Factoids!

Here are a few interesting stats and facts from our trip.

Number of days away: 120

Distance driven: 15,210 km
Days we drove: 54
Average distance on driving days: 281km

Number of photos and videos: 16,107 taking up 67.19GB

Countries visited: 16
- South Korea
- Germany (local name Deutschland, French name Allemagne)
- The Netherlands
- Belgium (local name Belgique)
- France (local name François, German name Frankreich)
- England (French name Anglais)
- Scotland
- Wales
- Spain (local name Espagna)
- Monaco
- Switzerland (local name Suisse/Schweiz)
- Italy (local name Italia)
- Austria (local name Österreich)
- Slovakia (local name Slovenska)
- Poland (local name Polska)
- Czech Republic

Things we've climbed:
- Salisbury Craggs, Edinburgh
- Catbells, Lakes District
- Arc de Triomph, Paris
- Eiffel Tower, Paris
- Dune de Pilat, Arcachon Bay
- The Dome of St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

New foods we've tried:
- Scampi, England
- Haggis, Scotland
- Snails, France
- Weiswurst, Dachau
- Leberkäse, Dachau
- Curry wurst, Berlin

New oceans or seas one or both of us have seen:
- English Channel (Rachel)
- North Sea
- Irish Sea (Rachel)
- Atlantic Ocean
- Mediterranean Sea (Rachel)

Random things we still had in the cupboard when it came time to leave:
- pistachios from Belgium
- tea bags from Scotland
- tomato sauce from England
- coffee from France
- McDonalds mayonnaise from Italy
- chocolate from Germany
- pasta sauce from Poland

Oddities from the Continent

Here's a list of some of the things we've learnt on our travels. Enjoy!

- In Europe people take dogs on trams, buses and trains, into restaurants and sightseeing. Not just little dogs, but GIANT dogs that could easily bite off your face or swallow a small child whole.
- I thought it was just a stereotype but headscarves really are all the rage for women over 50 in Eastern Europe.
- Public transport, when done right, is amazing. Australia has failed to grasp this fact.
- Trams are super cool
- You have to pay to use the toilets at a staggering amount of places including restaurants (even when you eat there), museums and shopping centers. It usually costs between .30 and .50 euros but the highest we paid was 1.50 per person in Venice. Paid toilets are most prevalent however in Germany.
- It's true: Italian drivers are crazy! Our closest chance of an accident happened on a motorway into Rome when a tiny car merged right in front of us while we were going 70 and they were going 40. Not sure how Matt managed it, but we survived.
- Driving at night in Poland is strongly not recommended.
- Actually, if you can, avoid driving in Poland at all.
- From our experience, Austria has a public holiday every week.
- We didn't see any of Maria's Favourite things in Austria.
- The French are mad for italics. They love using it for street signs. Ironically the Italians do not.
- You're phone company sends you a friendly SMS when you enter a new country.
- every country has weird names for other countries and cities. We call Deutschland Germany, the French call it Allegmange. Why don't we just use the original name?
- In some countries (Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic) you have to buy a sticker for your car to drive on the motorway called a Vignette.
- Other countries, like France, Spain and Italy, use tolls.
- Germany has the best roads but you don't have to pay tolls or buy a vignette. And the speed limit on autobahns is unlimited. The max our van would go however was 140km/hr
- no food in Germany comes with salad on the side
- French aires and German stellplatzes are dotted all over the country and are a great cheap place to stay.
- Cheaper take away places or kiosks usually only sell sandwiches, wraps, pastries, pretzels, burgers, kebabs, pizza or any other gluten containing food you can think of.
- Being gluten intolerant usually means you can't eat cheaply for lunch and usually have to have a sit down meal in a cafe or restaurant.
- the only language you really need to brush up on if you're going to Europe is French. You can get by with English pretty much anywhere else, but the French will only speak to you in English if you start the conversation in French.
- Internet cafes pretty much don't exist anymore
- McDonalds are wonderful for tourists. They have free wifi (sometimes even accessible without entering) and clean toilets (which are usually free).
- Several service stations still have attendants and subsequently the fuel is about 5c/L more expensive. Not knowing the language means you can't tell them to stop, no matter how hard you try.
- A lot of the newspapers have large pictures of naked women on them, sometimes on the front page.
- There are cigarette vending machines everywhere
- Nine out of ten songs on the radio in Europe are in English, even if it isn't the singer's first language. In France though they must have a certain quota of songs in French.

