Author Archives: Natalie

Bathe until I prune!

Starting of the day we headed back to the Parliament Building for a tour. Our tour ended took us to see the grand plaza staircase, Crown Jewels and to see the Dom. The parliament building took over 19 years for it to build and trust me everyday was worth it! The inside is even more stunning yah the exterior. The ceilings are framed with gold and have depictions all throughout. The wallpaper is so intricate, I have a hard time believing that wasn’t stencilled and all hand painted. When we went to view the Dom the chandelier apparently 30 meters lower than the actual height of the building from the outside. All the jewels on the chandelier weigh four tones and directly below it are the Crown Jewels. Not the best place to have them displayed in my opinion and sadly photos were not permitted! The your was way too short for the price we paid in my opinion, but I suppose they need to charge so much to keep everyone working there employed. There was an obscene amount of guards around. There was four of them standing around the Crown Jewels and also one at with end of our tour group making sure that did not stray from the guide.

After the tour we started to make our way to opposite side of Budapest to the Széchenyi Baths but not before making two stops along the way! The first stop was too look through the 1956, a memorial site and exhibition. As we have been walking along the city we have noticed many different unique memorials around the city to tribute to this, so it was interesting to acquire more information about it.

We then walked across the city and left the tourist area and were able to see the Budapest to a resident. Overall Budapest is a rather relaxed city, it doesn’t have the hustle and overcrowding like Prague and yet this area was as if there was no one there. Just a few family owned stores and a cafe were it appeared the daily customers were socializing with one another. Our second stop of the way to the baths was to the Hero’s Square.

Finally just a few blocks away we decided that we should grab a bite to eat before we went inside the baths. So we grabbed a bite and ate it along the pond in the river. After we were fuelled up away we went. The Széchenyi Baths had over 26 different baths, both inside and outside. There were also saunas, but after already being in the mid 30 degree heat voluntarily stepping to 55 degree temperatures did not sound enticing to me. Each bath ranged in temperatures from 10-35 degree temperature water. The also differentiated by steam and thermal. I am sure that they had different minerals and additives to them as well but sadly nothing was labelled and if it was it was only in Hungarian Huff! Once the sun began to set and our whole bodies were pruned from the many hours we spent in water we headed off to grab some dinner. We went to a restaurant called Hummus, can your guess that we hummus? I also had the best homemade lemonade and falafels! What made it even better was how cheap it was. For both Andreas and i’s meals, drink and appetizer it came less to $12 cdn! After filling ourselves up we took our doggie back bag to our hostel and crashed instantaneously! I suppose we had too much fun in the sun!

Sunshine, Rain and everything in between

Second time was not the charm for last nights train to Budapest. Unlike our last overnight train this time we had four other girls staying in our couchette, it was so darn warm in there. Overall it wasn’t that much sleep for me whatsoever… That’s what caffeine exists :) When we arrived in the early morning I could already feel the sun beaming down, finally all the sunshine I have been hoping for! Instead of the other girls in our couchette that were planning to take the metro to the same hostel we were staying at. Eventhough it was a bit of a walk we actually ended up beating them! After leaving our backpacks in the luggage room since it was too early to check in, we decided to kill some time before our walking tour by strolling along the streets. We ended up passing a high end shopping area, and when we went inside a shop the employee assumed I was Mexican and started to try to speak to me in Spanish.., I suppose that one day of sun in Kraków did me good :)

Continuing our way we ended up walking along the Danube river the same one that flows through Prague. We sat along the and took in the view of Buda side of Budapest. The river used to separate two cities, but after the construction of Chain Bridge they were united to form Budapest. We continued to follow the river and walked past The Shoes on the Danube Promenade. A memorial and a monument to the Hungarian Jews who, in the winter of 1944-1945, were shot on the banks of the Danube River. Walking again with the river current it led us past the stunning Parliament buildings we then continued to walk to Margaret Island. With the heat blazing down on us we took the opportunity to soak our feet in the fountain like the other locals. Just as about we were getting ready to leave the fountain started a water show with music and all! Even after a few songs it on going. By this time we had to he’d back to the city centre. We went in a tour focused around Communism in Budapest. Our tour guide was absolutely fantastic and it showed that she adored her city. Even when the sunshine mysteriously disappeared as turned to a downpour she held me to her stories not making me mind about the horrible rain.

