Bit of an early start for us today as managed not to overdo it last night. Kaz nipped next door to the local bakery for breakfast which I think the biggest part was picking what to have as it all looked delish. Anyway what she came back with was a great choice so we ate that, finished our coffees and headed off to the Auschwitz Museum, not something that we were looking forward to but something we felt we had to see as part of this part of Europe. We arrived to a throng of people and got our tickets and a provided audio unit which was a mystery as part of the entry was a guide. Anyway when the English tour was called off we went and found that the audio unit we put to the channel of the guides microphone units so it was clearer to hear. The tour, what can you say, it was sad, insightful and a compelling look into the suffering of humanity. The first part was Auschwitz 1 that was a former Polish barracks converted into a concentration camp where (I don't want to go into detail) some terrible crimes were committed. After this we had a 5 minute bus ride to Auschwitz 2 -Birkenau which was purposely constructed with genocide in mind. Some barracks are still intact but the majority had been pulled down. In short some 1.6 million people died at these concentration camps and they are the facts. The camps are now promoted as memorials and monuments to the inhumanity that occurred and as a point to make sure it does not occur again. We have some photos but have decided not to post these other than the plaque at the site of the Birkenau crematoriums that is in English and 16 other languages that represents all those who were sent there. A thoughtful day for us both and not to be forgotten.
We decided to take the leisurely route instead of the motorway back to Krakow and Ken did not let us down with a trip through the countryside but we made it back okay now that I have mastered (sort of) the art of polish country driving (I wish they would stay over and at least give you a lane when they are coming towards you).