Krakow & Auschwitz; My weekend in Poland.

 

Well I went to Krakow, Poland with some of my friends this weekend! We had a blast. I liked Poland and Krakow itself way more than I thought I would. Our trip started with a four hour train ride, then hopping in a “bus” to travel the remaining three hours. At this point it was just us six girls that were traveling together. Some of the others had class so they caught a later train to Krakow and met us there. Well our train was a little behind schedule so by the time we got to the station we had like three minutes to find and catch our bus. We all run off the train and sprint through the platforms. We also had no idea where the bus station was at this particular train station so it was really hilarious. Anyways, we run outside and go look at all the busses and none of them look like what ours should be. After a minute we realize we sprinted right passed our “bus” that was actually a small passenger van. We got quite a kick out of that.

It was us six girls and one other middle aged woman in our van along with our driver. I’ve honestly never felt scared in Europe until that night. We had been driving a few hours and at this point we were going through a random city. Our driver pulls into a random alley and just parks and doesn’t say a word. This is when I finally looked up from our book and everyone else stopped listening to music and what not and we all got really confused and nervous. I was so confused why were stopped in the middle of nowhere. I might have been having a tiny panic attack at this point thinking we were getting kidnapped. I mean honestly it was just seven women and our driver could have easily done something like that. Finally we all asked what we were doing and he said “picking people up” and that the next stop was Krakow. We didn’t actually pick anyone else up… but after a few minutes we were on our way again. The guys that were traveling the same way as us on a later route said the same thing happened to them so I guess it was a legitimate thing but it was quite scary. We were all a little creeped out. I mean we were traveling through Student Agency so it was a reputable company… but still. Scary.

Later that evening we made it to Krakow and caught a cab to our AirBnb. It happened to be in a really awesome area, Kazimeirez, which is really hip with tons of cool bars and restaurants, just a quick walk from the main square, and really close to the river so it was really nice. We liked the place. It was also right next to an American bar that had a Chicago Blackhawks theme. For dinner we ate at a place right down the street that had buffalo wings, chili, corn dogs, milk shakes, ‘American’ fries (not French fries haha), and other American foods. It was delicious and amazing.

The next day we did some exploring, shopping, eating, and drinking. The weather was absolutely gorgeous all weekend! We were incredibly lucky. There were blue skies and it was around fifty degrees, which felt like heaven.

I really liked the main square. It was very open and had a great atmosphere.

Krakow Krew

Lunch! I had this delicious toasted sandwich thing. Mine had cheese, pepperone, bacon, fried onions, and garlic sauce. It was heaven. And I actually couldn't finish the entire thing so that was a first.

The sunset over the river was beautiful!

Fab Five. Love my friends.

Oh you know, just skipping through the park after a perfect day with my wonderful roomie who I love to death.

Saturday was a really important day. We were able to travel about an hour outside of Krakow and visit Auschwitz. This is something I have always really really wanted to do and was on the top of my list for places I wanted to see during my semester abroad.  I’m not sure why, but I have always been very interested in the Holocaust and WWII ever since I was really young. I was always reading historical fiction and doing school projects about the time period and events that took place, so for me to actually go there and see it for my own eyes was the experience of a lifetime.

I honestly don’t know what to say about it overall… It was unfathomable. I can’t even describe how it made me feel. I don’t even really want to talk about it or think about it ever again to be honest. It was just so hard to see... our tour guide was really amazing. She was very serious and informative. I’m honestly just sitting here and I don’t even know what to write about to try and convey my feelings and the things I saw… It’s just… hard.