After the tour was over we needed to warm up so we headed over to our hostel to finally check in! Continently on the way there was a grocery store so we grabbed what we needed for the next few days and took the rest of the night easy and I enjoyed some well deserved sleep!

We’re Hungary for Budapest

For our last day in Poland we did the opposite of what we have grown accustomed to doing in Europe and went on a walking tour. We thought that it would be a nice way to get one last overview of the city before we had to go. It was indeed! Even though Karolina did a great job as our translator and tour guide we already had a leg up on all the others tourists and knew the answers to the guides questions.

We then wondered through then streets in quest to find the type of ice cream recommended by Frans and I am happy to say our mission was a success! We then went to an underground museum. Ash in we were surprised by what we experienced, the exhibitions mainly focused on geology and sedimentary layers of the city’s old foundation. It was all super modern and very interesting, it was swarmed with school yours thought!

After the museum we enjoyed our lunch in the city square and soaked up the last little bit of Kraków we would get. We made our way back to Adams and Karolina’s to say good bye and went to the station to catch our overnight train to Budapest.

Wieliczka Salt Mines

From our both physically and emotionally exhausting day yesterday we decided that we would take morning easy. Even though we are away from home reality has still found its way to us, and we have planning to do for the next few weeks of our trip so even more reason to have an administration day! We’ve also come to realize that we need to take some time off to slow down so we don’t burn ourselves out.

In the evening Adam and Karolina took us to the Wieliczka Salt mines. Now Andrea and I were expecting to be climbing through the caves and spelunking. However when we got inside to the ticket desk and met our guide we were in for something else. Our guide for the tour was dressed in a full in suit! Took me by surprise for sure. The caves are ridiculous! Even though it is a UNESCO site It is like their own full functioning city. As we descend down 327 meters down the staircase. Now the tour would only cover some of the three levels out of nine. We passed through an obscene amount of attractions! There were full on wedding chapels, churches, spas, basketball courts, recreational gyms, ballrooms, restaurants, shops, lakes, movies projected onto the salt walls and many life sized exhibits demonstrating salt extraction! I could not imagine being a miner worker down in then caves, eventhough the guide said that they worker went up to the surface once they finished their shift I would have just stayed down since there is literally everything you need and more! Apparently the Pope John Paul II of Poland use to come and visit the caves often before he became the Pope and even came to visit once he lived in Vatican as well. Once our three hour tour was over we even got to go up one of the old elevator shafts that the miners use to use. Even with the twelve person our carriage only had eight people and it was tight enough. Poor Andrea wasn’t much of a fan of the ride, but I throughly enjoyed it. The most authentic thing of our visit and the perfect way to finish our visit.
Overall the Wieliczka Salt Mines was so interesting and such a production.

We then all went out for our last dinner here in Krakow. Adam and Karolina treated us to a Polish feast. We were warned that we only had to order one main dish for the both of us since the portions are so big and filling. Now they were not exaggerating! To start off we had some bread and meat lard like spread. Then as an appetizer we had plums that were wrapped with bacon and a mustard dipping sauce. I would have never thought that they would taste well together but they did! Bacon never seems to fail ;) For our main dish Andrea and I split sweet beer marinated ribs with potatoes. Even splitting the dish between the two of us we still weren’t able to eat our own portions! Before the food coma could do too much damage we made sure to pack and get ready for our last day in Kraków before we go to Budapest.

