Day Seven: Thoughts from the road

Well, we are in Poland now.  We had a really long day in the bus and it gave me time to think.  Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100% and so I didn't get any quality bus sleep to recharge myself.  I am hoping for a nice quiet sleep tonight to fix whatever ailment might be coming my way.  I am also shocked to realize that our trip is now more than half over. It all happens so quickly.  I remember sitting with Ms. Alongi sometime last year discussing what trip we might want to plan.  I remember setting up the meeting with the School Committee and having the trip approved...and now, it is almost complete.  Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.  It is times like this that Ferris Bueller's words really resonate.

So, we woke in Prague and made sure all of our stuff was properly packed.  We grabbed breakfast and loaded the bus.  Before we knew it, the City of 100 Towers was far in our rear view and nothing but the lonely road was in front of us.  We drove for a long time and finally pulled over at a rest stop that had gas, a convenience store, and a McDonalds.  The McDonalds was pretty similar to our, but they had a couple of unique menu items.  They also had a wireless device that allowed you to order remotely and then just pay for your food when it was ready.  I've been free from fast food since the end of January, but I cannot lie...I had a burger and some fries.

On the road again, we finished watching Schindler's List and began watching some of the extra footage on the DVD.  I was in and out of consciousness, but I had the impression that the thirty kids on the bus were pretty focused on the footage.  It contained some of the actual survivors from the movie speaking about their experiences.  The film was well done and gave us a little more insight for our trip to Auschwitz tomorrow.

We pulled off of the highway and our driver closely scrutinized his gps device.  Before we could make our way to the actual lunch spot, we noticed a Police officer waving to us.  We got pulled over.  Don't Worry...our driver had done nothing wrong.  It was a routine inspection.  It is strange though, because it was the second time we had been pulled over on this trip, both times routine.

Austrian Police inspecting our bus a few days ago.

Passing muster, we continued on to our lunch spot.  It was a neat hotel built into the side of a mountain.  It had a castle motif and the chaperons had special seating.

Knights of Supervision

We had several menu options at this restaurant and all looked good.  The first was Chicken and Pasta.  The second was Chicken Schnitzel with fries.  My selection was called two meats with rice.  The final option was a vegetarian option.  In case you were wondering the two meat surprise was beef and chicken.  It was kind of like stir fry.  It was yummy.  Shortly after lunch, we found ourselves in the fourth country of this trip; Poland.  We were still a while from reaching Krakow, but there were subtle differences between the Czech Republic and Poland.  First, the road condition deteriorated a bit.  There were a few more unfinished, or abandoned buildings, along the roadside.  In these areas of Poland, one can still feel the essence of what life might have been like when the nation was controlled by Communists.  Prague, and the Czech, has seen enormous growth since the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc, but Poland is still fighting to find itself.

When we finally hit the borders of Krakow, we found ourselves in a smaller but vibrant city.  Our restaurant was just outside of the City Centre.  We tried some traditional Polish foods including Beet Soup and Perogues.  We will have some free time in Krakow tomorrow and we are all looking forward to a little shopping and exploring this beautiful city.  It has been a decade since I've been there and I did see some growth.  There are a few more restaurants and shops and a bit more of a western influence.  I do not know if this will trickle out of the city and into the suburbs, but my thinking is that Poland might be putting the pieces together.  You will see some photos tomorrow...thoughts from the road posts are not all that exciting.

If things go the way I am thinking, then you will probably see two posts tomorrow night.  We are spending the first part of the day in Krakow, but will be visiting the Concentration Camp Auschwitz tomorrow afternoon.  I like to try to keep those types of entries separate.

Mr. Lavoie currently in Krakow hoping for a good nights sleep so that I can feel a little better tomorrow. (Cheap attempt for pity)