Rachel and Matt

The Homestretch

Well I am sitting here in Frankfurt Airport writing about our last week in Germany. We didn't really do all that much so this should be a short one.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Berlin we dropped in to Hamburg for two nights. We stayed at a Stellplatz right in the city with a railway line going overhead and a McDonalds so close we could hear the attendants at the drive through asking "möchten Sie fries dazu?".

We spent a cold Thursday navigating the city, with its many canals and bridges, by bike. It was to be our last bike ride of the trip. We checked out the harbour area, which reminds me a lot of Honeysuckle with new buildings popping up everywhere, and the thriving main square with its town hall.

We then slowly made our way south to Frankfurt stopping overnight on Friday in Hannover in an empty caravan park (I triple checked the doors were locked that night) and Saturday night in Kassel in a cheap €7 Stellplatz. We didn't really do all that much as the weather was pretty terrible.

We then spent 5 nights in Frankfurt am Main (pronouced mine) in order to see the city, clean the van and pack our bags.

Monday we spent in the city. Of all the cities we have seen in four months, this one reminded me the most of our cities back home - tall skyscrapers and not too many old buildings. We started with a trip up to the observation deck of the Main Tower which revealed a very foggy view of the city. Luckily the sun was shining through some of the clouds which kept the temperature pleasent. We then had a great lunch in the city's main mall (pronounced main) and tried Ebbelwei, the Frankfurt dialect for Apfelwein (Apple Cider). After the initial shock of the odd after taste I grew accustomed to it and downed three glasses. Matt stuck to his new favourite drink - Weißbier.

On Tuesday we caught a tram to a nearby shopping centre and hung out there for a while just observing life.
Germany has been wonderful for that.

I must admit, I have a very soft spot for this country. It might be the language thing, but I find things easier here. I'm going to try and keep up my German so I don't go another six years before speaking it again. Lonely Planet has created a list of the top 25 things to do in Germany. We have managed to do 12 of them. These are their titles, not mine.
1: Bewitched by Berlin
3: Mad for Neuschwanstein
5: Bike Cruising in Hamburg
6: Romance the Rhine River
9: Floored by a Wall (the Berlin Wall)
10: Dresden's artistic alchemy
11: Dark moments in Dachau
13: Quaffing in Frankfurt (try the Ebbelwei - apple cider)
21: Versed in Wurst (try the sausages)
23: Prost! (drinks and traditional food at a beer garden)
24: Rambling through Regensburg
25: Happy at the Hofbräuhaus

Anyway, Wednesday and Thursday we stayed at home but this time there was no rest and relaxation in sight. We had to empty the van of stuff we didn't need, clean it and pack our bags. It may not sound like much but it was a big job! We amazingly ended up filling an entire wheelie bin with stuff we threw out. We had to clean out the waste water tank, the toilet cassette, fridge, all the cupboards (of which there were a lot), the kitchen, all our cooking things, the front mat and the floor. Fun times all around.

On Thursday night we headed into the city to celebrate our last night and found an awesome area of town to eat in. It reminded us a lot of Soho in New York where my cousin lives. It's crazy we were there exactly a year ago. After a wonderful dinner we headed home for our last sleep in our beloved home.

And that brings us to today. We successfully dropped off our van in Friedberg this morning and, to top off our trip, were driven to the airport by the same man who had taken us there 116 days earlier. He still drove incredibly fast while talking on his phone and writing in his diary. Some things never change.

Unfortunately our flight isn't until 7pm (we got to the airport at 12) but there's nothing we could do about that- we had to drop the van off in the morning. Now we're just killing time in the airport before the epic journey home. Sydney, we'll see you on Sunday morning!!

Berlin: Part 2

Day 3: Sunday

Sunday started with a visit to Checkpoint Charlie, the major diplomat crossing from West to East Berlin. Only a few meters away is the Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (BWP). This was the most bizarre museum either Matt or I have ever visited. It was founded in 1962, only one year after the wall was constructed, just opposite Checkpoint Charlie and documented, in real time, the stories of the wall.

Those who had successfully escaped would donate their means of escape and story to the museum and it would be added to the collection. It has grown in an ad hoc fashion ever since with new information or stories tacked on or squished into any available space. The exhibits seem like they have never been revised and they are written in changing tenses, are badly translated, are often in the tiniest font and go from floor level to the ceiling making it a painful strain to read.

