Lauren and her young adult daughter Anna traveled to Krakow, Poland in August.  They were both very impressed by Poland’s second-largest and most charming city.  Our visit included a privately guided Jewish tour of Krakow that introduced us to the Kazimierz neighborhood which is south of Krakow’s Old Town.  This is where the Jewish community has lived since the fifteenth century and where seven synagogues still stand (most are now used for other purposes such as a museum and bookstore).  There is also a Jewish Community Center that was opened in 2008 and funded by King Charles of England! We then walked across the Vistula river to where the Jews were rounded up in the ghetto by the Nazis.  This tour ended at the Schindler Factory, now a museum that showcases the wartime experiences of all the people living in Krakow during World War II and the story of how Schindler saved 1,100 Jews from perishing in the Holocaust.  Our spirited and passionate guide created an interesting and engaging tour.  We also went to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps with a private driver/guide. Located an hour west of the city…this was a difficult, but paramount experience.  We toured the grounds with an official small group tour.  For another local experience, we donned miners’ gear and went underground at the Wieliczka Salt Mine to learn how salt was excavated from the thirteenth century up until 2007.  With a labyrinth of passageways and a depth of up to 1,000 ft., the extensive mine includes an underground lake, several chapels, statues, and even a ballroom.  Our hotel stays in Krakow included a few nights in Wieliczka at the charming Turowka Hotel & Spa.  It has a lovely outdoor courtyard for dining and a full-service spa with an indoor pool. We particularly enjoyed the spa’s sauna and salt room. We also enjoyed our stay at the new Novotel Krakow Centrum with its modern vibe and tribute to Poland royalty.  It’s located a short walk from the Old Town and across from the railway station where we took the train to Prague.  This was Lauren’s third Prague visit and where her daughter resides.  Lauren thoroughly enjoyed exploring this beautiful city on foot on both sides of the river visiting its castles, Old Town, and parks.  Then Lauren flew to London for a few nights.  Her itinerary for her 7^th visit to London included the Tate Modern Museum, Borough Market, a long walk along the Southbank, seeing Six: The Musical, walks through Hyde Park, the fascinating Churchill War rooms and a visit to Kensington Palace.  The special exhibit at the palace was a bit odd in an attempt to compare fashion from the seventeenth century to fashion created for the Met Gala in New York.  Lauren stayed at a cute and zen-style boutique hotel in Paddington called Inhabit.  The townhouse-style hotel had an awesome vegan restaurant, a small gym, yoga space, library/working spaces, a meditation pod, and a well-appreciated water station with still or sparkling water!  And it was within a short walking distance of Paddington Station for ease in getting from and back to Heathrow Airport.  Overall, three weeks in Europe made for some great mother/daughter time and a few solo days to reflect on it all.