K and C Trip Around The World

October - November 2018

A 29-day adventure by Kelly Read more

44footprints
9countries
29days
176photos
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55.6kkilometers
51.2kkilometers

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Traveler K and C Trip Around The World
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- Oct 3, 2018
- ☀️ -2 °C
- Altitude: 1,058 m
- Canada Alberta Calgary Prince Island 51.049699, -114.06956651°2’59” N 114°4’10” W
Initial post
October 3, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ -2 °C
This is my first post. For those that are going to follow us, welcome aboard. We leave in 1 week and it seems that we have lots to get done both at work and the home front before we leave.
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Traveler K and C Trip Around The World
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- Oct 11, 2018, 1:12pm
- ⛅ 0 °C
- Altitude: 1,235 m
- Canada Alberta Ranchlands Edgemont 51.1264, -114.14189951°7’35” N 114°8’31” W
Day 1
First post
October 11, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C
Well the suitcases are packed the Uber has been ordered. Packing for this trip has been a challenge. Here are 2 pictures , one we will miss , one will not miss so much.
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Traveler K and C Trip Around The World
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- Oct 12, 2018, 11:10am
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 113 m
- Germany Hesse Frankfurt Frankfurt Main Flughafen Frankfurt Airport 50.048546, 8.56780450°2’55” N 8°34’4” E
Day 2
Frankfurt
October 12, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Landed. Thru customs and security. Frankfurt airport is extremely busy today. 1 hour 10 minutes to our next flight, correction flight delayed so at least 1 hour 30 more minutes.
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- Oct 12, 2018
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 216 m
- Poland Lesser Poland Voivodeship Kraków Stare Miasto 50.056316, 19.93997250°3’23” N 19°56’24” E
Day 2
Krakow Day 1
October 12, 2018 in Poland ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
At the Frankfurt airport we had to walk a long way for our next flight. Probably the longest I have ever walked at any airport. We had plenty of time as we had over 2 hours between flights. As it turned out, we even had more time as our plane was 45 minutes late leaving.
Once we arrived and got our luggage we took an Uber to our hotel. Taxis rate was 79z( $28) the Uber was 28z ($9)
After unpacking and a quick rest, we set out on foot to the main Square. The Square reminded us of the Square in Prague except this one is much bigger. There are many restaurants around the Square with out door seating . Celeste picked a spot and the food was fabulous however the service was extremely slow.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel and crashed just after 8 pm. I was too tired to type up our summary so that is why I posted today for yesterday.Read more
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- Oct 13, 2018, 9:35pm
- 🌙 11 °C
- Altitude: 200 m
- Poland Silesian Voivodeship Pławy Auschwitz concentration camp 50.036964, 19.17560850°2’13” N 19°10’32” E
Day 3
Auschwitz - Birkenau
October 13, 2018 in Poland ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
This has been a place I’ve wanted to visit for quite some time and it didn’t disappoint. We were picked up by 8:00 for a 1 hour 20 minute drive to Auschwitz. On the bus a movie was shown about the liberation of Auschwitz - Birkenau by the Russians in 1945.
Quite moving. The bus was silent for 5 minutes after it finished.
We had a young guide, Michael, who took us through the camp. Auschwitz covers an area of about 6 football fields. The buildings were there before the war and used as a Polish Military Camp. The ones open now are turned into a museum. Many rare photographs showing the life of Jewish people before the camps, arrival and selection process. They thought they were being resettled and so packed their best things as they left on the trains. Especially moving are the displays of piles of suitcases( each with a name on them), pots and pans, eyeglasses, and thousands of shoes. Also the children’s shoes as well as a display case featuring some clothes where I noticed a hand sewn patch on a sweater and darned sock - a Mother had carefully repaired her child’s clothes. Also moving was the display of women’s hair.

And then the walk through the gas chamber where so many people lost their lives.

After Auschwitz we took a ten minute drive to Birkenau, a much larger camp that the Nazis built. This is huge - 140 football fields or a section of land. Polish people living here were told by the Gestapo to leave in one hour. The Nazis wanted the land. Our guide, Michael’s grandmother was one of these people. Rows upon rows of barracks with horrendous living conditions and four crematoriums. The famous railway track that we have seen in pictures and movies is here.