That said, there are many hidden gems to be found amongst the incoherent babble. Most of these revolve around the true stories of those who successfully escaped East Berlin, despite a towering wall and the threat of imprisonment or death. The creativity of some of the plans was ingenious, and it was amazing to see real pictures of the people involved and see in person their means of escape. These included:
- refitting an engine in a car so that a person could be hidden in the newly created gap
- cutting holes in two side by side suitcases so someone could lie inside them in a car
- building a tiny tunnel 12m under ground and 152m long (57 people escaped over two nights)
- creating harnesses for a family of four who then used a power line fixed in the West as a flying fox
- two men built Europe's biggest hot air balloon from what they learnt in books so that them, their two wives and 4 children could escape. It used over 2000sq m of fabric.
- a home made propelled hang glider
- a musician hid his fiancé in a speaker

That evening we went to a 6pm showing of The Blue Man Group (BWP), New York's well known trio that is now running simultaneously in several countries. The show is so popular that they perform 6 shows a week in their purpose built theatre in Berlin. We really had no idea what we were in for and, after having seen the show, still don't really know how to describe it. It was an electrifying mix of theatre, art, comedy, live music, technology and audience participation. You'd have to see it to know what I mean. Words just wouldn't do it justice. It was unlike any theatre performance I've seen and the energy was infectious. Definitely worth it!

Day 4: Monday

Our day started with a chilly walk along the East Side Gallery, 1.3km of the wall that was saved from destruction and painted by 103 artists from all over the world in 1990. The majority of the paintings were repainted by the original artists in 2009 during a major and controversial renovation project. The most well known painting is Russian Dmitri Wrubel's 'Mein Gott hilf mir, diese tödliche Liebe zu überleben' (My God, help me to survive this deadly love) depicting the kissing communist leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker, inspired by the kiss they had in 1979 during the celebration of the 30 years of the German Democratic Republic's rule in East Germany. It became a leading symbol of the cold war.

We headed next to the LOXX Miniature Railway (BWP) much to the excitement of my man-child husband. Actually it was quite awesome. It was a miniature replica of Berlin with moving trains, trams, buses and trucks. Every 20 minutes night would descend on the city and it really did look like we were viewing Berlin from a tall tower. The attention to detail was amazing with every person and scene telling a story.

Our day ended with a visit to The Berlin Story, a museum detailing the last 800 years of Berlin history. It was superbly done and was essentially a walk through a history book with themed rooms, sound effects and video. There was almost no one there and I got rather creeped out in some of the rooms by the sound effects and creepy lighting. This peaked when, sometime in the 1950s, three guys wearing all black stormed into the room I was in on my own (Matt was one room behind me), kicked down one of the locked fake doors in an exhibit, went through it with a plastic bag, came out without it and stormed out after each having a go at smashing a fake bomb hanging from the ceiling that I was hiding behind. Matt and I, determined to get out as fast as we could, walked into the next room. The men stormed into this one, all eye balling us, then went out an emergency exit. It was one of the scariest things I've seen.

We skimmed over the next 60 years and safely made our way back to the foyer where I told an assistant at the front desk what I'd seen. He went down, came back with news that the emergency door had in fact been activated and thanked me for letting him know.

With nerves already at their wits end, we joined a group of people for a tour of a real Nuclear Bunker built in 1973 by the Americans right under the building we were in. In case of nuclear attack, the first 3792 people who made it to the entrance first would be let in. They would remain there for 14 days. The tour finished at the right time - the place was starting to give me the heebeejeebees.

Day 5: Tuesday

After four full on days in the city we spent Tuesday at home for some RnR. Ah it's a tough life.

Berlin: Part 1

Berlin is a captivating and fascinating city. At times your heart aches for the oppression it's citizens were subjected to during the cold war and at others rejoices for the cultural and economic boom the city has recently enjoyed. It has something for everyone and it is too easy to get swept up in buzz of it all.

We bought a 5 day Berlin Welcome Pass (BWP) which provided us with unlimited train, tram and bus travel and great discounts (from 25-50%) off museums, restaurants, sightseeing places and shows. They cost only €29.90 each for the whole five days. Unlimited travel alone would normally cost over €30 so it's great value.

Our place of rest for six nights was a Stellplatz in the suburb of Tegel, a short walk and then train ride from the city centre. It was wonderful to be in the same place for a while. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and did some grocery shopping and chores. The next five days were then spent learning about Berlin's history, being entertained, eating wonderful food and soaking in the atmosphere. It was actually difficult to leave.