I saw the fences, the blocks where people lived, the wooden barracks, the execution wall, the prisoner’s cells, giant rooms full of human hair shaved from the victims heads, thousands of shoes and suitcases and glasses and everything else you can image….. I walked through a gas chamber where thousands of people took their last breaths and were murdered in cold blood…. Knowing that I was standing and walking in the same place that was literally worse than a living hell for so many people was absolutely soul crushing. Even thinking about it just hurts my chest and makes me speechless all over again. Auschwitz was just unbelievable… I’ve never had such a humbling experience in my entire life. It wasn’t just a prison or the site of a horrible event. This place was literally worse than hell. Over one million people died there…. I know that the Holocaust is something everyone studies in school, but seeing it in person makes it so real. Like I said, I honestly don’t want to think about it ever again. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it, and now I have the memories and I’m done. A few places we weren’t allowed to take pictures at all, but here are a few. I don’t want to post very many because I feel like it’s somewhat disrespectful and disconcerting. 

Pictures of the prisoners lined one of the hallways. You can read the date they entered the camp and the day they died or were executed. Looking through the portraits was horrible. It was hard to find a person that survived more than a month or two. 

These were the different blocks. Around 1,000 people each slept on the concrete floors. Some of the buildings were prison cells or labs where they experimented on the people. 

The crematorium that was connected to one of the gas chambers.

People wrote their names on their suitcases so they wouldn't lose their things. They had no idea where they were really headed.

People who were disabled were immediately sent to the gas chambers.

These were just a few of the metal containers that held the chemicals that were used in the gas chambers. It took only three canisters to kill 1,000 people.  

There was a room full of 40,000 shoes left behind by the victims.

Auschwitz II (Birkenau)

When the Nazis realized they were going to lose the war, they burned several buildings including one of the large gas chambers above, trying to destroy the evidence of what they did. These haven't been touched since the day they were burned in 1945.

I really just can't even describe all the horrors I saw. Even after learning about the Holocaust for so many years, I still learned so much more by going and visiting Auschwitz. Nothing can prepare you for it but I feel like everyone should go at least once in their life, to witness the evils of man serve as warning to everyone.

Inside the barracks where the women slept.

On a lighter note, we went out that evening for dinner and drinks. Poland is well known for their perogies, which are like a dumpling with tons of filling options. They are absolutely delicious!!! My perogies were filled with potato, cheese, onions, and bacon. Probably the best thing new thing I’ve eaten since I got to Europe. I must find a place in Prague that has these scrumptious little things. After that a few of us went out for some drinks. They actually had cocktails there that were really cheap so Haley and I loved it. They also had specials on shots so we could get 12 for less than $15. We may have done that more than once haha. It was a good night. 

I'm lucky to have such awesome friends, Zack, Sean, Greg, and Haley.

The next day we just travelled back to Prague. Wasn’t too bad of a journey. Overall I really liked Krakow and would definitely go back. It was a lot more European looking than Berlin because of the tiny streets and beautiful architecture. It wasn’t quite as pretty as Prague though. It also didn’t have that much to do. There was just the castle and main square and that was about it. People there spoke really good English and were actually friendly. I think honestly though the main attraction is the food and drinks. Or maybe I’ve just been in Europe too long now and I was a little over excited about all the delicious and Americanized food. But dang it was good.

Also, I got a package today!! Big shout out to Renee and Richard Crow. They shipped me a box full of velveeta and shells and sweetarts. It was a dream come true! I can’t even express in words how nice it was and how happy I am. Nothing like the comforting tastes of home. Thanks again Renee! You’re the best and I really appreciate it.

On a final note. There was a shooting today here in the Czech Republic. About 180 south of Prague someone open fired in a restaurant and killed at least eight people. I know things like that happen in the states, but usually not within three hours of me. Pretty crazy. And very sad for the people affected and the country.

Everything else is going well here. Busy busy with classes and my internship. Leaving Thursday morning to go to Innsbruck, Austria to do some snowboarding in the Alps. I may be a tiny bit excited.  

Life in the 420

Side note: 420 is the country code of the Czech Republic and the first digits of every Czech phone number.

Had a busy and fun weekend here in Prague. Started off on Thursday night when two of my roommates and I went to see Ed Sheeran!! Obsessed doesn’t even cover it at this point and the concert just made it worse.  You can just imagine what’s been blasting throughout the apartment for the last week. We were actually super lucky to get tickets. It was sold out a long time ago, but they moved the concert to a bigger venue and put up more tickets for sale. We were really lucky and snagged some before they were sold out again. Also, we were fortunate because we got there a little early and had amazing seats!! It was a dream come true. Haha.

