Returning from a whole day of remembrance in Auschwitz , we purposely went straight to a church in order to say a prayer for the millions who were brutally murdered. That church was the majestic St. Mary's Basilica , located right on the Main Market Square of Krakow . * Originally built in the 13th Century, the Basilica's more formal name is the Church of Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven .

Now Auschwitz would normally not appear in any honeymoon itinerary, and with good reason. There is absolutely nothing positive to be felt in going to a place were over a million innocent men, women, and children were systematically murdered. And yet, we were honored to have visited this site and to have heard the shocking tale of evil and depravity that occurred here. We are all witness to this atrocity, and we shall never forget. * Arbeit Macht Frei - which translates to "work makes you free." Right on the entrance of the camp stands this bold-faced lie, offering hope to all newcomers that they were just to be used as slave labor, far from what really transpired here.

Following our morning in the Underground Salt Cathedral of Wieliczka , we decided to go the other direction in the afternoon by going uphill to learn more about the Kings and Queens of the Polish people. Wawel Hill , situated on the banks of the fabled Vistula River , is a castle complex built in the 8th Century serving as the political center of the Polish people for over a millennium. The complex includes the Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral , which contains the mausoleum of the Polish Monarchs. * The astounding view of the Wawel Cathedral grounds! The castle complex has often been described by observers as one of the most fascinating of all European castles .

One of the must-see excursions while in Poland, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is a one-of-a-kind and unique experience. Apart from being an actual, functional salt mine, there exists an underground Cathedral, made entirely of salt!   * A preview of things to come, a dramatic shot of the loooooooooooong way down.

Leaving wonderful Warsaw, with its immense World War II and Communist-era legacy, we headed down to the second Polish city in our itinerary, medieval Krakow. Arriving in Krakow, we had no expectations as to how we would find the place. Imagine our surprise as it turned out to be in the Top 3 of our favorite stops in this trip! * Flying via Polish LOT Airlines was a pleasure. Winning several awards including "Best Airline in Eastern Europe" for three straight years, and being hailed as one of the safest airlines in the world, our experience with LOT was very positive and highly recommended.

One of the reasons why I wanted to explore Central and Eastern Europe was to increase my knowledge of European History, particularly with the time period of the Dark Ages. This is the period when various kingdoms, duchies, and principalities popped up, in, and around the continent; all interconnected by power plays, fixed marriages and politics. Before this trip, I had zero knowledge about the Polish Kings and Queens and I was very astonished to learn about how interwoven this line was with the monarchies of Russia (Novgorod), Austria, Prussia and Sweden. * Definitely, the most lively and colorful area in Warsaw is its Castle Square . A popular meeting place for tourists and locals, the area is full of restaurants, cafes, public performers and souvenir stands. It is also very safe especially when compared to squares in other cities (Rome, Paris, Barcelona etc). Since Warsaw was totally destroyed by the Nazis, the Poles actually recreated everything you see here by using old

Well-rested after a long day of flying and the initial exploration of the city, the newlyweds woke up refreshed and proceeded to tour the highlights of Warsaw's imperial history of warfare where they learned about all the tragedies that befell the Polish people in the 20th Century. * Easily one of the most beautiful things seen this whole trip was the monument of Frederic Chopin at Lazienki Park . Every Sunday, a pianist performs free recitals of his compositions.

* After checking-in our room and freshening up for a bit, we excitedly agreed to right away explore our first stop in the Honeymoon tour. For history buffs, like yours truly, Warsaw is significant in that it was a major World War II site (setting of many a movie involving Nazi atrocities and the Warsaw Ghetto) and later a major Cold War site (where the USSR's Warsaw Pact was founded). However, what I found was a city rapidly commercializing and growing thanks to its embrace of capitalism and a people sincerely enjoying their relatively newly-found freedom; very much polite, helpful and much friendlier than all other European countries that I had previously been in. * Stepping outside our hotel we immediately see Poland's tallest building, the imposing Palace of Culture and Science . A gift from the USSR to the people of Poland, the building is in the traditional "Stalinist" communist-style architecture, which means it is HUGE and completely dominates the