Europe Trip 2018 @bm-europe-trip - Tumblr Blog

6/21: Salzburg, Austria. -Kira

On the final day of our amazing tour, we traveled to the Eagle’s Nest in Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. We began our day bright and early at 6:00am. Since we woke up so early, many of us slept on the bus. I remember waking up to the beautiful Alps and I knew that our day was going to be great.

Upon arrival, we learned that Hitler used Eagle’s Nest to make important decisions with world leaders such as Benito Mussolini and Winston Churchill. We toured the ruins of his old house. After a long hike, we boarded the bus and ascended into the mountains. We walked through the exact tunnel that Hitler used to enter the Eagle’s Nest.

After a quick (but crowded) 40 second elevator ride, we finally reached the platform that led to the top of the mountain. I was determined to keep my head forward so I could be surprised by the view, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. 😍

I don’t even like to stand at the top of the Inclined Plane in Johnstown, and here I was standing atop of a 6,000 foot peak in Germany. The view truly took my breath away. I was in complete awe as I gazed out into the gorgeous mountainside.

We traveled back down “to earth” and hopped back on our bus to Salzburg. I was excited because I didn’t really know much about the city, so I was ready to learn something new. We walked around the streets of the city and even saw the birthplace of Mozart.

Finally, we ended our last day at a delicious buffet in Munich with pork stew and pasta. Overall, the Eagle’s Nest was the most beautiful view I have ever seen. I was impressed by the simplicity of Salzburg. I hope to return to the Eagle’s Nest and explore more of Austria. Goodbye, Austria. See you soon. 🇦🇹⛰✈️

We have successfully made it through German TSA and are waiting for our plane to board (in like two hours)

#flying home #end of trip #end of tour #thank you Vanja

6/21 Eagle’s Nest and Salzburg

Me? Ahead of the game, at the end of the tour? Inconceivable! All jokes aside, today was actually an amazing ending to the tour of a lifetime.

This morning, we woke up at 5:30 to be ready to leave for the Nest by 7...we were not happy campers to say the least. However, the entire bus slept the nearly 3 hour drive we took so it kinda balanced out?

Once arriving at the Nest, we were early, so our guide took us to the ruins of Hitler’s home. The only thing left was a foundation wall from when the Allies bombed the mountain in 1945, and when the house was demolished in 1952 to prevent anyone nefarious from making it a pilgrimage site or anything.

(Side note: we HIKED through the woods to see these ruins, which was fine coming down, but was brutal coming back up. I can definitely tell my XC coach that I was working during my trip)

We then took a bus to the top of the mountain, then went through a tunnel and up an elevator to get to the main building. We packed forty people in a small elevator for forty seconds, but we all managed really well. Once through, our tour guide led us a little before allowing us to go off on our own. Everyone except Ms. Piatak and I hiked to the very top of the trail on the mountain (we got like halfway before going back down and getting Coke and a pretzel).

The view was breathtaking. An avid fan of The Sound of Music, I was living my Maria Von Trapp fantasy walking through the Alps. Even though we did not visit it, we could see the field where they filmed the opening to the movie.

Before we knew it, it was time to return to the bottom of the mountain to head to Salzburg. Vanja, despite her schedule, let us stop and snag a snack before heading to Austria.

I need to repeat myself-I absolutely love the Sound of Music, so visiting Salzburg was one of the coolest moments of my life. While our tour was mostly centered around Mozart, finding out that there was a tour of just the film sites has given me incentive to return one day.

After our short bit of free time, we were herded back onto the bus to head back to Munich for our final Europe meal :(. Because my trip is not over just yet, I’m probably going to post my final thoughts tomorrow when we’re in the airport. For now, auf wiedersehen!

#eagle’s nest #travel #europe trip #traveling #traveler #salzburg #sound of music

6/20 Munich

Yesterday, (6/20) we visited the Dachau concentration camp in the morning. Another somber visit, we learned about the differences between a work and extermination camp, as well as the life of prisoners at this camp. The oldest camp, this camp housed mostly political prisoners because a majority of the Jews that passed through the gates were shipped to other camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau.

We then went to lunch at the BMW Welt near Olympiapark (the site of the 1972 Olympics). In addition to seeing some awesome cars and motorcycles, we got to eat some really good food.

Afterwards we returned to the city and went on a bus tour of Munich. We got to see a lot of cool things that surfers on the river that runs through the city, but the coolest by far was the Nymphenburg Palace. The summer home of the former monarchs, you can bet that we had a photoshoot in the spacious garden and in front of the literal palace!!

We then went to dinner in the city which was delicious. We had a dumpling meal as our entree and then homemade apple streusel with ice cream. Delicious!

We then returned to the hotel to prep for today’s activities.

