KRAKOW & OSWIECIM

INSIDE DOM SLASKI

BEER IN THE RAIN

ALWAYS SAID RUBI HAD A BIG HEAD (EROS'S HEAD)

WORK SETS YOU FREE

SUITCASES OF SOME OF THE VICTIMS

COSY PLACE TO STAY - NOT

SINISTER RAILWAY

CATTLE TRUCK

FANTASTIC VIEW FROM BALCONY OF  U ZIYADA CAFE

I WUZ 'ERE TOO

LAKE IN PARK SKALY

LAST LOOK DOWN FLORIANSKA

Our MHMK ticket gave us entry to the Dom Slaski (Selesian House) at Pomorska Street, which from 1939 to 1945 was the Krakow District Security Police, a division of which was the Gestapo. There were cells in the basement of the building were victims were tortured, sometimes to death. The displays included many accounts of what happened there. The museum also commemorates the victims of the Stalinist period after the war from 1945 to 1956. Having been liberated from one oppressor, the liberating Red Army forces didn't leave and Poland found itself occupied by a new communist oppressor.

Following that, we wandered down the west side of Krakow, popping into the foyer of the National Museum of Krakow as we passed by. We then returned to Rynek Glowny for a beer in a bar that had been recommended to us, tucking under a umbrella to shield us from a short spell of rain.

An early night was called for as we needed to catch the 6:20am bus to Oswiecim the following morning. Auschwitz is on the edge of Oswiecim town, and I had booked a ticket for a 6 hour study tour there, starting at 9.30am. It was raining when we arrived.

There are actually 3 Auschwitz camps, Auschwitz I, originally a Polish Army camp, Auschwitz II - Birkenau, a much larger camp purpose built to exterminate Jews on an industrial scale, and Auschwitz III - Monowitz, which housed slave workers for the Buna Rubber factory.

Having passed through security checks, we met our guide who took is though the infamous gates of Auschwitz I, with its arch above cynically saying 'Arbeit Macht Frei' (work sets you free). She took us to several of the large number of brick buildings, arranged in an array. Each building had been prepared in some way to show the conditions that the inmates lived in, for instance a sleeping block crammed with three-level bunk beds, or a toilet and washing block. Some of the buildings were used to display materials found when Auschwitz was liberated, such as piles of shoes, spectacles and suitcases - and even human hair. Other huts housed displays representing the suffering of Jews from different European countries who were brought here. Then we were taken to see the prototype gas chambers and the incinerators used to dispose of the bodies.

A short bus ride took us the Auschwitz II - Birkenau, which was huge by comparison, easily requiring an hour to walk around the perimeter. Railway tracks passed through the entrance to bring in the Jews, crammed into cattle trucks. They were immediately sorted as they alighted the trucks. Those who were fit enough to do useful work were sent to the wooden huts and those who couldn't, which meant most of the women and old men, and all of the children, were sent straight to the gas chambers. Over a million Jews died here.

As the war came to a close, the Germans made some attempt to hide what they had been doing by destroying papers, blowing up the gas chambers and incinerators, and transporting inmates to Germany. However, there were too many survivors for knowledge of what had gone on there to be covered up.

Our guide left us at this point, and we spent the rest of the day walking around the site on our own before returning to Auschwitz I for a final look before catching our bus back to Krakow.

Our trip had been on Rubi's birthday, so we needed something a bit more cheerful for our last day in Krakow. I had planned a walk that took us from our apartment to a park several miles to West of Krakow, outside the immediate city environs. It was a lovely walk along paved footpaths and woodland trails on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny day.

Our destination was Przegorzaly Castle, once the abode of Otto Wachter, the Nazi Governor of Krakow district, but now a hotel and cafe, the latter named U Ziyada. We enjoyed a couple of drinks and the most amazing huge ice cream fruit sundae (which we shared) whilst enjoying the incredible view to the south of the Vistula from our elevated position.

We used a bus to take us part of the way back to the city, but then walked through a lovely wooded park, Park Skaly, with its huge man-made lake produced as a result of quarrying. We climbed up to a cliff above one of the quarries to be rewarded with commanding views over the city.

