After a long train from Berlin, I arrived in Warsaw and was quickly shown the best of Polish hospitality. A local friend took me to a traditional milk bar for dinner, followed by an enthusiastic tour of the city’s vodka bars. When in Poland.
The WW2 walking tour in Warsaw was confronting - the cold only amplified the weight of what happened here. But the warmth of the locals I spent time with helped balance things out. Polish food grew on me fast - the pierogis, the soups, and the coffee at Goodbye Africa was some of the best I had in Europe.
I took the train to Krakow and spent a day at Auschwitz, which was as harrowing as you’d expect. There’s a haunting feeling when you enter the gas chamber that stays with you long after you leave. Afterwards, I joined some people from the hostel for dinner and tried to process the day over good food and conversation. It was a reminder that these experiences, while uncomfortable, are important.