My train buff was set on taking a night train and consequently, we had a day of waiting to board our 8pm ride. Since we had seen all the Budapest sites we had in mind we did something we never do. We hung out at the hot springs for the day and indulged in a Swedish (read Hungarian) massage.
Pest means “oven” in Hungarian and is so named because the city sits on hot springs. The Romans built baths here pre-5th century and people have been rejuvenating in their liquid healing powers ever since. The massage was advertised as “relaxing” which means when it stops (and you wish it would) you feel perfectly pummeled and completely worn out. Definitions in other languages are always interesting.
The night train really is a treat and our cozy little cabin included a tiered set of 3 bunks (we used 2) and a tuck-away sink. The ride was rough and we didn’t sleep well but the experience was a highlight.
We arrived early in Krakow so dropped off our luggage at our hotel and they graciously offered us breakfast. After breakfast we took a stroll through the old town — highly strollable — and noticed a lot of green space, delightful red brick buildings and a thriving cafe culture. The Poles strike us as open and friendly, most speak English in the city and are interested in striking up a conversation. The food has been excellent — a little heavier than we’re accustomed to but delicious.
We awoke early, ate at the hotel, which by the way played Handel’s Messiah over breakfast — just the thing for today. We were met at 9am by Czelow, who drove us through the lush countryside to Auschwitz-Birkenau. We had a group tour booked from 10:30-2pm that covered both sites.
You may ask why I keep going to these war sites. That’s a good question. I guess there is something in me that, as I mentioned before, is trying to understand what happened, how to avoid something similar from happening again and to offer some sense of solidarity in the personal and collective pain we feel. I’ve heard compassion defined as an act that draws one toward suffering. Yes, I like that — an act of compassion.
Auschwitz is the most diabolical extermination camp in the history of humanity. Over 4,500,000 Jews were killed here. Over 200,00 of them were children. Roma, homosexuals, those with limited abilities, the elderly, infants and children were exterminated by gas, starvation, firing squad, hanging, poor sanitation, epidemics, and cruel neglect. When the camp was liberated by the Soviets in 1945, the remaining Jews — about 10% of those originally living in Poland — were given a one way passport to Palestine.
Stanley (the gentleman we met at Terezin) told us a moving story. He happened to be out in the yard near the guard tower and he saw a paper bag drop from above. He knew if he took the package he could be shot and if he didn’t he could be shot so he took it, hid near a wall and opened it. He opened the bag to find 2 pieces of bread and a slice of ham. Over the next 4 days the incident repeated itself. That small act of kindness, he says, impacted his thinking profoundly. He thought, “Not all men are monsters” and he it gave him hope.
The rest in photos.
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