Day 1: Friday

Our first sight to see was the Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin's most recognisable landmarks. There were a lot of people dressed up in uniform charging you to have your photo taken with them or to get your real passport stamped with West and East Berlin stamps. I'm not letting anyone go near my passport thank you very much.

For lunch we tried Berlin's famous Currywurst, wurst smothered in tomato sauce and curry powder. Very tasty.

We then wandered over to the Bundestag, Germany's Parliament House and the site of the old Reichstag which burnt down in 1933 one month after Hitler came to power (see I've been keeping up with my studies with Mr Bevan). Visitors are welcome to go up the massive glass dome on top but when we got there we were told you have to book three days in advance over the internet. We therefore passed on that one.

For the rest of the afternoon we hopped on and off trains, trams and buses just making our way from place to place seeing sights such as Alexanderplatz, Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island and the Victory Column.

Day 2: Saturday

Our day started with a sombre visit to the Denkmal für die ermordten Juden Europas (Memorial for the murdered Jews of Europe). It was opened in 2005 and consists of 2711 concrete slabs of various heights arranged in a grid pattern and evenly spread over 19,000 square meters. It's quite a sight to behold. Underneath the memorial lies a subterranean museum which was excellent. It focused on the individual stories of Jews who lost their lives with real diary entries, family stories and a sound exhibit where the name and story victim are read out. To do so for every victim would take over 6 years.

The memorial was very controversial at the time. There was opposition from Germans and Jews alike, and during its construction it came to light that the company that made the anti-graffiti coating was the same company that made the poison gas Zyclon B during WWII. Awkward.

We headed then to the modern Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz and had lunch at the Corroboree Australian Bar and Restaurant, mainly because we wanted to see how Australia was portrayed. It depicted a very different Australia to the one I know and love including:
- Kangaroo and crocodile on the menu
- Didgeridoos as balustrades
- The words Sheila and Bruce on the dunny doors
- Cocktails called Melbourne, the Coathanger, the Flying Kangaroo
and Blue Mountain
- Napkins that say "welcome down under"
- Movie screen with fake tropical aquarium
- Green and gold lighting
- Aboriginal paintings on the walls
- A Sydney harbour bridge footbridge
- "Newcastle Brown Ale" (actually from Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
- bottles of 'Aussie' tomato ketchup. Oh how I hate the word ketchup.
Luckily the food was amazing.

Across the road was Panorama Point (BWP), a lookout with a great view of Berlin in the setting sun.

After the heavy hitting Jewish Museum we were in the mood for some light entertainment so went to the cinemas and saw Anonymous. The movie was in English with no subtitles and most of the audience were English speakers.

We finished a wonderful day off with a visit to the Potsdamer Platz Christmas Markets, one of the many markets that gets set up in public places across Berlin for the holidays. They consist mainly of cute little traditional wooden shops selling hot drinks, pastries, wurst, lollies, beer and knick knacks and are very tastefully done. This one also had a huge snow slope which you can swirl your way down on a tyre. At night the square is filled with strobe lights, music, outdoor tables and a large fire you can gather around to warm up. We warmed our cockles with hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys in it (my new winter favorite) and gleefully watched the steam leave our mouths after every sip.

The atmosphere and sense of community is what grabbed me the most. It was about 1 degree but the place was packed full of happy people, sharing each others company and genuinely enjoying the season to be jolly. It was unlike anything I have experienced back home. What was interesting is that each store owner isn't vying for customers' attention. There is only one place selling each thing - one for hot drinks, one for beer, one for sweets, one for savoury and so on. The place radiated with friendliness and togetherness, but nothing seemed forced. I forgot entirely that we were in Germany's largest city. We could have been in a little country town for all I knew.

Dresden: Destruction and Delight

After a two hour drive we were back in Germany for the last three weeks of our epic journey. Personally, I was thankful to be back in a country where I could read signs, talk to people in their language and not think about converting such bizarre currency. Things just seem simpler here and I am more at ease.

Our first destination was Dresden. We all know it for its tragic flattening in 1945 by Allied forces in retaliation for Germany bombing Coventry. Amazingly, the city has been rebuilt from the ground up and there is little evidence left of its devastating past.

