Getting out of Oswiecim was awful! It took us forever to get to Wroclaw and it was exhausting! On the way there, we were changing trains and got dinner at a Polish Fast-Food place. You take your plate and fill it with food and then weigh it, and surprisingly it was delicious! Who knew fast food could be so yummy! We should do this in America. Oh and it was incredibly cheap! By the time we made it to Wroclaw it was very late. We were staying at Voja's (remember Voja from Warsaw??) parents house. When we got there, her father was there to meet us and bring us in. He even had a spread of food for us, made some tea and we chatted late into the night. He has an incredible story, as his father survived WW2. After the war they moved to Norway and then eventually they moved back to Poland. His stories were incredible and I loved listening to them. He taught us about the current state of Judaism in Poland, we talked about politics in Poland and the US and we learned about their story. I could have listened all night, it was so great.
The next morning, Voja's parents had breakfast with us and it was delicious. They put out a spread. One of the things we had eaten the last night was chopped hard-boiled eggs mixed with cheese, herbs and spices. It was delicious. I also really enjoyed the mackerel. It was like whitefish salad without all the extra stuff. Yum! Also the cheeses to spread are just so good here. These meals of bread with lots of things to put on them is common all over Europe and is always very tasty.
They then took us to downtown Wroclaw. Their parents now work in the Jewish community of Wroclaw. There are very few Jews in Poland right now, and even fewer Jewish rabbis. The community is starting to grow, as a Hillel in Warsaw just opened. Things are still being recovered since the war and there is very little of a community left. However, now, they have the old synagogue and own a whole courtyard. In this courtyard is a coffee shop that is meant to be a meeting place for the community. The new synagogue is very large and is used for a lot of larger events. They also had an excellent display up that teaches about the Jewish community of the past. I loved reading the stories and learning about the people that lived here. It was very special to me. He then brought us to see the old synagogue that has been refurbished and is where they now prey. It was quaint and very much assembled as best as they could. It is incredible just to have these things though. Finally, we went to the basement that has an old mikveh there. I had just learned a lot about the mikveh in Israel, so it was very special to me to see a pre-war mikvah in Poland. It needed a lot of work to be refurbished, but that seems like it will start somewhat soon. I truly loved seeing that there.
Afterwards, Shane and I went on a walk around the town. I absolutely loved the town center. It has amazing architecture, great stands and a lovely vibe. I could have relaxed there all day! But instead of relaxing, we climbed. Yep, a very circular staircase up to the top of a clock tower to get a great view of the city. It was exhausting, but incredibly beautiful! We then enjoyed a nice walk around the river, through the university area and then finally through the old city. It was a great walk and fantastic day. We then joined Voja's dad for a nice lunch before getting on the train. Lunch was a delicious mushroom soup and a sizzling duck (that Shane and I shared). It was all delicious, and fun to have a little more upscale Polish food.