Kraków with Melissa …Day 2

2nd Day in Krakow….

Melissa and I took a tour to the Auschwitz area and toured the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. After being picked up at our hotel, we boarded a bus close to the Wawel Castle. 

Melissa had not been to a concentration camp, so she asked if we could go together.  I was happy to go again, so Melissa could have this experience.

In less than an hour drive, we were at the entrance to the Auschwitz camp. The entrance bears the sign "Arbeit Macht Frei"…. "Work Makes You Free"….an ironic welcoming message to those who came here….all of whom would suffer, and many of whom would die before being freed.

The entire camp has been preserved as a memorial and some of the prison blocks are used as museums. 

Our guide was absolutely excellent.

It was here that the Nazis established their largest concentration and extermination camps.

Though I previously came here in the fall of 2011 on my own….

….coming during the winter and with Melissa made it a different experience for me. It was a quiet, reverent place for learning and reflection.

There were 28 blocks/buildings and we were able to go inside a few of them.

The photographs displayed in some of the rooms gave a very human picture to the empty barracks and the stories we were told. 

The map below shows the different countries around Europe from which the Nazis forced people to leave their homes and come to Auschwitz .

Suitcases….

….eyeglasses….

….shoes….

….combs.…toothbrushes.…just a small sampling of personal items that were taken from the people as they arrived at the camps.

The number of personal items gives a little clearer picture to the number of individuals that passed through these camps.

My Melissa…the photographer…I enjoyed being with her.

So many of the pictures need little explanation…just walking and thinking…. 

….and trying to grasp…what this place was all about.

A firing squad wall...

As we were exiting the camp…

….we saw the extermination area.

Below is the residence of the German military officer assigned to oversee the mission here. 

It reminded me of a book I once read and movie I saw…The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

A short 2 miles away on our bus, and we came to Birkenau….considered the second Auschwitz camp.  People from all across Europe were sent here…they were herded out of the train cars, and immediately selected for extermination, labor or medical experiments. 

One train car sits in the middle of this vast camp…a reminder….

The remains of one of the extermination areas….

Memorials created to remember….

Most of the buildings at Birkenau no longer exist, but 

we did see the inside of a few of the barracks….this is the common bathroom.  

Below were some of the sleeping quarters.

As we walked around Auschwitz…we felt we were given a "big picture" of what happened here. As we walked around Birkenau…it seemed we were more in touch with individuals. Both places were good to visit and learn about.

As we left the camp, Melissa visited with our guide and asked a few more questions. 

It was a good trip once again…and I'm glad I could come here with Melissa.

Yesterday (January 27)  was the anniversary of the liberation of the camps in 1945.  This date is "International Holocaust Remembrance Day"…a day to remember the liberation, and especially to remember the victims of the Holocaust.

Upon returning to Kraków there were still a few hours of daylight remaining….

….so instead of returning to the hotel, Melissa and I were dropped off near the historic Wawel Castle. 

We loved walking, exploring, and seeing some beautiful views around the castle….

…and though cold…we were glad we had the time to see this beautiful area of Kraków.

Here is the sculpture of a medieval dragon that sits below the castle and faces the Vistula River.

Every few minutes the dragon breathes out fire…and behind the dragon is its famous cave!

The castle grounds were quite different not being landscaped with beautiful flowers and plants at this time of year….

….but we still found great places to take pictures….

….and enjoy seeing the setting sun.

Near the bottom center of the photo below you can see the dragon breathing out fire!

It was dinnertime and we were hungry…so we went back to the hotel to pick up Mark.  He had spent the day in the hotel resting and working while Melissa and I were out touring.

We walked over to the restaurant Resto Illuminati located on a small side street near the Rynek area and not far from our hotel. 

Mark's co-worker Brandon had recommended it, and the atmosphere, decor, and food were all very good! 

Our dinner time was so relaxing...we felt almost European….relaxing and truly enjoying our meal and the conversations we had together!

We have had a great 2nd day in Krakow…Mark was feeling better…and we ended our day making great connections together! 

3 Days in Krakow, Poland

Just 2 days after Christmas, Mark, Melissa and I took a train ride to the beautiful Polish city of…..Kraków!  Often referred to as the "Jewel of Poland", this was our third trip to Kraków….but Melissa's first.

