This morning started with getting up at 7:20pm and rushing to get ready to go out with Jade and Pati to get Jade’s money changed…before finding out that we couldn’t until 9am because it wouldn’t actually be open. Luckily, we’d already been woken up at something like 6:30 by bin men outside, so it’s not like I got up specifically for it. We all showered and went down for breakfast. I had watermelon and a bread roll with fruit juice and sat with Jade and Pati. I have a bit of a thing about having watermelon for breakfast… We then got ready and headed into the Square again.
Me, Jade and Pati wandered around together but we all went up into the tower at St Mary’s Basilica first. By the time we’d reached the top it had gone from dry sunshine to just pure rain. Still, it was fun looking out of the windows at the top and watching rainy Kraków down below. I was oddly proud of myself for managing it without having a near panic attack (wish I was joking, but I'm not).
After that, we did some souvenir shopping and then hunted down Wedel Chocolate Lounge to have some hot chocolate like I saw in Lonely Planet magazine. I had the milk chocolate and cherry hot chocolate and it was so rich but so nice. It cost about 12z for it, which was roughly £4...expensive for a hot chocolate over here but over there it somehow seemed cheap. We then walked back to the hotel. From there we got ourselves sorted and on the coach to Auschwitz with our ‘proper’ tour guide, Anna. It took about two hours overall. Anna had us watching a film about what happened there all the way, it was all generally not too horrific to watch, until the parts where they showed people examining dead babies and children. For me, that was the wake up call about what we were going to experience.
When we reached the Auschwitz I Museum, we were given headphones and Agata, the tour guide for the afternoon, described everything we saw. At first, it was strange to physically be in a place that I had seen before in pictures and just seen on a film. I really didn’t like having to wear the headphones at first, firstly I have major issues with headphones like they were staying on my head, and secondly, I don’t like listening to something (like music) while I’m walking. I don’t know, I like to be aware of what’s going on around me, I guess. Probably something that stems from having to walk home in the dark over winter. After a while, something struck me. Although probably not the intended purpose, listening to the commentary through headphones made it a very personal, solitary experience. I suppose you could talk to those with you if you so desired, but it seemed somehow disrespectful.
Me, Jade and Pati wandered around together but we all went up into the tower at St Mary’s Basilica first. By the time we’d reached the top it had gone from dry sunshine to just pure rain. Still, it was fun looking out of the windows at the top and watching rainy Kraków down below. I was oddly proud of myself for managing it without having a near panic attack (wish I was joking, but I'm not).
After that, we did some souvenir shopping and then hunted down Wedel Chocolate Lounge to have some hot chocolate like I saw in Lonely Planet magazine. I had the milk chocolate and cherry hot chocolate and it was so rich but so nice. It cost about 12z for it, which was roughly £4...expensive for a hot chocolate over here but over there it somehow seemed cheap. We then walked back to the hotel. From there we got ourselves sorted and on the coach to Auschwitz with our ‘proper’ tour guide, Anna. It took about two hours overall. Anna had us watching a film about what happened there all the way, it was all generally not too horrific to watch, until the parts where they showed people examining dead babies and children. For me, that was the wake up call about what we were going to experience.
When we reached the Auschwitz I Museum, we were given headphones and Agata, the tour guide for the afternoon, described everything we saw. At first, it was strange to physically be in a place that I had seen before in pictures and just seen on a film. I really didn’t like having to wear the headphones at first, firstly I have major issues with headphones like they were staying on my head, and secondly, I don’t like listening to something (like music) while I’m walking. I don’t know, I like to be aware of what’s going on around me, I guess. Probably something that stems from having to walk home in the dark over winter. After a while, something struck me. Although probably not the intended purpose, listening to the commentary through headphones made it a very personal, solitary experience. I suppose you could talk to those with you if you so desired, but it seemed somehow disrespectful.
