Apr-2019

Having visited the concentration camp in Dachau, I did have a sense of what to expect in Auschwitz.  Or at least I thought I did.  Seeing Delta had no service into Poland, we decided to fly to Frankfurt and drive 10 hours to Oswiecim, quaint little town a short distance from Auschwitz.  This would prepare us for the following morning’s visit.

All tickets were sold out online which forced us to stand for the allotted same day entrance pass from 6:30 early morning.  Thankfully as we were second in line, we managed to obtain two tickets, which to our surprise, were free of charge.

As we approached the infamous gates with the German writing of “Arbeit macht frei”, translated to “work sets you free”, we couldn’t help stop our minds from reflecting on the complete atrocities that our own human race has done to other humans. No words can describe this, nor can be further from the truth of “work sets you free”.

We visited several of the barracks which were filled with artifacts belonging to prisoners whom lost their lives.  Over 1.1 million were estimated to have been killed, starved to death and others used for disturbing medical experimentation.  As we continued from barrack to barrack, the emotions were rising and couldn’t help fight tears.  From the thousands of pair of  shoes to the massive volume of human hair, from the kitchen utensils to their suitcases, it was evident that the people running the camps were cold blooded criminals with absolutely no respect for mankind.  The conditions they fostered were barbaric and had  no reasoning or basis to allow this to happen.

One barrack that we entered, not only had endless displays of perished inmate pictures, but their striped camp garment that wouldn’t offer any warmth against  those cold winter nights.

The day was sunny, peaceful and the morning dew was evaporating. Still, as we walked the grounds, this heavy blanket of sorrow followed us around while we read the informational facts on the pedestals.  We couldn’t believe what we were reading.  At one point we find ourselves facing a wall in which was used to line up inmates and kill repeatedly with gun shots.

More and more barracks revealed the location of the largest mass murder site in all of human history.  With the thousands of inmates arriving, the crematorium and gas chambers  were inadequate to satisfy their pace to which they created Auschwitz-Birkenau, A camp dedicated solely to the extermination of Jews.

Taking a shuttle to Birkenau revealed the train box on tracks that would be filled with Jews.  Filled with a population that hasn’t done anything wrong, yet arriving to their final stop.  Death.

As time was running out for the Nazi personnel at Auschwitz, and the war slowly coming  to an end, they themselves bombarded a barrack filled with all documentation that would be incriminating evidence of the crimes they have committed. The rubble was left for all to see.

January 27th, 1945 was the date in which the Soviet soldiers entered the gates of Auschwitz, thus ending the largest mass murder in history.  It was mentioned that over 7000 Nazi personnel have served in Auschwitz with only a few hundred being prosecuted for the horrific crimes they committed.

We completed the tour in half a day and headed to Krakow.  A beautiful city with a great old town square.  Churches, restaurants and cafes line the perimeter of the square.  Local eateries nestled in the middle selling the famous Polish dishes.  A procession line , that never ended, of beautiful horses and carriages waiting to be rented from tourists, kept galloping to a rhythmic beat.  This old square was surely happening.

Weather was gorgeous and all was visible as we ate lunch on a terrace overlooking the square.  If one is looking for a European city with historic charm and beautiful architecture, and without the high price tag that others cities carry, Krakow should be on your list.  Salmon was flaky and delicious, vegetables were fresh and crunchy.  What a great combination.

We continued our walk towards the Wawel Royal Castle and noticed the Italian-styled main courtyard.  Tourist groups were scattered around and all one could hear was a mix of different languages recounting historical stories of the past.

We continued our walk in exploring the old town and as night was settling in, the accented lights at every street corner made the scene picturesque, mysterious and peaceful.  Every pub was filled with groups of tourists and locals enjoying the very moment. The full moon surely added to the ambiance, and having their local dish for supper concluded the evening perfectly.

Next morning, before heading back to Frankfurt, we drove to another city in Poland called Lodz. We were able to pack a few tourist spots including a neighborhood in which my friend’s family grew up.  The Jewish cemetery and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral were visited and as  quickly we arrived, we find ourselves on the main highway for our 10 hour drive back.

Several rest stops, several driver changes and we find ourselves at Frankfurt airport to return our rental.  We locate our shuttle to the hotel and retreat for a night’s rest before the final leg of our expedition.

The return was flawless from Frankfurt to Detroit, and despite a very close connection to Montreal, we made it back for 5pm on Sunday, ready for Monday’s work.

Apr-2019