Anyways, Saturday we went on a hike in the northern part of the Czech Republic in the volcanic mountain range. My roommates loved (read hated) me in the beginning because I basically made them go with me. In the description it said it was a five mile hike….. what they didn’t say was that it was five miles there and then we still had to hike back…. I really just love hiking though and it’s been some of my favorite things I’ve done so far. There’s just something about walking and climbing through the forest that makes me happy. This hike was great too because the scenery felt a lot like being back home in East Texas. If I hadn’t known better I would have said it was. There were woods on one side of the trail and a pasture on the other with pine trees in between. It felt like home and made me happy. The first two miles were pretty rough though because we basically had to walk from one village to another just to begin the hike. Once we got into the forest and started hiking uphill though it was a lot better for some reason, not quite sure why because it was a lot more difficult physically. By the time we got to the top of the volcano we were pretty exhausted. At the top there was actually the ruin of a castle that was built in 1372. It was crazy because the castle was right at the top and it was a really steep climb to actually reach it. You can’t see much besides the castle until you get literally right next to it. So basically you climb over this edge and all of the sudden you can see miles and miles around in every direction. It was insane!! And kind of nauseating because it’s very unexpected and you suddenly feel like you’re about to topple down a mountain. I’m also not sure whose idea it was to build their house that high up. I think I’d just rather die instead of having to hike up and down that all the time. We were able to walk inside the ruins and climb up onto the walls even to get a better view of the sprawling fields and the surrounding towns. It was amazing. 

Saw this cute lamb on our hike and the owners let us pet it. It was adorable. Then our guide spoke in Czech with the lady for a minute and later informed us that they were going to be eating it soon..... we plotted going back to rescue it but I wasn't sure if lambs are allowed on the metro's like dogs.... so sad.

This is what the volcano looked like from the town where our hike ended. If you look closely you can see the castle on the very top of the volcano behind the buildings. It's funny actually because when we began our hike in the other town we couldn't even see the volcano because we were so far away on the other side.... we did a lot of hiking.....

The hike down was through tons of mud since some snow had recently melted so that was no fun, except it kind of was because it made all of our boots super heavy and we were pretty delirious at this point so we couldn’t stop cracking up. We eventually ended up in a small town where we had lunch and bought candy and waited for a bus to take us back to the town we started in to catch the train back to Prague. We had a super fun day and laughed a ridiculous amount. And no one slipped on the ice this time so it was a pretty great hike overall.

Sunday we went to the ballet!!! It was at the Narodni Divadlo (National Theatre) here in Prague which is of course beautiful and historic and completely amazing. We ended up getting pretty cheap tickets because students get half price. We were practically at the very top though because it was almost sold out when we bought the tickets a few days in advance. The ballet was Sleeping Beauty. I really liked it! Ballet is kind of interesting because it’s so many types of entertainment combined into one. It’s like an orchestra crossed with a play that’s crossed with dancing. It’s really busy. The costumes were so pretty and the ballerinas were amazing. I definitely hope to go to more while I’m here. It’s also funny though because I really have no experience with ballets or musicals. Apparently they close the curtain and then open it and bow like literally ten times over the course of twenty minutes and do like three encore dances. I couldn’t figure out when it was actually over.

Okay I didn't take this picture. But honestly none of my pictures could do it any justice so this gives you a better idea of how amazing it was.

Also hilarious, Haley literally got stuck by the worst people at both the Ed Sheeran concert and the ballet. At the concert she ended up sitting next to a thirteen year old who insisted on singing horribly at the top of her lungs. It was really bad. Then at the ballet she also ended up next to a middle aged woman who was apparently in a clapping contest to be the loudest and last clapper in the entire theatre. Like every. Single. Time. Then she started waving this scarf in her face. It was great. Needless to say Haley gets to sit in the middle of the group on the next few outings.