We got shown around all of the buildings. The first buildings we went in mainly just described what had been happening at the beginning and we saw lots of things like postcards that had been preserved and, of course, photographs from the time. We then went in the ‘Material Proof of Crime’ building, Block 5, which I really did not like. There were certain parts of the building where photography was not permitted, but some people in the group still tried to take pictures. There was just a whole wall that had one long display cabinet full of human hair. It was almost too surreal to understand. The thought that all of that hair belonged to so many different people is sickening. I couldn’t help but wonder why it was decided that it should be put on display. We also went into an entire room full of shoes which was also surreal. I found myself mainly just fixating on certain objects and trying to understand the fact that yes, it did really belong to a person. One day, a long time ago, somebody was wearing that shoe, and now it is on display to demonstrate the cruel reality of their life. Lots of the group found the section with baby clothes and shoes the worst - I know Lindsay definitely didn’t go in but I don’t know about anybody else. Somehow, when it’s about a child, it’s so much more horrific. I guess it’s about the fact that they didn’t really live…that their innocence was taken away. There was also a room full of suitcases that have names, arrival dates and death dates of all the people they belonged to - they were all different ages, some just children again.
The coach then took us about 5 minutes away to Auschwitz II-Birkenau. We were told that, generally, it is the camp that provokes the most emotion. I think I knew I wouldn’t cry, and I didn’t. Only just. Although I know it was more than likely due to the humidity and weird weather we’d been experiencing (sun > torrential rain > no rain > warmth + torrential rain etc), the entire camp seemed to be drained of air. It was there that I began to see the rain as less of an annoyance, but simply as appropriate. We went into more barracks and saw more ’living’ quarters. We then had a ’break’ while the tour guide and the teachers went off and, presumably, argued about the tour guide being awkward. Some of the group quickly jumped at the tension and immediately began speculating about what was going on. To be honest, I really couldn’t have cared less. I wanted to say something like “you’re at one of the most historical places in the entire world, is lame gossip all you can think about?” but I didn’t. Firstly, it wasn’t worth it, and secondly, even though it irritated me, weird behaviour could be forgotten given that it was a completely surreal day. We then walked all the way down the train track to the bottom where the memorials and crematorium remains are located. At the memorial site, a large group of Israeli soldiers were holding a service, we were told. The most poignant moment of the whole day came when I was walking behind most of the group, listening to the service (even though I obviously don’t speak Hebrew or Yiddish…) and the person speaking began singing what I can only assume was some form of Jewish hymn. It was somehow haunting and, even though I understood none of it, communicated the pain and suffering of the victims there. I did understand one word spoken, milim (words). Also poignant, for me, because I realised that there literally are no words that can describe it. Nothing will do it justice. The soldiers had all placed candles along the train track and the train carriage. All I wanted to do was walk slowly and take them all in.
And then, somehow, we reached the coach again and before we realised, we had left. Some people slept but, even with the ridiculous wake up call from the bin men and the day of walking, I couldn’t find it within me to be tired.
This evening we all (minus Nigel, Lindsay and Fiona) went to Mamma Mia, an Italian restaurant round the corner from the hotel. I sat with Jade, Stevan, Bethan, Jess and Jess. To be honest, I was relieved to be away from the people wanting to drink because I think that was why I felt a bit left out during the meal on the first night. I was especially pleased to hear Josh Groban and Nelly Furtado - Silencio - playing in the background while we ate. We then all went into the Square and got some ice cream (I had apple and cherry…my favourite) and went in a department store (Empik) then we all sat and talked. A lot of the group went out drinking again and it was obvious that the teachers weren’t exactly impressed with them all when they got back (including Fiona doing a very stern midnight room check, haha). Luckily for me, Sarah was just doing that ridiculous ‘I’m going to act drunk because everybody else is’ thing and I didn’t have to share a room with two drunk people, but it really annoyed me/I practically ran for the key and then up to the room to try and get organised before they both got in. Hmm. I recall telling Jade I’d refuse to sleep in there if they were too drunk. Ha.
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