Krakow, Poland - Two years after the death of Pope John Paul II, pilgrims are flocking to retrace his life from the comfort of a special train which takes them right to his Polish birthplace.
"Welcome aboard the Totus tuus papal train from Krakow to Wadowice and back," sang out guard Wojciech Zbroinski, whose uniform of white shirt and yellow tie matched the Vatican colours of the carriage.
The train, named after a Latin prayer to the Virgin Mary which was the pontiff's motto, has become a must on the growing "JPII" pilgrim and tourist circuit in Poland which also includes city walks and even kayak trips.
Born in Wadowice on May 18, 1920, Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II in 1978.
He died on April 2, 2005, after a 26-year papacy which saw him turn into an opposition icon in deeply Catholic Poland, which was under communist rule until 1989 and which still bestows cult-like status on its native son.
The Totus tuus is no express: it takes 80 minutes to wind through some 40 kilometres (25 miles) of hilly countryside southwest of Krakow.
"We go through some of the most important places in the life of our pope," said Zbroinski.
The train came into service in June 2006, and was blessed by John Paul's successor Benedict XVI when he visited Poland last year.
Since its launch it has carried 80,000 passengers, who pay around 18 zlotys (five euros, six dollars) return.
Inside the brand new, 152-seat single carriage, a dozen flat screens show footage of the globetrotting pontiff's eight pilgrimages to Poland, or of places and people that marked his life, as well as playing his favourite hymns.
"This is an amazing idea. We're with John Paul II from the start of the trip, so we feel even closer to him straight away," said 35-year-old Halina Gorska, who was travelling with her parents and said she had turned out for all the pontiff's trips home from 1979 to 2002.
"When you're on a train like this, you immediately feel you're part of a community," she added.
The on board atmosphere is both festive and religious, said Zbroinski.
"People are happy, smiling. Some weep with emotion when they watch the footage, while others sing hymns, sometimes strumming a guitar," he said.
First stop is the Sanctuary of Our Lord's Mercy, in Lagiewniki on the outskirts of Krakow, which was consecrated by John Paul II in 2002.
Lagiewniki was the home of Faustyna Kowalska, an early 20th century Polish nun who was made a saint in 2000.
Forty minutes later comes Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a
UNESCO-listed 17th century monastery complex in the Carpathian foothills where the young Wojtyla often went to pray with his father.
Less than half an hour down the track, the train draws into Wadowice, a town of 40,000 people which has become the hub of the pilgrim circuit.
Wojtyla was born in a small apartment in a house at 7 Koscielna Street, overlooking Wadowice's basilica.
The house was turned into a museum in 1984 and now attracts some 5,000 visitors a day.
Its walls are hung with photographs depicting John Paul's life.
Also on display are the vestments Wojtyla wore as he climbed the church ladder from priest to archbishop of Krakow and cardinal.
The museum also includes skis and other equipment that he used during his athletic youth.
Pilgrims who want to emulate John Paul's sporting past can head to northern Poland's lake region to paddle in his wake on a kayak route along the River Drawa, or cycle through Silesia in the southwest.
For those who prefer a more sedate pace, Krakow's local authorities have created a signposted walking tour which retraces his life there from 1939 until he was elected pope.