Dubrovnik

I venture down to the port first in the morning, since it is near my place.  Lots of sailboats and a couple of cruise ships.  Everything was fairly quiet, not much going on.  I walked across town to the old city.  This is where they film some of Games of Thrones for you junkies. The old city is beautiful, just too many tourists.  It's easy enough to get away from them, if you venture off onto some of the side streets.  I visited many of the city landmarks. I went to one of the tourist trap spots in the old city called Arka.  They had a vegetarian platter that looked good, so I went.  It was fine, but not outstanding or anything.   There are tons of places, they all look very similar.  I wanted to walk the city walls, but it was just too crowded and you can only go one way.  I may try to do it tomorrow as well as the cable car ride.  The weather is supposed to be raining, so less tourists.  Walked back and did some grocery shopping.  It was a hot day and I got a little burned, so I took a siesta.  I woke up to climb the hill out back to snap some sunsets shots.  This was definitely the highlight of my day.  You can really admire the beauty of this place the higher up you get.

Zagreb to Dubrovnic

Packed up and left the hotel around 11.  I really enjoyed Rooms 4 rent.  I loved my little studio and it's location.  Since I had my bags I decided to kill some time by catching a couple of movies.  I went to the Cinstar Zagreb in the city center.   Great theater with lots of movies and great sound.  I ended up seeing the new Iron Man 3 and Jack the Giant Slayer.  Great way to stay out of the sun and kill some time.  I caught the 268 bus to the airport.  It drops you off about a kilometer or 2 away.  Takes about 20 minutes to walk there from the stop.  Caught my plane and arrived in Dubrovnik.  There is a bus that ferries in passengers after each flight.  It costs 35 Kuna.  It's about  20km ride to the center of town.  I walked the remainder to check in at my guest house.  Unbeknownst to me it was on the 8th floor.  I got in late, but the lady who runs the guest house was nice enough to stay up to let me in.  Great place, The couple who own it are super nice.  They really go out of their way to make you feel at home.  My room has a terrace with some great views of the peninsula and the harbor.  It is about 2 km from the old city, so you have to walk or take a bus.  MY bed and pillows are some of the best I have had on this trip so far.  I highly recommend Sinistaj Rooms at Augusta Cesarca 1.

Warsaw to Dublin

Finishing my packing.  Trying to figure out what stays in Warsaw and what goes with me to Dublin.  Ryanair has very strict bag restrictions, so I need to keep things to a minimum.

Warsaw

Left Krakow at 8am and got into warsaw around 11.  Packing and shopping today.  Not much sightseeing today.  I did manage to try a couple of new great restaurants.  At lunch I dined at the infamous Loving Hut chain.  A little different than the ones in the states, but great nonetheless.  Master Suma Ching Hai is everywhere.  Loving hut is just kitty corner to Vega, so if you want some good vegetarian, just head over to Jana Pawla street near city center.  Dinner was fantastic.  I went to Fenicja, a lovely middle eastern joint.  The vegie platter was excellent.  Great hummus and Baba Ganouj.  The falafel is some of the best I have ever had.

Last day/night in Krakow

Did lots today.  Started off with breakfast at a local place called Kuchnia u Doroty, just around the corner from Antek's.  After breakfast had a great walk through the city.  Made it to two museums.  First up was the Dwurnik exhibit at the National Museum.  Dwurnik is one of the more famous contemporary artists in Poland.  The exhibit contained a large number of pieces spanning the artists life.  Each period represented the  social/political climate of Poland for that particular time.  The artist reflected what was happening in Poland with the various people movements and subsequent government reactions.  After the exhibit, I had lunch at Vega, my favorite place.  I guess this is the Krakow version, the food was similar, but different.  Nonetheless, it was excellent as usual. I had some salads and the stuffed cabbage drenched in tomato sauce.  Next up, I finally made it to the Human Body exhibit.  I have seen them all over the world and for some reason could never make it to one.  Very interesting to see the human body in such a manner.  A real learning experience.  One the was back, I strolled down the river Vistula, very quiet and pleasant.  It was good to feel like I was out of the city.  I found a boat/bar on the way back called Augustian.  Great place with lovely views.  Great way to end the day.  Went out to dinner at Roti Roti for a last night celebration.  The dinner here was excellent.  It was a fairly new establishment, but an excellent take on Indian food.

Krakow

Great day walking around the city and taking in the sights.  Krakow is such a beautiful city.  I'm sure Warsaw was similar before the Nazis completely destroyed it.  I finally made it to Chimera for a meal.  It's your tropical counter service Polish place with some good salads.  The decor of the place is great, with all the potted plans.  I like Momo and Vega better, but this is a good option if you are near the old town square.  Best part of the day I ate 2 Zapiekanka.  This is basically a baguette pizza.  All the locals eat these.  They are cheap and fast and taste great.  Excellent at 3am, after a night of drinking.

Auschwitz/Birkenau II

Left early to head back out the Auschwitz.  There are 2 parts 2 Auschwitz.  Auschwitz I and II.  I missed II last time.  They are about 3 kms away from each other and I was too stupid to know this.  Out of all the days, it was the March of the Living parade.  The only day they close down Auschwitz.  Tons of Israelis march from Auschwitz I to II and then have a big gathering/concert at Auschwitz .  Fortunately, I made it ahead of them and kind of snuck in and took some photos.  It was great because I had the whole place to myself.  Auschwitz II was left intact just the way the Germans left it..  The entrance tunnel, where the train passes through, has been featured in many movies.  It is very recognizable landmark.  This place is massive.  It really is overwhelming.  The most prominent feature were the blown up crematoriums.  The Nazis tried to hide their atrocities and blew them up.  The are now just piles of rubble, but stand as a stark reminder of the great loss of life that occurred here.  After a full day headed back to the town center and dine at my favorite local place, Max's cafe.  Had a yummy salad and pizza.  After the meal caught the bus back to Krakow, just around the corner.  Super easy.  Had dinner at a local place in Kazmierz called Kuchnia u Doroty.  Excellent local Polish eatery.  Loved the food here and the prices were excellent.  I especially enjoyed the perogi, beet soup and tomato soup.