Next came the soup. Choices were borscht, mushroom and sour rye. The mushroom soup was served in a mushroom shaped bread bowl and there is a pic of the sour rye soup which was delicious.Then there was more dancing and another pic of Brian dancing.This was followed by the main course-honey and beer basted ribs, stuffed cabbage, roulade and roast pork. There may have been more but I can’t remember and I kept eating. Then there was more dancing and fun, everyone was urged to get up and participate in a group dance- therefore no more pictures. Then came dessert. It was an assortment of delicious pastries, Brian and I were happy we went but we were extremely full.

After we returned from Auschwitz we decided to do another excursion to a Polish restaurant with folk dancing. The alternative was walking around in the freezing rain to find s place we wanted to eat, Brian wasn’t feeling that well and walking around being miserable didn’t appeal to me so after the Castle back on the bus we went. We were greeted at the door by costumed wait staff who provided shots of vodka and bread and salt. We had been wanting traditional Polish food and we got it. The appetizers started coming out. The food was served family style so everyone at the table could taste what they wanted. The first plate was an assortment of cold meats and sausages. The second plate was an assortment of warm appetizers and the third plate several varieties of pierogi.Then the entertainment started. The band played and the dancers danced then the dancers pick some of us to dance. Here are pics of Brian doing the Polka.To be continued….

After we returned from Auschwitz we did a walking tour to Wawel Castle and church. Of course it was huge, beautiful and uphill. It took only about an hour for this tour. Here are pics of the Castle.Then back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Below are pics if Birkenau.there could have been many more pictures but I wasn’t sure so wanted to document all that horror. Our guide told us Auschwitz housed 20,000 and Birkenau 120,000. At the end of the war The Germans blew up the crematoriums and tried to erase the existence of the camps. She also said they are only preserving what remains not doing a restoration. Then back to Krakow for a waking tour. Also the 2 camps are only two of the many that were in existence.

We got up early so we could get breakfast before we left for Auschwitz. The breakfast buffet was all I had hoped for. It had real yogurt, eggs, cold cuts, great bread and cheeses. Plus pate, an assortment of pickled items and an assortment of great rolls and breads. We left for Auschwitz at 7:15 and it takes an hour to get there. It was about 38 degrees and windy with intermittent rain. Another lovely weather day.

After we got to Auschwitz we met our guide for the tour. She was very knowledgeable and took us through the museums on the grounds. It was a somber tour for the entire 2 hours. The sign reads “Work Will Make you Free”Here are some more pics of the concentration camp.Then we boarded the bus and drove about 15 minutes to Birkenau.