The city council has set up a Motorhome Stellplatz right in the middle of the city on the edge of a large park. After arriving we spent the afternoon relaxing in the van, more application writing and a ride round the park, which is fast becoming a favourite pastime of mine. Riding along leaf covered paths in near freezing conditions is incredibly refreshing and I do so with a giant smile on my face. Matt, the silky man he is, forgot his gloves on that occasion. He nearly lost 3 fingers.

The next day we took to our bikes again in order to explore the city. Dresden has embraced cyclists with an abundance of cycling lanes on main roads, cycling paths and special cycling crossings. This meant it was easy and safe to get around.

We rode first to the city's iconic Frauenkirche. The church was all but destroyed in the bombings and, after much fundraising and 13 years of building, in 2005 it was reconsecrated as a church. The alter alone was pieced together from 2000 pieces and is a stunning sight. This was the first protestant church we'd been in since the UK and you could certainly tell the difference.

We then rode around the Theatreplatz, taking in the castle, the Zinger and Opera House. We locked up our bikes nearby, right next to a couple of sewer grates that were emitting the strangest musical sounds. We could only conclude that there were speakers in them and it was some sort of strange arty thing. Either that, or a new age band was practicing in the sewer.

We enjoyed traditional German cuisine from the food court for lunch. No where before germany has had food courts so we're taking advantage of them. They're so much cheaper, have so many more options and we can order what each of us feels like while still being able to sit with other. Might sound like a simple concept but after 4 months of eating in restaurants or cafes when we're out can get pretty old! Not to say expensive.

We then rode across the river to the Neustadt - while named the new city it is in fact as old as the old city back where we'd come from. We settled ourselves down on a park bench in the tree lined mall in the sun and read our books. We lost all sense of time and, by the time I realised I was quite cold, the sun had almost set.

Prague

Prague has been one of my favourite cities recently. It delightfully balances the irrisistable charm of the old world with all the modern comforts of the new. It's fresh, clean, bustling and safe.

We stayed for 3 nights at the quiet Camp Dana in the suburb of Troja, a short tram ride across the Vltava River into the city.

The main city square was a hive of activity thanks to a wine festival and markets. An amazing aroma filled the square- a combination of open wood fires roasting pigs on the spit and the sweet cinnamon smell of freshly made donuts. All around old buildings that have been perfectly preserved rose elegantly to the sky, now housing swish restaurants and 21st century shops.

Adjacent to the square is the Prague Astronomical Clock which, installed in 1410, is the third oldest astronomical clock in the world and oldest working one. Matt explained in detail how it works but I have since forgotten.

We then wandered along the old pedestrian streets peeping through the shop windows of store after store filled with handmade wooden puzzles, chess sets, children's toys and marionettes. I've never seen so many puppets!

We next crossed the Charles Bridge, a mighty stone structure which traverses the river. It was 'Black Fashion Week' in Prague and we spent some time watching a French team of models pose for the camera in front of the city skyline and their entourage follow them around.

We then wandered to a place called Námêsti Míru (translation: Square of Peace), sat outside a church and watched the world pass us by. This is one of my favourite things to do - find somewhere nice to sit, watch and think. Autumn leaves were cascading to the ground all around us and we spent some time trying to capture pictures of the leaves mid flight. This proved futile and we resorted to staging the photos by throwing leaves in the hope of scoring a decent photo. We failed at that too.

We then descended into the metro via Europe's longest escalator and headed home. Matt is in the process of applying for some jobs back home so we take advantage of the early sunset and chilly conditions to get some work done in the evenings.

The next day we set off for another day in Prague. We started off with a visit to the Dancing House, a bizarrely shaped building. It's supposed to look like two figures dancing, but it looks more like the building has warped in too much sunlight.

That afternoon, after a lovely lunch at a very rare food court, we headed off to the cinema to see Spielberg's 'The Adventures of Tintin- The Secret of the Unicorn'. You kiddies in Australia will have to wait till late December to see it :) It may be an animation but it's a great watch. Thankfully it was in English but the Czech ads at the beginning and subtitles throughout provided great entertainment. How they can have that many consonants without vowels is beyond me.

It was almost dark when the movie finished. We took the Funicular up Petrin Hill and caught a tiny lift up the 64 metre observation tower at the top. The tower greatly resembles the Eiffel Tower, having been commissioned by The Club of Czech Tourists after they visited the World Expo in Paris in 1889. It, like its inspiration, provided great views of the city and, although chilly, we watched the thriving city sprawl out below us.

