Sunday & Monday

The day had arrived….out of clean underwear,so it was off to the laundromat.It was a 10 minute walk away,open 24/7 and no one there!Panic set in as I tried to figure out the process.It is all done by a computerized system ,and you can pay by card or zloties.You do not need (or are allowed) to use your own detergent as it is loaded already in the machine.After several attempts I had finally put in enough money.

As I was waiting for my wash,a lovely couple from LA came in to do laundry with the same confusion.Sharing my secrets of the machines they also were able to do theirs.They had flown to Poland for their holiday ,as it was cheaper than going to the east coast of the USA.

Sunday afternoon we went to visit Schindlers Museum.Having not mastered the local trams,we used Uber…and they all have “Taxi” sign on the top of their vehicles.The museum is close to the site of Schindlers factory.If you have watched Schindler’s List you would remember that Schindler saved over a 1000 Jews by “requiring “ them to work in his Factory.There are many pictures of those survivors on the walls.

The museum tells the stories well coming up to and including the war.In the cases there were replicas of guns,uniforms.There were displays of old hiding places,cells.There was a genuine tank from the war that would hold 2 men …barely,was very small,resembled knights armour in its materials and would not be a threat in todays drone age.

Once home the rain began ,there were 31 mm in 24 hours and a lovely cooling of the air.Once done we wondered back to the Old Town Square….which Hilter had tried to rename Adolf Hitler Platz during the time they controlled Krakow.

Monday came and we headed off for our 6 hour group tour to Auschwitz.We were on the bus at 6:59 am with a long bus ride.It provided us with a view of the country side.There many small communities,farm land with crops(corn I recognized).It was a milk run for sure.I must say this Tour was NOT the highlight of the trip to date.it began with a short movie and we headed off with our headsets and amplifiers on our chests.We proceeded through many buildings and displays.It is hard to describe what we saw; display cases full of shoes,clothes,suitcases,the clothes they had to wear.It was heart crushing to envision the inhumanity of man!!By noon I could handle no more,so we did 10 minutes of the second half so Michael could see the train tracks and the arrival platform.You will have to get the pictures from him.

We had finished the “HITLER TOUR”,and now on to better.We returned and after some white wine…quite good to my discerning taste!!WE once more went in search of dinner.We shared a lovely platter of several Polish foods.As coincidence would have it,we sat next to a couple from Detroit,who ,like us,were retired and on a European adventure.They were in week 7 and heading off to Budapest and then Istanbul.We did discuss politics,and they identified themselves as Democrats and like all have concerns about Mr. T.He felt that the midterms might be better than described.They had gone to Europe in1987 in a VW van and stayed for 7 years in the UK.Becoming parents brought them back home.Michael,Mary and Ronnie topped off the meal with Polish vodka.

It began to thunder and lightening in a downpour.We scurried back home and rediscovered that 1 umbrella is not enough!

Tomorrow is our last day before we head to Hamburg.

Talk soon…