Czeched Out and Viennese Roses

What a busy few days it has been!  Kelly and I are now in Vienna, at the home of my Mom's brother Gary.  It's lovely here, both at Gary's house and within the city.  Allow me to catch you up...

One of the religious relics on Karluv Most, which people touch for luck.

On our second full day in Prague, we got up at the crack of dawn to visit Karlov Most (the Charles Bridge) without being in a crowd of tourists.  The light was lovely in the morning, and we really enjoyed the opportunity to photograph the city before it woke up.  We went back to the Old Town Square again as well, for an unobstructed view of the Astronomical Clock which is one of the main attractions.  It is the oldest astronomical clock that still works, as it was installed in 1410.  Every hour it delights visitors with apostles and skulls ringing the bells, and time-telling aside, it is a piece of art.  We were quite tired after our short sleep, so we both went back to the hostel to crash for a bit.   Then in the afternoon, we went to meet up with some local Prague folk who I met on the website couch surfing.  The first fellow was named David, and he took us up a back route of Prague Castle.  We walked up to the hill where there once stood the largest statue of Josef Stalin, set up a slack line, and chatted and fell for a time.  We wrapped up our visit with a beer in a garden overlooking the city, which was really lovely.  Later that evening we had a rendezvous with a lady named Daniela, who wanted to chat with us about Canada, as she and her husband are making a trip there this summer.  She works part-time with a boating company which runs tours along the Vltava river under the Charles Bridge, and she invited us to take a trip with them the next day.  Our last day in Prague started with the aforementioned boat tour, which was informative and fun.  We carried on from there to Petrin tower, a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower which sits on a hill overlooking the city.  It was splendid to get an aerial view of the Castle complex, as well as the rest of the town.  Feeling very tired, we opted to hang out in the green space on Petrin hill to nap and read.

The morning sun on Karluv Most.

The Astronomical Clock, dating from 1410.

Just your average building in Prague, covered in beautiful statues.

Petrin Tower

A very crowded Karluv Most, photographed from Petrin Tower.

Karluv Most from the water.

Our very enthusiastic boat driver.

Street performers in Prague blowing bubbles for kids.

Although we both loved Prague and found it beautiful, it was very draining to constantly be in a press of tourists.  We were unable to get off the beaten track to explore, and everything was expensive.  We were tired out from our time in the herd, and didn't end up accomplishing as much as we thought we would.  However, vacations are meant to be relaxing, and it was nice to hang out in the sun.

The sunset over Prague Castle

Yesterday we took a 5-hour bus from Prague to Vienna, and were met at the station by my Uncle Gary.

The reflections of the stained glass inside Stephansdom.

It was really nice to not have to worry about wayfinding, and to just climb into a car and be driven downtown.  We drove the Ringstrasse, the road which circles the main part of town, and our guide pointed out the impressive buildings and what they were for.  Vienna's architecture is similar to that of Prague, but things are much more spread out here, and the ability to escape crowds is a blessed relief.  After a walk around the old town square, we went for schnitzel and spritzers at the local winery.  Today Kel and I took the train into town and headed straight for Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral).  The beautiful stained
glass threw purple and blue light over the gothic interior, and we enjoyed playing with various shutter speeds and white balances on our cameras.  We then hiked 343 stairs up one of the towers to get a view of the city from above.  Moving on from the main square, we walked to the Hofburg complex, where the Hapsburg Rose Gardens blew us away.  The roses are so fragrant that you can smell them from several blocks away, and they come in every size, shape and colour.  It was a rejuvenating place to be in the middle of the day, sitting amongst roses in the sunshine. We then toured the Kaiser apartments and the Sisi Museum, both of which provided a portrait into the life of the Royal Hapsburg family in the 19th century.  It was interesting to learn about Emperess Elisabeth's tragic life, and the bizarre cult of personality that surrounds her, even in death.  For dinner this evening, Gary took us to a local restaurant with his friends Pepi and Lizzie, who I have met before, and we devoured the most delicious asparagus I've ever tasted.

The rose garden

So many different types of roses!

The Hapsburg Palace

My first impression of Vienna is that it is a lovely city, not unlike Prague, but in which it will be possible to lose ourselves, explore, and get off the beaten track.  It's comforting having a place to stay where we know our possessions will be safe, and where there is a magical fridge which is always full.  It's also been wonderful having a more understandable language here... German and English are similar enough that we can use the phrasebook with minimal difficulty, and people mistake us for Austrians, speaking to us in rapid German.  It's much better than the pitying stares we were getting in Czech and Poland!  We're going to the Museums Quarter tomorrow to see Picassos, Klimts and more.  We are both, understandably, very excited.  Goodnight, everyone, and much love from Vienna!

