After four full-on days of travel it was a relief to reach Krakow in Poland where we stayed for three nights (especially since I nearly missed the train transfer!). I wasn't sure what to expect from Poland, but really liked the atmosphere of Krakow, found it really easy to get around, and met some friendly people. It was also exciting to see some snow since we don't get much at home!
Auschwitz Concentration Camp is located nearby and this was one of the main reasons we included Krakow in our trip. It was very bleak and cold when we visited Auschwitz which was how it made me feel. Even when hearing stories about the atrocities and seeing where it all took place, I knew I could never understand how terrible it would have been. I was glad that we visited though, it felt like an acknowledgement of what had happened.
We spent the rest of the time in Krakow exploring the streets of the old town, with frequent breaks in cafes to shelter from the snow.
Berlin
It was another long train ride to reach Berlin but it was well worth it to visit such an interesting place. For an introduction to the city we went on a walking tour which took in a lot of the sights including the Brandenburg Gate, the location of the Nazi book burning, Museum Island, an amazing chocolate shop, and of course the remains of the Berlin Wall (which incidentally was a lot smaller than I was expecting!).
I left feeling like there was just so much more to see. Two days barely even scratched the surface of the city, and I would love to go back and spend at least a couple of weeks in Berlin.
Copenhagen
By the time we arrived in Copenhagen I was ready to move on to a warmer climate! We only had one day to explore the city, and because of the time of year a lot of the attractions were closed. This fact coupled with an arctic wind and dwindling funds meant that sight seeing wasn't that appealing, and we ended up going to the airport quite early.
When we arrived we were met with the news that all of the early flights to London had been cancelled due to the snow storm which had brought the city to a standstill. Owen and I were preparing to spend a long night in the airport, but we were among the lucky few travellers booked on a later flight that made it to London with a delay of only a couple of hours!