Last night was the Mardi Gras Parade here in Prague. They do things kind of differently and have all of these weird and kind of scary figures and people are dressed up in creepy costumes. There was lots of music though and everyone literally paraded through the streets. Instead of staying in one place and watching the parade go by, everyone walks with the parade in one giant mob all through the streets. It was definitely interesting. 

See. Creepy and scary parade people.

Everything else here in Prague is wonderful. It’s one great day after the next of living in an insanely beautiful city and getting to experience so many new things. My classes are actually going really well too. My two classes through Charles University are field trip based so pretty much every class we discuss something and then go somewhere. It’s great because I get into all the museums for free and get to see some really important artwork and pieces of history. Then I can wander around as much as I want and look at the exhibits. I’m pretty sure by the end of this semester all of the museum entrance tickets will probably equal the cost of my entire tuition. It’s working out quite well.  In my class through the School of Economics in Prague, we finally had class with all of the other students today. There were people from Russia, France, Germany, Brazil, Austria, and tons of other places. I’m really glad I’m getting the opportunity to interact with so many people from other countries. Also, I think I’m going to really enjoy my International Management class altogether. All of the topics we are going to discuss actually interest me. Management in general just makes sense for me and then mixing it with different countries and cultures and histories all across the world makes it really interesting.  It’s probably my favorite subject I've ever studied so far.

I'm also really enjoying being able to do some of my favorite things again, like read books, watch movies, run, and workout. Back home I'm so busy with school and work that I just literally don't have time for those things. So being here is just like a win-win. Life seriously just gets better everyday. Haley and I found this awesome running trail really close to our apartment that runs right along the main river in Prague, the Vltava. It's perfect for a nice jog.

Tomorrow I’m actually heading to Krakow, Poland with some friends for the weekend. We are going to check out the city and also go to Auschwitz, which is something I've always really wanted to do. I can’t really say it will be fun because that’s not the right word for it, but it will definitely be eye opening and a really important experience.

It’s crazy because everywhere I go they speak a different language and have a different currency. It’s frustrating and cool all at the same time. I’m just so comfortable when I’m here in Prague that the idea of going somewhere else and having to deal with an entirely new language barrier just makes me want to lay on the ground and eat peanut butter because it’s just such a hassle. But I know it will be okay… I’ve never actually heard someone speak Polish… guess there’s a first time for everything!

Sunsets and Pig Blood Soup

Possibly the prettiest picture I have ever taken from one of my favorite days ever. I love Europe.

This week was my first actual week of classes! I only have three actually since I already finished my Czech language course and I am doing an internship. So far my classes seem really awesome. Each of my classes is three hours and is only once a week. So I actually only have one class everyday Tuesday-Thursday. My Art and Architecture class is field trip based so we basically go somewhere else in the city every week, whether it’s a church, building, or museum. My International Management class is at the School of Economics here in Prague. In two weeks forty other international students from different European countries will also be joining our class so I am looking forward to that. My third class is Modern History of Central Europe which will definitely be interesting because I realize I have very little knowledge in that area besides like 1915-1945.

Thursday night the girls in my apartment hosted dinner for some of our friends here in K17. We made lots and lots of spaghetti and the guys brought salads, bread, and dessert. It was a delicious feast! There was great food and great friends. 

Lots of Spaghetti.

Old school Polaroid pic!

Friday we went on a field trip about an hour and a half north of Prague to the Lindava Glassworks factory. We were able to blow create our own vase and beer mug and choose the color and pattern for both. It was really neat. The factory we went is actually very well known. They currently make the glass trophies for the Tour De France race every year. I actually got to see one in person. Sadly though we won’t get out glass pieces back for at least a week or two because they take time to cool and then be transported to Prague. Also sadly, I was sick and felt pretty horrible the whole time we were there. I just wanted to be back in bed. 

Me, making my beer mug!

