Happy 4th!

So yet another year, where I'm not states side to celebrate, but this year has been a complete 180 from how I was able to celebrate in Paris last year. Since we are only in Krakow for one week, we don't exactly have time to take off a day, so unfortunately we had the most depressing visit of this whole study abroad today. We went to Auschwitz-Birkenau. It definitely was a downer to our day, to walk through the grounds where over one million people were killed. The only other concentration camp that I have visited is Dachau in Germany in 2006, but this one was by far much larger. 


Tonight, hopefully we will be able to lift our spirits a bit when we spend some time at Hard Rock Cafe right down the street from where we live. 


Monday and Tuesday of this week were spent with a tour guide - a walking tour. My feet HURT! It has been almost 30C here, and with no air conditioning + living on the 4th floor it has been almost torturous at times. 

California Club Sandwich & Polish Beer at Hard Rock Cafe

Two nights ago, I soaked a towel in cold water and laid it over me as I went to bed. I woke up a couple of times in the middle of the night just hugging the towel to cool myself down. I also cannot re-wear anything here without washing it first. So that of course means time to do some laundry à la français- in the sinks. I should at least be good until I go to Finland next week. 


I am pleasantly surprised with Krakow though. It is a very cute little city with lots of history. I love the dragon stories surrounding Polish history. It also couldn't be any more appropriate for me to be reading 'Game of Thrones' with the dragons in that as well. 


I also really like the market in the center of the town, although it is more geared for tourists, but hey, I am one. I bought myself a rabbit fur hat from there on Monday night. Pupu Jonna (pronounced 'Yonah') now has a pupu hat! They also have really cute scarves, hand carved wooden chess sets, and amber jewelry! I am really tempted to go buy some chess sets as souvenirs. They come in all sorts of colors, and they aren't that big.