Krakow, Poland

We had no idea what Poland had to offer.  Ken wanted to visit Auschwitz and we believed Poland would be an affordable European destination.  That combined with our limited knowledge about Ken’s family history, we really didn’t know what to expect.  In our naïve minds we pictured Post WW2 + 1986 communism, which couldn’t have been farther from the truth of the cultural richness and bustling city that we found.

 

Our Polish journey began as we arrived on a train after a six-hour ride from Austria (via Chechia).  We assumed Poland used the euro, but quickly discovered the contrary at the train station.  Oops, time to grab some zloty.  (Note to self re: homeschool curriculum.  Brush up on the differences between: Europe, the EU, the euro, and Schengen).

 

We hopped on the convenient city train (love European transit!) to our AirBnB in the former Jewish district.  The neighborhood was super trendy (vintage shops, expensive coffee, high end restaurants), with a mix of crumbling graffitied buildings and new renovations on every block.  Flocks of tourist groups wandered throughout the neighborhood at all hours, visiting the synagogues near our place (either walking tours or via golf carts).

 

Krakow turned out to be a totally underrated and unique, modern city – and a wonderful introduction to Poland.  It was such a charming place with endless activities, green space, and nearly all adults spoke English (less so for the kids).  

 

The international food options were unlimited so we had to eat Hillary’s new favorite cuisine (Georgian food).  There were several outdoor food-truck courtyards and the weather was perfect.  Ken went out late (8pm!) to try the infamous street vendor sausages (sadly, overrated). Trendy bars and restaurants were around every corner.  The food left a positive impression on us: challah French toast, potato pancakes, sauerkraut pasta, pierogi (dumplings), pistachio donuts, and kielbasa (sausage).  The prices were more expensive than we expected ($20 pastrami??), but Everett got hooked on the cheap sausages from the corner market so we did alright.

On our first day we found a delightful park – and Ken met a local while playing basketball.  We had a few beautiful sunny days exploring the Old Town.  The Jewish history walking tour was a highlight for us.  Our guide was intelligent and genuine – it was her first day giving the tour so she was a little nervous.  She did a wonderful job explaining a very complex history as we walked amongst the Jewish historical sites.

 

Ken tried three times, unsuccessfully, to visit Schindler’s factory (either closed or huge lines).  But, he did make it to a museum dedicated to a Polish pharmacist who was the only non-Jew allowed in the Jewish Ghetto during the Nazi occupation.  We also saw the former site (now a plaza) where seventy chairs represented the discarded furniture of the Jews who were inhumanely displaced.

Schindler's Factory

Auschwitz is not recommended for kids under 14, so unfortunately, Ken had to visit solo.  He rode the train there and joined a three-hour English-guided tour.  It was a traumatic day for him, and well, it’s hard to explain unless one has visited a concentration camp before.  Too many emotions to process.  Too much horror.  Ken, the ever-extrovert, did not say a word all day.  He came home in a daze and slept from 7:30pm to 7:30am the next day.   

Gates into Auschwitz: German letters above saying "Work Will Set You Free"

On a lighter note, an afternoon was spent at the Polish Aviation Museum.  Now we can tell you WAY too much about the MIG-21.  When your child is an aviation enthusiast, an afternoon of Soviet aircraft is a huge win.

 

Needing to get some energy out, Everett spent time at an indoor trampoline park.  Unfortunately, in his excitement he threw his body so hard, he hit a metal pole and we had to depart early with a rib injury.  He was very disappointed (but not to worry, he recovered less than 24 hours later).

From monuments, history, food, to the terrors of Auschwitz, it overwhelmed our senses and we really fell in love with the city.  Pictures can hardly do justice to the beauty of Krakow.  We will return.

Vienna, Austria

We left Zagreb on a Tuesday after a visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships – a small gallery where people donate the remnants of their past relationships, along with a sad or funny story.  Everett was not amused by an activity about failed love.

Caption: "He gave me this mobile phone so I couldn't call him anymore."