Tour De France trophy (as seen in picture underneath the trophy)

On our way home from the Glassworks, we stopped by this big frozen lake where we were able to walk around. It was really pretty. Our program director brought his ice skates and was skating around. I had been walking around on the ice for quite awhile and decided to get off when I saw this dumb kid jumping as hard as he could on the ice and I could actually see it bending underneath him. Not even a minute later the ice cracked and three other students fell in. It was slightly hilarious but I also felt really bad for them. I can imagine how freezing that water was. And we had another hour on the bus til we would be back in Prague. 

(sidenote. Some of my pictures kept uploading sideways even though they're not! And I'm too tired to figure it out.)

 Saturday I was lucky and was able to go south into Moravia. The Czech Republic is basically split across the middle into two halves, Bohemia and Moravia. These areas’s history goes back hundreds of years ago. Anyways, it’s Mardi Gras tomorrow as most of you know (especially my Razzoo’s friends). In a small town called Hustopecsky about two hours south of Prague there was a really tiny, local carnival. Well. It wasn’t really a carnival. It was really just a wine festival that our program directors told us was a carnival. There was a street about four hundred yards long that was full of people in costumes, food stands, and musicians all celebrating. We tried some local foods and then waited till noon when the wine cellars opened. You could buy a wine glass and then tickets for each cellar where you could pick which wine you wanted. It was great and the wines were very good. I’ve been struggling because they don’t really have normal wine names from America here. Sometimes they have Chardonnay or Pinot Noir but most of them have really weird Czech names and I didn’t even know if they were red or white. So getting to try a bunch of different kinds and learn their names was really helpful. Most of us ended up buying a bottle to take home. Except it honestly only made it till the bus ride back haha. The carnival was really cool though. Very authentic. Everyone pretty much just spoke Czech. Everyone was hanging out in the stone wine cellars singing songs and playing music and having a great time. It was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve done here so far.

Also, it was quite funny because this pig was hanging in the middle of the festival. They later started carving it and cooking it for everyone. It was strange because we realized there wasn't a drop of blood left in the pig. It was also strange because they were giving away free pig blood soup to everyone there... Didn't take us long to put that one together. (Yes, I did try the pig blood soup only because my friends make me. It was weird...)

                             

They cut up the entire pig until only the spine was left. It was pretty crazy.

Crepe!

Czech sausage

Me, Kristen, and my roommate Haley

After that we went on a hike. Not sure who planned to go on a hike after a wine festival…but we still enjoyed it. Our first hike was more of a walk through this really pretty park around a few frozen lakes. We also saw some really pretty old buildings. The weather was beautiful and it was a really pretty walk.

The next hike was a little different. We started in the square of a really small town and began to hike up this giant mountain. Okay, it was more like a really big hill. But seriously. It was a hike. The problem was, we spent a little too much time at the wine festival, so we really had to book it up the hill to make it to the top before sunset. There was ice and snow and it was really slippery and steep but we finally made it and I have to say, it was one of the most beautiful sceneries I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a lot of really cool views from the lookout point in Trunk Bay in the Virgin Islands, to the top of the Empire State building, just to name two of many. But this one was special. Here I was in the middle of this tiny town in Moravia after an already amazing day and I was standing on top of this mountain watching the sunset over the rooftops, rolling hills, and vineyards. It was really just one of those moments that make you exactly how wonderful life is. I’m already having the time of my life gallivanting across Europe for a semester and that sunset was just the icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, no one’s phone would work on top of the mountain. It was weird because mine still had plenty of battery but it immediately died and wouldn’t come back on when we got close to the top. I’m thinking it was either because of the cold or the altitude because everyone else was having the same problem. I did manage to get a few pictures though. 

The picture at the very beginning was also from this hike.

We finished the day off with some Czech food. Fried cheese is a really big thing here. It’s very strange but delicious. It’s basically a giant, flattened mozzarella stick. They are a Czech staple and you kind find them everywhere. Anyways, I had fried cheese with ham in it and French fries. It was basically a perfect day.