February 1st-5th, 2014
1st- Today we got up early and drove to Wroclaw.
It took us a while to find parking in the city, but after much debate we
finally found one and parked the car. Then we walked into town to the Tourist
Information office to pick up a gnome map and some souvenirs. Then because it
was lunch time and because there was a cinnabon right down the road we decided
to have lunch and a little snack while planning our route to find the gnomes of
Wroclaw. We began our walk, finding some gnomes along the way and ended up at the
panoramic building. It was a little strange and not exactly what we expected
but we got inside and saw this 360 degree view of a panoramic painting that was
at least 10 feet tall. It was huge. It had survived during the war and was sewn
together (and you couldn’t see where it was sewn) and this building was created
specifically to house this large piece of art work. It was also 3D with actual
objects coming out of the painting making it hard to tell where that ended and
the painting began. It was really cool, it was of a famous battle in Poland
between the peasants and the Russians. Afterwards we walked to the Art Museum
as with our ticket we also got entrance there. It was very, very weird though
and we did not like the attic with the modern, freaky art in it. We didn’t stay
very long. Afterwards we went back to the parking garage to pick up our bags
and got a taxi to our hostel the Chopper Hostel with the theme of motorcycles.
It was cool!! Then we went out for more gnome hunting and dinner at Pub Guinness.
We had some really great sandwiches and of course Guinness. Then we went back
to the hotel for bed, sort of early but that is okay as it was a long day.
2nd- Today we got up early to head back to our
car to drive to Krakow. Freaky man along the way. We finally arrived and the
parking was weird yet again so we found a mall and parked there. We walked to
Wawel Castle and looked around the free parts. Although we were gutted we
couldn’t see the Dragons den, but we did get some lovely souvenirs and looked
around the grounds of the Castle. Then we ate lunch in the café before heading
out for more souvenirs. Unfortunately after walking down the huge hill did we
realize we left our souvenirs in the café so we had to run all the way back and
look all over before we finally found them.
Then we walked to St. Peter and Paul Church and then into the Market
Square to Cloth Hall which is an indoor market place. It was really cool. We
bought some gifts and a beautiful hand crafted chess set. Next we walked to St.
Mary’s Church to see the Tower and then to the Florien Gate. We decided to go
into the Museum which had mummies and statues. It was cool and free. Then we
walked to the car and saw the Barbican. We got our bags and went to our hostel.
Hostel Giraffe which was AWESOME!! Giraffe themed and pictures all over!! We
relaxed a bit then of course Heavens remembered she left stuff in the car!! So
we went back to the car to get it and then headed to Market Square to go the
Rynek Underground. It was so cool. It was an interactive museum underground
filled with original walls, holograms, pictures, models, videos, etc. My
favourite was the hologram on the ground that moved when you stepped on it! It
was really cool to walk around and see what it was like many years ago. After
the museum we went to Yummies for dinner, an American themed restaurant with
lovely food. It was so cheap as well. Then we walked home and showered and
relaxed before bed.
3rd- Today we got up early and caught the bus to Auschwitz.
*This next bit describes some of the things that happened or are at Auschwitz,
please be advised before reading* We began at the first camp which actually is
not that big compared to the second. This camp is where the museum part is. We
began at the gate where everyone entered with the inscription- Work makes you
free (the translated version). Although this was a complete lie as they were
never free. This was past the electric fence- both sections with a small gap
in-between. We saw all the buildings from the outside and the guard towers to
watch for people who escaped or were out of line. There used to be a band that
played so the people had to march in time, although by the end of the day they
were too tired or too busy carrying dead bodies to march. All the buildings in
this camp were made of brick and were originally made as a training camp for
soldiers. There were paintings made by people who survived, of their memories
of the camp. We first entered building 4 where we saw pictures of how people
came from so far away- other countries- on cattle trains with little bread and
water, if any, and lots died on the journey. Once they arrived they were taken
out and the selection process began. They were divided into two categories,
those who could work and those who couldn’t. The ones good enough to work went
into the camp and the ones who were not went straight to the gas chambers. All
of their belongings were taken from them either way and piled high. In the gas
chamber there were two rooms. One for undressing and then the gas chamber, and
afterwards the crematorium where there were people who were forced to work
there and they had to cut all the hair (to be used to make clothing and
blankets for the soldiers) and take out any gold teeth to be sold by the
soldiers. After the crematorium the ashes would be dumped into the river.
