We have some exciting plans coming up soon. Leroy and I are going on a pilgrimage (a journey to a sacred place) to Poland, Prague and Germany. We’ve been working on this trip for over a year, and our departure date is approaching.
We originally planned a trip to Poland with a Catholic tour company. We signed up and paid the fees, only to be canceled a month later. I was disappointed. The itinerary for the trip was well-planned, and we were looking forward to the experience. We got all our money back and still had the time blocked, so I went online to look for another tour. I couldn’t find one, so we created our own. And I have to say, I think my itinerary is even better than the original.
If you know me at all, you know how fascinated I am with World War II history and Nazi Germany. It has been an (almost) obsession for most of my life. I inherited it from my mother. She, too, loved reading about that particular period. Since I was now in charge of our destinations, I added a few stops along the way.
We will visit religious sites associated with modern saints, St. John Paul II, St. Faustina and St. Maximillian Kolbe. We will also have a chance to see The Black Madonna in Czestochowa, Poland and various churches and cathedrals along the way.
The historical World War II sites we will visit are equally important to me. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to see (mainly) Poland and Germany. We will walk through the location of the ghettos in both Warsaw and Krakow. We will visit Oskar Shindler’s enamel factory and (the highlight for me) the concentration camp, Auschwitz.
We will not be traveling alone. My brother Curtis and his wife Linda will join us for the journey, beginning in Poland. Leroy’s sister Anne and her husband John will join us in Prague and travel through Germany.
I will be sharing our stories on a travel blog. I am hoping to be posting daily while we are away. I will be taking photographs and journaling along the way. I will share images and write about our adventure each day. You can check my website for updates if you’d like to follow along.