Aushwitz

We had another early morning today as we have to catch the train to Aushwitz. Since i had then opportunity to go to Kraków, the idea to go to Aushwitz was incising. I knew it was going to noting like memorials we have seen in both Berlin and Prague. Getting to the train station is looked as though it was abandoned we walked through the town it was run down and there didn’t seem to be much going on in it. As we got to Aushwitz received our audio headset and joined our guided tour. I am really glad that I was able to tour the camp in a group, I am not to sure how I would have handled it if I was to go around by myself. Even from reading and hearing about Aushwitz, nothing could have prepared my for what I saw and experienced. Just hearing about what happened and seeing first hand I still find it hard to comprehend and just imagine the horrors. The torture rooms, prisons, dorm areas, washrooms, gas chambers all so inhumane. Inside some of the cabins that we went inside there were thousands of eyeglasses, shoes, briefcases and a there was a room that held four tones of women’s hair that shaved or torn off. Out of respect I only took very few photos and will say that it is something that I am grateful that I had the experience to pay my respects.

Sightseeing Marathon

Anna and Frans met us this early afternoon for a full day of sightseeing! We all headed back into the Main Square walking through the town we made our to the city hall. Outside the president of Kraków was enjoying a music festival that was going on since Anna is the mayor of her district we were able to go a see the president. Today is the one day of the year that the Kraków City Hall is all open it the general public. So we were able to step inside and sit in on the introduction of a bill and socialize with the officials. Well at least Anna and Frans were working the room, especially since they are all her coworkers. With the language barrier Andrea and I followed in tow, but we really don’t know who we all met in the end.

Later we then walked through the park, originally this park that circles the old town use to be where the city walls were but now the park marks the perimeter. Along edge of the park is where one of the oldest universities of Europe and the oldest and most prestigious of Kraków is. Sadly it was closed so we weren’t able to go inside. We then kept walking along the gardens and ended up to the Bishops Palace otherwise known as the prior residency of Polish Pope John Paul II We went through and viewed the exhibition that was about about him and the chronology of his time at Vatican City.

Afterwards we went through to the other side of the Main Square to end up by the Wawel River. We had a drink on a river boat and soaked up the sunshine. It has been the warmest day for us yet! Apparently it was also one of the warmest days for those in Kraków. In order to avoid walking in the heat we ended up hoping on another boat and doing a river boat cruise. Along the river there was a marathon or some sort occurring. It looked like so much fun, everyone had to complete different tasks doing going along. Some had to climb to the roof of a bus, storm up a wall, jump across a huge inflatable obstacle course and run up teeter totters. It provided additional entertainment on the boat cruise, I felt so bad that out of all days this marathon had to be during the honest time of the day in at least early 30 degree temperature! Once our cruise ended we started to walk up the pavement to the castle. However, as we were walking up I realized the pavement was melting! So not only did I leave my foot prints in Kraków I put my hand in the pavement as well and now the streets of Kraków have my finger prints, or until the next time the pavement melts!

Once we all finally hiked up to the top of the hill we went inside the castle where we saw exhibitions that had the beautiful ceilings, exquisite wallpaper, furniture and paintings. Walking through the upper terrace went to a room that was holding Da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine. It is apparently the most beautiful that he’s painted. Once we finished we then went down the hill back into the city square to have some dinner. Of course I tried to have perogies again but it was an Italian restaurant sadly. It’s astonishing how cheap good is here compared to back at home. After dinner we went back to Anna’s for some drinks and cake. We said our goodbyes since this is the last time we would see them and they took us back home. After all the sun we got today we were able to go to sleep easily!

What’s a Krakówlaking?

Seventeen hours of travel later and we’ve finally arrived in Kraków! The overnight train wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. First of all we ‘splurged’ and bought a couchette. Secondly, there was no one else in our cabin so we had the whole thing to ourselves. For a night on the train I got a somewhat respectable amount of sleep.

