Krakow

A suprisingly relaxing overnight train out of Berlin delivered me safely to Krakow, Poland. This city's dark past is reflected in the monuments surrounding the city center. In the afternoon of day one some of us took a bus to the Wielicyka Salt mine and explored 136 m below the ground. Having never seen Goderich's salt mine, it was interesting to see. Day two took most of our group to Auschwitz and Birkenau. While having a general understanding of the mass execution of the Jewish, Polish and even German people, it was very overwhelming to stand on the soil of the concentration/death camps. Birkenau in particular was so vast, with it's main gates (recognized in the film Schindler's List) and double rail tracks that run further than I could see. Old farmer's barns were used to house over 800 people at a time with the most horrifying hygenic conditions.
Visiting Krakow was an emotional experience, but away from the sadness, the historical city was perfect for a cold beer on the main square after sun down.