Pictures!!

Be warned: There are a lot of them.

http://picasaweb.google.ca/hgrant7

Enjoy!

Germany, Czech Republic and Austria

After our short stay in Berlin we were off to Prague. We made and afternoon stop on the way in Dresden to take in some sights.
and Heather bought a cuckoo clock
We arrived in Prague at dinner time. Our hotel was an old Nunnery up on the hill beside the monastery, so we got some impressive views on our way down.


That evening we got a bit of a tour of the city on a little tour cart thing and then got an evening cruise down the river.

The next day was touring prague on foot. Our tour guide led us from our hotel through the monastery down to the castle and St Vitus Cathedral
From there we walked all the way down through the old winding cobble stone streets, across the Charles Bridge to the town square where the astronomical clock is located.
Our guided tour ended here, so we went on our own to see the old jewish quarter and the jewish cemetery. The we walked all the way back up to the hotel (shopping and stopping for beers along the way).

We left very early the next morning (much too early especially since Heather went out with all the younger people the night before) and stopped in Cesky Krumlov for lunch and some photos


Then it was back to Vienna. That night we went to a restaurant and got a very good welcome from the staff
The restaurant was elaborately decorated inside with antiques (hanging from the ceilings even!)
Our final day in Vienna was spent visiting Schonbrunn Palace and it's gardens.
We also visited the local flea market and walked around the city one last time.

The next day was travel day - travel from Vienna to Frankfurt and then on to Vancouver.

We are home now! (and very tired)

Warsaw to Berlin

Today was a long day of travelling. We reached the boarder of Germany around 6:00 pm and were promptly pulled over for an inspection. The drivers records were checked and random luggage was pulled from the bus for a closer look. The inspectors wore guns and could not very friendly. We finally made our hotel around 7:30 pm and were sent out to find our own dinner. Berlin is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Every road is lined with trees and all buildings are created as pieces of art. This is the view from the dome on the Parliament.

We next went to see several sights including Checkpoint Charlie.

We also saw the last remaining portion of the Berlin Wall.

In the afternoon we went to Potsdam to see the San Souci Palace

And the Cecilenhauf Castle .

And Brandenburg Gate

Warsaw

Up early and a local guide to tour Warsaw's major sights. We stop at the Warsaw Jewish Uprising Memorial and see where the ghetto used to be. It was 100% destroyed in WWII. On to the Old City. The city was 96% destroyed and totally reconstructed shortly after the second world war to imitate the original buildings.

We then took a tour to the Vilanov Palace. Very pretty with a great art collection. The gardens must be amazing in the summer when in full bloom.

Next, to a small palace for a private Chopin Piano concert. Loved it!

Must prepare ourselves. Tomorrow is the longest driving day. We should be in Berlin before 7:00 pm if all goes well.

Krakow to Warsaw

This morning was overcast and cool. Quite fitting for our destination. We arrived at Auschwitz mid-morning. We were guided through some of the buildings, seeing photo's and exhibits. The mounds of suitcases, shoes and other personal items were chilling. After this we entered the crematorium and viewed the "showers" and ovens.



Next to Birkenau. I never expected the area to be so large with so many acres of buildings and remains. I am at a loss for words.



On the way to Warsaw we stopped at the 14th century Monastery Jasna Gora where we were able to see the Black Madonna. I have never seen such a sight. This is a Church to which millions come from around the world to seek miracles. Our bus circled the town numerous times to find a spot to stop and let us off. I have never seen so many people. We pushed our way through and finally made it to the church. I was amazed to see people, nuns, monks etc. praying at every painting and artifact. We were told that this is considered the 5th most holy place in Europe.



We continued on and finally arrived in Warsaw around 6:30 pm. We are all exhausted. Heather is still very sick.

Krakow

We drove to Poland crossing through Slovakia and the Tatra Mountains. Stopped for lunch at a ski resort on the peak. We reached Krakow late afternoon. Dinner was at the hotel. Next morning were were taken by our guide to see the Salt Museum. The pictures can not do it justice.



Afterwards we went to see the Wawel Hill and the Castle. We were amazed at the number of people. Then to the old town for a view of St. Mary's Church with the renowned carved altarpiece completed in 1489. Luckily the altar doors were open. After that we went to the Cloth Hall built in the 14th century.




Heather is getting very sick but luckily many of the tour members are donating cold medications. She was quite the trooper and walked with me to the old Jewish Ghetto (Kazimierez) where I saw the Old Jewish Cemetery. Here bodies were buried between 1552 and 1800. After that they began to use the New Cemetery. This Jewish Quarter is the site of the Schindler Factory. We took a taxi back to the hotel - that was quite the experience.



That evening we went to a 300 year old home for a Polish Feast with musicians and dancers. They plied us with iced vodka and bread followed by the most amazing food. We love the soup served in individual loaves of bread. Everyone was dragged on to the dance floor to dance by the dancers.

Krakow is a beautiful old city. It was one of the few Polish cities to have survived WWII.

Budapest

We were up again at 6:00 and joined our Hungarian tour guide for a visit to the parliament buildings in Budapest. The security is high and all people are checked as if you were boarding a plane. The building was breathtaking.

We followed this up with a visit to Vajdahunyad Castle. There we had a private organ concert in the Chapel for our group. Heather loved it so much she bought the CD. Next, to Gundell's for their famous pancakes and tea. The tables are set with the finest china and tea or coffee was served with our chocolate, hazelnut pancake (more like a crepe). That was lunch!

In the afternoon we were joined by the balance of the group for a drive out to Szentendre. The village is now mainly a studio for artists to sell linens, wood carvings and china.





In the afternoon Heather and I found our way to the House of Terror. The basement cells and torture rooms are reconstructed from the 1950 era. The final exhibit is a room with hundreds of pictures of the victims and the perpetrators, some of whom are still alive. We left feeling very sombre. In the evening we went to a theatre for a Hungarian Folk Concert. They were very good.