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So while trying to book a flight to Turkey for ANZAC day, I came accross some cheap tickets to Krakow. I wasn't too sure about what was to be expected of Krakow, but after I Googled it, I realised that perhaps this city won't be too bad to visit after all.
Friday night after work I headed straight for the Express train to the Airport. Only a 2 hour flight and I was in Poland. Another Language, another currency and warm weather!
When we arrived at the airport in Krakow, we took a shuttle bus and express train into the city centre where our hostel was. We were staying literally just 20 metres from the market square. Walking out of our quiet hostel onto the street was like stepping through a teleport back in time!
I was expecting run down buildings and badly spoken English. I was surprised at how clean, modern and friendly it turned out to be. There weren't too many tourists around, and the locals were quite friendly, making us feel as though we had discovered a little treasure of a city. It was definately the complete opposite of
dirty London.
Krakow was such a beautiful city. A cross between Germany and France. The sun was shining the whole time and there was plenty of opportunities to lay in the sun and enjoy the parks and city. We spent the first morning walking around the markets, snapping up various pictures of monuments and churches. Polish people (Poles) are very Catholic so there were plenty of cathedrals to explore, but Krakow also has a Jewish district. Every hour, a man would blow his trumpet from the top of St Mary's cathedral...while many buskers in their national dress played Polish ditties in the square.
We couldn't quite figure out why so many police vans were driving around the market and city square. About 80 or so policemen carrying riot shields and shotguns were around, and it looked as though a riot was about to start! I wasn't sure whether to feel safer or worried with so many police around.
Krakow has a large quite new shopping centre just walking distance away, which we also spent hours exploring. The local currency is Zloty's and the prices are generally a little cheaper
than in London. All typical brands are there (like H&M, Zara, Subway, etc) plus they have their own Polish stores. On the last day I ended up spending my last few Zloty's on a sundae and a shirt. Very conservative of me I thought!
Sunday morning was spent exploring Wawel Castle. A beautiful castle once home to the royal Polish family. It is now open for tourists and the public to visit and spend time in the beautiful gardens. Once again, we lay in the sun eating ice cream and listening to the Cathedral bells. I felt so far away from London...
AUSCHWITZ:
On Sunday afternoon, we took a bus trip out to the German concentration camp, Auschwitz. It was the third concentration camp that i had ever been to, and by far the most in tact. An absolutely amazing experience that demonstrated just how recently these horrific events occured. The largest Nazi concentration camp used during World War II to kill over 1.5 million people, most of which were Jews. It was quite a gruelling story, and unfortunately pictures could only be taken outside the buildings. Sadly, prisoners were tricked
and told they were going to a new place to start a new life. They brought all their possessions, including suitcases.
As the train arrived directly into the camp, their clothes and possessions were confiscated, and those who were deemed by the physician as too unfit for work, including the elderly and children, were sent straight off the train to the gas chambers. Those who were spared death were sentenced to a life of slavery.
All inmates were expected to work long hours six days a week, even the younger children. If they failed to meet their quota, there would be various punishments. Inmates who broke the rules would be sent to one of the stricter parts of the camp, where they might be starved to death, or forced into "standing cells" where they had no room to do anything but stand on their legs, often for days.
Sunday evening, we caught the plane back to London to start a new week back at work... We arrived back in London at 1am, with aching muscles from all the walking we had done. What an excellent mini break it was!
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