Krakow

On Thursday, after spending the previous night once again at the Centre for Prayer and Dialogue in Auschwitz due to an emotionally draining day, we set off on the bumpy road to Krakow. While only 50kms away, we were quickly learning that it takes much longer to travel on Polish roads than anything we have yet encountered. After successfully navigating into the city (not a POZOR! sign in sight) we arrived at our destination - Camping Smok. The lady at reception spoke enough English to say "88 złoty a night, pay on leave, leave passport here. Here map. Bus and tram to city". It's probably all the English she knew. We were one of only two motorhomes in the vast complex. Apparently POZOR! put off other tourists.

We decided against heading into the city that afternoon. This time it was my time to feel unwell, perhaps mostly due to the experience of getting into Poland and the emotions of the previous day at Auschwitz. I definitely needed some down time.

The following day we caught a bus and tram into the city. In order to buy our transport tickets for the day from the machine at the bus stop we needed 24 złoty in cash (around 7 Aussie bucks). Unfortunately the machine wouldn't take our 50 złoty note (about 15 Australian dollars) as it would only take take 10s and 20s. We crossed the street to a vendor and tried to buy a drink to get some smaller change. She wouldn't let us use the 50 note either. Determined not to be defeated we went to an ATM and withdrew 40 złoty, leaving us with two 20 notes, just as they wanted. We crossed triumphantly back across the street and tried to buy the tickets. This time it wouldn't take our two 20 notes as it refused to give us 16 złoty change. We bought the tickets separately instead of together with a 20 note each and were finally on our way. While a mundane story, this is just one example of the little challenges we come across each day.

We then spent the next part of the day exploring the old city. Walking along the old streets, enjoying a lunch outside in the main square in the now rare sunshine (which only cost $AU27 for service, meals, drinks and a tip), watching a male soprano hit the most perfect notes and strolling around the grounds of the castle.

We then headed past Wawel castle across the Vistula River to the south side of the city, most known for the Jewish ghetto that was established there during WWI. It was one of the five major Jewish ghettos created by Nazi Germany and used as a staging point to divide able workers from those who would be sent to concentration camps. 15,000 Jews were crammed into an area previously inhabited by 3,000 people in a walled district consisting of 30 streets, 320 residential buildings, and 3,167 rooms. As a result, one apartment was allocated to every four Jewish families, and many less fortunate lived on the street. The ghetto was later liquidated with most residents meeting their tragic end at Auschwitz.

Some however were spared this ill fate thanks to the bravery of one man - Oskar Schindler. You may know his story from Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. Schindler, a savvy German business man, utilised cheap Jewish labour from the ghetto to staff his enamelware factory which was located outside the eastern walls of the ghetto. He became appalled at the treatment of the Jews and used his charm and confidence to save 1200 Jews from the gas chambers.

We visited the factory which was located down a suspicious alley littered with old mattresses and bottles and lacking any formal sidewalk. We thought we might have been lost considering we were headed towards a well attended Schindler museum and the Krakow Centre of Contemporary Art, but this was indeed the correct path. On the wall of the museum was the following quote:

"The medal for the Righteous Among the Nations awarded to Schindler by the Yad Vashem in 1963 features a line from the Talmud: "He who saves one life, saves the world entire." And how many worlds did Oskar Schindler save? If it weren't for him, there would not be me, and there would not be my family either, nor our decendents - my daughter and my grandchildren, my brother Rysio's two sons, my cousin Olek's children... The children and grandchildren of the others saved by Schindler... How many worlds did Oskar Schindler really save then, when he saved 1200 people? They are countless..." - Bronislawa (Niusia) Horowitz-Karakulska

The next day we decided to move on to Prague but first drove to Kościuszko Mound just above our campsite, the place from which Australia's Mt Kościuszko gets it's name due to the similarities in appearance. Funnily enough, the mound is not even a real mountain (another similarity to Australia's poor attempt at a summit), having been erected by Cracovians in 1823 in commemoration of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko.

Between 1850 – 1854 the Austrian authorities built a brick citadel around the Mound and began using it as a strategic lookout and it became an important part of Krakow's elaborate system of forts. As compensation for an earlier historical church that had been demolished, a neo-Gothic chapel was also built next to the mound. Today the old fort buildings house four radio stations, a wax museum and an exhibition on Kościuszko. Yes, it made for one very strange sight seeing experience.