poland - auschwitz

Surreal.

That's the only word that comes to mind in recalling my experience of visiting the infamous concentration camp that is Auschwitz.  Upon planning this trip almost a year ago, I remember thinking about the possibility of visiting this place, and the anxiety it brought up for me even then.  I had been anticipating this day once we entered Eastern Europe, and finally, yesterday, it arrived.  Terrified that fear and repulsion would overtake me once we entered the gates, I tentatively made my way to meet our English tour guide.

The words "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Makes You Free) on the gate framed the many brick buildings, where we wandered through artifacts, displays, and sites of horror.  Double electrified-barbed wire fences lined the perimeter of the grounds.  We witnessed the terrible living conditions of the slaves...too-crowded rooms, small prison cells, no comforts...let alone liveable situations. 

Then came the piles and piles and piles of articles taken from the Jews upon their arrival to the death camp.  Eye glasses, artificial limbs, hair brushes, clothes and luggage and kitchenware...for many were told that they were simply being moved to a new place...not that they would be killed upon arrival.  When we passed the tiny clothes of babies and shoes of children, I could not bear it any longer and was overcome with tears.

I was also overwhelmed with emotion walking through the gas chamber and crematorium, knowing that many people were led there to believe they were merely going to be given a "disinfecting shower," when in fact they went there to die.  Listening to stories of torture, killing, enslavery and imprisonment were horrendous to listen to, I can't begin to imagine experiencing it first hand. 

From Auschwitz I, we took a bus to Auschwitz II, otherwise known as Birkenau.  Here we saw the incredible vastness of the camp, and just how large this terrible operation was.  Admist the horror, we did see a group of young Jewish men, arms wrapped around one another, singing, remembering, and honoring those lost.  It was a very moving sight to behold.

While I could go on with details about concentration camps and WWII and other things we learned, I think I will leave off here.  For me, this was undoubtedly one of the most difficult days on our trip.  Although I already knew much about the concentration camps before our arrival, it was very powerful being there, and left me feeling quite discouraged and overwhelmed about how evil humanity can be. 

I leave you with some images taken during our visit, as well as a poem written by Frantisek Bass, a boy who lived and died in Auschwitz, October 28, 1944.

 

I am a Jew and will be a Jew forever.

 

Even if I should die from hunger,

never will I submit.

I will always fight for my people,

on my honor.

I will never be ashamed of them;

I give my word.

I am proud of my people,

how dignified they are.

Even though I am oppressed,

 

 

I will always come back to life.

-- Franta Bass



czech republic - prague

During our stay in the capital of the Czech Republic, we visited many of the highlights of the beautiful city of Prague.

In the castle district, we went to the Rosenberg Palace, where we had a chance to dress up like royalty...

...visit the St. George's Convent/National Gallery and Picture Gallery to see many works of art...

...and stand in awe of the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, as well as visit other castle attractions.

We took a look at the Lennon Wall, covered in John Lennon inspired grafitti, as well as Beatles lyrics.

Creeped out as well as intrigued, we visited the protruding TV tower covered in creepy crawling babies with barcodes on their faces.  A social commentary, certainly, but on what exactly?

We took a walk along the Charles Bridge where we saw many statues as well as views of the city.

 In Old Town, we came across charming architecture, cobbled streets, and a festival where we saw a fire-blowing-tuba-playing man, sampled local foods...

 ...and waited with a swarm of people for the Town Hall clock to chime so we could see the 12 apostles peek through the windows.

Drank some delicious monk-made beers at the Strahovsky Monastery.

Were creeped out a second time when we took a day-trip to the town of Kutna Hora where we saw the Cathedral of Our Lady, St. Barbara Church, and most memorably...Bone Church.  Yes, all of the "deocorations" are indeed made of human bones, and it is still a functioning chapel.

Enjoyed the delicious local foods of: trdelník, a delicious pastry grilled, then sprinkled with sugar and nuts (pictured), sausages, cabbage, potatoes and cheese, pork schnitzel...lots of hardy foods good for chilly days.  We also had the privilege of sharing a meal cooked by Guy's peace corp buddy Daniel, who is currently teaching in Prague.



Last but not least, we had a close call in our hotel...where someone attempted a break-in!  Luckily, they didn't get in, only the door was damaged, and we got a very nice upgrade that night.  Whew.  Don't know if we could take another robbery!

hungary - budapest

Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities we have visited.  Located right on the Danube River, with a mix of the old and the new all in place, this city has just about anything you could ever want to do, and we tried to squeeze in some of the best highlights during the week we were here.

Here are some of the things we experienced in Budapest:

 

A tour of the "Pest" side of the city, where we saw the Opera House, the Jewish Quarter, the Great Synagogue, a few of the main squares, a "ruin pub," and famous Andrassy Avenue.

A stop at the Central Market to look at the huge selection of fruits, vegetables, local crafts and delicious Hungarian food...and of course we had to sample some for lunch.

Hungarian foods we tried include: goulash, langos (fried bread smothered in sour cream and cheese), "pancakes" (more like crepes filled with jam), as well as falafel and gyros.  At the Hungarian market we enjoyed some potato/beef hash as well as rice balls and some sort of meat/cheese/corn layered item (how's that for an eloquent description?).  Our favorite place we ate wasn't typical Hungarian, but "Stone Soup" provided us with some scrumptious meals as well as homemade hot chocolate that tasted like a melted candy bar.  Mmmm....

