Day 8 - Wroclaw to Oswiecim

 Before I recall today's events, I have to add something to yesterday, that I forgot to mention. How you may ask, when I tell you, that just after we left the restaurant, a young blonde lady came up to Grizzly and asked him if he would like to go to a strip club. He declined, saying he was too old! He omitted to add, and he'd be in bed snoring by 9pm! 😂

The rain that came down hard last night was all gone by this morning. We made short work of getting out of Wroclaw and were soon bowling along nicely, if at times somewhat slowly. That's the result of avoiding motorways I'm afraid. Takes longer but is far more interesting. Interesting, like having a pheasant run out in front of me, or seeing a stork at the side of the road! 

Our first stop was for fuel, the second, a coffee break at the golden arches. We only had about 140 miles to do today, so we weren't rushing. I had booked us tickets for the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, for after 4pm. Before then access is by guided tour only, afterwards self guided and free. I wanted to make sure we had time to take photos, which may not be possible during the guided tour we have booked for tomorrow. We were over an hour early, so went to see some cattle trucks, another memorial, and then went to the hotel to check in.

Cattle trucks used to transport the deportees

Checked in we rode back up the road. Surpisingly, in a huge car park they do not cater for motorcycles, so the few there were, were parked on pavements. We did the same. There was a cursory glance at our tickets and we were through that famous arch, well beside it actually, and inside the camp. The site, for those that haven't been is huge, staggeringly so. There are many barracks still standing and you can go in to some. An information board in one says it was a converted stable meant for 51 horses. It housed 400 inmates! We took plenty of photos, and covered most of the site, so tomorrow, at Birkenau at least, we can concentrate on the guide.

Similar, to the Mohne Dam, I had a strange feeling, as we walked alongside the railway tracks and onto the platform, we were walking in dead men's shoes and it just didn't feel quite right. It goes without saying, it's an emotional place.

Stopping at the visitor centre, Grizzly wanted some sort of souvenir (he bought the BBC Auschwitz DVD), I found these in the shop. Now, am I the only one who wouldn't want one of these on their fridge? Oh look, I have the full set of German Death Camp magnets!!

It's a NO from me.

Back at the hotel, we went through the usual routine, so you know how this ends, with food and beer. My starter, a soup (2 courses in Poland remember?), was similar to last night but presented in a quite unusual way. I just had to take a picture to share with you.

Old Style Polish Soup

Tomorrow, as I mentioned, we have a guided tour around both Auschwitz I & II camps. Up until a month ago, the entrance to camp I was just across the road from the hotel but they have opened a new visitor centre, which is now a 20 minute walk away around the far side of the site, so we'll have to leave a bit earlier than originally planned.

That's all for now.