrees in winter !

We head out one night in search of the Aust V Croatia game. We are with Mira & her boyfriend Michael. We go from one side of town to the other in search of a bar that is televising it. Most choose to show the Brazil game..... Finally we come across a uni bar & are rewarded. What a game.... & we're through to the next round. We celebrate with a few too many beverages.

We say our goodbyes....it doesn't get any easier.... & take a train to Krakow.

KRAKOW

Krakow seems to be a bit more chaotic than Warsaw. We trundle around the streets for a while before finding our hostel. After being spoilt by the rellies with nice sleeping arrangements, we treat ourselves to one night in a private room. It is a very short stay & then we're back in the dorm...this time a dorm of 10.

We catch a bus to Auschwitz. It is a must see but very sad. We walk around like zombies for most of the day. We visit all the rooms & get overloaded with information. It is pretty draining -emotionally.

We end up only staying two nights in Krakow before finding ourselves on an overnight train headed to Prague....

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