Days 8 & 9 - Krakow & Krakow - Prague

Day 8 for many was one of the most emotional days of the trip. It started out with a quick tour around some castles and churches around the city center of Krakow (guided by the lovely Marina). We got to tour Wawel Royal Church, which was very pretty both on the inside and outside. Even though we could not take pictures on the inside, even the outside of the castle itself is a beauty. 

After making our way back to the central square, everyone split into groups in order to get lunch and souvenirs. JB Jones (Justin) photobombed every group photo. 

 

One of the main attractions was The Leaky Cauldron, a Harry Potter-themed cafe on the main street of Krakow. Of course, all of the book fanatics stopped by.

When the groups got back from free time, we set out on the ride to Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkenau Concentration Camps. Once we got to the first camp, we were able to take an about 2-hour tour through the first camp (the museum camp) in two different groups. After a drive to the second camp, we took another tour through the second memorial camp. Since this was such a huge experience, there will be a second blog both explaining the tour and different quotes from the student's reflections. 

On the way home from Auschwitz, we stopped for a comfort food dinner of fried chicken, potato chips, and carrots. Since we got back to the hotel later than usual, most had just enough time to say goodnight before curfew. 

Day 9, although it consisted of the longest transportation ride of the entire visit, was one of the most entertaining days. We had a later start to our day before we set out on the approximately 8-hour bus ride to the capital city of the Czech Republic. During the bus ride, we first watched the very informative film, The Liberation of Auschwitz, which showed just how the liberation of the camp came about, and how terrible condition all those who survived it were in. Even though that film brought the mood down, we also watched Moana, which was a good comfort and fun film to watch. 

Once we got to the very scenic city of Prague, we were able to tour the main square for a little bit of time. We were able to get pastries, exchange currencies again, and even get pictures with Polar Bears and play with bubbles. 

What really made the day though, was the Folklore dinner we went to. This included amazing music, food, dancing, and even getting JB to dance with a lady. (We think that your mom would be proud Justin:))

This incredible experience made many memories which will be continued on our last full day in Europe!