Someday I will understand Auschwitz. This was a brave statement but innocently absurd. No one will ever understand Auschwitz. What I might have set down with more accuracy would have been: Someday I will write about Sophie's life and death, and thereby help demonstrate how absolute evil is never extinguished from the world. Auschwitz itself remains inexplicable. The most profound statement yet made about Auschwitz was not a statement at all, but a response. The query: "At Auschwitz, tell me, where was God?" And the answer: "Where was man?” 
- WIlliam Styron | Sophie's Choice

Auschwitz Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland

Just in time for the 70th year anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, I want to finally post and share our moving and emotional visit of Auschwitz last September 2014. We have heard stories about the Nazi concentration camps from survivors, studied it in school, watched documentaries and read books regarding this atrocity that happened in human history. Sometimes, there are no words or explanation how you feel about certain places. "Let us remember that we are on the site of the most gigantic cemetery in the world, a cemetery where there are no graves, no stones, but where the ashes of more than one million people lie." (Waldemar Dabrowski) 

We extended our Balkan road trip to Poland mainly because we wanted to experience and see this place first hand. We know its a horrible place to see but we are very interested in World War II and the Holocaust. It was a gloomy day when we visited, even the weather seems to know and feel what has yet to come, a very emotional journey of reliving the past. Despite watching documentaries and prior knowledge of what to expect here, nothing could really prepare anyone on this poignant experience - of actually seeing this place and witnessing where it actually happened.

We do not want to expound in full detail why this happened, what actually happened here and who are the victims or the perpetrators, because it would take us more than this blog post to explain something this sensitive and this big. That being said, we would like to share one most notable and overwhelming experience we had here. As soon as we stepped in, and walked inside the crematorium, it is such a powerful and moving experience - you can feel the melancholic atmosphere as soon as you enter, and you can't help but imagine the cruelty and monstrosity of what happened. We silently prayed for the souls, while we were inside (out of outmost respect of the victims, we do not have pictures of the gas chamber or the crematorium).

The cattle car that brought prisoners to Birkenau.

For us,  eating your way in different places is equally interesting as knowing their history and actually seeing the sights. Anywhere we go, we usually research where to eat good food and in Krakow these are the places we stumbled upon, some are recommended by locals. This is just a summary of the good food that we ate while in Poland. Feast with your eyes, and perhaps go here when you visit Krakow. 

Oh good mercy pierogi! This is the staple food of Poland aka the Kingdom of Pierogi. We ate at Zapieciek and its conveniently located in the Old Town. You can sample different kinds of pierogi - different types of meat and vegetables. Depends on what type of dumpling you are craving - savory and sweet, they have it all. Yes, even strawberries and cream. The pieorgi we had was really really good. The dough is perfectly cooked, silky and sautéed with onions. Our friend Anna from Poland showed us this place. This restaurant has a feeling of a good old mom-and-pop restaurant with no frills but only good food. They are prepared by hand with old recipes. 

Anywhere in Europe, sausages is a must eat. Brock is a big fan of sausages and boy, he indulges on eating so much when we are in Europe. The traditional type of kielbasa is usually made with pork and best eaten grilled. We found this one in a local market. Make sure to stop by and see one and eat it to-go. This is an easy meal to grab if you are feeling hungry from a long walk. You can buy kielbasa anywhere in the world but having it in Poland makes it more special. 

If you are growing tired of the traditional Polish food, this restaurant is a good excuse to not eat Polish food in Poland. We ate our early dinner meal here at Zazie Bistro. It is located in the Kazimierz area, a lot of people are eating here and seats was hard to get. We had delectable meals from start to finish. Getting good French food outside of France is quite surprising but finding one in Poland that exhibits genuine French cuisine is the best surprise yet.

When in Rome, do what Romans do. When in Poland, drink vodka. We had the pleasure of going to Pijalnia Wodki i Piwa. This place was decorated with Communist-era nostalgia and was pretty neat. It is definitely a fun place to go to, especially if you are looking for night life here in Poland. The best part is - its very cheap! Everything in the bar costs 1 euro except for the food which is about 2-3 euros each. They have different flavoured vodka such as lemon, honey, and etc. Its a good place to "sample" different types of vodka aka just get drunk. 

If you are looking to buy a gift for someone, stop by Krakowski Kredens and get their cookies! The shop is filled with Polish-made goodies. We particularly like bringing food as a souvenir gift to family and friends.

We had the pleasure of indulging our foodie side in Poland and we ate in other places that we failed to mention, probably because we were too tired to even take pictures of what we ate. Overall, our bellies are happy and satisfied and left Poland with few more pounds, as excess baggage. Another vacation memory that will surely last us (keep the weight off) for a long time. 

Categories: Europe, Poland, Food Adventures

Krakow is one of Poland's best destination. It was the county's capital centuries ago. Krakow is a beautiful city and is the heart of Poland for culture and history. It might be well-known for vodka and stag parties but this city definitely has soul.

Krakow also got everything - from castles, medieval architecture, a charming square, cobbled streets, historic tales, to salt mines, good food and a plethora of World War II historal sites. On our third day here, we decide to only explore Krakow. We first wandered around Wawel Cathedral and Wawel Castle. Definitely get the audio guide, it is an affordable way to tour the place without the hassle of being in a group tour and you can privately admire the history on every stop. The cathedral is probably the most interesting architecture in Polish history. It has stood the test of time and has been there for 1,000 years. It is where they crown and bury their monarchs, as well as Polish heroes. This was Father Karol Wojtyla's cathedral before he moved to the Vatican, later known as Pope John Paul II. 

On the left is the entrance of the Wawel Cathedral.

"Another major attraction of the cathedral is a climb to the Sigismund Tower, reached through the sacristy and a wooden staircase. The tower holds the famous Sigismund Bell (Zygmunt Bell), commissioned in 1520 by King Sigismund the Old. The great bell is one-third heavier and 350 years older than Big Ben in London. It is tolled only on solemn state and church occasions, including the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005." (from Sacred Destinations) Legend has it that if you touch your heart and touch the bell while making a wish, your wish will come true. We both fought the crowds, touched the bell and made a wish. Nothing to lose right? 

Vistula River

On our third day in Krakow, it also happened to be Tanj's 30th birthday celebration. We stopped by at this cute little bistro called Zazie and had awesome food. Turning 30 has been a big milestone for me. Doing exactly what I love to do, with the person I love is exactly how I envisioned turning 30. The gift of travel has given me a sense of purpose in living life to the fullest and to make more memories that will last a lifetime. That alone is the best gift, I can truly say that I have a very happy and well-lived life.