We opted for the bus instead of train to Graz, Austria (the direct train was a 7am departure which wasn’t appealing).  Crossing the border into Slovenia was quick and easy.  Slovenia, we should have stopped for a few days!  What a miss.  We drove through the eastern part of the country for an hour or so and then arrived at the bus station in Graz.  The station was on the edge of town, and as we attempted to figure out transportation to our hotel, a Croatian passenger gave us a free ride in her Uber, saving us a 30 min bus ride.  Happy with our luck and new location, we chowed on Turkish doner kebabs (they were on every corner).  Our accommodation was an amusing hostel on the “wrong side of the tracks.”  (It was actually a cute place but literally behind the train station).  We loved the historic downtown and of course had to stock up at the Manner store (hazelnut wafers).  

Our fun idea: “5-day wiener schnitzel challenge:” eat breaded meat for five days in a row and rate the winner.  Ken was absolutely buzzing at the idea: pork, veal, chicken… which would he choose?  What sides … potato salad… There was a lot to discuss.

 

Graz, you were gorgeous and completely under-rated.  

Three hours went by too quickly, as train trips usually do.  The countryside provided wonderful views enroute to Vienna.  (Sidenote, we are purposefully going to new cities – meaning we have not visited before.  The only exceptions so far have been Bangkok and now Vienna.  We just had to make an exception, it’s a favorite European capital city).

 

Everett’s first impression, “Are we in London?”  

 

The Vienna metro system was abundant and we easily navigated to find our “platz.”  Just as we arrived at our station the rain came down hard.  It was difficult to find our apartment and we became drenched.  We stayed on a beautiful local plaza just a short train ride from downtown – the location turned out to be a perfect one.  

 

It had been twelve years since our last visit, but the city didn’t seem as Austrian as we remember it.  The city has become much more multicultural with more foreigners – for example, there were both Arab and Somali markets on our block.

 

We went to Figlmuller for a nostalgic visit: we were there to appreciate the wiener schnitzel.  The line was out the door and around the corner as hundreds of people queued in the rain.  Luckily, we had reservations and skipped the line.  Ken pulled up a picture on his phone from twelve years ago and told the waiter, “I’ll have this again.”  We all agreed Figlmuller was the Undisputed Champion of the Five-Day Schnitzel Challenge.   A second visit was in order the next day.  

We found Ken’s grandma’s childhood home (now used as a school) and enjoyed the park near her house.  We walked in the rain all day, but didn’t care in the least.  Ken, on his new running kick, had been waiting months to buy specific shoes and he finally was able to find Zero running shoes.  Vienna had everything you could ever need.

We wandered the historic downtown streets and pretended we lived there – all the while feeling the romantic nostalgia of the past.  Unexpectedly, we stumbled upon a huge festival called “Wings for Life,” a charity running event to find a cure for spinal cord injury.  

 

Vienna, there is no other in comparison to you:  You were a shining star, around every corner a more magnificent building than the last.  Not one single tout tried to bother us.  No one stared.  Everyone just let us be - such a nice feeling.  If it wasn’t so expensive, we could stay forever.  Five days in Austria and it just wasn’t enough.  

Zagreb, Croatia

In Zadar we stayed in a local residential area, a nice change from the previous week’s touristy city centers.  The seaside town was quiet and we laid low in the rainy weather.  There wasn’t much to see but enough to explore on foot.  A showery day was spent at the public library and an under-whelming Museum of Illusions.  

Another bus ride took us inland (central Croatia) to Plitvice Lakes National Park – a trip highlight.  We started exploring the Upper Lakes first.  The water was exceptionally clear and vibrant emerald/blue – we could see the lake bottom, which seemed really crazy as we had never seen such a unique sight.  The walking paths (often, very narrow with no handrails) were crowded but manageable (the selfie brigade was in full effect).  Stunning waterfalls cascaded over limestone rocks as we strolled through the series of lakes and lush greenery.

Park entrance accommodations were exorbitant so we picked a place a few miles down the road, not knowing there was no public transportation available in the very rural area.  Luckily, our host offered to send her dad “Lazy Bear” to get us in his metallic Ford.  He spoke very broken English and after dropping our heavy backpacks at the house, he drove us 10 miles BACK to town where the restaurants were located.  He was a champion and waited for us to eat dinner so he could drive us home because it was starting to rain.  He directed us to the only grocery store in his broken Croatian accent “Grocery store 2KM on road or 300M up hiking trail.”  The choice was clear and we stocked up on junk food (very limited healthy options). For our walk down the hiking trail we had two fully loaded cardboard boxes (Costco style): no grocery bags in this town.

