Europe Chapter 3 - Poland and Latvia

Hey there good people! After Budapest, Lisa and Landon flew to Italy for a Mom/Son adventure and I went north to scratch an itch I've had for a long time to visit Poland and one of the Baltics. First up, Krakow!

I definitely recommend a visit to this vibrant, beautiful city.

Krakow has plenty to keep you engaged. A beautiful park runs the length of the city and there's a castle complex containing 5 different museums where you could easily spend all day. But the other reasons to go there are outside the city...beginning with one of the most amazing places I've ever seen: The Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Seriously, look this place up. It was one of the first seven places designated as a UNCESCO heritage site. It has been an active mine since the 1300s (!) and as you'll see in the following photos, miners over the centuries carved statues and entire decorative chambers out of the salt. Mind blowing.

Yes, the chandeliers are all made of salt crystals.

The other reason to visit Krakow is heart-sickening, wrenching, and unforgettable. If you've seen Schindler's List, you will recognize this as the entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I know this sounds dramatic, but the several hours I spent there left a scar on my soul. I've read a significant amount about WWII and the Holocaust, and I've seen all the major films about it. But there is nothing like going there and seeing it. Yes, this is what you think it is:

These aren't props. Just a fraction of the items on display as haunting reminders of the 1 million+ Jewish people who were murdered at Aushcwitz alone. A lot of the time there I had the feeling of simultaneously wanting to cry and vomit. At least I didn't vomit.

Remains of incinerators designed specifically for the efficient disposal of murdered Jews.

This group of Jewish students was visiting Auschwitz at the same moment that some of the most egregious US college students were shouting things like "Hamas Hamas we love you, and we love your rockets too." I think we're all on team "Don't Want Innocent People to Die" but I think you should visit a death camp before you decide to buy a keffiyeh.

Deep breath. Exhale. For those of you still with me after that rough ride, let's move on to our next location: Warsaw.

Really interesting city and another must-see if you go to Poland. Amazing architecture, especially when you understand that all of this was rebuilt after 1950 because 92% of the buildings in Warsaw were destroyed in WWII. Take a second to let that sink in.

I'm no aficionado but they also have some pretty good art there. I mean, check out them nice babies!

Tee hee. Moving on...check out this cat in Latvia!

I loved my time in Riga and recommend it highly to anyone who wants to visit a smaller European capital that is beautiful, walkable, and much less crowded than the majors.

Riga is full of character. Quirky art installations...

...and great food, like this roasted pork shoulder from a legit Medieval tavern.

You can never go back to one of those turkey leg taverns at a theme park after you've eaten here. This place has literally been open off-and-on since the 1500s.

This shot pretty much sums up my take on Riga :-)

If I do say so myself, I left there much more sophisticated than when I arrived.

To see how long that lasts, stay tuned for the next installment of WanderStuff! In the meantime, eveyone give yourself a hug and pretend it's from me. Love -- DD.