Auschwitz would burn 350 a day and Birkenau would burn 1500 a day. We saw the
gas pellets that were tested first on a group of people to see how much they
needed to use. The gas pellets killed people with suffocation. There were
pictures of the clothes showing that they were not weather proof and had to
wear different symbols on their clothes for why they were there- ex: Jewish
symbol, gay symbol, etc. For breakfast they were given black ‘coffee’ or black
water, for lunch some kind of soup, and for dinner a half loaf of bread which
added up to 350 calories a day- just enough to keep them alive. And of course
all of these had to be eaten outside no matter what the weather conditions. We
saw the building with Dr Death as he was called who would test twins to try and
figure out how every German woman could give birth to twins. He would keep
pregnant women to test them as well. He also sterilized women and tried to find
the best way to do it to sterilize anyone who was not German. Next to the
Doctors building there was the death block where the prisoners were taken and
shot if sentenced by the ‘judge’ who was just one person deciding people’s
fate. If they were not sentenced to death by shooting they would be put in the
basement to the tiny cells- one of which was a standing cell where the
prisoners could only stand and another that did not have a window and people
died of suffocation. Here they would not be given food or water either. In here
there was Father Maximillian Kolbe who gave up his life for another man and was
sentenced to die in cell 18, as well as another man who left drawings on the
door and walls of his cell. The cell Father Maximillian was in has been blessed
by the priest and there was a candle in their given by him. Outside we saw the
spot where there was role call which could last hours. They had roll call in
the morning and evening to make sure no one had escaped. If someone had, then
their family and at least ten random people would be killed. Each person was
tattooed (which didn’t happen at the beginning- at the beginning they would be
photographed but because the influx of people was so great they decided to
tattoo them instead). This was how they kept track of the people. There was a
little wooden box to protect the soldiers from the weather who were doing the
roll call, while all the other people had to stand outside no matter what the
weather. Next was the remembrance building. We saw the rooms with all the
belongings in them from the people who came to the camp and it was really
difficult to be in those rooms. There were rooms filled with reading glasses,
suitcases which people’s names on them, disabled people items, children’s
clothes and shoes, adult shoes (took up both sides of the room), pots and pans,
hair and beard brushes- they were told to bring all their belongings with them,
as well as money as they were told they were being relocated for work. They
were also told they were having showers when they went to the gas chambers so
no one was scared to go. We also saw the room with all the hair that was cut
off of the people who went into the gas chambers. It was all a charcoal color,
probably from the gas, and it filled an entire room. This was one of the
hardest rooms for me to be in. Next we went outside to see the gallows where
men were hung and this is where the priest gave up his life for a man who had
tried to escape. The man he gave his life for survived. Then we walked towards
the crematorium and saw the Generals house that was only 500m away from the
camp. In-between the two was the gallows where the General was hung after the
war. We went into the crematorium which was the other place I did not like
being in. It was cold, eerie, smelly, and not nice. We exited that quickly. We
also saw the bunkers for the soldiers in case there were bombing. Next we took
the bus to Birkenau- Auschwitz II. Now this was huge! There were 300 buildings
for men, 300 for women, half wooden, half brick and it went on as far as the
eye could see. They built a railroad to go directly into the camp for the
selection process to happen. We saw one of the cattle trains that the people
came in and it was tiny. During the selection process, one man told a boy to
stand on his toes to make himself look taller and this boy was selected for
work rather than for the chambers and in return he survived. However this boy’s
mother and brothers were taken straight into the chambers. All that is left of
most buildings now are the chimneys as when the war was ending the soldiers tried
to get rid of all of the evidence buy destroying as much as they could. They
bombed two of the three crematoriums and the 3rd was destroyed by
the people in an uprising. In this camp there were sections for women, men,
Jews, non-Jews, etc. Next to one of the crematoriums is a giant monument which
has plaques in every language saying ‘Forever let this place be a cry of
despair and a warning to humanity where the Nazis murdered about 1 ½ million
men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe
1940-1945.’ We also saw the remnants of the crematorium they tried to destroy
and the pond where the ashes were thrown afterwards. Next we walked into a
brick house to see the living conditions. There were bunk beds lining the walls
as well as a row in the middle with both sides lined with beds. Up to 10 people
shared one bed. There was a chimney for heating but it was rarely, if ever
used. We saw the outside of the kitchen where the food was cooked but again the
people were only allowed to eat outside. We saw one of the few houses for the
toilets that were used by hundreds of people. Then we walked to the men’s
section to see inside the toilet house. There were about 150 holes for everyone
to share at once and basins lining the walls (the basins had been removed).
However, they had left the rings on the wall showing this used to be used for
horses. Once finished we walked back to the entrance and went up the guards
tower that over looked the entire camp. This was another place that was not
very nice to be in. Then we took the bus back to our hostel. *This day was very
emotionally draining and definitely a hard day, however we both recommend going
as this is a very important piece of history and something that should be
remembered*
After our Auschwitz tour we went back to our hostel and then
out to dinner at a Georgian restaurant. This was the best dinner we had while
away. It had amazing food. We both had cous cous with chicken and some wine and
it was really cheap! On our way home we did some shopping then got a McDonalds
milkshake and heard the bugle call from the top of the church that plays every
night.
4th- Today we got up and checked out of our hotel
and then drove to the Jewish Quarter. We then parked the car and walked to
Schindler’s Factory at 4 Lipowa St. It is now turned into a 3D, interactive
museum about the war and the accounts of the people with letters, pictures,
videos, etc. We saw the street signs where the Nazis took over and renamed the
streets to be more German. Schindler had an enamel factory where he took in
Jews to do work for him to avoid going to camps. He gave them a wage and food
and even built his own little ‘camp’ for them. He saved their lives. We walked
around looking at the history and the accounts of the people he saved. Then we
went to have lunch. We found a nice looking little place that had outdoor
seating so we ordered and sat down and an hour later finally got our food. By
then we were so angry and cold we didn’t really enjoy our meal. Then we left
and drove back to Wroclaw and checked into our hostel- Corner Hostel with a
unique little vibe about it. Then we went into the town to do some Gnome
hunting again. We found a few and then went to a bier house for dinner with
okay food. Then we did some shopping and more gnome hunting then back to our
hostel for tv before bed.
5th- Today we got up for breakfast at the hostel
then went into town and finished our gnome hunting. We also found a coo alley
that was quite unique and saw the Hansel and Gretel houses which are two cute
houses connected that the locals call the Hansel and Gretel houses. After
finding our gnomes we drove back to Germany and stopped at McDonalds on the way
home. Then skyped Mama. Overall we found 41 gnomes in the city of Wroclaw which
I think is pretty good.
This holiday was very historical and at times very hard but
definitely worth the visit and I was very excited to visit my last country from
my heritage.
Until next time,
¬D¬
