Krakow, Poland
October 29, 2014
Took a night train to Krakow, Poland. Our bunk mates for the overnight trip were two young Japanese girls who had the middle bunks and two young men from Spain who had the top bunks. Not much chatter because everyone climbed in and went to sleep. The train arrived almost two hours late so we had time to talk and learn a little about their travels. Always interesting. Then we arrived at the new train station and were very surprised. Attached to the train station was a very modern Galleria Mall which would rival any in the US.
A young Polish girl at the information office helped us get signed up for our trip to Auschwitz which we scheduled for 2 pm. We then found our room (The Fresh Apartments) only a short walk from the station. Wow-it was decorated very modern and with a kitchen. We decompressed. Seemed huge after our tiny train accommodations. Showered and set out to get acquainted with the city. We were so close to the square we did not need a train to get to the square. While we were out we grabbed some snacks for our long ride to Auschwitz. Our driver was picking us up at 1:15.
There were 8 of us in the mini van. The ride took about one and one half hours. Once we arrived, we were required to stay with our tour group of about 25. We were given head phones, so we could hear our guide. The guide was ok, but he hardly took a breath for the next three hours.
All of the buildings were brick and still standing. Was very sad to hear the stories and see how the people lived. We had just visited Ann Franks home in Amsterdam the week before. She and her sister and her parents were finally discovered in 1943 or 44 and then were sent directly to Auschwitz. Her family did not survive long after arriving. She was just 15. Her father was the only one of her family members to survive. He later found her diary when he returned to Amsterdam and had it published.
The hardest part of Krakow was at the end of the trip. They show real pics of things that had been confiscated when they arrived at the camp... shoes, clothes, suitcases, hair, combs and brushes, things that belonged to the children, pictures of the Jews that entered the camp, and many other personal things. They left home with these items not knowing they would never need them because they would never return.
By the time we arrived in Birkenau it was almost dark...it is 30 times bigger than Auschwitz. Think our tour guide forgot to factor in the end of daylight savings time. We only had lights from our phones which made the scene more sad and even scarier. After about 45 minutes, we were back on our way to Krakow.
We got home and were very hungry, and needed a pick me up after all of the sadness we witnessed at both Auschwitz and Birkenau. The square or center Of every town is always where the action is. Krakow is no exception. All of the restaurants have outside dining and there are people eating outside even in the cold. They have heaters and blankets for the diners. Too cold for us. We opted for a Russian/Polish restaurant with inside dining. It was very warm and friendly. The table was set very elegantly with white tablecloths and gold trimmed china. It was also very reasonable. We had delicious soup, salad and then shared a plate of potato perogies. The wine and beer were also delicious. Then we went home and started watching Shindler's List until we fell asleep.
Next morning, it was a real treat for us to have a kitchen to make our tea and coffee while we were still in our PJ's. Lee also made him some breakfast. It is funny the things you miss about home.
After checking out, we took our backpacks to the station and put them in lockers, then headed on the subway to visit Schindlers factory ( Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List). The museum was away from the city center and was a little difficult to find, but was well worth it. Not too much about Oskar Schindler, the but exhibits combined artifacts, photos, documents, and multimedia. It was an amazing museum. As you were walking thru you could hear live audio with sounds of wartime artillery and bombs. Also voices giving commands as you viewed visually the way the Jews were treated. A very somber experience while creating a full-immersion experience.
On the way back we went thru the old Jewish Quarters of Krakow, went thru an outdoor market and walked thru a very old Jewish cemetery. Had lunch at a small Russian restaurant which had been in the same family for four generations. They really have a knack for making soup in this area of Europe. We had cream of broccoli soup and a potato pancake with sour cream. Yum.
Then we made our way back to the mall at the train station for a little shopping. Then caught the overnight train to Budapest at around 11pm. We had upgraded our sleeping berth to a four person instead of six. This allows you a place to sit up as well as sleep. We needed a good nights sleep after today! Good night.
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