#dachau #travel #europe trip #traveling #munich #nympenburg palace #garden #germany

6/20 Catching Up! (aka Kraków and Prague)

Hi readers! Sorry there’s been nothing in a while, the bus rides have been mostly us catching up on some sleep haha!

6/15 Last Friday we traveled to Kraków..because we had time after our arrival we visited the Jewish Ghetto and Quarter (only city we visited where this was seperated). Kraków is beautiful, and the Nazis did not want to destroy the Quarter by packing it with people. As a result, the Ghetto was moved across the town and the Quarter was altogether abandoned and left to decay until the 90’s, when Spielberg arrived to film Schindler’s List. Due to the popularity of the drama, the area has had a surge of gentrification, but one is still able to feel the effects of oppression within the streets.

In Kraków, we also visited the exterior of Oskar Schindler’s Factory. Even though at this point in time I had not seen the film, (Vanja played it on the tour bus during the following travel day) it was astounding to see the faces in the windows of the main building, and knowing that those were not all saved.

The following day (6/16) we visited Auschwitz-Birkenau. I am not comfortable talking about my experience at this concentration camp, but I now thoroughly believe that every person should see it at least once during their lifetime.

(Also Vanja gave the group a tour of the castle and then gave us free time so we bought some souvenirs, rode in a carriage ride, and made sure we got gelato as we left Kraków to return to our hotel.)

6/17 This day we traveled from Kraków to Prague..the drive was not bad and we slept a majority of the way there. Once we arrived in Prague, the group headed to dinner and then back to the hotel

6/18 Today was two separate tours of Prague-one through the castle and one through the Jewish synagogues. The castle tour was okay-the only interesting segment to me was St. Vitus Cathedral. It was the largest one I had ever seen, and the interior was beautifully decorated. After we went on a tour of the castle, we broke for lunch.

I wouldn’t normally talk about our lunch but this is just too awesome not to share. Our amazing chaperones, Mrs. Reaman and Ms. Piatak, have taken tours similar to ours, all with a stop in Prague. There is a bakery in the city on a side street that makes meringue cookies the size of my head, and every group that’s been on the tour has gone! The lunch was delicious and the cookies were amazing.

Also, we really love our tour director Vanja. She speaks 8 languages and is bubbly and bright even in the mornings when we all just want to sleep. We’re lucky Vanja loves us too, because she pulled some strings and got the entire tour free chimney cakes, a traditional dough covered in cinnamon and sugar then baked into a tubular shape.

We then went on the tour of the synagogues which was okay at best. Our guide was quite rude, so we did not get to enjoy some parts of the exhibitions. However, one haunting thing I remember is the children’s drawings of being forced out of cities.

After we had free time (we bought gelato and went to a chocolate store) and then dinner before heading back to the hotel to pack and get ready.

6/19 Yesterday we traveled from Prague to Munich, with a stop in Nuremberg to visit the Documentation Center. At this point our tour shrunk from six groups to three (and gave us more leg room on the bus), which made travel a little bit easier.

After about two hours of driving we stopped at the Documentation Center in Nuremberg. This exhibit tackles the phenomenon of Hitler and the NDSAP, and how all of Germany became enchanted. The building in which it is housed is a planned Congress hall that was never finished. Instead of completing the building, the museum curators chose to building ramps and platforms around the building; this made the entire building creepy, as if there were ghosts haunting the hallways.

We then headed to Munich before heading to dinner and then our hotel (PSA it is the best one by far.)

Both Kraków and Prague have proven to me how important it is that we not only remember the Holocaust but also take preventative measures so that it never happens again.

#krakow #prague #poland #czech republic #europe trip #travel #europe travelers #traveling

6/16: Auschwitz-Birkenau. -Kira

On Saturday, we took a somber visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. There are no words to describe such a place. It is very difficult to talk about, as I was highly emotional throughout the duration of the visit. Although this place represents the most harrowing part of history, I believe that everyone should visit Auschwitz at least once in their lifetime in order to commemorate the victims and understand the depths of human cruelty. Now, we must do our best to continue the legacy of remembrance and spread the message. Never again.

6/15-16: Kraków, Poland. -Kira

On days 5 and 6 of our journey, we visited the narrow and charming streets of Kraków. We began our visit by touring the Jewish Quarter. Our guide told us that there is an estimated 130 Jews left in Kraków. It is difficult to even imagine that an area so populated and alive with Jewish culture was ruined due to the actions of the Nazis.

Next, we saw Oskar Schindler’s factory. He was the man that saved approximately 1,200 Jews by allowing them to work in his factory. Mr. Schindler was able to be a light during one of the darkest times in history.

