Off to the Canyons. This is Zuzka's favourite place in Slovakia. If the cave and the Thermal Park weren't her favourite, we knew it meant that this was going to be a definite treat! We were right. After a quick visit to a church with an animated wooden-carved multi-scene "Bethlehem", we arrived at our starting point. It was a 2 hour hike through gorges and up to dizzying heights. We have walks like this in our mountains, but we rarely get to go rig...

We awoke to beautiful sunny skies. During our card game the night before, Marian, Lubos' father, phoned around and secured a car so that we could sightsee a little more easily. Zuzka convinced us that a trip to the caves (Demanovska Jaskyna Slobody - The Demanovska Cave of Freedom) and to the Besenova Thermal Water Park to warm up afterwards would be very worthwhile. We agreed, so with Zuzka as our lively tour guide, the five of us set off. She pointed out castle...

We had a tricky travel day ahead of us, so we fuelled up with another excellent breakfast. We then left the hostel around 9:30 am and headed to the train station. We left Krakow Glowny at 11:08 and had to transfer at Czedhowice Dziedzice, then Bielsko Biala Glowna, then Cesky Tesin, then Zilina, in order to arrive in Varin, Slovakia! Eek! The reason we are making this particular trip is to meet and visit with Lubos' parents and sister, Zuzka. We are excited to se...

When travelling, there are certain museums and sights one has to see. Auschwitz - Birkenau is one of these. We actually debated whether our kids should see this historical horror, hesitating because, right now, our children are very optimistic about life. They believe in God and in the goodness of people. War, hatred, even most racism is far removed from their everyday lives, and we didn't want them to be disturbed by the graphic truths this visit would revea...

A breakfast of ham, cheese, freshly prepared corn and tuna salad, various fruits and breads, and coffee and tea greeted us in the morning. The Mondo definitely knows how to treat weary travellers. As we began to walk to the bus stop to catch the minibus to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, the bus pulled up right beside us and we were the first four people on board. The kids chose the last back four seats, of course, and we enjoyed a great ride through winding street...