The job of preserving Auschwitz - Birkenau was started in 1947 by survivors. Over 1 million people visit each year. It is so important that we remember this place as the saddest place of human cruelty in the world and keep passing the memory of the Holocaust down to future generations.
As is stated at a sign at the beginning of the tour -
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” - George SantayanaRead more
Traveler Wow
10/13/18Reply
Traveler Ditto... wow. Thanks for posting this.
10/14/18Reply
Traveler Lovely write-up.
10/20/18Reply
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Traveler K and C Trip Around The World
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- Oct 13, 2018
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 264 m
- Poland Lesser Poland Voivodeship Wieliczka 49.98731, 20.0651149°59’14” N 20°3’54” E
Day 3
Wielczka Salt Mine Tour
October 13, 2018 in Poland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
After spending 4 hours at the 2 concentration and death camps. We boarded our mini bus for a 1 hour 25 minute ride to the Unesco World Heritage site . This mine has been around since 1200 AD.
We descended 840 steps to start our tour.
We walked over 2 km and we only saw 1% of the mine. We got down to level 3 which is 135 meters deep.
Throughout the mine are all these areas where the miners have done carvings. They were amazing. At one spot there is a huge cavern where they had a big underground chapel.
The mine is still active but not as much as their main source of revenue is tourism as they get over 1. 2 million visitors a year.
It was very interesting to see and learn about the mine as see the wonderful carvings.Read more
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- Oct 14, 2018, 10:22pm
- 🌙 12 °C
- Altitude: 165 m
- Poland Łódź Voivodeship Gmina Dalików Brudnów 51.906715, 19.09421551°54’24” N 19°5’39” E
Day 4
Day in Krakow
October 14, 2018 in Poland ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
Today we had a full day in Kraków. We went to the 9 am mass at St. Mary's Bascilica. Poland is a very strong Catholic Country with a deep reverence for Pope John Paul II. The mass was 100% in Polish but we could understand a couple of things from our Ukrainian Background and going to Ukrainian Liturgy, from the sign of the cross,to Alleluia, and to first few words of Our Father . The old priest gave a passionate sermon, however , we did not understand It but his actions were amazing. The church was beautiful and it was a joy to start our day that way .
Immediately afterwards we had booked for a " Free Walking Tour of Old Town Kraków." The tour is operated by a company called Kraków Explorers and they have a suggested price you pay at the end whatever your budget can afford. Our tour guide Eugene was excellent . He is from Ukraine and left when the war broke out 4.5 years ago. We toured all around and learned so much about the old town. The Kraków 1/2 Marathon was on so walking around proved to be a challenge. I kept looking for Brett to see if he was in the lead pack.
We were so impressed with the tour, after a perogie lunch which the restaurant was next to our hotel, I changed my shoes and we headed back for the afternoon tour of the Jewish Quarter with Eugene. He was great. We saw and learned so much about the Jewish people in Kraków and we saw a couple of film sites from Schindler's List.
The evening we went to a Chopin Piano recital near the main square. The pianist was younger than Tyler and he played 9 pieces. The Chopin Ballade and the Mazurkas were my favourites.

After over 26,000 steps today we were back at our hotel.Read more
Traveler Those pierogies look so good!
10/20/18Reply
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- Oct 15, 2018, 10:52pm
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 180 m
- Austria Vienna Inner city Vindobona Stadtpark 48.204727, 16.37753148°12’17” N 16°22’39” E
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Day 5
Vienna, Schonbrunn Palace, MNP Opening
October 15, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Today was an early rise because we had a 715 am flight from Kraków to Vienna. Upon our arrival at our hotel, we unpacked and headed out to Schonbrunn Palace.
The palace was beautiful. We did the audio tour of all the rooms. It was amazing to see how the Hapsburg dynasty lived in their summer palace. The rooms were so well decorated and the masterpieces of artwork with a high attention to detail impressed both of us.
Afterwards we strolled through the gardens eating my new favourite chips.

Tonight was the MNP Opening Reception. MNP has come along way since 1997 ( our first trip) when there were 40 couples in Rome. Tonight we had 1500 people in 3 different ballrooms. Each room had different live entertainment and foods to try as part of tonight's theme " Taste of Austria.Read more
Traveler Hahah amazing!!
10/15/18Reply
Traveler 😂😂😂
10/20/18Reply
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- Oct 16, 2018, 1:58pm
- ⛅ 18 °C
- Altitude: 195 m
- Slovakia Bratislava Bratislava Castle 48.142912, 17.10190348°8’34” N 17°6’7” E
Day 6
Bratislava Day
October 16, 2018 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Today, as part of the MNP meetings we were supposed to go to Bratislava, Slovakia by catamaran. The Danube is so low the river is closed to boats. We ended up taking a bus to Bratislava. We did a bus tour and then a walking tour. The city is very hilly with a very interesting history.
Tonight we had dinner groups, and had dinner with 3 couples from Swift Current, London and Brandon.Read more
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- Oct 17, 2018
- ⛅ 15 °C
- Altitude: 182 m
- Austria Vienna Inner city Vindobona Stadtpark 48.204742, 16.37764548°12’17” N 16°22’40” E
Day 7
MNP Meetings and Wine Tavern
October 17, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
This mornings meeting was at the beautiful Hofburg Palace. The ballroom, the meeting was in had amazing paintings on the walls and the ceiling. It was a little cramped however, the partners I talked to said it was worth it.
Afterwards we had a late lunch with our good friends Gerald and Myrna Braaten from Swift Current. Celeste booked Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant. We then proceeded to check out a famous dessert place Cafe Sacher. The line up stretched outside for a bit. It was well worth the wait .
Tonight’s fun activity was we all went to various Wine Taverns. The one we went to dates back the mid 1600s. We had wonderful Austrian buffet dinner while musicians played.Read more
Traveler It looks like the both of you are having a wonderful time. Too bad you can’t bring a whole Sacher torte home 🙂
10/19/18Reply
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