Lazy Bear drove us home in the rain and Ken bonded with his Croatian father figure.  He didn’t even work at the B&B, but was just doing his daughter a favor!  So often people see us as “walking ATM’s,” try to scam or take advantage of our ignorance, or are annoyed by tourists.  Not Lazy Bear.  He genuinely valued Ken’s humor and was a truly hospitable and fun-loving individual.

Our second day at the park we visited the Lower Falls; unfortunately, a portion was closed for maintenance so we only hiked about three hours.  We met a nice Italian couple that loved American football, while we ate our packed lunch (salami sandwiches) and waited for the boat to arrive.  Ken made a fatal error and regretted not bringing his coat, as he froze on the boat ride.  

 

We decided to hitchhike (or walk 10 miles) to our B&B.  No sooner had we decided than our host (Lazy Bear’s daughter) came up behind us, “Hey guys!”  She gave us a ride and we couldn’t believe our good fortune.  That evening we took a beautiful evening stroll down our country lane.

 

The next morning Lazy Bear drove us to the bus stop.  He assured us the bus would pick up at a specific stop, even though it was not the stop listed on our bus ticket.  We frantically paced, ready to flag down the bus, expecting it might pass us.  Lazy Bear waited with us to ensure we got on our bus.  An absolute legend!

 

The bus ride to Zagreb (Croatia’s capital city) winded through the hills and Everett got car sick.  I had to hold his bag of puke in my lap for the final 45 mins.  Unfortunately, we accidentally booked a smoking apartment, so the place reeked.  We also think an animal may have peed on the rug so it wasn’t too pleasant a smell.  We opened all the windows to air the place out.  The city and the apartment were actually really cute.  We considered ourselves lucky for not having any lodging issues before this minor one, so we made the best of it.

The capital city had a totally different vibe than its famous coastal counter-parts – endless graffiti, local shops, tons of outdoor café seating, a little bit grimy, indoor cigarette smoking, and well, “it’s a real place.”  We’ve only been here one day.  This is not a touristy city and we are appreciating its raw authenticity.

 

In case you are counting, we had our fair share of issues this week: vomit, stinky apartment, and being stranded, but we keep finding solutions and continue to thrive.

The joy of traveling is in the people we meet (Lazy Bear), not the destinations.

 

Homeschool Question of the Week: Where was Nikola Tesla born?  Yes, you’re right, Croatia!  

 

Bonus Picture: Ken hard at work.

Split, Croatia

Never blindly trust Google Maps.  We love you, but sometimes you are very wrong.  Case in point, in Hvar we wanted to go from the ferry terminal to our hotel.  We trusted the online map and proceeded to climb 1,000 steps up to a church, only to then descend 1,000 steps back down the other side.  All the while Everett was literally hopping on one foot, given his injury.  

Host: Why are you coming from that direction?  Us: We are coming from the ferry.  Host (looking confused): The ferry is in that direction (points in the opposite direction that is FLAT).  Us: Damn you, Google! 

 

Hvar Town… according to the Internet (and confirmed by locals) is a July-Aug debauchery summer resort town… but we arrived in the off-season.  The quaint town was gorgeous but slow and empty (again, Google kept directing us to “open” restaurants but they were boarded up for the season).  On our last day, we spent an afternoon at the local library doing school as we had four hours to kill before our ferry arrived.  The turbulent winds arrived and we frantically paced the ferry dock fearful that our catamaran would be canceled.  (The back-up option would have taken 6+ hours of backtracking multiple ferries, whereas our direct route was only 40 mins).  Ken went into the ferry office for an update so often that he annoyed the desk clerk.  Eventually, we did take off and the blustery winds frantically carried us across the straight to Vis Island.  

Vis was more beautiful than Hvar, but even slower if that’s possible.  Everything was closed except: one pizzeria, two bars (filled with indoor smokers), and one under-stocked grocery store (except, on Sunday, when even the grocery was closed for Croatian Voting Day).  

