Unfortunately neither Robert nor I remember the name of this gorgeous Baroque Cathedral in Kraków. We do remember that it had some type of installation art in the basement where you wore headphones and walked around rooms with piles of white fluffy stuff.
Very cute Puti below.
There were 3 Auschwitz locations: Auchwitz 1 - a slave labor camp, where he Nazis worked people to death; Auschwitz 2 - the killing camp; and Auschwitz 3, a chemical plant.
Auschwitz 1, the entry to which has the cynical, double-meaning "Work will make you free" slogan at the top of the entry gate (see below) is populated by a series of mundane bureaucratic brick buildings striking in their ordinariness. And in the extent to which it reveals the Nazi obsession with documenting all that they did. There are rows of photographs of individuals who were processed at Auschwitz 1, along with their names, date of birth when they entered and when they left. Or when they died rather.
There is a museum also at Aschwitz. The efficiency of the Nazi machine is chilling. They took eyeglasses, wooden legs, and even, most distressingly, hair from their victims to be used in some ways by the Germans. As I saw the piles and piles of eyeglasses, it was unbearable to think of the individuals to whom these eyeglasses belonged. And who were told that they were just going to internment camp of some sort. The sweet little dresses belonging to young girls were in a glass case. I have a few pictures of the displays from the museum below.
Little remains at Auschwitz 2. They maintain a barracks, where people were kept prior to being murdered. Three levels of wooden slats, were eight people lived on each level. The space would be sufficient for two people. The weakest and the sickest were on the bottom level and all excrement from the top levels flowed to the bottom level.
The remnants remain from the killing chambers. I show them below. But more disturbing are the little flecks of white in the soil, flecks of the ashes of people on the Nazis incinerated there.
Outside Kraków we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine, in operation since the 13th century and only recenlty ceased operations. Salt from the mine was extrememly valuable until it could be extracted from the sea in large quantities. Mining operations ceases in 1996. Since that time, former miners have made exquisite carvings - there are even chandeliers and a cathedral. Probalby a cool place for a wedding.
Above you can see the depths to which one must descend.
More recent era of the mine. Note salt chandelier.
Flight to Egypt
Not sure this refers to, but the carving of the man at the bottom is impressive.
Last Supper.
September 19 - 20
St. Mary's dominates the central square of Krakow. Like most churches in Europe, it was built, then partially destroyed by fire, flood or war and rebuilt, rebuilt and rebuilt. It is a magnificent building, the interior soaring so high and feeling so narrow that it does feel like it reaches to the stars. Robert was spoken to by a kindly guard after violating some camera regulatin, but he talked his way out of it. Below is a random assortment of photos that in now way does the basilica justice, but they do serve as a useful memory aid for me.
September 18, 2014
You can't take pictures inside the Krakow Castle, which is unfortuante because it is a fascinating and complicated series of buildings. It was built originally in the 14th century, but then destroyed and rebuilt several times. A few pictures to give a sense of the place and its surroundings.
A picture of a chest inside one of the casle buildings till I was told to stop taking pictures. It is hard to imagine someone actually using something as beautiful.
Gargoyle, rainpipe
Strange things in underground passaage from castle to street.
Krakow Dragon - beware!
Robert and Pope John Paul outside the castle.
Pretty flowers and moths outside castle.
View from the Castle.
Kraków
Imitation of the Grand Amok
This was one of the first things we saw in Kraków
And then this on a food truck
Near our hotel
Strange person
At the fair
Moose head on a bike
Beans in a head
Anna recommended this very nice, very old restaurant
Synagogues
Only a few of the synagogues were still functioning. Some were quite elegant. The strangest one had signs of the Zodiac.
Cemetery
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