Krakow

Yesterday we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mines in the morning. The total depth of the mines is over 1000 feet. Mike and the others walked the full depth, while Carol and I got a ride in a miner's elevator to the first level and met the group. 

The chapels and statues that the miners carved out of the salt are simply incredible! St. Kinga's Chapel is the largest and contains a carving of the Last Supper, chandeliers made of semi-transparent salt, and much more. 

In the afternoon we took a walking tour of Kraków with a local guide, Ada. 

She took us everywhere, including the old Jewish quarter. Today there are 130 or so Jews living in Kraków. Before the Second World War they comprised twenty-five per cent of the population of the city, over 60,000 people. 

Kraków is very proud of its native son, Pope John Paul II. There are statues and references to him everywhere, including a photo of him in the window of the Archbishop's residence where he often spoke to the people. 

Today we head to Auschwitz.