Mark was not feeling well but he came with us on the train and we were so glad! Though he didn't explore with Melissa and me…when it came time to eating he was right there with us!

Our first stop was the beautiful Rynek (main market square)  area to find something to eat for lunch.  Lucky for us…it was just a short walk from our hotel. Kraków was having its own Christmas market and so there were plenty of food choices outside.

It was cold and wet, but we ate outside like the locals….or maybe like the tourists.  Mark left Melissa and me on our own and returned to the hotel to rest….while we explored Kraków for a few hours. The cold and the rain did not keep us….or other people away!

We are standing in front of the Cloth Hall…a beautiful Renaissance building where merchants sell a variety of beautiful Polish arts and wares, and the statue of Poland's national poet…Adam Mickiewicz.

Learning about Pan (Mr.) Mickiewicz…makes me wonder…does the U.S. have a national poet?  Mickiewicz was Poland's greatest Romantic poet of the 19th century…and his writings are both popular and required reading for most Polish students today.

Kościół Mariacki - Church of St. Mary

This church is grand in size and decor…a beautiful Renissance church built by the citizens of Kraków…starting in 1355! I had never been in this church in my previous visits…so Melissa and I went inside.

It is well known for its wooden alter….and the art work is quite beautiful!

I especially liked the scenes showing the birth and life of Jesus Christ, carved and painted on a number of wooden tiles. 

A small doll symbolizing the baby Jesus is near the alter.  We learned this church is still an active Roman Catholic church today. Though dark and cold inside, the church was quite beautiful. 

We saw an organ high against one wall...

...and the wooden alter from a distance.

Outside of the church in a small courtyard is this statue. 

I could not understand its significance…but I liked it.

We loved walking through the large Rynek, and across the cobblestone streets.

One of the outdoor market stalls was selling "oscypki". We had no idea what oscypki were but the smells coming from the booth were so good! Melissa and I thought it would be some type of warm bread served with a berry jam. 

We are ready to bite and anticipate something so delicious….

….but while our brains were expecting one thing, our taste buds experienced something completely different!  We learned that "Oscypki" is smoked cheese made from salted sheep milk.

The cheese is made in the southern Polish area of the Tatra mountains and is handmade by the local farmers. This cheese treat is quite popular….little did Melissa and I realize that we were not eating a soft bread…but salted cheese with jam!  Truthfully….on this first try we didn't care for it.

Kraków is known for its very unique nativity scenes…szopka krakrowska.  Since 1937, there has been a competition by artists of all ages to create szopka krakowska..and this year was the 70th year of the competition. 

During my first two visits in Kraków, I had seen these small creations in shops but had no idea what they were or their significance….although they did seem to resemble some type of ornate nativity.  I had only seen them in Kraków…so I was pretty sure they were unique to this particular area of Poland. 

During the first part of December artists display their creations at the base and around the statue of Adam Mickiewicz, the main statue in the middle of the market square.  The nativities are displayed, then judged.  After the judging, the nativities are then moved to the History Museum of Kraków and are on display for a few months.

Both amateur and professional artists use historical buildings of Kraków as the backdrop for their nativities….buildings such as St. Mary's Church or the Wawel Castle. 

We noticed a number of common elements in each of these creations….the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph…and also historical and or literary characters such as…dragons, knights, kings and queens.

The nativities came in a variety of sizes and colors, and had many different types of ornamentation. I had so many questions as I walked around this exhibit….how long did they take to make, how old was the artist, what were the required elements in each nativity? 

It was quite fun to find this exhibit of unique nativities that are created in Kraków each year! I think in order to find my answers…I will need to do some investigating of "szopka krakrowski"!

Beautiful Kraków at night….Melissa and I stepped into a small cafe and shared a delicious, warm apple dessert!

Mark joined us for dinner in a small restaurant in the Rynek area. It felt good to relax together but unfortunately the meal and restaurant were only fair.

We walked around at night, and though cold….

 ….we enjoyed being in beautiful Kraków in December.

Coming to Kraków during the winter and Christmas season was a fun new experience! We loved sharing this time with Melissa!