Arriving at the station at seven in the morning both Adam and Karolina were so kind to pick us up and take us to their house! Before went to their place though we went to Anna’s where we were treated to coffee poppy cake for breakfast. We then passed out for the majority of the day once our heads hit the pillow. I suppose my sleep on the train wasn’t as good as I thought it was… Feeling refreshed we all went to the centre of Kraków to meet Frans. Together we all sat on a rooftop cafe where we could see the whole old town city square. The old town square sort of reminds me of Prague since the buildings here are all so detailed, painted different colours and with the same sort of charm. I had the best ice coffee I have ever had in my life at the cafe. It was had caramel, ice cream and cookies! I’d be for sure addicted to coffee back at home if these existed back at home which thankfully they don’t, but I’ll shall have to make up for that loss while I am here! I also had a local draft beer as well, but what is common for them to do here is to add raspberry or ginger to it. I had raspberry where’s Andrea had ginger, I have to say I liked mine better, but Radler is still the winner!

After we all finished up our drinks we went for a short walk around the city square before having dinner. Inside the restaurant there was live music playing. Some songs we thought we recognized but we hummed our own songs along. We all had a great time, we were laughing to much that the other tables kept looking back at us. At least the restaurant staff stuck us at the back of the restaurant. For a typical Polish dinner of course I had to have some true authentic perogies I never have had meat perogies but they were delicious!

Once we finished up with diner we we all went to the other side of the city square where there as a fundraiser concert being held. This looked like a rather big production as there was a full stage, elaborate lighting, cameras, tents for the VIPs and a host for the program who apparently was a very famous Polish actor that now focuses on philanthropy. It was sort of set up like American Idol each child was interviewed about what their illness was and why they loved to sing. Afterwards they sang a solo and then a duet accompanied by famous Polish singers. Thankfully Karolina was able to help us with all of the translating! After the concert finished up we all headed back home and made sure to get a goodnights sleep for our busy day tomorrow with Frans and Anna!

Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland

Today is our last day in Germany! We started the day off by going out and buying ingredients we needed to make pancakes for made roomies an attempt of fluffy American pancakes. We couldn’t say they were Canadian style since we didn’t have maple syrup to top them off. They were somewhat edible oh poor Fabian and Valerie. I think what saved us was our blended strawberry purée syrup. Enough strawberries and sugar can fix just about anything.

With a language barrier and coming to a close shortage of our contact solution, allergy pills and other medicine we decided to take advantage of soon to be doctor Fabian. Pharmacy shopping haul!!! Three different stores and three separate trips later and we finally had all that we needed and more!

We headed back to pack everything up and say our goodbyes. Now we are on our first overnight train to Kraków, so we shall see how that goes!

Munich Day 2

We were treated to a feast this morning for breakfast by all four chefs in the kitchen! Andrea and I then headed off to the centre to explore the town. We’ve come to realize that Germans take their holidays and Sundays very seriously since everything is usually closed on such occasions. Mainly only some cafes and restaurants were open along the major streets. As we entered the city centre we across a cultural dance festival of some sort. We watched dance routines from Africa and mainly Eastern Europe. It was so interesting to watch such vast different styles of dance! Entirely different from what I used to do, expect some of the Eastern European moves like the doting step are rather similar to ballet character moves I remember learning!

We walked up the top of St. Peter’s Church for a rewarding view of Munich! Andrea counted every single step and in total there was 354 steps. This stair case would one hundred percent not be legal back at home though! First of all it was a very narrow passage and allowed for only one way of traffic, and there were way too many people for it to be safe in an emergency. Thankfully that didn’t have to be any of our worries! At the top we could see out into the city and we also got a glimpse of the cultural dance festival too!

