Vacation - Poland

Poland isn't along the route to Croatia.  Before we left, Ben had talked about visiting Auschwitz.  We decided against it because of the distance.  However, we'd originally planned to visit Sarajevo, but learned when we picked up the rental car that we weren't allowed to take it to Bosnia.  "Cars get stolen in Bosnia," they said.  That freed up a bit of time so we decided to make the trek to Auschwitz.

I visited Mathausen, a consentration camp outside of Linz, while on my mission.  The visit was worthwhile and life changing, but a hard experience.  I expected something similar at Auschwitz.  Auschwitz was worse.  Mathausen was a work camp; Auschwitz was a death camp.  The tour was heartbreaking.  Our guide was a Polish woman, about our age.  Her grandmother lived within sight of Auschwitz.  She reminded us that Poland was an occupied country during WWII.  She explained that her grandmother and the neighbors could smell the burning bodies and surmised what was happening, but could do nothing.  In fact, most of the early prisoners in Auschwitz were Polish Jews.  The German commander and his family lived within the camp.  His wife described her life there as lovely and comfortable.  Their children has a playground on the site.  I will never understand the crimes that were wrought at this horrible place.  

Arbeit Macht Frei ("Work Makes Free").
The original piece was stolen not too long ago by some Polish people.
It was recovered and is being restored.Then they will put it in a protected location within the camp.

The Germans put prisoners in front of this wall and shot them.

I irony of this sign is heartbreaking.  "Warning: life endangering high voltage"

Behind the entrance to Auschwitz II, also called Birkinau.
Trains that came into this camp separated prisoners immediately. Any who were not well enough, including youth and elderly, were processed for the gas chambers. The others were made to work to build out the camp, work to support the German war efforts by manufacturing various items, and even to operate the gas chambers.

There is a plaque in Birkinau, translated in each language representing a prisoner who died there.  The one in English if for a few British prisoners.

Heartbreaking.

What we saw of the Polish countryside was beautiful.  Green, rolling hills.  Lots of farmland.  After visiting Auschwitz, we stopped at a small home/restaurant for dinner.  The owner's wife spoke German and that was our only common language.  The tables, chairs and dishes were as common as they come.  We were only patrons during the time we were there.  The food was delicious and we enjoyed the lucky dining find.

Polish restaurant on the side of the roadway.

I'd forgotten that "knuckles" was sausage.
Ben thought he'd struck gold and wished he known that the prior 3 days of our trip.

There were two routes that would take us back to our planned route.  One was on highways, but a greater distance than the route that meandered over a mountain, yet more direct.  We opted for the shorter route.  It took us through Polish ski country.  Although it began to get dark and we couldn't see everything, what we saw before sundown and what we could strain to see afterwards, we just beautiful.  If I have a chance to make it back to Poland, I think I would enjoy the opportunity to see more of it.

dried fish for sale in the gas station's convenience store