Our walk back to the apartment took us through the Jewish Quarter, once again, and up Grodzka to eat at the same self-service restaurant that we had visited on our first evening. That very literally rounded off our visit to Krakow, as we would be making our way to the airport in the morning.

Our final evening ended with a visit to a delicatessen in Florianska to buy some smoked cheese for Mum, and a walk around Galeria Krakowska Shopping Mall near the Railway station, where we ate our last fruit sundae.

We had learned much on our first trip to Poland. The wartime history was obviously dreadful, and the immediate post war situation not much better, but Poland at last has its freedom and is a beautiful, safe and friendly country to visit. Perhaps Warsaw next time, or maybe Zakopane again?

ZAKOPANE

GUESS WHERE?

YES, WE WERE BOTH HERE

OUR HIGHEST POINT - SARNIA SKALA

NOT ALONE ON SARNIA SKALA

GREAT VIEWS OF THE TATRAS

LOOKING BACK TOWARDS ZAKOPANE

EATING AGAIN

Thursday 31st May, and after a busy 3 days, we decided to take things a bit easier today. We would travel south to Zakopane, close to the Slovakian border and on the northern side of the Tatra Mountains, where we planned to do some hiking. Packing our essentials in our rucksacks, we made it to the bus station by midday and bought tickets for our 2 hour ride, which turned put to be nearer 3 hours because of traffic.

A 10 minute walk from the bus stop in  Zakopane took us to the Top Hostel where we had booked a room for the night. Dropping off anything we didn't need to carry, we headed through town to the hills.

I had identified a hiking trail that would take us close to the ski lift near Kuznice, then into the Tatra National Park, contouring around a mountain that should give us views over Zakopane town. There was a 5 zloty entrance fee to the park - only about £1. Unfortunately it rained while we were on the hills, dampening our spirits a little, although the thunder and lightning persuaded us that we had been wise not to go any higher. The mist also meant that we didn't get our views after all. We were out for 3 hours, but by the time we got back to the hostel we were dry again, so after a quick clean up we took to the streets to find a place to eat. The restaurant we chose served traditional Polish cuisine that we really enjoyed. We particularly liked the barley and buckwheat grouts.

The weather was clear the following morning as we headed back to the Tatras. There was a little more climbing this time to reach a magnificent viewpoint at Sarnia Skala. No fog this time, but by afternoon the threat of thunder and lightning returned so we chose not to ascend further. Instead we took a slow walk back to town to look around the outdoor shops. Rubi bought a spiral-shaped bready thing covered in cinnamon.

All done, we walked to the bus station to catch a bus back to Krakow. One was there waiting for us, with 5 minutes to spare, so we were back in our apartment by early evening.

We had enjoyed seeing Zakopane and walking in the Tatras, and agreed that we would enjoy walking there again, but ideally in less stormy weather.

CRACKING ON IN KRACOW

READY FOR TAKE-OFF

HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES IN RYNEK GLOWNY

PAWEL TAKES US ON TOUR

CLOCK AT COLLEGIUM CAIUS

POTS & PANS AT OSKAR SCHINDLER'S FACTORY

SALT STATUE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II (ON LEFT)

RUBI AT THE GRADUATION TOWER

SINGING NUNS IN RYNEK GLOWNY

Our flight from London Gatwick got away roughly one and a half hours late as easyJet did their best to cope with the aftermath of the recent strike action (though we never actually found out who went on strike or why).

Anyway, we arrived at Krakow Airport shortly after 2:00pm and for 9 zloty (about £2) the efficient airport railway took us quickly into the city. Our accommodation at Studio XOXO apartment was just 10 minutes walk from the station. The room, with its sofa, ensuite and small kitchenette was just as we had expected.

After dropping off our luggage, we immediately headed out to Stare Miasto, the Old Town in the city centre. Rynek Glowny is the main square and, since Krakow is not large, it only took us 15 minutes to get there We were certainly impressed. The square is dominated by the 16th century Cloth Hall (these days we would call it a shopping mall) and flanked by the equally impressive St Mary's Basilica on one side and the Town Hall Tower with its large clock, on the other.

Carriages, drawn by colourfully adorned horses, were on hand for tourists keen to explore Stare Miasto in comfort and style.

