Started our journey from Warsaw to Krakow at 8:15 am. We stopped at Czestochowa to view the 'Black Madonna' painting at the Jasna Gora Pauline monastery (a place of pilgrimage). Crazy crowded here as we arrived in the middle of mass. Next stop was Auschwitz concentration camp, specifically Auschwitz I (the original camp, ex-army barracks) - a very sobering experience. We went through the barracks, learnt about the selection process, roll call, the gas chambers, ...

A sleep-in this morning - didn't have to get on the bus until 10:15. We drove out to Wilanow palace, then along the Royal Route. Our first stop was Lazienki Park to view the Chopin monument, then past the Ronald Reagan, Charles de Gaulle and Copernicus statues. Many embassies along this route. Saw the church with statue of Pope John-Paul II, the Opera House, the Nike goddess, old City Hall and new City Hall, then stopped at the Jewish museum and viewed the Jewish...

Left Berlin and crossed the border into Poland. Our lunch stop was in Poznan (a former capital). We visited the old town square to watch the goats come out of the bell tower of the town hall, and butt heads 12 times, at 12 noon. We had some traditional food for lunch (Pierogi - meat dumplings - for Spider and I, and Zurek w Chelebie - soup in bread case - for Cathy) along with Lech's (the local beer). Drove into Warsaw and had dinner at our hotel (Radisson Blu So...

In Berlin early this morning, guided by Katinka. Sights were Museum Island, Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate, Angela Merkel, Alexanderplatz. We went up the TV Tower for 360 degree views of Berlin then after the boys headed home Cathy and I viewed the Berliner Dom, Marienkirsche, Rathaus, Amfelmann shop, Alexa shopping centre and through the Akexaose to Park Inn Hotel. Drinks and then dinner at hotel bar (Wayne and Graham had to put up with the snooty waitress a...

Left Frankfurt at 8am and on the autobahn to Berlin (550 km via Erfurt, LeipzigHalle, Dessau, Potsdam). A slight detour due to an accident so wasted nearly an hour. Went to Ziko's restaurant for a traditional meal including unlimited drinks so we all had a good night! (Tomato soup, pork knuckle and pancakes followed by scnapps). Kassie played some music on the bus to Reichstag and Brandenburg gate so Cathy and I were dancing in the aisles. We went to the bar bac...