Day 15

Ok today is one of the most important days of the trip.  We were off to Auschwitz to tour.  It turned outy to be one of the most dramatic, unbelievable days I have ever experienced.  The area is about a 70   minute drive from  Krakow.  First of all, Auschwitz is an area making up 3 camps.....but we infer that they were all one, even though they were several miles apart.  We first toured the one camp that was called Auschwitz.  It was the first camp and was initially used for labor for factories built nearby to support the war.  But as we know it turned into a horrific place.  Same goes for the others which we toured Birkenau later in the day and it was even worse in the death count and German efficiency in death.  But it was the idea that we were actually walking and looked at the EXACT same spots where litterly millions of people were murdered.  We stood right where they all stepped off the trains, we stood exactly where thousands were shot, we stood exactly where thousands lived in horrific conditions.  But doing this at least gave D and I the tie that was neede to really understand what went on on this land.  Also, we could see how totally efficient and totally perfect planning in the extermination of not just people of a religion but people who the Germans thought were just not worth of life.  The tour was really well done and our guide was a Pole who had a family member die there....so it was quite moving as she spoke.  I think what I kept repeating over and over as we left was...............WHY......WHY!!!!!  Also, there was a large group of Israeli students carrying the flag all over the area and we would see groups of people holding hands and praying....it was really quite moving.  And I immediately thought that the horrible Germans if they could see that flag being waved all over the camp would be such a powerful message to them.  Besides the horrible events that occurred, we learned that only a very small fraction of the thousands of soldiers who killed so many people were prosecuted.  Also, interesting was hhow the Germans actually made money from the murder of all these people.....they sold their hair back  in Germay to factories that made fabric for socks and coats that were more weather proof and water proof becaue they were made of human hair.....IT  WAS SO UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

WE got back around 4:00 so it was time for a more relaxing moment with a beer and to discuss the tour in more detail. 

Dinner was at one of the best places yet (we saw it a couple days ago and asked for reservations).  It was in the old part of the city and was very crowded and fun.  We truly pigged out this time.  D had a beautiful salad with several types of cheese and a huge dish of pirogies (sour kraut).  Me I had mushroom soup which was served in a large loaf of bread and followed with a gorgeos lamb medalions with a mushrooms sauce and a side dish of Russian pirogies ((cheese filled), A great bottle of wine and for dessert the famous Polish cheese cake....mmmMMM.  We woddled all the way home.

Tomorrow anothr big day.....the salt mine.

Weather....we were really scared because we woke up to a dismal day.....rain, fog and very cool.   But tthe rain stopped after about an hour and our day touring Aschwitz was rainless but the clowds were dark which made touring the area even more moving.