It was like going on a road trip ... but it was more impactful for that (163Cong.Rec.H2078)

TJ and I decided to spend our Christmas vacation National Lampoon-style with a multi-day road trip around Europe (Cue "Holiday Road" theme song). Somehow, we managed to be the opposite of the Griswolds, who plan everything but then everything goes wrong. We planned last-minute, with a week to spare, but lucked into successful logistics despite potential problems with car maintenance, winter weather, pet importation, and border crossings. During our 10-day sojourn we hit only one snag, involving a toll-road vignette that most people wouldn't have even bothered to obtain.

And even that minor blip was only slightly more unbearable as the marathon driving we did the first day, from Kyiv to Krakow, which involved about 10 hours in the car. So we were very happy to arrive at Lwowska 1 Aparthotel, so we could unload and proceed to stretch our legs. We cruised through Ghetto Heroes Square, right across from our hotel (top), before crossing Father Bernatek Bridge (bottom left). The spotlights on the span's "Between the Water and the Sky" sculptures momentarily turned Sage into a disco dog (bottom right).

 

Once on the other side of the Vistula River, we headed to T.E.A. Time Brewpub, the only cask-ale bar I've ever been in outside of the United Kingdom -- although you couldn't tell from the decor (top left). To go with the pub's pint-and-peanuts combo, the generous proprietors brought us a set of samples from the tanks downstairs (top right). Peanuts were not quite enough to satiate us, so we headed to U Vicenta, where TJ and I shared a platter of pierogies with various meat fillings for dinner (bottom left). I was so full the following morning that I couldn't take full advantage of the hotel breakfast, which was quite a spread, considering it was Christmas Eve morning (bottom right). 

During the morning dog walk, we swung by Schindler's Factory Museum, where the famous list creator built a haven for his Jewish workers to save them from deportation to nearby concentration camps (top). In the afternoon, we made the short drive to Auschwitz, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, where over 1 million people were killed after being transported there via grueling train journeys (middle left). They were greeted by the "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Works Makes Free) sign at the entrance, whose initial E was installed backwards by disgruntled prisoners (middle right). We saw the two places where most prisoners "left" the camp: the execution courtyard, where they were hung or shot (bottom left), and the crematorium, where they were gassed and burned (bottom right). 

 

It was definitely difficult to decompress after visiting such a distressing and depressing place, but we attempted to do so by visiting Kazimierz, the city's Jewish quarter. Considering the holiday, it was one of the few places in Krakow brimming with activity. We headed to the New Plaza, the market square where animals once were slaughtered according to Jewish rites (left). There are kosher options available at Gastro Zapiekanki, but TJ and I selected the Highlander zapiekanka, which inappropriately mixes meat and cheese (right).

Even though we suspected it would be shut down, we strolled through the city's Market Square, another UNESCO World Heritage site (top left). Indeed, all the inside stalls were shuttered (top right). But many restaurants near St. Mary's Basilica were surprisingly open for business, and plenty of tourists were sauntering through the rain-slicked pedestrian zone (bottom left). We preferred the less well-lit, so we headed back down to Kazimierz, passing Wawel Castle along the way (bottom right).

We found our first homey hideout, including a chill-distinguishing fireplace, at Singer Bar (top left), where many of the tables are the actual eponymous sewing machines (top right). Next, we sampled the extensive craft-beer selections at Domowka Cafe, which literally translates to House Party Cafe (bottom left). We rounded out the night with a final stop at Krolicze Oczy, whose locals welcomed our presence in their living-room-like front chamber (bottom right).