Whoops! I've been so busy I've barely updated this thing. But that's a good thing I guess! I'll try to make this as thorough but brief as possible, I've got a lot of ground to cover and so much more coming up!
Krakow (like mid-September)
We arrived in the late afternoon and checked into the hostel. We had a BEAUTIFUL view of the very center of the city. That night I went with a few friends and got a NICE meal. I'm talking salmon and a nice bottle of wine to share. Definitely more than I would usually spend (I am a bargainer) but I think I can do that once and a while! That night we took it easy and got ready for a big day coming up.
The next morning we toured the Jewish Quarter as well as other parts of town. There was a lot to see in Krakow but it was never too crowded or touristy. The history was also pretty cool. After a nice traditional meal of perogies (!) we made the one hour drive to Auschwitz.
I really can't describe my experience there in words. Everything I had read, all the pictures I had seen, and there it was right in front of my eyes. We first toured Auschwitz I, and I couldn't believe the buildings, layout, the exhibits. And then they took us over to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The sheer size of it was what really got me. It was an experience I will never forget.
Of course we were all pretty emotional and quiet on the bus back. Luckily the bus driver made a mistake and went around a circle like 3 times which was enough to make us giggle a bit and begin to feel better. That evening was dinner at a Jewish restaurant with a Klezmer group playing! Quite fun.
The next day was a free day. My friends and I decided to go to an Underground Salt Mine (in a 2 hour tour we only saw 1% of it). It was pretty awesome but quite tiring as well. Later in the afternoon we explored the Market area and rest of the town. Dinner was pretty epic. We had a massive platter of meat...I'm talking about as long as two laptops put together and stacked up high. It had everything! Duck, chicken, sausage, pork, pork knuckle, beef, blood pudding, perogies, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. One of the chaperones thought it would be funny to force me to eat a ton of meat. I have never been so full in my life. That evening we went out on the town, which was quite fun!
The next day it was time for Budapest!
Now I have to say, Budapest wasn't my favorite. It was fun and cool, but I think we were starting to get pretty exhausted at this point. The evening we arrived we had this AMAZING buffet. Did I mention it had unlimited beer, wine, and champagne? This was another night where I was sooooo full.
The next day began with a tour in the morning of the center of town and the art museum. My friends and I struggled with finding lunch (ended up eating in a place that microwaved our food) but I went to the Liszt museum! it was so awesome to see his old apartment and some old belongings, including 4 pianos, a conducting stick, a traditional Liszt outfit AND A PORCELAIN MOLD OF HIS LEFT HAND!!!! After that joy was over we headed to one of the best Spas in all of Budapest. It was so relaxing! We went in about 4 or 5 different pools (of different temperatures) as well as Saunas and a wave pool. It was a great way to relax.
The next day consisted of more tours. We had a great lunch on a boat, but unfortunately at this point my stomach was pretty overwhelmed by the sheer amount of meat and heavy food I had been eating. By Saturday night I barely ate and had a fever. Did I mention it took my stomach about 10 days to recover? Awkward.
But all in all it was an amazing trip to see things I probably wouldn't have thought of right away. I have many awesome pictures to show as well!
To look forward in my next post: Life goes on in Vienna! Hope you all are doing well!
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