Spurning such luxuries, we continued south along Grodzka to Wawel Castle, once the residence of Polish Kings and now a state museum. The elaborately designed Wawel Cathedral resides within the castle walls, and Karol Wojtyla, a newly ordained priest who later became Pope John Paul II, offered his very first mass here, shortly after the war in 1946.

We were hungry, so we returned to a self-service cafe in Grodzka after making our way half-way around Stare Miasto via the encircling Planty Park. The cafe offered a buffet selection of Polish cuisine. We enjoyed German sausage, meatballs, pork dumplings, buckwheat and potato pancakes. Satiated and, by now, tired we walked back to our apartment via St Florian's Gate and the Barbican. A store next to our apartment was still open, enabling us to purchase eggs, bread and yoghurt for breakfast.

The following morning started with a trip to the local bus and train stations to ensure that we knew where to catch them and obtain tickets - information that would be important over the coming week. Next, we waited by the Barbican to join a free, English-speaking guided walking tour of the city. Pawel, our guide, was easily recognisable due to his yellow umbrella with a Union Jack on top.

He took us down Florianska to Rynek Glowny, where he pointed out the Head of Eros sculpture, and then proceeded to Collegium Maius, the Jagiellonian University's oldest building, where we watched the automatons come out by one door and return by another as the courtyard clock struck 11:00am - a bit like a cookoo clock but with human figures.

Our tour continued on to Wawel Castle, where Pawel filled in a few gaps in our knowledge from the previous day's visit, and ended by the bronze sculpture of the Wawel Dragon (Smok Wawelski) who, according to local legend, once reposed in the large cave nearby when not out and about in town devouring virgins.

It was still only mid-afternoon so we decided to see if we could visit Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory. Oskar Schindler saved many Jews from the death camps by persuading the Nazi authorities that they were essential workers in his factory. He employed so many people, simply for the purpose of saving their lives, that by the end of the war it had bankrupted him. His factory is now a museum of the German occupation of Krakow. However, when we arrived there we were informed that there were no further tickets available today.

Disappointed, we started our way back to the city centre, but a local informed us that if we brought a 'Memory Trail' ticket from the nearby offices of the 'Muzeum Historyczn Miasta Krakowa' (MHMK), we could not only visit the Schindler factory immediately, but we would also be able to gain entry to two further museums relating to the wartime history of the city, and only for a few zloty more than the regular price of the factory ticket. Bargain.

Having availed ourselves of the requisite tickets, we spent the next two hours in Schindler's factory learning about the dreadful suffering of the Jewish people under the Nazis. I won't use this blog to describe what we learned as there is plenty on the internet. Suffice to say that it is difficult to imagine anything more evil than what happened to the Jews in Poland.

We had something a little more cheerful to do the following day - a visit to Wieliczka Salt Mine. A short early morning walk from our apartment enabled us to catch the 304 bus to Wieliczka town. We soon found the mine entrance and bought our timed ticket for an English-speaking tour at 8.30am.

We descended what seemed like an endless staircase to reach the upper levels of the mine, and then continued deeper down long tunnels.The mine was so much cleaner than a coal mine, and you could taste the salt on the walls of the tunnels. Apart from the beautiful underground lakes and magnificent caverns, there were sculptures made of salt and even a complete underground church. The shiny floor tiles looked like ceramic, but were also salt. At the end of the tour, we enjoyed some soup in an underground restaurant before being being shown around the salt mine museum, where variouys further artefacts relating to the mine were displayed. We finally returned to the surface in a cramped lift, happy that we had received good value for money.

In the park surrounding the mine was a large wooden construction called the Graduation Tower, where salt water flowing down the walls produced a healthy saline atmosphere in the immediate vicinity. We had our lunch nearby and then climbed to the top of the tower to walk around the walls.

After catching the 304 bus back to Krakow, we walked to Kazimierz, the site of the Jewish Ghetto south of the Vistula River. I visited the Eagle Pharmacy, another MHMK museum, while Rubi dozed in a nearby cafe. Though located within the ghetto, the pharmacy had been run by Tadeusz Pankiewicz, a Polish Catholic, and it became a meeting place for Jewish artists, scientists and intellectuals.

