The Jones': Easter Weekend in Krakow, Poland.

Thursday 20th March 2008 Josh had the day off work today so he did the ironing and packing, which was nice for me for a change! After work, we all met up at midday and headed on the train for Gatwick airport. We flew with easy jet to Krakow, Poland, landing at 8pm. There were 12 of us in total: Me, Josh, Lou, Mike, Dave, Louise (Mike's friend), Paula (Mike's friend and Lou's new flatmate), Gerrard, Matt, Andy, Corny and Bronwyn (Dave's friends). After checking in at the hotel we went out and ate (a bit too little) and drank (a little too much) and stayed out till about 3 - 3.30am! The food and drink was really cheap, about £1 for a beer or class of wine! Good Friday This morning Josh and I stayed in bed and had a great sleep in, whilst the others went on a golf cart ride around the city - well worth missing I was told. We had a great lunch of McDonalds, then in the afternoon we went to the Salt Mine Wieliczka, it has been mined for 70 years and has developed into an extensive underground city. We walked 2km underground! It was quite tiring by the end. There were lots of little chambers and chapels with unique salt sculptures. We were dreading walking back up the stairs, but thankfully there was a lift! But for some people the stairs would have been a better option, the 'lift' was a tiny little cage that 6 people squashed into and we went up in total darkness! All the stairs we had to walk down!

Some of us on the tour, after we had climbed down the stars. From left to right: Gerrard, Andy, Paula, Me, Mike

Salt build-up on the walls - looks like ice! Underground Chapel in the mines, they even have weddings there! Chapel of St Kinga: Salt lake in the mine - denser than the red sea! The 'Cage' or lift! In the evening we went out for dinner and had a few drinks, before coming home about 11pm, as we all wanted to to get an early night for Auschwitz as we are leaving tomorrow at 9am.

Saturday Today we all hired private coaches and headed out to Auschwitz and Birkenau where a tour guide took us around the camps. Auschwitz started in the 1940's as a concentration camp for polish political prisoners, in 1942 it became the centre for extermination of European Jews. The Nazis killed about 1.5 million people there, mainly Jews, as well as Poles, Gypsies and Russion POW's. We walked through a gas chamber, saw the old barrics, saw where the doctors did medical experiements, mainly steralization! It was quite horrific! Before the people were burnt their hair was removed. We walked into a room, filled with the hair from the dead people, and rooms filled with their shoes and suitcases (with names on)! Quite an experience. We weren't allowed to take photos inside. After a 2 hour tour at Auschwitz we looked around Birkenau - it was the largest Nazi conentration camp. The train tracks in the photo are significant; as people got taken off the train a doctor would spend 2 seconds looking at them before sending them down the 'Road to Heaven' - to the gas chamber or down the other road -to work! By the end of the tour I felt like being sent to the gas chamber, was the better of the two options. Most women and children were sent to the gas chambers and only fit able bodied men over the age of 16 were kept to work. Most people who were sent to work, last only a few months before dying, mainly of malnutrition/starvation!

Slogan above the gate: 'Work Will Set You Free'!

The firing wall

Gas chamber and crematoriam that we walked through

Memorial at Birkenau

Ruins of the changing blocks that lead into the gas chambers

Ruins of the gas chambers

Views of Birkenau from the tower

Josh is eating his easter egg - all at once!

We finished the tour of the concentration camps and arrived home about 3.30pm and had an afternoon nap. In the evening, we headed out for dinner, and had another great time, eating,drinking and talking. Josh and I called it quits at 1am as I was tired, but the others stayed out into the small hours of the morning.

Easter Sunday Today was Easter Sunday so most shops and attractions were closed. We didn't go to church since they were in Polish. This moring only a few of us went touring around some of the sights in Krakow, including the Jewish quarter. In the afternoon we all met up and went on a horse and carriage ride around the streets. This evening was very quiet, some of us went to dinner, whist others returned to bed!

Photo from the Jewish quarter, this was in the movie: Shawshank Redemption.

Only remains of the old Town Hall.

The next two photos are of the outside wall of the old town, which contains the main square.

Josh, Bronwyn, Andy

Behind me is the main square

In the morning, the walk around the river.

Josh enjoyed this sight the best!

The horse and carriage rides, we went on two different ones, so everybody could get a ride - as you can see from their faces the guys were very impressed!

Dave, Andy, Lou

Easter Monday Today we went for a tour around the castle and had lunch in the town before catching an 8pm flight come, arriving back in Gatwick at 10pm. It was a late night by the time we got home but another excellent trip and once again thanks to Mike for his excellent travel arrangements.

The plane ride home.

Back to front: Gerrard, Lou, Paula, Mike, Louise, Bronwyn