 

Wandered through St. Stephen's Basilica - absolutely stunning!

Walked down Andrassy Avenue to look at Heroes Square and City Park, but mostly to visit Szechnyi Baths.  In this magnificent setting we spent 4 hours soaking in 3 outdoor and 15 indoor thermal baths.  

An essential Budapest experience!

Went to a performance of Don Pasquale at the Opera House.  I am NOT an opera fan, but the tickets here are VERY cheap (the cheapest is 2 dollars!) and Guy had never been, so off we went.  Beautiful building and not too bad...for an opera.

Walked to the "Buda" side of the city were we crossed the Chain Bridge, and took in views of the Buda Castle, Matthias Church, Parliament and Fisherman's Bastion (the most magical looking place EVER).

(Parliament, Above)

(Fisherman's Bation, Above)

As we sipped our mulled wine by Buda Castle, we watched the sunset over the Danube River and slowly the lights came on the bridge and surrounding buildings.  Breath-taking!

bosnia herzegovina - sarajevo

I'm getting tired.

The places we have been are amazing, and this whole trip is incredible, but I cannot deny that after 11 months, I'm slowing way down.  My blogs may begin to reflect this as well...I'm giving what I've got!

Sarajevo is a picturesque city, located in a lovely valley, surrounded by the Alps.  The city is famous for its religious diversity, with Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism all coexisting for centuries.  Sarajevo holds the site of the assassination that sparked World War I, was the host of the 1984 Winter Olympics and in the early 90s, the receipient of much destruction due to the Bosnian War.

While in Sarajevo, we took a tour from a local man named Skender.  He was born and raised in Sarajevo, and was only 7 years old when the conflict broke out in 1992.  During those four long years, he explained, his mother would keep him contained in the basement with the windows covered most of the time, so that if there was an explosion outside, they would be safe (or safer, I should say).  This was not uncommon.  As I mentioned, the city is in a valley, and the Serbian troops had an incredible advantage from the mountainside, looking down on it.  From 1992-1995, thousands of Sarajevans lost their lives under the constant bombardment and sniper shooting at civilians by Serbian forces.

On the cold, gray day we took the tour with Skender, there was a very sad feeling as we meandered through the city, looking at the damage still lingering on many of the homes and buildings from the bombing.  From the hillside Jewish cemetary we saw the front line view of "sniper alley" where many civilians were shot (due to the clearing) just trying to bring food back to their families.  People lived in constant fear of leaving their houses, as Serbian troops were ruthless in hunting them down.

We visited the "Tunnel of Hope," an underground, citizen-constructed tunnel, created to link Sarajevo (which was completely cut off by Serbian forces) with Bosnian-held territory past the airport. According to wikipedia, it was "1.5 metres in height,1 metre in width, and ran for approximately 960 metres (3,150 ft) in length. During the time it was used, it is estimated that 20 million tons of food entered the city, and 1 million people passed in and out of it."

We also saw a few "Sarajevo Roses" throughout the city...explosion marks filled with red paint to mark where mortar explosions resulted in one or more deaths.  It is estimated that on an average day more than 300 shell rounds were fired into the city.  While in transport from one destination to the next, Skender showed us video footage from the war, including a massacre that made me have to turn my eyes from the screen.

There were lighter moments on the tour, where we saw the pretty 450 year old "Goat's Bridge," and saw beautiful views of the entire city of Sarajevo from both the Yellow and White Bastions.  Skender was a great tour guide, and I can't imagine growing up in the manner he did, and the family and friends undoubtedly affected by the war.  I kept telling Guy I couldn't believe he was younger than us, he seemed too "grown up."  I guess that's what war does to people.

It was certainly a somber day.

Aside from learning the incredible and terrible history of Sarajevo, we did see some other lovely aspects of Bosnia.  We wandered the charming streets of Old Town, where a cobble-street lined maze of restaurants and shops led us to some delicious dining experiences, including meat and rice stuffed vegetables and cabbage, cevapi - small grilled sausages made of calf meat served with onions, sour cream and pita bread, and delicious soups, salads and breads.  Patisseries were not in short supply, and we ducked into one to sample some yummy things.

Our final stop during our stay in Bosnia was a day trip to Mostar, a larger city also victim to much war damage during the 90s.  While there only a few hours, we managed to see what appeared to be still demolished buildings (we assumed from the war) throughout the city.  Contrast that with one of the most incredibly beautiful sights...the "Old Bridge", which looked as though it came right out of a fairytale.



On a final note...one thing we saw throughout the city that brightened my spirits a bit during these cold, dreary, and fairly depressing days...a sign of spring, (that I remember even from home during this time of year)...daffodils.

serbia - belgrade

Hmmm...Belgrade, Serbia.  What can I say?  It was a quick, 2-day stay, of which was very cold and dreary, and not much happened.  I am sure its a lovely city, if one were to take the time to explore it, but Guy and I merely wondered around town one afternoon in the blustery snow, and landed mainly in the "Old Fortress" where we looked around and visited the Military Museum.  Here are a few pictures we took to amuse ourselves while there...