August 05

From St. Petersburg we made our way to Warsaw. All three of us were struck by the beauty of Warsaw, the old town square is surrounded by multicolored historic buildings, art vendors and musicians are everywhere. We spent much time walking the cobblestone streets and sitting in cafes. We also found our way to the place of the ghetto uprising and followed a series of plaques and monuments commemorating the brave men and women who fought back during WWII.
We took the train north, to the town of Gdansk and the coast of the Baltic Sea.
From there we returned to Warsaw and said goodbye to Mary.

Two days later, my mom, Terri flew into Warsaw from the US. We swept her away to Krakow. From there we spent one day walking around Auschwitz. It was a somber day. Despite the crowds of people there, we could feel what had happened there.
We also got a chance to explore the Wieliczka salt mines. The mines are unbelievably extensive and intricate. There is even a huge underground chapel, with an alter, statues and chandeliers all made from salt!