Posts

Showing posts from September, 2019

From Krakow to Eger, via Slovakia

Image
Today we leave Poland. I have to say I have fallen for this country which has delighted and inspired me in so many ways. From the gorgeous lake district in the north to it's big cities; from it's complex history to its proud desire for a better future - it has captivated me more than I imagined it would. And we haven't quite got to the mountainous region yet - that's on today's itinerary. Our wonderful guide Fil is partly to thank for this penchant for the place; although he's from Latvia, he has lived in Krakow for many years (his wife is Polish) and I've learnt so much from him. We all have. Dziekuje, Fil (thank you, in Polish - pronounced "jekoya"). We each take a bulging picnic lunch bag from the hotel (two large filled baguettes, plus much more besides!) and set off on our way to Eger in Hungary, via Slovakia. Outside the city confines of Krakow, there are rolling green hills and pretty villages. It's not unlike New Zealand

A confronting day - visiting the Schindler Factory and Auschwitz-Birkenau

Image
We know that today won't be as easy one. The morning starts with a stop in the Jewish district of Kazimierz, specifically the Ghetto Heroes Square where 33 Memorial Chairs sit, symbolising the tragedy of the Polish Jews who were imprisoned here in the Ghetto during WWII. Made of iron and bronze they are a stark reminder of the resolve of the Jewish people during the German occupation of Poland; so many of them went from here die in camps. We walk sombrely through this square, sit on a seat, contemplate life here; but it's hard to envisage what it was really like. For this, we need to go to Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory which is now a museum showcasing the difficulties of life in Krakow and the horrors that befell the citizens here. The Square was peaceful and empty, but the museum is very crowded. It's an intriguing museum with narrow corridors which move you from room to room, from one vignette of life to the next. It's not easy to negotiate your way through

Interim Update - and a new travel scenario!

Image
Well as you'll know, if you've read this far, there has been a hiatus in this blog and we haven't yet got out of Krakow. Except that the group arrived back home on 17th August! Keeping this blog updated on tour became a tad too difficult - busy, tired, wifi issues, laborious to write on the iPad - there were a raft of reasons and it came to a bit of a halt. Around this point I also committed to a back-to-back trip following directly on from the Russia one - this time a holiday with my husband Brett. We'd been invited to a friend's 50th in Portugal and had factored it out on account of me being away, various projects on the go and it consequently got put in the too-hard basket. While I'm away, Brett gets the urge to just go. I say go and give him my blessing. He then says why don't I come with him. Hmmm, that's hugely tempting but not really possible, I'm already in Europe and due to fly home when he's planning to fly to Lisbon. How about yo