Salzburg, itself is a great town set amonst rolling hills...it was the center for cultural events in Austria.....amongst other things , its the home of Wolfgang Amedious Motzart. I arrived on the last weekend of their Month and a half Music festival where concerts are played all over town..in large auditoriums and throughout the streets by aspirering young college musicians. I listened to 7 piece classical bands that echoed through the stone covered archways of the city. Im not an authority on Classical music but you cant help being inspired by such talanted people everyware playing from the heart and for a couple ducetts. Everywhere you wander in Salzburg there is music playing and with the backdrop of a tremendous castle overlooking the city , lush central gardens ( seen in one of my photos), and a slithering river cuting through you cant help but feel your somewhere special. I also had my first experience with a Bavarian Beer Garden....boy they serve them big, however it was only a small prelude to what was going to come in Munchen, Germany.

            If you want to go to a city that must have been dreamed up and animated by Walt Disney that would be Prague!! Its the most charming of all the cities Ive been to and the most unaffected by the commercial brutality of WWII. I didnt do a lot of touring in Prague. It was one of those down cities I enjoy where I get a little museumed and toured out and want a break...and Prague was the correct choice. Prague has so much beauty in its squares and streetlife that there´s no pressing need to go inside. I met also on my first day, two American lads Chris ( Current Marine )and Mike his brother who would turn out to be some of the best travel friends I had met on my trip. To say we had a few pints and laughs together is like saying John Candy had a few pizzas in his days. Most of my best times on this trip have been based on the settings and more importantly the  quality folks I´ve spent time hanging out with. A few weeks after Prague we would all hook up again for October-fest  with the addition of a crew of Aussies I made friends with way back when I was in Buenas Aires..... Beergardens and friends what a time that was ( See Photo ). Back to Prague every building is classicly built and painted in different and complimentrial colors. A river like most all of these European cities splits it in half.well designed and artisticly constucted bridges unite the city...the most famous of them being the Charles Bridge, which was filmed in a sceen from the first Mission Imposable movie. Its only for foot traffic and is lines with artest and musican. In the main town square there is a clock tower that is quite famous that on every hour a series of mechanical apostles present themselves out a 3 foot high doorway.....crowds gather at the site....I was kind of disapointed..thinking it would be such a site but they just kind of flashed there bodies and swirled away.....but after consideration....the Clock was constructed in the 1400 and is still preforming to this day...pretty remarkable with the technology they had then. Myth has it that the city was so taken by the beauty and uniquess of the design that the local authorities blinded the clock maker on completion so that he could reproduce anything similar in the world.....Hows that for a pat on the back for a job well done!!! 

   After Prague it was off to Krakow, Poland ( home to the most beautiful woman in the world....Eastern Europe...Yea Baby!!! ). Krakow like many of the European cities I describe is takes charming to new levels...I realy enjoyed the relaxed and easily approachable people that live here. I sound like a broken record because all of these cities are amazing and are slightly different with there own ethnic stamp on their cities but they all have commonalities...ie....Historic castle on the hill, picturesque river flowing through and charming town squares.What differenciates Krakow from the rest is the stunningly beautiful woman stolling around, I think I fell into the birthplace of models...and because everyone looks this way there are no aires put on just genuinly friendly folks....cant beat that!!!

               As was the case with S21 and the Killing fields of Cambodia there are certain "Tour Days" that must be done but the subject matter is quite unpleasent. This trip is about fun, selfdiscovery and education. Having read many books and seen many movies on the Holocauste, I thought it was essencial to visit and pay my respects to those inocent people that lost their live there. 50 miles west of Krakow lies the most devistating creation that man has invented....The Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp where the Nazis systematically murdered over a million European jews. There were many death camps but Auschwitz was the highest volume facility. The tour begins at Aucshwitz- Birkenau I .....where the  satistical and saterical Iron entrance gate reads "Work will Set you Free" . It was stangly unconfortable to walk where only 60 years ago others had walked to thier death. Because A-B I was small and less effiecent..they built A-B II which sole purpose was the "Final Solution" to the jewish problem....this is where they built the huge gas chambers and creamatoriums. As a group we stood at the stop where the trains would disembark the prisoners and based on health would be given the directional to housing quarters or be sent directly to the gas chamber...these chambers were slightly hidden behind trees as not to tip off any of the people. We then walked that same frightful walk to the chambers ( which are all but rubble now....the Nazis tried to destroy all evedence of there follies when it was evident that the Soviet army had overtaken the Germans) ....I cant imagine what would have been going through those poor peoples minds....(my mind was racing with fear just simulating the experience)or even on the opposite side how could anyone know what was going on and as a nation condoan such acts!! It seems every country ive visited has had its share of demons and ours with slavery was no shining moment, but if you can take anything away from a day like this one is that I pray that we have collectively learned never to repeat such hiddious crimes.

      The following day was a bit lighter...Thank God and I visited the FamousWieliczka Salt Mines! Wow what an amazing place! Its currently still an active mine but there is a great tourist industry built around it where they take you down to about 160 meters bellow and show you how the mining over the years has been carried out. Also many workers with talent and also sculpters have been hired to design beautiful  works of art useing the blocks of salt as their sculpting materieal. There is an incredable Chaple with alter, floor, and many wall engravings.....everything is made of salt....scenes like the last supper and the birth of Christ all maticulously carved in Salt.....amazing.

     From Krakow , I wondered up to Warsaw. I enjoyed Warsaw but it has a big city feel and not the friendliness of Krakow.  83% of the old town was destroyed durring WWII but the Polish folks recreated it useing photos and Ill say they did a fantastic job it is a beautiful city center area. I also visited all of the sites conected to the Warsaw Ghetto and the historical Jewish roots that relate to the second world war. As much of Europe took a beating during Hitlers rein, Poland was by far the most abused....People and Property. I truely enjoyed the people and history of Poland!! But next it was time to Wake up in Germany.....here I come Berlin.