KRAKOW

Hello, luv!

Hi there!

My name is Martha and I am a single, retired woman from the Denver area who is a big fan of Rick Steves tours. Since my first trip to France in 2012 I have been hooked! I am in love with England and decided to take the Villages of Southern England tour in the fall of 2018.

Day three: Traveling Czechia and Poland

We gathered early outside the hotel, rolling suitcases at the ready to walk a few blocks to the bus. Our spectacular driver was Mitch, a Slovak from Lake Bled. Since that was our last tour stop we knew that he would find his way home. As always, the bus was big and comfortable for our group of 27.

We drove through beautiful, green, rolling hills and open fields of blooming rapeseed to arrive at the small Czech village of Stromburg. This is a gateway to the ski country of the Carpathian mountains.

We split into various groups for lunch on our own before we played the name game on the town square.

Our hotel in Krakow reminded me of an elegant older lady. It was beautiful with a few wrinkles around the edges. My favorite hotel of the trip.

After settling in we had a quick walk to the Main Market Square to hit the ATMs and then dinner together.

Day four: The beauty of Krakow and the horror of Auschwitz

Our two days in Krakow were very busy with several activities associated with the Jewish history. But first, we learned about Polish history with a walking tour through the Old Town and Wawel Castle lead by local guide Anya. One of the stops on the way was to point out a local Milk Bar, or cafeteria. I would have lunch there the next day.

Currently Poland is a predominantly Catholic country and we walked by several churches before we arrived at the castle.

Wawel Castle, sitting on a hill overlooking Krakow, is huge and beautiful. Within the grounds is the national cathedral for Poland and it is full of tombs and gold adornment. We enjoyed a bit of a rest as we admired the glowing artwork.

Poland is very proud of Pope John Paul II, who was from a small town near Krakow. We stopped outside the Archbishop's Palace where he lived while serving Poland. His picture is over the arched doorway in the center of the yellow building.

I was amused to see a nun talking on a cell phone--I guess we all do it! Before our afternoon trip to Auschwitz I had a lunch of borscht soup and pierogi. Very Polish!

Auschwitz. Birkenau. Two names that evoke reminders of terror and sadness. Let me tell you, being there is so thought provoking and emotion laden. I found the words and stories and images of Auschwitz moving. The brick buildings with tales to tell with their displays. But Birkenau was just overwhelming in it's vast size and the sorting platform. The barracks (or ruins) spread as far as we could see with the rail tracks slicing the place in half. Seeing the number of barracks and knowing that many more souls died than lived, is a statement for mankind to remember.

On this dreary day we walked through many of the buildings at Auschwitz with our guide. There were large sections of rooms piled high with personal artifacts from the people imprisoned here. Suitcases, shoes, hairbrushes, and eyeglasses to name a few. The whisper of those lost was loud in these areas.

At Birkenau we walked through the infamous guard gate and down the rails that would have delivered the incoming prisoners.

The barracks were dark and crowded.

As they were retreating the Germans destroyed the death chambers and crematorium but the rubble remains.

Day five: Deep roots in Krakow

Some of the scenes from the movie "Schindler's List" were in this narrow alleyway.

One of the many synagogues.

With all the specific itinerary items for Krakow checked off in one day George arranged for us to take a walking tour of Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter.

We took a quick tram ride and met our local guide to hear about and see what was once a thriving part of town. While still an active area, it was quiet on this damp late April morning.

George had also booked some optional afternoon and evening reservations in town for those who wished to use them. A group of us went to the Milk Bar for lunch and then we each had time to pursue our own agendas. I took a quick spin around the shops in the Cloth Market, heard the bugler from St Mary's Church, checked out the Rynek Underground Museum, toured Schindler's Factory Museum, and had dinner with Klezmer music. Phew, it was a good day, but long! Nice to have a lengthy bus ride the next day.

The Underground Museum is a fascinating look at recently discovered archeological remains of medieval Krakow below the Main Square. So interesting to see what they found! And to think I had just walked above these relics!

The Schindler Factory Museum is less about the important but small piece of history that happened in that building than it is about the overall history of German occupation in Krakow. There are clips from survivors as well as photos and artifacts from the era. Very evocative to see how an area was treated during WWII.

Dinner that night for those who chose was a rousing evening of Jewish food and music in Kazimierz.

Up next, Eger

Lessons from Krakow: While we learned about Poland's history here, much of what we saw was based on the Jewish culture and experience. The Jews were welcomed and flourished in Prague, Krakow, and Budapest for a thousand years before the Nazis came in and destroyed the population. Many of the historical Jewish areas are still on view and their numbers are once again beginning to grow. While I will never understand the motivation behind Auschwitz, I will certainly never forget it. And that is precisely the point of opening that dark page in history to viewing today.