Once we descended down we made our way into the through the city taking time to look at the opera house and art gallery. The architecture of these building was absolutely stunning! We walked what seemed to be police havoc! From hat I was able to count there was about14 police cars and vans and officers standing around the city, in particularly by the parliament building. Being curious I asked one of the officers and it turns out that they were preparing and there for precaution for the G7 conference that was being held in Munich on Monday. We made our way back to the English Gardens from yesterday and walked by people surfing in a current in the park river! Who would have thought that Munich would be the place to surf?! We made sure to grab an ice cream, which was rather difficult to find despite it being sunny, summer and in a park, before we sat down to soak up the Suns rays. We later made our way to the train station and back to Erlangen. We then decided that we needed to watch the rest of the movie we weren’t able to finish last night, don’t worry we managed to make it through it this time!

Munich Day 1

Today we are off to Munich! We hopped onto the most modern and nicest train that we have been on yet! It was like the first class section in other trains. Not going to lie I was sad when our quick hour and a half train ride was over. Theo and Ronja met us at the station ready with a fun filled day planned for Andrea and I! It was so lovely to have locals show us around and not have to be concerned with planning. Especially in terms with the metro system, the city is so much more spread out that we anticipated and all the trains and lines seemed rather daunting… We made a quick stop al Theo’s place to drop off our bags and have a quick bite. They made one of Theo’s favourites and now mine too: a freshly blended strawberry purée with strawberries and whip cream! After fuelling up we all went over to the Deutsche’s Museum which is the largest science and technology museum in the world I can attest to that! There was literally everything and anything you could think of in regards to the science field. There was no way that we could see the whole thing in our one visit so we went through some of Theo’s favourite exhibitions. We saw full sized submarines, ships, planes, helicopters and even hot air balloons! Then we went over to a special exhibition about environment al sciences and humans harmful actions against. We were even able to squeeze in going to the pharmaceutical and physics exhibitions before the museum closed. After we went for a walk along the river. It is one of the first hot sunny days we have had aside from the one day in sunshine in Prague. There were so many people out sitting in the grass and soaking up the sun’s rays. We then grabbed a quick bite to eat and food for tomorrow since it is a national holiday in Germany and essentially everything will be closed. Theo is taking after Leonie and made us ladies cocktails, nothing like friendly sibling competition and grasshopper drinks!

We then made our way to Englischer Garten, German for English Garden. It is so stunning, it’s like Stanley park but right in the middle of the city as opposed to it being further out of the downtown core in Vancouver. We went to the Chinese tower, a Beer Garden and joined the other hundreds of people there, clearly this is the place to be! After we got our litre pint of beer we spent hours playing cards and enjoying each other’s company. Soon after it got dark we left the gardens and walked up to a gazebo on a hill and got a view of Munich at night. Later we headed back to Theo’s and watched a movie, turns out none of us made it to watch the whole thing since we all feel asleep!

Nuremberg

Today we got off to a bit of a late start…It was sure nice to sleep in though! When we finally got our show on the road Andrea, Fabian and I made our way to Nuremberg. And yes we did have to get back on the Autobahn to get there, but thankfully there was a speed limit for the whole ride there! I also designated myself in charge of car ride songs, being a German radio DJ ;)

We went to the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rallying Grounds. This is one of the few standing buildings from the Nazi regime. It was one of Hilters rally grounds, and was made to hold 50 thousand people! The museum was really interesting, the audio guide was interactive and enabled me to further my knowledge of those particularly the Nazi regime. What I found interesting was this one exhibit where there were newspapers reporting about Germany during this time and you could definitely see the bias by what sort of government was in power. There were also many videos created by Hitler and used for propaganda purposes. They even played Triumph of the Will a sort of autobiography film about Hitler. It was really intriguing since it showed you how it was filmed. To make it they used the top line technology and a massive crew. They also strategically filmed it, for example to film at angles to make crowds appear larger than they actually were! However, it is banned from showing in Germany owing to its support for Naziism and its numerous portrayals of the swastika.

