Poland
Poland is tied for Margaret's #1 country, and Shand loves it too. This nation has it all—delicious food, centuries of history, unique culture, beautiful architecture and scenery, and warm and friendly people. It is also a relatively low-cost and easy country to travel in. Margaret loves that it is a bit off the beaten path as far as European tourist destinations go. Combined with the lower number of English speakers, it really feels like you are on an old fashioned journey to a far away, romantic destination (while still having all the luxuries and amenities of modern Europe).
Some of Margaret's favorite things (besides traveling with her good friend and very own Polish expert, Savannah) were:
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The beautiful houses and amber jewelry of Gdansk
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Old town, Wilanow Palace, and the Royal Baths Park (complete with Chopin Monument) in Warsaw
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Old town Krakow
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Skiing and visiting Morskie Oko (named one of the most beautiful lakes in the world) in the Tatra Mountains while staying in the quaint mountain village of Zakopane near the Slovakian border
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Eating lots and lots of pierogi, pÄ…czki, and drinking yummy mulled wine
Many Scandinavians also travel to Poland for the affordable and rejuvenating spa treatments.
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Shand greatly enjoyed traveling the country and performing in beautiful, historic churches while on tour with his Select Ensemble choir. A moment which still send chills down his spine occurred during the ensemble's visit to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but you couldn't help feel the weight of the sadness and tragedy engulfing the camp. The ensemble stopped outside the gas chambers to perform an unplanned elegy for all those who suffered there. As the choir began to sing, the wind began to swirl and out of nowhere a torrent of snowflakes surrounded the group. As their voices rose, others stopped to look on with wet eyes. Just as the melody reached its peak, the snow swirled around them madly, and faded back into blue sky as the song ended.
