We visited Norway and Iceland in 2008, so we focused on the other Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, and Finland), as well as Poland on this trip. We didn’t have any particular agenda, nor was there any special place or event we wanted to visit. However, with these four countries, I would finally reach my lifelong goal of visiting 100 countries. I conducted research, created the itinerary, and made all the online bookings myself. Scandinavian, in general, are expensive to visit. The average quote from most tour groups ranges from $400 to $500 per day. However, English is widely spoken in these countries, and the public transportation is extensive and easy to use. So by traveling on our own gave us not only the flexibility to follow our own interests, but also save about 40% of the costs.
We tried out various forms of transportation during this trip. We started from Warsaw and took a train to Krakow. From Krakow, we flew to Copenhagen. From Copenhagen, we took a high-speed train to Stockholm. From Stockholm, we took an overnight ferry to Helsinki. All tickets were pre-ordered in advance online. In each country, we used local public transportation, including trams, buses, and trains. In Poland, seniors over 75 years old rode all transit free of charge. We just got on and got off without any questions ever being asked. From country to country, I downloaded the local transit app, which was linked to my credit card. In Copenhagen I used ‘rejsekort’ in Stockholm ‘SL’, and in Helsinki ‘HSL’. I had the most trouble with the Helsinki app (HSL) since the app sent validation code to my phone which I never received. Finally a bus driver told us just tap our credit card on the meter, no app needed. That surely made travel in Helsinki a lot easier. Learning how to use the public transportation in Scandinavia countries was a must if you travel on your own, not with a tour group or cruise ship. Google Maps, as well as Google Translate, were two very useful apps on this trip.
Warsaw, Poland, was the first stop, and what we know about this country is mainly related to its tragic history over the past 90 years. During WWII, 6 million Polish people perished, including 3 million Jews (merely 10% survived). After the war, the Communists took over, and Stalin, with an iron fist, further depressed the lives of the Polish people. In 1989, under the “Solidarity” movement led by Lech Wałęsa, Poland finally became a democratic country and a member of NATO. Warsaw today is a bustling capital city with tree-lined avenues. We took a walking tour in old town and one with Mona for Polish foods. Most family dinners include soup and bread. Stews with pork, beef, and cabbage were a staple dish. Pierogi, with fillings of onion, potatoes, sauerkraut, cheese, and meat, are distinct from Chinese dumplings but are popular among Polish people. We visited the famous POLAN museum to learn more about the history of jews in this country. After World War II, most Jewish people moved to Israel or the USA. Only about 5% of the Jewish population remained.
Kraków is only a 2-hour train ride from Warsaw, yet it feels like a world away. We stayed at the Nomadic Premium Studio right inside the Old Town – five minutes walk from the market square which was the political center of Poland for over a thousand years. Weather was gorgeous and the square packed full of tourists. We walked around all the famous landmarks and took in the ambiance. We then walked toward the river and Jewish quarters and enjoyed a traditional Jewish meal with music playing in the background. Krakow is definitely a town that you want to take your time and enjoy it.
We took a day tour to Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is about a 30-minute drive from Krakow. We rode with a small group that included a family from Saudi Arabia and another from Ireland. They both flew in for a short vacation, as Saudi Arabia is only 5 hours away and Ireland is 2 hours away from Poland. We, from the USA, came from the farthest. When we travel, it is always interesting to meet people from different parts of the world. People started collecting salt from this region in the Neolithic period, but the mine was seriously excavated from the 14th century until it closed in 1996。 We descended to 140 ft below ground level, although the mine extended over 1000 ft in depth. We walked over 2 miles along the labyrinthine passageways, saw displays of historic salt-mining technology, an underground lake, four chapels, and numerous statues carved by miners out of the rock salt. We came home very tired.
When Schindler’s List was released in 1993, I was deeply moved by this movie. Schindler’s enamel factory is located near Krakow, so we paid a visit there. Most of the exhibitions were about the Jewish Ghetto in Krakow during the war. Even after 80 years, that period of history was difficult to look at. It’s hard to imagine one group of people can cause such horrendous suffering to another group of human beings. Let’s hope we will not repeat history again.