Afterwards we then drove into the city centre. We walked around the town passing by the main shopping street, many restaurants, canals, churches, and through a large square, which is used for their popular Christmas Market. Making our way up the rather large hill we found ourselves at the Castle. We weren’t able to go inside unfortunately, but we explored their impressive courtyard with a stunning view overlooking the city. Later once we somewhat finished enjoying the view we went over to grab an early dinner at a restaurant on a hill looking up at the castle. Since we are in the Bavarian region we made sure to have an authentic meal. Not only was it huge, but so filling as well! Once we somewhat digested we basically rolled down the castle hill and made it back to the car to Erlangen. We still felt the effects of our food coma so we settled on night in watching movies.

Bamberg and Spaetzle

Another majority of my day without Andrea, it’s so strange! What was suppose to be a quick morning grocery shop took a little longer than expected, since having to be a German or just Fabian, he had to read the ingredients of the products before we bought them to deem which ones were ‘better’.

After an excessively long grocery shop we drove off to to a UNESCO world site, to town of Bamberg The drive was something else aka: Autobahn + 200 kilometres per hour= A heartbeat stops out of fear… Thankfully we finally made it there (and I might have been dreading having to drive back). Bamberg is absolutely stunning! It reminded me of both Bruges and Lubeck together. Strolling throughout the town we didn’t get lost, which is an incredible feat, with our past if adventures together. We walked about the Nueve Residenz and went inside the rose garden. We learned that there were over 40 species of roses, including one called Snow White, but sadly not many of them were in bloom. Then we went inside the Dom, where many of the towns royalty have been buried over the centuries. After Byatt we passed by the Altes Rathaus, were there were so many school groups on tours! Avoiding all the children we are not walked to St Micheals Monetary, unfortunately we weren’t able get a peak of the inside, so instead we walked up one of the seven hills of Bamberg for a view of the town. On the way back down we went inside a Tea House. The interior was very high quality, filled with antiques yet, it had a quirky and comfortable feel. We both agreed that this would be our go to study stop in Bamberg. The town is apparently known for its music university, and which went well with the classical music playing inside the tea house. Overall the town is so idyllic and well persevered with it’s medieval like buildings intact.

Returning back to Erlagnen, on yes the autobahn, Elena came over to teach us to make spaetzle! Even though is relatively easy to make in regards to its ingredients it sure is messy and quite a process. The work of four chefs in the kitchen made a simply delicious dinner! No doubt a hundred times better than the spaetzle I remember making in my cooking class. Thanks Elena :) After cleaning up and letting the food set we went out for an evening stroll around Erlangen. Conveniently we made a pit stop to The Eis House and grabbed some ice cream.

Missing a partner in crime

Nearly after a month of Andrea and I being together everyday and for every minute she went off to Stuttgart to visit a friend for two days. It felt so strange not accompanying her. Once my partner in crime left, Fabian tried to fill that void :)

We stated the day off by cooking up a lovely breakfast and going out for a walk around Erlangen. To our surprise once we got the the park there was a classical musical concert taking place. We sat and enjoyed the music by soaking up the sunshine and watching little kids dance and play in the gardens. Once it was over I then got a tour of the university, in particular the medical buildings. If you ever need a medical student Erlangen is then place to find them, since it is a university town. We stopped by for at a cafe for an iced coffee. Now I learned that we are missing out in Canada! The iced coffee here has ice cream, cookies and whipped cream! Not like an Ice Cap from Tims. So good :) After finishing up our walk, which there isn’t that much to see since it is a Sunday in Germany and everything is basically closed we went home and made a pizza for dinner. When we recovered from our food coma we went for another walk to a sanctuary that separates the towns centre from the suburbs. The sanctuary has a river that’s runs along the sides were we watched birds swim down. We headed back when the sun began to set and called it a night.

Czech out Problems and Lederhosen

This morning was an early on as we have to catch our train to Erlangen. Even with the best intentions this sadly wasn’t the outcome… When we bought our reservation for the bus, the lady told us that the bus left from the main train station thankfully the hostel we were staying at was literally a roll out of bed to the the station. However when got our gear together and went to the station to catch our bus turns out that it was actually leaving from the main train station! With less than 20 minutes until the bus left there was no way that we would be able to make it in time. When we finally walked over to the main station we did indeed miss our bus and had to wait a few hours before we could take a train that would get us there.