On day 6, we strolled around Wawel Castle. The architecture was astoundingly beautiful. We also attended church at St. Francis, took a horse-drawn carriage ride around the square, and ended the day with delicious gelato in waffle cones.

Overall, I loved Kraków. The food was amazing and the sites were beautiful. Goodbye, Poland. I’ll miss you. 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱

A thing that happened on the way to Krakow: we stopped at a Polish McDonald’s. It was quite a mistake. Kira and Allie attempted to get sauce for their nugs and got blank stares. Ordering was kinda hard because we didn’t speak Polish and they didn’t speak English #languagebarriers We got our food, with time to spare...until we find out everyone else’s food at the other restaurant didn’t come yet. RIP. Bye for now!- Mattie

#Polish McDonald’s #language barriers

6/14/18 Warsaw, Poland. -Kira

On Wednesday, we spent an entire day wandering the picturesque streets of Warsaw, Poland. The beauty of the city was pleasantly surprising. We visited a park that exuded peacefulness. The flowers were gorgeous and but the bees were not. 🤧🐝

Next, we took a somber tour of the infamous Warsaw Ghetto. Our guide told us that many people committed suicide and it was heartbreaking to hear. I definitely did not expect for the visit to be so moving.

Next, we got to visit Miła 18, which was a hiding place for Jews in Warsaw. The people there were eventually found by the Nazis and killed. There was a memorial there to remember the victims and it was covered with stones. I once went to a Jewish grave unveiling, and part of the ceremony involved placing a stone on the grave to remember the deceased. I found it chilling to see so many stones laying at the foot of the memorial.

On a lighter note, we strolled the charming streets of Warsaw Old Town. We were surrounded by colorful buildings and walking along cobblestone streets. I felt as though I was in a completely different world.

While in the Old Town, I had the best pierogi ever. It was DELICIOUS🥟

Finally, we visited the POLIN Musuem of the History of the Polish Jews. I didn’t have the chance to take pictures because I was busy listening to an audio device to enhance my learning, but here is a picture from inside the museum.

Overall, Warsaw was amazing. I’m so excited to what the other cities have to offer, but Warsaw will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you Warsaw, I hope to see you soon. 😉🇵🇱

6/14 Warsaw

Yesterday, we went on a walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto and visited the Polin Museum of the History of the Jews.

Visiting what was left of the ghetto was harrowing. We visited a portion of the Ghetto Wall that was not removed or destroyed with the rest of Warsaw, a memorial for the people taken, a grave for the fighters from Miła 18, and the Memorial for the Fighters of the Ghetto Uprising. Words cannot describe these visits; reading about it and seeing it is two different things. We’re in a group of about fifty people, and it was silent as we traveled throughout what was left.

Visiting the Polin was information overload honestly. We only had 3 hours there, but we could’ve spent an entire day. It covered Polish Jewish history from the beginning of settlement to present day-and every single topic had insane amounts of detail. I got through the entire exhibit, but the Holocaust/Ghetto parts were particularly hard. The stories of survival are incredible, during and after the war.

!! Not everything was sad! Before we visited the ghetto, we visted the Royal Garden where there is a statue of Chopin surrounded by fields of flowers. The sight was breathtaking and is known as the Heart of Warsaw.

Also we got authentic pierogis from a pierogi restaurant and it was the best thing I’ve eaten in my entire life. It sounds like I’m exaggerating but I’m not. I could only eat seven but they were amazing.

Warsaw is beautiful and eclectic. The architecture is both old and new, and the city is not afraid to bear the scars of the past in order to look to the future. If I’m ever given the chance, I would love to come back and explore more. Warszawa, I love you. Onto Krakow!

#warsaw poland #warsaw #poland #traveling #polin #jewish ghetto #holocaust trip

Pictures from 6/12/18 - Kira V.

Just some pictures from the Jewish Museum in Berlin and a few other Holocaust memorial sites. 📸 - Kira V.

6/12 (1/?) Berlin

We’re on the train to Warsaw now which gives me an opportunity to fill you guys in on our journey yesterday.

We walked almost thirteen miles yesterday, covering the city from the East to parts of the West.

Berlin was so culturally amazing. It was basically a hipster’s paradise: everyone bikes everywhere, and the amount of organic food and healthy stores was amazing. A city being rebuilt, much of the architecture was brand new. However, the city itself was so full of history.

We first took a bus tour of the city, and visited spots like the Berlin Wall Gallery. The longest stretch of the Wall still intact, artists are given the opportunity to showcase their artwork. We really loved this, and got tons of pictures for the Instagram. (Some of my favorites I can’t post....)

We also visited Checkpoint Charlie, the most prominent military checkpoint between East and West Berlin. While the checkpoint does no longer exist, a re-enactment is in the street (next to a McDonald’s that makes you pay 1€ to go to the bathroom).