Paying Our Respects in Auschwitz, Poland

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Will Gons

Oswiecim town square

Arriving in Oswiecim from Warsaw felt like stepping back to a simpler time. We walked from the train station to the center of town where we were greeted with kids playing in a large fountain, couples drinking beer on patios overlooking the square and families enjoying the nice evening with ice cream. Our surprisingly nice guesthouse, Pierrot, was perched right next to the town square, so naturally we joined in the festivities. We enjoyed the square as we ate dinner at Max Cafe known for its delicious pizza. Still unable to understand polish, we ended up ordering a pizza with corn as a topping.

Our real reason for being in Oswiecim was not to enjoy the town square, beautiful weather or summer nights but something much more somber; visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi concentration camps where more then 3 million Jews were killed by the Germans. Continue reading →

Tasting Local Food in Warsaw, Poland

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Will Gons

View of Castle Square and Old Town from lookout tower

After flying nonstop to every destination on our trip so far, having three flights from Kirkenes to Warsaw seemed to take an eternity! Eventually, we landed in Warsaw, picked up our bags, hopped on a bus, and made our way into the city. While on the Hurtigruten cruise, Sara setup an Airbnb account and found a nice place for us in Warsaw. To confirm the booking, Airbnb required a phone number (which we don’t have), but we used my dad’s phone to complete the account. Turns out, it wouldn’t work in the long run because they sent my dad several texts just for the single booking.

We arrived at the apartment and followed the directions to get in, but there was no key in the lockbox! We were stuck on the street with no way to get in and no phone to get ahold of our host. I tried ringing the bell hoping that someone would answer to no avail. Continue reading →

Cruising Northern Norwegian Fjords with Hurtigruten – Day 6

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Will Gons

Day 6: Oksfjord to Berlevag

MS Nordlys docked in Honningsvag

We had an early stop in Hammerfest. This city is near the north cape of Norway which is the most northerly part of Europe! The landscape was dramatically different than Bergen. There were almost no trees and it almost felt like we are on a different planet! In Hammerfest, the four of us visited a museum then Dad and I ran up a hill while Sara and Mom shopped. We had a nice little hike with beautiful views of the surrounding islands from the summit. The rest of the day we relaxed and watched the incredibly desolate landscape creep out of the low clouds before fading away behind us.

After beautiful weather all day, we entered a wall of overcast engulfing a mountain range

Day 7: Berlevag to Kirkenes

We arrived early in Kirkenes and disembarked to waiting busses. The four of us went directly to the airport and headed to Oslo where we departed ways. Sara and I continued our newlywed journey to Warsaw, Poland.

Approaching Kirkenes

Last selfie on MS Nordlys

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Cruising Northern Norwegian Fjords with Hurtigruten – Day 5

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Will Gons

Arriving to Tromso

Day 5: Stokmarknes to Oksfjord

After a relaxing morning, we docked at Tromso where Sara, Dad and I planned on hiking a nearby mountain. The mountain wasn’t close to the dock so we had find a ride across town. We first asked the lady in charge of an excursion to see if we could pay just for a ride but she was totally against at the mere idea. We walked a few blocks and eventually found a taxi to take us the 10 minute drive. The hike up began with a beautiful path lined with trees and an underbrush of wild flowers. As we hiked past the tree line, we approached small piles of snow – welcome to the arctic! At the top, we enjoyed views of Tromso before heading back down to catch the boat. That night, our cruise experienced the midnight sun. Being above the article circle in late summer, the sun officially did not set. Unfortunately, the overcast clouds and obscured horizon made it impossible to sunbathe at midnight.

Passing Gibostad

Passing Gibostad

Arctic Circle Celebration - ice water down the back followed by a shot

Tromso with Floya peak - our afternoon hike

Tromso hike

Lower viewpoint at cable car level

Tromso hike

Summit of Floya

View of Tromso from Floya summit

MS Nordlys docked in Tromso

Dinner: Creme Ninon with green peas, mussels and shrimp; Arctic Char with asparagus, Pommes Anna, Beurre Blanc with chive and chervil; Cloudberry and ginger ice cream

Midnight sun peaking through the clouds

Watching puffins in the midnight sun