We went to Poland. I am not sure really what I was expecting. I know we planned to go to Auschwitz, and I knew that wouldn't really be fun but that it would be historical, important and interesting. If you can say that. I wasn't expecting much of Krakow in particular.
We were pleasantly surprised by the sites and food in Poland. the Old Town in Krakow was really picturesque and active. There was a castle to visit with a myth about a fire-breathing dragon complete with deep, dark cavern to wander through. the handcrafts there are very nice, although like a lot of Europe you have to wade through the "touristy" stuff to find the gems. I added 2 bells to my new collection - one with a dragon (I just had to) and one that was handmade by a blacksmith (at least that's what he told me).
We ate great food. Homey, comfort food that was very inexpensive. We found a festival outside and decided that was a great place for dinner. We even found our new favorite treat - Tredelnik (see previous post of Czech Republic) although they called them "chimney cakes" here.
We went to the Schindler Museum and Auschwitz and Birkenau with the students. We had guided tours for both which was helpful. It was a somber experience. the tragedies are made real. It is a strange irony that this is a "tourist destination" and that people pay to see it and therefore Poland has to pay to maintain it. It is important and difficult.