a trip to Auschwitz and krakow.
At the beginning of the year, I had a chat with my old mate Tel if he would like to join me on a trip to Auschwitz. Having seen a lot of the documentaries and read a number of books on the subject, I was intrigued about the place but apprehensive at the same time about visiting if ever I had the chance to do so. Anyway we chatted and decided we would go. So, we booked a flight with Sky Europe for 7th June 2005 from Manchester to Krakow [which cost us £56.00 each including airport taxes] and booked a room for two nights in an hotel called The Globtrotter which is almost in the heart of the old town of Krakow. The owners were also English speaking which was important because neither of us spoke a word of Polish. That cost us about £100.00 between us for a two night stay and included pick-up and return by car from the airport. They also arranged for us both to take a 5 hour trip to Auschwitz by car at a cost of about £20.00 inclusive of all fees. The price reflected the fact that we traveled in a group from the hotel and the cost of the journey was shared. Very handy and I can highly recommend Peter and Jack who run the hotel for their friendliness and assistance - they also spoke excellent English.
7th June. We arrived on time and soon arrived at our hotel. This was no 5 star luxury hotel, simply a clean, well laid out place set in a courtyard which was both quiet and pleasant with large trees growing in it and songbirds filling the place with their musical trills. We thought it was great.
Before I go on, although I've traveled to the Iberian Peninsular on many occasions and to France and Belgium occasionally, I had never been to any of the 'Eastern Bloc' countries before so I didn't have a clue what to expect. I suspected it would be a grey and dismal concrete place patrolled by the KGB and full of spivs. Just shows how one's mind can make a picture up just from watching the telly! It was anything but that. I was moved as we flew over France and Germany because I knew we were flying the same air space that thousands of bomber and fighter crews flew during the war. To me though, it was a beautiful sight, green and lush and full of the vitality of a new Europe. They had flown in this air space when Auschwitz was real and not a museum; when the air was full of flak and destruction and is now a safe place for all. How times change - thankfully!
Our first evening, we spent in Krakow, wandering around the old town and getting a few beers and a meal. Peter had directed us to a popular eating place called 'Powlakowski' which is just across the street from the hotel. [The hotel doesn't do meals.] We ate extremely well there for a tenner including a bottle of red....that was between us! The food in Krakow is remarkably cheap and excellent quality. If you go there, try the 'Powlakowski' - you won't be disappointed. Make sure you buy a bunch of posies off the old lady who does the rounds there every evening. She's 86 now and was a resident in the town when the Nazi's were there.....and the KGB!
Not a great picture but this is the Powlakowski. Click on it to enlarge it.
We went to bed that night in good spirits and quite excited with our 'venture'. Click the link below for 'Day Two'.