DAY 3 - Auschwitz and Lodz

We couldn't believe that everything went ok and we were on time with everything.

In Auschwitz we took a guide and travelled around the camp with a group of tourists from different countries.

It was the first visit for me, although I always wanted to go there. It was really shocking, especially when I red many books with reminiscences and stories of people who survived this hell...

The death camp consists of two parts - Auschwitz and Birkenau, which is 3 km far from Auschwitz. We spent there only few minutes, otherwise we wouldn't make it on a train to Lodz.

Not much to say - it's all about to see, how people could harm other people in very brutal way. Unbelievable :(

"Arbeit macht frei" - the work sets free. The death camp is full of cynical sentences...

barbed wires were everywhere
even double...
Those who managed somehow to overcome this barrier was shot down immediately by SSmen.

Crematorium (up). Corpses of dead people were burnt and often used as a fertilizer on the fields...
CAUTION - High Tension

STOP !

In Birkenau the internal railway was built, where massively Jewish and polish people were arriving. They were either killed immediately or taken to the sheds, as a labour.

The plan of Birkenau - from dozens of buildings, only chimneys remained, the rest was burned by germnans, just before the Red Army was to arrive.

The shed inside, originally built to store aabout 50 german horses, was a room for 400 people.
"history provides opportunity to learn, however this is the lesson that never need be taught"

The beds
cynical: "Tidiness is healthy", just one of many sentences written on the wood.

Neverending rows of sheds...
The entrance to Birkenau ^
the territory of birkenau ^

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The train turned out to have an hour delay, and the weather was becoming worse and worse. In the end, we got to Lodz, sitting in the corridor in the train because of the lack of free seats. We had fun though.

Mariona brought a lot of spanish specialities from home, the best gift I could get :) mniam mniam :)

In the evening, really late (about 00:30) we went to a pub, being quite tired.

DAY 2 - Kraków

The journey to Krakow started wuite early and for us - too early, as we didn't get much sleep. The problems occured on the station in Warsaw, but we overcame it and luckily got a right train.

Unfortunately, it turned out, that students from abroad can't use their IDs to have discounts in Poland, so Mariona had to pay for the normal ticket. The whole procedure was twisted, but in the end everything was ok.

sleeping all way...
The corridor in the coach

It took us longer while to find our hostel, but Mariona decided to follow the couple, which seemed to head to the same place (some sixth sense??? :) ), and also with passersby's help we found the right way.

Our hostel was very nice, not too expensive and actually as we found the shortcut - it was near the city centre.

Krakow was beautiful as always. Although the weather was very dutch, we enjoyed.

Mariona buying Precel - typical roll from Krakow. The seller got a call during the transaction, his response was: "How can You call me right now, when I'm having guests from abroad???" :DPlanty, the green area next to the old town (up)
Old walls with Florian Gate (up)
Florian Gate

Floriańska Street

Market Square with Mariacki Church

One of the streets going out from the square

Sukiennice - Merchant's Chamber

The droshky

Yellow telephone box - not as smelly as the british one we went to one day :) Mariona was surprised that there are so many prohibitions everywhere - this was on the door in the Post Office. Of course, people don't obey the rules from the stickers.

Wawel - in the background

The tombs of the polish kings

Wawel
Renaissance domes in Wawel
Wawel Dragon (from the legend)

After we walked around the old town, we ate a typical polish dinner (in the restaurant called U Babci Maliny, what means: "At granny Raspberry's")

pork steak with potatoes and cabbage

In the evening we went to the Main Market Square, hearing lots of foreigners around, what made us feel european climate :)

We couldn't stay up too late, as on the next day in the morning we had to wake up early to go to Auschwitz.

Catalan Noia in Poland - DAY 1 Warsaw

Hdschhh !

So here she is !
Mariona catched the occasion and came to Poland. I guess it was good after so many weeks of hard studying for exam.

On Wednesday we didn't have much time to spend in capital, so we just went to the city thanks to Martin, who offered his hospitality.

We wandered around the old town a bit.

The President's Palace
The Church in the old town

The Mermaid
The grave of the Yong Soldires who dided in the upraising of Warsaw.

Afterwards we went to a few pubs, in one of them, where all the food and snacks were for 8 zl and all the drinks for 4 zl, we ate and drunk polish specialities :)

Tatar (the fresh meet with onion, salt and pepper) and gelly with meet (I suppose it was boiled pork meet), what we call "Cold legs" (Usually the meet is taken from the pig's legs).
Mariona and the menu in the background.