Keep it in Czech.

My oh my, is the city of spires ever beautiful.  Kelly and I arrived in Prague last night, and I'm in love.  Every building has a story, and every street has something worthy of being photographed.  Our hostel, Hostel Rosemary, is lovely, set up like an apartment with shared kitchen/common area (and again free Wi-Fi, so you all get the privilege of continued blog posts!) with shared bedrooms.  We're situated close to the action of the Old Town, which offers endless opportunities for exploration.

Some of the spires visible from Karluv Most.

Kelly on Karluv Most with Prague Castle in the background.

Today we headed through the Old Town down to Karluv Most (Charles Bridge), which is one of the city's most impressive jewels.  There are 30 statues lining the bridge, and street performers, artists and jewelry makers try to collect money from gullible tourists richer than we are.  From the bridge you can see Prague Castle, as well as back towards the Old town, and there are towers and naked statues everywhere.  Kelly and I both have sore necks from looking up all day long!  Across the bridge, we continued along cobbled streets up Zdmecke Schody, the castle steps, up to Prague Castle, the city's main attraction.  It is the largest castle complex in the world, and it feels like a city within a city.  Holy Roman Emperors, Kings of Bohemia and Presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have all held offices there.  The place is simly drenched with history.  Because the castle and its buildings were under

St. Vitus' Cathedral.

construction from the 10th century to the 20th century, it is a mishmash of architectural styles.  The awe-inspiring St. Vitus Cathedral is Gothic, the Basilica of St. George is Romanesque and some of the palaces have been constructed in the baroque style.  We arrived at noon, just as the royal guard were changing their post, amid a marching band's fanfare.  Walking around the castle's complex is a feast for the eyes, and everytime we emerged from around corners or through archways, something amazing was waiting for us, glistening in the sunlight and leaving me in awe of just how long it would take to build such a thing.  St. Vitus' Cathedral was incredible.  The many stained glass windows allowed coloured light to filter inside, amidst the tall columns that uphold the vaulted ceiling.  We also entered the Palace State Rooms, which were enjoyable due to their size and history, but not presented in a particularly impressive way.  There were few signs, and next to no artifacts or furniture in the rooms.  However, it was very interesting to see the windows where the Defenestrations of Prague took place, starting the 30 Years' War, and walking through the halls pretending to be ladies of court was fun.

Beautiful stained glass in Prague Castle.

Gargoyles on St. Vitus' Cathedral.

The view from Prague Castle.

I'm thankful to have been warned about the hordes of people in Prague, because it has been a bit draining to be in a crowd of people all day.  We're both very tired after about 9 hours on trains and buses yesterday, so we're back at the hostel for a rest.  Tomorrow we're planning to get up with the sun to see Charles Bridge without being surrounded by a mob.  Then in the afternoon, we're meeting up with some local Czech people who want to chat with us about Canada while showing us less touristy places of Prague.  We're also working on our Czech, which is coming a bit easier than Polish, but is still very different from any language we've ever been exposed to.  The Czech currency has also provided some difficulty, as there are 17 Krona to $1, and I'm not exactly comfortable with my 17 times table.  It's made me wish Connor was with us!  Trials and tribulations aside, this city is so beautiful and I can't wait to feel more situated here.

Castles, Museums and Sore Feet

Today was our last day in Krakow.  It's a truly lovely city, and we've really enjoyed being here in the glorious sunny weather.  It's been very easy to walk everywhere, not only due to the flat cobblestone streets, but also because it is home to a veritable smorgasbord of interesting sights, sounds, and smells, which distract you until you arrive at your destination.

The Cahedral at Wawel Hill, showing a mix of architectural styles.

We started the day at Wawel Hill, which is one of the most iconic sights in Poland.  This is where the Royal Family lived and held court, and it is also where the Nazis set up their base in Krakow.  The grounds and gold-covered, ornate cathedral are free and lovely to wander, though very crowded.  We paid extra for entry to the elaborate State Rooms, home to the Royal family's impressive collection of tapestries and pieces of art.  To our delight, a very famous painting, Da Vinci's Lady With An Ermine, was on loan to the castle, and we were able to learn about the painting's history, as well as the woman depicted in it.  At the end of the exhibit, Kelly and I were able to closely admire the amazing work, appreciating
the invisible brush strokes, incredible detail, and realism that Da Vinci was able to create.  After exploring the castle and grounds, we decided to leave in an unusual fashion: through the infamous Dragon's Den.  Rumor has it that in days of yore, a prince fed a sheep explosive material and left it just outside Wawel Hill, where a dragon, who had been plaguing the city and eating its princesses, lived.  The dragon ate the sheep, and in the fires of the dragon's belly, the sheep exploded, killing the dragon, ridding Krakow of its scourge, and freeing the beautiful princess, who married the Prince and lived happily ever after.  These days, the Den is a huge cave that leads from the castle to the river bank.  There we rested, hiding from the promise of sunburn in the shade, eating more of the delicious, cheap bread that is sold everywhere.

