Geo: 51.2094, 3.22523Here I am, finally in Bruges (yes, a movie reference), and I am loving it! This beautiful city was once the largest and most powerful in Europe. It went through a decline starting at the end of the 1400s, but has now become a major tourist city for good reason. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site and there is plenty to do and see. I just hope 3 days lets me get my fill! This morning started off with a good breakfast. This hotel does not have as many options as the one in Amsterdam, but still plenty for me. There was yogurt with a variety of toppings: cherries, rhubarb sauce, apricots and prunes, cereal, pastries, fruit salad and a selection of meat and cheeses. I had a nice pot of ... read more

Geo: 52.3738, 4.89095Today I hopped on a train for Enkhuizen, a small town northeast of Amsterdam. After reading my guidebooks, I decided this would be a good option for getting outside the city as there is a little open air folk museum. It was also an easy 55 minute train ride with no connections and covered by the I amsterdam city card. I was really hoping to get the train that would get me to Enkhuizen before 10:00 when my card expired. Luckily, everything worked out and my ticket to the Zuiderzee Museum was free! If you arrive by train, you can either walk or take a boat to the museum. I chose to take the boat there and walk back and both had great views of the large marina and the quaint town.The Zuiderzee Museum ... read more

Geo: 52.3738, 4.89095I had a very good nights sleep and was ready to tackle the day. I did not have a set plan other than a few things I wanted to see so I wasn't sure how the day would go. I started by having breakfast at the hotel, which was included in my room rate. There was a large buffet with rolls and pastries and sausage and bacon and little pancakes (or poffertjes) and cheeses and meats and cereals and delicious orange juice. I got plenty to eat, but I wish they had larger glasses for the juice. I filled my tiny glass up three times and I still wanted more. In any case, it was good and I'm glad I did not have to go out and find breakfast on my own.My hotel is ... read more

Geo: 50.0432, 19.2695The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum is located in the town of Oswiecim, which is west of Krakow. There are several options for visiting from Krakow: bus, train, car or guided tour. Once you get to Auschwitz, you are required to be on a guided tour between the hours of 10-3. I did not want a guided tour as I had read that people felt rushed and couldn't hear the guide well. I was going to take the train, but the helpful people at one of the information sites in Krakow said the bus was the better option and gave me a list of all the departure times. The earliest bus was 5:40, but I wasn't quite ready for that so I took the next one at 6:40. For 14 PLN one-way, you get to ride in ... read more

Geo: 50.0553, 19.9274I spent the day touring the beautiful and very welcoming city of Krakow. As Polish history is not something I know much about, I thought I would start with some background on the area. According to one of my guidebooks, Krakow had it's first settlement back around 50,000 BC, but the first written record of its name dates to 966. Krakow was once the capital of Poland and contains the historic Wawel Royal Castle, the site of the coronations and burials of the Polish kings. Today, Warsaw is the capital and there are no kings, however Krakow remains one of the most visited cities in Poland due to its historical significance. In 1939, the Nazi's invaded Poland and began their occupation of Krakow. The large Jewish population was eventually forced into the Krakow Ghetto, ... read more