Krakow - Auschwitz
Hi guys
Thanks for all your comments, miss you all very much, feel very far from home! And we are being careful, very careful...
Been an eventful couple of days since last post - on Sunday we walked around Krakow for MILES (and had the muscle aches to prove it). The Old Town is beautiful, everything surrounds the main square, so you can't get lost, all roads lead there. We met a character when we first entered the square - a man in his 70s, with a beard and cap and very dirty nails, carrying his life in his bags. He came up to us hesitantly and whispered "English?", we nodded and he started patting us on the arms, repeating "English, english..". I took a photo of him and his chin started to wobble (not as a result of my photo I hope..) and his eyes filled with tears. He kept repeating "English, english.." with other Polish mumblings, all the while looking as if he was about to burst into tears. Then he hugged each of us, very emotionally, and wandered off! Very friendly people, these Poles!
The rest of the day was spent walking the streets (and spending 1.5 hours trying to decide on where to have lunch..) and looking at the attractions, including a real fire-breathing dragon (MumSue, if you're reading, it was a REAL dragon). We were very tired and read books in the evening.
Yesterday was a difficult one. We mustered up the courage to go to Oswiecim, or Auschwitz. The camp is in the form of a museum, which feels quite touristy, with a hot dog stand and tourist shops. But once inside, it feels like another world. You have the choice whether to walk with a group, or go individually, and we just bought a guide book and made our own way round. There are many blocks, which housed the prisoners, some of which have exhibitions. We were most moved by a particular exhibition which displayed the belongings which were plundered from the men, women and children as they arrived into the camp. There was a room full of men and women's shoes, piled to the ceiling, thousands of them. Next door was a smaller room with just children's shoes, and it brought home the atrocities which we aren't really exposed to in our easy Western way of life. There was a shiny red girl's shoe, sitting on it's own on the pile, and it brought images of the owner, perhaps excited when she received the shiny new red shoes, as a present. It's so hard to see.
I think most people expect the gas chamber to bring the most emotion, but seeing these belongings and photographs of prisoners with the date they were brought in, and consequent fate (fate unknown was the worst..) really hits home. The gas chamber itself was small, dark and claustrophobic, but in essence, felt like just a room. In a way, we felt separated from what had actually happened there, almost desensitised, so it was surreal to imagine the acts that were carried out only 60 years ago on that very spot.
It was harrowing, but there was another part of Auschwitz that we didn't get time to visit, called Birkenau, 3km along the road. This is where 4 new gas chambers were built, at the end of the train line, and people were led straight from the train into the chambers, being told that they were having a 'disinfectant bath'. It's impossible to comprehend the evil. We will be visiting Birkenau on Wednesday, our last full day in Krakow.
Phew..
But on a lighter note, the weather's good! It's been very hot since Sunday, with a bit of a chilly wind, but we're still tanning! Plans for today are.. to visit Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter of Krakow. Also to find Oscar Schindler's factory and the subsequent set for Schindler's list, and to have some true Polish dumplings.
Hope all at home is good, and the weather is nice. Will post more tomorrow... xxx
Thanks for all your comments, miss you all very much, feel very far from home! And we are being careful, very careful...
Been an eventful couple of days since last post - on Sunday we walked around Krakow for MILES (and had the muscle aches to prove it). The Old Town is beautiful, everything surrounds the main square, so you can't get lost, all roads lead there. We met a character when we first entered the square - a man in his 70s, with a beard and cap and very dirty nails, carrying his life in his bags. He came up to us hesitantly and whispered "English?", we nodded and he started patting us on the arms, repeating "English, english..". I took a photo of him and his chin started to wobble (not as a result of my photo I hope..) and his eyes filled with tears. He kept repeating "English, english.." with other Polish mumblings, all the while looking as if he was about to burst into tears. Then he hugged each of us, very emotionally, and wandered off! Very friendly people, these Poles!
The rest of the day was spent walking the streets (and spending 1.5 hours trying to decide on where to have lunch..) and looking at the attractions, including a real fire-breathing dragon (MumSue, if you're reading, it was a REAL dragon). We were very tired and read books in the evening.
Yesterday was a difficult one. We mustered up the courage to go to Oswiecim, or Auschwitz. The camp is in the form of a museum, which feels quite touristy, with a hot dog stand and tourist shops. But once inside, it feels like another world. You have the choice whether to walk with a group, or go individually, and we just bought a guide book and made our own way round. There are many blocks, which housed the prisoners, some of which have exhibitions. We were most moved by a particular exhibition which displayed the belongings which were plundered from the men, women and children as they arrived into the camp. There was a room full of men and women's shoes, piled to the ceiling, thousands of them. Next door was a smaller room with just children's shoes, and it brought home the atrocities which we aren't really exposed to in our easy Western way of life. There was a shiny red girl's shoe, sitting on it's own on the pile, and it brought images of the owner, perhaps excited when she received the shiny new red shoes, as a present. It's so hard to see.
I think most people expect the gas chamber to bring the most emotion, but seeing these belongings and photographs of prisoners with the date they were brought in, and consequent fate (fate unknown was the worst..) really hits home. The gas chamber itself was small, dark and claustrophobic, but in essence, felt like just a room. In a way, we felt separated from what had actually happened there, almost desensitised, so it was surreal to imagine the acts that were carried out only 60 years ago on that very spot.
It was harrowing, but there was another part of Auschwitz that we didn't get time to visit, called Birkenau, 3km along the road. This is where 4 new gas chambers were built, at the end of the train line, and people were led straight from the train into the chambers, being told that they were having a 'disinfectant bath'. It's impossible to comprehend the evil. We will be visiting Birkenau on Wednesday, our last full day in Krakow.
Phew..
But on a lighter note, the weather's good! It's been very hot since Sunday, with a bit of a chilly wind, but we're still tanning! Plans for today are.. to visit Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter of Krakow. Also to find Oscar Schindler's factory and the subsequent set for Schindler's list, and to have some true Polish dumplings.
Hope all at home is good, and the weather is nice. Will post more tomorrow... xxx
posted by the travellers at 8:26 am
2 Comments:
What an experience you've had! It's my belief that being able to identify in some small way with the fear and suffering of those poor people, becomes part of the soul and how you view the world. And as for the old man, well, I'm guessing he was a blessing.
Remember, Amalia, Grandma's story of when she borded the train to work (during the war) ? A Polish Allied soldier stood to offer his seat and said, 'Please Madame, to park your arse'.... Good man despite his English teacher!
Love you both... Proud of you...XX from Mxxxy.
wow. Sounds harrowing. But like mummy said , a good experience to have put yourselves through, can only make you more humble. Which isnt a bad thing!
Keep up the blog girls, im checking every day!
Love Lydia xxx
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