The fearsome dragon!

Feeling re-energized, we began the long trek to Oskar Schindler's enamel factory, which has been converted into a museum about life in Poland during the Nazi occupation.  It was a wonderful surprise, well organized, very detailed and informative, and interactive.  We spent several hours there learning more about the hardship of the Polish people beyond its Jewish inhabitants, although life in the Ghetto and the story of Schindler's list were also delved into.

Now exhausted after hours of walking and standing, we headed back towards Rynek Glowny, the main square, and entered St. Mary's Cathedral, which dominates the North Eastern corner of the Square.  It is an awe-inspiring example of Gothic architecture, and everything inside is covered in gold.  Contrary to Wawel Cathedral, which sees less traffic from average Poles, St. Mary's was full of people dropping reverently to their knees on the cold marble.  Returning to the bright square, Kel and I meandered through the numerous artisan's stands, before finding a restaurant in which to enjoy a last meal of delectable pierogis.

Rynek Glowny, with St. Mary's Cathedral in the background.

It has been wonderful visiting this city.  From my understanding, it is less touristy and busy than other capitols of culture in Eastern Europe.  We haven't had to cue for anything, and the cost of living and sightseeing here is very low.  The people have been helpful and friendly, and the language, though very difficult to speak, is beautiful to listen to.  Tomorrow we'll be leaving first thing in the morning on our long trek to Prague, and though I'm very excited to visit the reputably beautiful city, I'm sad to be leaving Krakow behind just as we're beginning to feel comfortable finding our way around the winding streets and intricate language.  But so it goes, see you all in Prague!

Auschwitz

Today was a bit of a tough day.  Kelly and I left Krakow for Oswiecim (Os-fyen-cheem), the town where Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau are located.  We opted to organize our own transportation and tour to save money.  This attempt started somewhat eventfully with a struggle to book a ticket on a city bus.  Despite practice, we are still mangling the Polish language, usually beyond recognition.  Finally having got our point across, and having figured out that the bus left from peron (platform) 2, we settled down to wait and eat one of the delightful bagels that are easily purchased (for the equivalent of $0.40!) on street corners.  A few minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave, we headed down to chat with the driver.  He informed us that we had in fact purchased train tickets, so we had a somewhat frantic run between stations, and arrived just in time to hop on our train.  After an uneventful train trip through beautiful green countryside, we arrived in Oswiecim and headed towards the museum.

The famous entry to Auschwitz I: Works Makes Free
The 'B' on "Arbeit" is said to be backwards because the worker installing the sign wanted to warn people that all was not well at the so-called work camp, and that the Jews and political prisoners would not be able to work their way out.

Photos of the prisoners.  Most of them
did not survive the genocide.

We joined one of the hourly English tours, and met our very informative and well spoken guide.  The tour started in Auschwitz I, which was set up as a work camp and was only able to house 20,000 people at one time.  The barracks where the people slept were all still intact, as were the cells where prisoners awaited execution, and we were able to walk through to see how people lived and died.  Some of the buildings have been changed to house exhibitions, which we walked through first.  The personal photos of a high-ranking SS officer survived the Nazis' destruction of evidence upon abandonment of the camp, and they lent a chilling reality to the locations we were seeing.  The hardest to see were the exhibits depicting, with brutal simplicity, the scope and personal nature of the crimes.  I wept the whole way through, as did many others on the tour.  After the Jews, Roma, political prisoners and other 'enemies of the state' had died, their hair was shaved and their belongings taken.  Much of that evidence remains, and is on display.  It was extremely distressing to walk into a room and suddenly see a glass case full of 2 tonnes of hair.  Hair that women had probably striven to care for, cut off before the women were burned in the crematoriums.  Another case held thousands of shoes.  Another, hair brushes and combs.  Another, suitcases with the names and birthdays of those who died, from which we were able to

