Dzień dobry.

Well Poland, you've done it again (dispelled our weather-related stereotypes that is; no terrifying milk bar experiences this time around, thank god). I didn't go quite as far as Harry - to declare the need for gloves and scarves in the middle of July - but I did go armed with three woolly jumpers and a small hot water bottle. I mean, it's November and it's Krakow; temperatures are going to be Siberian, right? Hmm. Wrong again. Let it just be said that our trip to Auschwitz was warm and sunny to an inappropriate degree and I walked round Birkenau without my coat.

It was weird but wonderful to get away with just my mum and dad for a couple of days (in fact, had I not dreamt that my brother was all alone and posting forlorn, 'where are my family when I need them?' statuses on facebook, it would have been perfect). On Saturday we wandered around the Old Town (original UNESCO listing, don't you know), up and down Wawel Hill, in and out of the cathedral and across the river to Oskar Schindler's factory (now an amazing museum). On Sunday we went on a coach trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where we were escorted by an incredibly passionate and highly interesting tour-guide. The day was harrowing and surreal and insightful all at the same time - certainly an experience that defies words on a blog post. On Monday we went on a day trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine (another original UNESCO listing, don't you know), which - it goes without saying - differed greatly from the previous day's excursion. It was however, just as riveting and twice as fun; who knew there was so much to learn and to love about salt? Highlights included Da Vinci's Last Supper in sodium chloride, a large salty chapel and a fantastic tour-guide named Sebastian. After that we flagged a little; there was a nasty case of the cheese dumplings and a postcard hunt and before we knew it we were hemmed into our Ryanair seats and jetting back to cold, dark and windy London, where three times woolly jumpers and a small hot water bottle were undoubtedly called for.