Awoke bright and early on the train in Krakow, Poland and embarked upon a new city and country by 7 a.m. Took care of a little business and caught a taxi to our hotel near the Old Jewish quarter Kazimierz. After dropping off our luggage, we quickly caught a mini-bus to a salt mine right outside of Krakow.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine dates back to the mid 16th century and reach a depth of 1,000 feet. Sam had to hold Jennifer’s hand as we spiraled down the narrow staircase to begin the tour and view an eerie world of pits and chambers all within the earth’s abyss. At each turn there were elaborate chandeliers, religious motifs, and various statues, all carved from solid salt. Teah was all ooohs and aahs, keeping the fellow members of our tour quite entertained.
We were impressed by the huge cavernous chambers that felt like we were sitting inside the Staple Center, even though we were hundreds of feet below the earth. It was amazing to think about how the miners created these spaces when the mine was constructed. Ever since the 1700’s the mine has been a popular tourist attraction for many of the Poles and citizens of Europe. This interest in the mine facilitated the continual carving and development of the details and artwork integrated throughout the mine. At the end of the tour, we got the best experience of all….we squished together in a tin can-like elevator that made us feel even more claustrophobic as we were boosted back to ground level.
Happy to return to life above ground, we jumped on a mini-bus back to our hotel and checked in. Sam and Teah took a little cat nap while Jennifer ran along the Vistula River path just a few blocks from where we are staying. Sam was ecstatic upon Jennifer’s return as Teah was having another nervous breakdown… we think that teething is having a little impact on her disposition. After Jennifer calmed the storm we all got cleaned up and headed out to grab a bite to eat and get a glimpse of the town. While out and about we snapped some shots of some of the striking architecture and look forward to exploring the city further in a couple days. 
Tomorrow we are off to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial…. we have been told to come with tissues in hand because we will be leaving with a heavy heart.
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