The barracks.  The photos of prisoners can be seen reflected 

in the glass on the opposite wall.

determine the ages of those murdered... the oldest we found was in his 80s, the youngest, no more than 2.  Another held the empty remains of the gas cans used to kill during the 'final solution to the Jewish problem'.  One exhibit which sent both Kelly and I into hysterics was the case holding Matthew-sized baby clothes.  After leaving the barracks which housed the artifacts, we walked into what was known as the "death block".  This particular barracks was where the SS held prisoners before execution in the yard.  In many cases, the barracks themselves were used as tools of murder, with prisoners confined in 'starvation rooms' with no food or water until they died, or left in 'standing cells'... tiny spaces 1m squared where prisoners were crammed 4 or 5 together for nights on end, until they died of exhaustion.

From 1941-43, the SS shot several thousand people against this wall. 

A poorly-lit photo of the standing cells, which have been cross-sectioned to show how small they were.  Several prisoners would have been forced to stand in each cell for days without food, water or sleep until they died.

A crematorium at Auschwitz-I.

We carried on, by shuttle bus, to Auschwitz-Birkenau.  This was the death camp created by the Nazis in 1942 with the express purpose of efficient mass killing, and it accomplished this goal... over a million people were killed there.  Much of the camp, including the gas chambers and crematoria, were destroyed by retreating Nazis, but what remains is chilling.  It is many times larger than Auschwitz I, able to house 90,000 prisoners at one time.  However, as our guide reminded us, most people were at Auschwitz-Birkenau for less than 2 hours before being sent to the gas chambers.  The other prisoners were to be exploited for a few months, in atrocious conditions, until they died of 'natural' causes.  If you can call starvation and sickness natural causes.  An international monument stands on the site between 2 of the exploded gas chambers, but it feels like an apology that is too little, too late.

The remains of one of the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The many barracks of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Prisoners of Auschwitz-Birkenau were forced to compete for space
on one of the higher bunks, to get away from the refuse, rain and
rats that plagued the bottom bunk.  7-8 people were crammed onto
each level of these wooden bunks each night.

I feel it is extremely important to bear witness to the horrific history, and failure of humankind that took place in the 1940s.  However, grappling with that level of human ignorance, hatred, and cruelty was impossible.  I took it in, I coped, but I feel scarred by the experience.  It was a beautiful sunny day, our tour group was respectful and our guide was wonderful, explaining all of the details in an understanding and soft-spoken way.  However, I still don't know that it was a good day.  I feel heavy hearted.  My brain cannot comprehend the numbers, cannot fathom the suffering that so many people endured.  It was surreal walking along the train tracks towards the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau and reflecting that hundreds of thousands of people took their last steps there.  I'm glad to have gone, I feel it was important to have gone, but there is a dark history here that has left its scar on the nation, the continent, and our world.  I highly recommend the museum to everyone, but be aware that it is not an easy place to venture, and you will return from it somewhat changed.

The fields, just outside camp, where the ashes of the men, women and children
murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau were laid to rest.

The Polish Language Has Too Many Consonants

Normally, I wouldn't say I have anything against consonants, but words like szczyt defy pronunciation.  Kelly and I have had a bit of an interesting time today trying to cobble together various Polish sentences, which I believe came out sounding a bit like "Train how much! Krakow to!  Money!"  However, armed with a phrasebook, winning smiles, and pleading looks, we've managed to travel from Luton Airport in London to Krakow, the center of "Lesser Poland".

My first impression of Krakow is that it is stunning.  It hasn't ceased to amaze me that many of the buildings we pass nonchalantly were built in the 13th- and 14th-centuries.  The architecture is gorgeous, and with monks and nuns walking across cobbled streets, it's easy to let your imagination carry you away in this atmospheric city.  The people we have met thusfar have been very kind and altogether willing to listen to our fractured Polish.  The train from Rzeszow, where our flight landed, took a lot longer than we had anticipated, so we arrived in Krakow at dusk.  In the soft light, we wandered past Rynek Glowny, the enormous medieval town square, with its stunning architecture and crowds of locals and tourists alike, and Wawel Hill, the iconic center of the old city, which is an enormous castle and cathedral, which dominate the skyline.  We are staying at Panda Hostel, located in Kazimierez (formerly the Jewish quarter), and it's been lovely so far.  The staff are polite and helpful, the rooms are clean, and it's a steal of a deal at ~$10/night.  We enjoyed a stereotypical but very delicious first meal of perogies and beer in a town square near our hostel, and mostly just reveled at having finally met up for our European adventure!