There’s a saying in Germany – “If you visit Poland, take 2 cars as one will be stolen.”  This kept me away while I lived in Germany for a summer.  Still I would absolutely love to visit Poland and experience its rich heritage, and World War II history.

There are basically two entry points into Poland:  Warsaw and Krakow.  Warsaw, it’s capital is centrally located and has a nice old city.

Krakow, the real draw for tourists, is considered Poland’s cultural center. Unlike Warsaw most of the town remained intact  Unfortunately Krakow’s airport is known for its foggy days, delaying or cancelling flights.  This worries me, and I’d like to work in a visit to both cities. Therefore I’m looking into flying into Warsaw and immediately taking a train to Warsaw.  The fast trains require seat reservations and cost about $25 one way, a real bargain considering it only takes 2 hours to get there.

What to do?  How about visiting a good old fashioned “Milk Bar.”  These bars are a holdover from the Communist era when the government would subsidize the foods in these basic cafeterias.  They serve not only milk, but mostly traditional Polish food.   Since I’m a picky eater, I’m not getting my hopes up, but I think it would be a great cultural experience.

After a sobering visit to Dachau in 2010, I’d need to visit Auschwitz, the largest World War II era concentration camp.  When I visited Dachau I had a sick feeling in my stomach when I saw the ovens where they burned the bodies.  I’m sure a visit to Auschwitz would bring about similar feelings.

When I travel I’m more into photographing market squares and Gothic cathedrals.  I’d imagine both Warsaw and Krakow have plenty of picturesque scenes. I’d probably skip the museums and *gasp* eat at McDonald’s and other western style restaurants.  It’s my trip, so it’s my choice.