Officially Closed Grocery Store

Highlight: The view from our place could not be beat (Best AirBnB at only 80 euros).  We have seen many oceans but the water of the Adriatic Sea here was the bluest we had ever seen.  So even though we named the place “Ghost Island,” we 100% want to return in the summer when it comes alive.

We boarded the ferry to Split and sailed along huge gray rock mountains.  Take that back, NOT a ferry: A colossal ocean liner / cruise ship that carried 1000+ passengers and 300 vehicles (to us, A Carnival Cruise).  A few hours later we arrived at the seaport of Split, the second largest city in Croatia.  We high-fived each other: “Yes, people are here!”  Findings: top notch European food, vegan lattes, charming shops, Roman ruins, a lot of cigarette smoking, and a wonderfully walkable maze of streets in the town center.

The Roman ruins (e.g., huge palace from the 3rd century) gave us ample opportunity to explore the ancient architecture as we strolled through the city (note: “Roman Empire” added to this week’s 4th grade history lesson).  It was so picturesque; a film crew was actively filming on the street corner outside our apartment.  Inspired to get back in running shape, in the mornings Ken ran through the Marjan Forest (an uphill 10K with switchbacks – accompanied by weird looks from locals, who apparently run the route in the opposite - downhill - direction…Google, fool me once shame on you…).  The people of Split were pretty relaxed and English was widely spoken so language hasn’t been much of an obstacle.  We definitely enjoyed the mix of Balkan and Western cultures and now understand why this beauty attracts so many visitors!  

Opinion: if you’re visiting Croatia in the off-season, visit Split (10 out of 10) not the islands (very empty)… If you’re visiting during the high tourist season, we might avoid Split (likely over-crowded) and visit Hvar/Vis (peaceful beauty).  

Kotor, Montenegro

On a rainy morning we left Tbilisi on Turkish Airlines enroute to Istanbul, where we were able to enjoy a long layover.  Our Priority Pass allowed us access to a lounge that was over-the-top, definitely the swankiest we have seen!  Unlimited Turkish food?  Yes, please. 

 

Next, we flew into Tivat, Montenegro, which is a beautiful coastal town on the Adriatic Sea.  Although we originally planned to fly to Croatia, we found a cheaper flight into Montenegro.  We are so thankful to visit this gorgeous place!  Another unexpected country to love.  We arrived to warm blue skies, few tourists, and a cute apartment in the fortified Old Town.  The cab ride from the airport to our hotel was a huge price gouge but, well, I guess we are in Europe now?  (The buses weren’t running since we arrived too late in the evening).  Nonetheless, we were so thrilled with the weather and the gorgeous views that we didn’t care.  We have been discussing non-stop: how did we not know about this place???  Is it a hidden gem??  

What to do?  First, laundry.  These were the only instructions on the washing machine… 

Next, we wandered the cobblestone streets and happily ate over-priced gelato-pizza-wine and experienced major sticker shock (18 euro for a sandwich??).  Ken climbed the 4,000’ vertical ascent up the “Kotor Walls.”  What a view!

Most of our days were spent at the seaside kid’s playground with a kid’s zip line of enthusiastic riders - pleasantly surprised to find so many kids (both locals and tourists).  Everett made friends and, fortunately, a few spoke English.  Several boys invited him to the basketball court and they spent the afternoon playing.  At the end, Everett, walking barefoot after the game, unfortunately, stepped on a glass bottle.  So much blood everywhere!  I called Ken in a panic and he ran our medical kit over a mile from the hotel to the court where Everett needed medical attention.  What a hero!  The kids were some of the kindest we’ve met – shout out to Montenegro!

Ken is now a sherpa with his backpack plus Everett’s; our poor kid is hobbling along like a champ though.  We rode the bus a few hours north along the coast to the border of Croatia.  The border crossing was simple and soon enough we found ourselves at the bus stop in Dubrovnik, Croatia in the 80-degree sunshine.   Wow, the city was gorgeous and we had major FOMO realizing we should have spent a few nights exploring.  Instead, we hopped onto a 3.5-hour ferry to the island of Hvar.    

Shout out to all the moms who buy snacks in preparation for a long travel day, only to find out someone (!!!) ate them last night, and now we are hungry!