Krakow
Our grand Insight Vacations tour of the Northern Capitals and Russia Poland has ended and we are in the Polish capital - Warsaw. We've said our goodbyes and on the Saturday morning, the Insight travellers drift off to the airport (Larry and Linda at 4.00am!) or to other destinations. Most of our new found friends are heading home but some, like us have other travelling to do. For us, it's off to Warsaw's central train station (only 250 metres from the hotel) and the fast-ish train to Krakow in southern Poland.
Although we're travelling first class, it's Polish Rail first class and there are people sitting in the passageway outside our 6-seat cubicle with more cramming into the carriage at several intermediate stations along the way. However, it's a fairly uneventful journey and shortly after lunch time, we roll into Krakow Central. We catch up briefly with Warwick and Gail from our Insight trip but fail to meet up again after we leave the station area.
Lunch of Vietnamese Pho soup at the station is followed by a 12 Euro taxi ride to our hotel - the very old, very French, Hotel Francusko. We later walk the route to the train station in 15 easy minutes - we could have saved ourselves the taxi fare, but you live and learn! It's hot in Krakow - 40 degrees plus and the old hotel isn't air conditioned, but at least the room has a quirky charm to it and our washing dries quickly.
Krakow is an interesting city and we are inside the old walled part. It has a huge main square - the oldest and one of the largest in Europe and has tons of atmosphere. There are restaurants a plenty and great sights within easy walking distance of our hotel. We make the most of our limited time here on the day we arrive and the next morning and visit many fantastic places within the city.
The Sunday afternoon sees us off in a minivan on a tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex. The minivan driver thinks he's a formula one driver and cuts in and out of the traffic, overtaking any moving obstacle in his way, but we manage to get there and back in one piece.
The guided tour of the Auschwitz camp is with a young Polish fellow who was passionate about the history of these horrific places but also knowledgeable and had the ability to put the history into context and perspective. It's difficult to articulate how one feels after visiting these places - for me it was about disbelief that mankind could even contemplate doing what happened here and about the sheer size of the place.
The size of the Birkenau camp is incomprehensible - and the Nazi war machine was planning to expand it before the defeat of the Reich thwarted their plans.
This was an experience that was far from being a pleasant one but one that you really should have just to see what happened and ask...how could it and why?
We get back late and find a late closing restaurant and get served enormous meals that typify service in Krakow. The next morning we're off to Prague and waiting at the main bus station for our "Leo Express" coach and train experience (highly recommended), we were visited by our friends Denise and Lisa - fellow Insight tourists. It was such a surprise to see them and we subsequently hooked up with them for some fun times in Prague.
Next update - the Czech Republic and its capital, Prague.
Although we're travelling first class, it's Polish Rail first class and there are people sitting in the passageway outside our 6-seat cubicle with more cramming into the carriage at several intermediate stations along the way. However, it's a fairly uneventful journey and shortly after lunch time, we roll into Krakow Central. We catch up briefly with Warwick and Gail from our Insight trip but fail to meet up again after we leave the station area.
Lunch of Vietnamese Pho soup at the station is followed by a 12 Euro taxi ride to our hotel - the very old, very French, Hotel Francusko. We later walk the route to the train station in 15 easy minutes - we could have saved ourselves the taxi fare, but you live and learn! It's hot in Krakow - 40 degrees plus and the old hotel isn't air conditioned, but at least the room has a quirky charm to it and our washing dries quickly.
Krakow is an interesting city and we are inside the old walled part. It has a huge main square - the oldest and one of the largest in Europe and has tons of atmosphere. There are restaurants a plenty and great sights within easy walking distance of our hotel. We make the most of our limited time here on the day we arrive and the next morning and visit many fantastic places within the city.
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| The main square |
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| The Cathedral |
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| Under the cloisters of the main square buildings |
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| The Town Hall Tower at the end of the main square |
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| Water spraying out of hoses in the main square - it was HOT! |
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| ...and the kids cooling off in the sprinkler - just as we did in the backyard as kids! |
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| Off the main drag - the statue of the founder of the city |
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| A walking tours passes the oldest church in the city |
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| Inside - another world! |
The Sunday afternoon sees us off in a minivan on a tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex. The minivan driver thinks he's a formula one driver and cuts in and out of the traffic, overtaking any moving obstacle in his way, but we manage to get there and back in one piece.
The guided tour of the Auschwitz camp is with a young Polish fellow who was passionate about the history of these horrific places but also knowledgeable and had the ability to put the history into context and perspective. It's difficult to articulate how one feels after visiting these places - for me it was about disbelief that mankind could even contemplate doing what happened here and about the sheer size of the place.
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| The infamous main and only gateway into Auschwitz with its logo - 'Work Makes you Free' |
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| Perimeter fencing to Auschwitz |
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| Piles of suitcases and baskets taken from the people condemned to a horrible fate |
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| The first gas chamber and crematorium at the complex of Aushwitz |
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| The latrines for the working prisoners. They were only allowed 1 minute a day to complete their ablutions |
The size of the Birkenau camp is incomprehensible - and the Nazi war machine was planning to expand it before the defeat of the Reich thwarted their plans.
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| The main entrance to Birkenau |
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| The camp from the main gate looking west you can't even see the far end of the camp |
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| Looking back towards the main gate - the expanse is enormous |
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| The camp with the rail lines heading to the gas chambers which are in the distance near the trees |
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| An actual railway boxcar used to transport hundreds of prisoners at a time - many, many died before they even arrived at the death camps |
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| The destroyed gas chamber and crematorium number one. |
We get back late and find a late closing restaurant and get served enormous meals that typify service in Krakow. The next morning we're off to Prague and waiting at the main bus station for our "Leo Express" coach and train experience (highly recommended), we were visited by our friends Denise and Lisa - fellow Insight tourists. It was such a surprise to see them and we subsequently hooked up with them for some fun times in Prague.
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| My last meal in Krakow - pork knuckle big enough for two people - this plate is actually the size of a large casserole dish! |
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| The Leo Express private train pulling into the station |
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| The Leo Express coach - virtually private travel from Krakow to Prague |
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