Krakow

I feel like this picture says a lot about Eastern Europe...

After planning out trips independently, it was time for another group trip. The couple of hours of waiting outside the Buddy Network office in September, while ultimately unnecessary (people dropped spots when their courses were finalized), set the tone for our way to Poland. Which is to say a lot of waiting for no productive purpose! Joanne is an experienced traveler, and I'm starting to learn the ropes myself, so while being spared the bookings and timetables was pleasant, not being in control was frustrating. The Buddy Network apparently chooses its student leaders by their willingness to party more than organizational experience!

Joanne, Lance, and I sampled Polish 'ketchup', eek! 

Krakow is an 8 hour bus ride away, or 9+ hours with breaks. I was exhausted from learning flunkyball from the Germans the evening prior, so tried to nap for most of the ride. #phail We stopped off at a Polish brewery on the way, and I could not have been more thankful to stretch my legs. I'd skipped all other brewery tours thus far, so this was actually my first of Europe. Yes, I still think beer is gross. Fortunately, the focus was more on the history than on the physical process (and thus nasty scents near the vats). If 3-D movies with fantastic sets and costume designers are the norm for these tours, I have clearly been missing out! They actually had a museum with steins from ages past decorated gloriously. Way to be Tyskie Browarium.

Lugging a body in daylight? You decide.

The hotel we were booked into was budget, but central, which makes life so much easier. With so many students on the trip, the room types varied randomly. I'd gone in early to book us (Joanne and I) into a two bed room. We actually shared a flat with five other girls. As it worked out, ours was the master bedroom with hilarious grandma decor. My suspicion is that they decorated the hotel by garage sale, given the random assortment of furniture. Still, the extra space was nice as my belongings have an unfortunate tendency to explode into messiness on trips. Plus, the kitchen was stocked with tea for me to sip while warming my heat in front of the space heater! The only down side is that the water heater got turned off after the first night. I think it was the fault of the one girl who spent half of the trip on Skype. For some reason, she decided to best place to call from was the kitchen, and probably unplugged the boiler (which we could not reset). This saved the apartment from a six-way fight for the shower the next morning (I'd rinsed off after the long bus ride in the evening), so was probably for the best. Breakfast was great, and I would have been sad to miss it like the club-bums who were too tired to get up.

Our first tour gave the basic history of the city, which was surprisingly richer than I'd realized. We started in the Jewish quarter (sadly this is really just a name now), the famous flame spewing dragon, past Wawel Castle, and into its massive cathedral. We lucked out, as a choir group visiting burst out in song just as our guide finished telling us about the beloved female-queen who made Polish rich. Hearing the hymns as we walked past the tombs of the great made the moment so much more impressive. The recent plane crash that killed so many Polish politicians apparently caused further controversy when the president and his wife were lain to rest in the vaults.

The tour ended in the main square, so we were free for the afternoon to wander. Joanne and I ended up joining a group of Americans in the hunt for food. Different restaurant representatives in the street made competing offers to try and bring our business to the restaurant. We choose the free soup over the free shots (hard decision there). The exchange rate is, like that of any Eastern European currency, favourable. It is nice to be able to enjoy a mulled wine with lunch for the price of a soda (if even) back home!

After a nap at the hostel, along with some cards playing in the common room with the girls, we followed a larger group to dinner. As it turned out, we went to a really nice restaurant (I felt under dressed) on the main market square. Have I mentioned my love for aubergine? I LOVE AUBERGINE. We went dancing for a short while afterwords, as the morning was free.

John Paul II in a salt carving

Last full day in Krakow! Back to city centre to pick up postcards, and some boots so that I don't look like such a bum all the time. Comfortable walking shoes are a treat to travel in, but Europeans are far more fashionable and tend to frown on ugly shoes? Yay boots for winter! A quick risotto lunch, and we were off to tour the salt mine. This mine has 300+ km of paths in it, which gives an idea of how they can fit a hotel and conference centre under the surface. I always knew salt was an important commodity (origin of the word salary being a clear indicator), but was given a better conversion. Our guide informed us that a kilogram of salt used to trade for a half kilogram of gold. Wow. There were tons of carvings and statues in the salt by the miners over the years, which were incredible given their lack of artistic training. The main chapel boasts a statue of John Paul II now that two 'miners' are permanently dedicated to the mine's art. My dinner underground, was surprisingly not very salty. Impressive feat given the air had a taste.

In the evening, we went to the Piano Rouge, a live music lounge with really quirky decorations. When the main dining area has curtained alcoves with sofas and mismatch of colours and patterns, you know something is going on!  This was definitely one of the stranger Halloweens I have had! The building was decorated, unlike the people.

The final day was a trip to Auschwitz. It was hard, but I am very glad to have visited. Lest we forget.