Wawel and its surrounds

As promised  / threatened in an earlier post, here are some photos of Wawel and its surroundings. Wawel is a fortified complex situated on a limestone outcrop on the bank of the Vistula river in Krakow. The complex has lots of beautiful buildings and fortifications within it. These include the Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral. TheContinue reading “Wawel and its surrounds”

Neatening up old posts, laughing at myself, Johnny Depp and SEO . . .

So, taking a brief break from narrating my latest exploits in Eastern Europe I have had a quick scan back through the past three years (!!) of blog posts. As  I did so I’ve been tidying up posts. Partly because a random picture of Johnny Depp as a vampire has started appearing on all myContinue reading “Neatening up old posts, laughing at myself, Johnny Depp and SEO . . .”

Colourful shopping to be had

Here’s a few colourful pictures of some of the traditional handicrafts up for grabs in the Cloth Hall and other shops across Krakow. The oldest and most traditional Polish fast food is obwarzanek. These bread rings have been baked in Krakow since the thirteenth century. Painted eggs known as pisanki are a pretty souvenir toContinue reading “Colourful shopping to be had”

A pictorial tribute to the Wawel beer man

 A short, photo tribute to the coolest and cutest (and most resiliant) person in Krakow. The Wawel beer man!!! In 30 degree heat this little trouper gamefully kept on walking around the park in his heavy foam padded outfit, just occasionally drooping a little it has to be said, or stopping to pensively loiter underContinue reading “A pictorial tribute to the Wawel beer man”

Random facts about Krakow and some street scenes

Following on from our difficult day at the concentration camps we wanted to see another side to Poland so set off on a wander around Krakow old town. Here’s some interesting (and not so interesting) facts about Krakow and some random photos from our aimless sauntering. 1) Legend has it that Krakow was founded by and namedContinue reading “Random facts about Krakow and some street scenes”

Birkenau – the final solution

From Auschwitz 1 we took a short shuttle ride to Auschwitz 2 – Birkenau. One of the largest camps in the complex, it had one main, overarching  purpose – the extermination of the Jewish nation. It was Hitler’s “final solution to the Jewish question in Europe.” In total it is estimated that around 1.3 millionContinue reading “Birkenau – the final solution”

Haunting faces and abandoned cases

Once inside the imposing brick buildings that seem so innocent from the outside there are several devastatingly simple displays. One room is completely empty except for a glazed section that runs from one end to the other.  Behind the glass, from floor to ceiling, is an immense mountain of human hair. Another room houses pilesContinue reading “Haunting faces and abandoned cases”

Inhumanity and revisionists.

As you pass under the infamous metal archway that serves as the hideously iconic entrance to Auschwitz 1 you begin to notice the barbed wire that winds its way around the perimeter and the watch towers that are positioned about the camp. The lines of brick buildings are neatly spaced and perfectly preserved. Taken out ofContinue reading “Inhumanity and revisionists.”