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Published: April 25th 2007
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zacandsof It's very difficult to know what tone to strike with this blog. On one hand we want to discuss the continued intestinal adventures (and by that we mean the amazing state of the food we've eaten, not the state of our/zac's bowels, which by the way are not all that amazing), but on the other, it's been an intense few days seeing the cold war museum, the official jewish memorial in Berlin, and arriving in Poland witnessing a new 'old town' which was completely razed in WWII and the extermination camp Auschwitz (just south of Krakow) where it is reckoned that one and a half million people (90%!j(MISSING)ews) were gassed. So let's start on a serious note and see where that takes us.
Our tour guide in Auschwitz was amazing: she had been a tour guide there for 32 years, her family was moved out of the area where the camp now stands by the ss troops, and her father in law was in the camp for 14 months. And her english was amazing. She took us through camp no. 1, where we witnessed photos of the treatment, the living conditions, spy photos taken by the allies of
Berlin Memorial
A memorial to those who were sent to concentration camps from this Berlin Railway Station. Every train load of people sent away were recorded on the platform: the date, number of people and whereto. There was a scary number of people leaving from this platform alone. Most people went to Auschwitz. the camp in 1941. The most horrifying was seeing thousands upon thousands of pairs of shoes, suitcases, brushes and other possessions of the people who had been exterminated. There was also hundreds of kilograms of human hair, some of which had been sent back to Germany during the war to make lining of the uniforms. We then walked through the only remaining gas chamber on site (there had been 6, but 4 were destroyed in an attempt to cover the evidence, and 1 was destroyed by the prisoners in revolt). We didn't take photos.
There are 3 stories that the tour guide told us that were amazing. One was of a man who was condemned to death, randomnly, because another prisoner had escaped. I know that makes no sense. This man asked not to be killed, because he had a wife and kids somewhere. So a polish priest stepped forward and said that he'd take his place, as he had no family. The saved man survived Auschwitz and lived into the 1990s. Another was of the tour guide's father in law, who after being in the camp for 14 months working hard labour everyday and eating all that they
Wavel Castle
The famous castle in Krakow. were fed, left the camp a mere 33kg. And he was about 6 foot tall. His family didn't recognise him. The third story is of a man who attended the museum after it had been open a few years, in the 1950s. While walking past the hundreds of suitcases, he pointed to one and said 'That one's mine. I was a prisoner here, and that's my suitcase'.
It's a bit hard to know where to go from here. I (Sof) will take over. On a lighter, but still emotional point, it is so incredible for me to finally be here in Poland. Today, in Warsaw, i met Anja, my 2nd cousin from Poland for the first time. I have always wanted to come here, and the opportunity has finally arisen. On the weekend i will meet Zofia, my first cousin once removed (my late grandfather's niece), who is my namesake! Very exciting! Though the polish is a little difficult to get around. It is not possible to just add 'ski' onto the end of every word! It only works sometimes, eg. with Wegetarianski. However, we are getting through the language barrier, thank goodness Anja speaks some english!!
Back
The Krakow Dragon
Fire came out of its mouth every 5 minutes or so... cool! to Zac: Have any of you heard of the Blue Man Group? If not, you should watch Arrested Development. We went and saw them. Very cool, very blue. Very gimmicky. Lots of paint. We had to wear ponchos because we sat in the second row. Get the idea? No? Well, that's about a good an explanation as we can give. Oh yeah, and they had drums. And a band. The band weren't painted blue, just had fluoro body paint.
And did a day in Krakow. Had the best kebab ever (would have taken a photo but we were too busy eating, you know, hunger and all...) and tried pierogi. Likewise. And we went to the Wavel Castle. Didn't drink much beer cos were a little under the weather. But the weather is excellent, so I guess it's not that hard to be under it (in the rating sense). And also the weather is in the sky so it's not hard to be under it, again (in a physical sense). And if I think about too many more senses, I'm going to knock myself senseless.
Stop here.
Zac and Sof
PS
Did you know in Germany, you get
Zac's big head
Whoops.... I mean Zac and the big head. 10 euro cents back on recycling beer bottles? That means that buying a litre of becks at the supermarket costs less than 1 magnum. (Around A$2). Start petitioning Mike Rann now!!! Before it's too late!!! And the dragons eat you!!!
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anonymous
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from Sof's Mum
It is wonderful to read a blog from Poland - wishing I was with you obviously! I saw it in rain and snow! Richard P knows all about Blue Man Group.