After a little longer than we expected, we did make it to Erlangen! We were greeted by Fabian bearing his lederhosen for a traditional German welcoming ;) Just kidding…..Erlangen is actually home to Bergkirchweih. It is apparently the biggest festival apart from Octoberfest, and draws in over one million people over the festival week. After a quick bite of sausage and pretzel since apparently you want to ingest fats rather than carbs before a night of drinking. Both Andrea and I got reeducate in this manner. Off to the festival! Mostly everyone dressed in their Lederhosen and Dirndl. Fun fact about the Dirndl: which side the women tie their bow signifies if they any widowed, single or taken. During the day the everyone was sitting with one another and enjoys thief company in the sunshine. Now since the festival runs firm 11am to 11 pm you can imagine that there were already some rather intoxicated people when we got there! A fight actually broke out right in front of us, but thankfully security got there before anything major happened. We both grabbed a litre of Radler a concoction of beer and lemonade: my new favourite way to drink beer :) Afterwards we are explored the rest of the festival grounds. There were many arcade games, restaurants and food booths. Andrea and I went onto the Ferris wheel and saw a birds eye view of Erlangen. We did our research about the festival before coming and learned that people buy their ‘sweethearts’ a gingerbread heart with an inscription and the person that receives it must wear it the whole night. Naturally we had to get Fabian one :) after searching the many different carts we found a heart that said ‘sorry’! We couldn’t ask for a better way to be Canadian andddd apologize to Fabian for having us stay with him for a few days! Turns out that it was just an insider joke since many Germans didn’t understand it..Sorry!

As the night progressed so did the amount of alcohol ingested. When Andrea and I came back to rejoin the rest of the group they were not sitting anymore. No, they were standing of the tables and singing! Thankfully the band playing sung songs in both German and English so Andrea and I could partake. We also learned a few songs in German, in particular a drinking song! Once the festival closed for the evening we were sure to get a good nights rest from a long day.

Last day in Prague

With a walk through the city we headed over to the Jewish Quarter within the Nazi regime, Hitler wanted to preserve this area as a museum to the exterminated race of Jews, thus this area was not destroyed during the war. We went to a synagogue. The interior was stunning! It was a very elaborate in comparison to other synagogue that we have encountered. Going through the different business offered a comprehensive understanding of the Jewish religion. I have to admit that even reading through the different exhibitions I still don’t understand it..There are many different rules, procedures, practises and traditions some of which I found fascinating. For example, if a women becomes a widow it is the expectation of the brother of the deceased to marry the widow. We then went to the Pinkas Synagogue inside the children were encouraged to draw what brings them happiness and their fears in a therapeutic matter. The children’s artwork was shown all inside with the biography of the child who drew it, sadly none of them survived. We then went to the Old Jewsish Cemetery. From the outside appearance it seems to be on a hill, it is actually twelve stories of bodies. Since this was the only burial space the Jews were allowed they continued to add levels as well as adding names onto already in-scripted tombstones since there is not enough space to have a tombstone for each individual.

We then walked through the city centre again to get one last look of the city. Just as we grabbed some ice cream it started to downpour! We ran into a department to seek shelter. Let me tell you that it was the strangest department store that I have ever preen inside! It was more like a collection of individual stores without entrances that all blended into one. Among the four floors I’d say that about more than half of the department was empty with places for companies to lease our store space. The rain managed to subside enough to brave the walk back to our hostel. Once we got there and dried up we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. When we first went in there was no one else inside, however some more people came in later on. Interesting fact for you is that water is more expensive than alcohol to drink soooooooo we had beer and wine instead to drink. Makes the most economical sense right? After dinner we packed up our things and got ready for our new destination tomorrow: Erglagen!