If you happen to be in Krakow, Poland, you'll likely hear the famous song called Hejnał Mariacki, which translates to St. Mary's Dawn. A trumpet player plays this call every hour on the hour from the top of the highest tower of St. Mary's Church in the main town square in Krakow in all directions (four times in total). Some history about St. Mary's Church: It was built by two brothers. The older brother killed the younger brother with a knife that now hangs in one of the doorways of the Cloth ... VIEW POST
The Story Behind St. Mary’s Dawn (Krakow, Poland)
The BEST Hostels in Poland (Krakow, Warsaw, & Gdansk)
In 2016, I decided to take a slightly shorter trip, only visiting three cities, all in the same country, Poland, but despite my less-than-awesome experience in hostels in 2015, I decided yet again to give them another go. EXCEPT I’d shell out the extra cash for private rooms and make sure that all of the hostels had 24 hour security. Hostel Brama: I think I took a cab from the airport to the city but I can tell you that it’s a 10 minute walk from the train station if that’s how you’re arriving. ... VIEW POST
The Story of the Mermaids of Copenhagen and Warsaw
When I was in Warsaw in 2016, I learned the story behind how the mermaids of Copenhagen and Warsaw and how they're related. I thought that was SO cool. I must admit something kind of embarrassing: When I decided to go to Copenhagen, the main motivation was to see the Little Mermaid statue. And I thought the city looked really pretty in the movie The Prince and Me. These are not "good enough" reasons to take an international trip, I know, but it worked out in the end so let's give me a pass, ... VIEW POST
A Day Trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau-Auschwitz II in Poland
Updated: 5/29/20 When I visited Krakow in 2016, I knew a day trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau-Auschwitz II was a non-negotiable. I originally wrote about my experience traveling to the Auschwitz concentration camp and Birkenau-Auschwitz II extermination camp while I was in Poland after I returned and the citizens of America elected a narcissistic moron to highest office in the land. We live in scary times when there are "fine people" among neo Nazis (according to the president) so it's important to ... VIEW POST