With Rubi suitable revitalised, we walked north of the Vistula to join another free tour which started at 5:00pm and took us around some of the synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of the city. Afterwards, we returned to our apartment via Rynek Glowny, where a concert was underway with nuns singing on-stage. We were too tired to listen for long though and, after a quick-cook pasta supper embellished with a few vegetables, we were soon in the land of nod. Tomorrow we would catch a bus to Zakopane.

GIBRALTAR & LAST LAZY DAY

THE ROCK

WINDSOR SUSPENSION FOOTBRIDGE

THIS ONE IS GEORGE, THE BOSS

SOME OF GEORGE'S MANY SUBJECTS

CLIMBING UP TO THE RIDGE

VIEW OF GIBRALTER TOWN, HARBOUR & AIRSTRIP

AN EXCELLENT RESTAURANT

COURTYARD OF MUSEO PICASSO MALAGA

HAVING A BIT OF A SONG & DANCE

STILL TALKING

Monday 12th, and bus tickets had been booked with Avanza to take us to the town of La Linea de la Concepcion (often shortened to La Linea) - departing at 6.45am, so we were still half asleep during the three hour journey west along the Spanish coast.

We were on our way to see Gibraltar, and La Linea is the town immediately north of the border with the well-known British Overseas Territory. As the bus drew close, the famous Rock of Gibraltar increasingly dominated our field of view. It was our mission for the day to climb it.

From La Linea bus station it took just a few minutes to walk to passport control where we were quickly waved through. Reaching the town of Gibraltar involved a walk across the airstrip - we had to wait a few minutes while an easyJet airliner landed.

The plan was to walk through the town to Europa Point at the southernmost tip of Gibraltar, and then return by walking over the rock itself. We noted that there were bastions, gun emplacements and other defences almost everywhere, dating from the Moorish occupation right through to the Second World War. The British Army, Royal Navy and RAF are permanently based here.

At Europa Point is a lighthouse, a Christian church and a mosque, the latter confirming that a Moslem population remains here long after the Moorish occupation ended.

The so-called 'Upper Rock' is actually a Nature Reserve which we entered via the Jews' Gate. As walkers, our entry fee was just 50p each, although this apparently goes up to £4 in April.

We were given a map showing the various paths on the rock, and followed a route which took us initially to Windsor Suspension Footbridge and then to  Douglas Lookout. We soon came into contact with the famous Barbary Macaques (often referred to as apes, but actually a breed of tailless monkey) that roam freely in the Nature Reserve. They were well used to humans and amused us with their antics. One jumped on my back and attempted to remove my jacket from my rucksack before I shook him off.

On reaching the highest point of our walk at the Cable Car Station (which didn't seem to be running at the time) we found the views were hampered by the wet fog at the 387m altitude. However, as we started to descend, the views opened up. We could clearly see, Gibralter town, La Linea, the airstrip and the harbour. We had hoped to see HMS Queen Elizabeth in the harbour, since we had seen her distinctive twin control towers as we crossed the airstrip on the walk in. I learned that she had arrived on the 9th, Gibralter being her first overseas visit, but she had 'snuck' out without us noticing while we climbed the rock.

It was downhill from thereon, passing by the Limekiln, the City Under Siege Exhibition and the Moorish Tower before eventually getting back to town. Satisfied that we done all we intended, we headed back through passport control to La Linea to look for somewhere to eat. Although it was past 6.00pm, few restaurants were serving yet. We ended up with a Burger King meal deal which we ate in the bus station whilst waiting for our ride back to Malaga. It was gone midnight before we finally got to sleep.

Given the previous long day, we deserved a bit of a lie-in on our last full day in Malaga, and when we did get up the first priority was to buy whatever gifts we needed to bring home. I wanted to visit the Museo Picasso Malaga, where a substantial collection of Picasso's work was on display. Rubi amused herself in the shops while I spent two and a half hours looking at Picasso's paintings, scultures and etchings.

For the rest of the day we simply enjoyed wandering around the town, drinking Spanish wine in the sun and eating a fine meal at La Cueva restaurant. After a Jack Daniels nightcap in a friendly local bar, we returned to the apartment for our last night. 

Our return to the UK the following day, to much cooler, wetter weather, was quite uneventful - except for the extremely bumpy landing at Gatwick due to high winds. Rubi said she thought the wings nearly touched the runway. I was too busy trying to finish off a Suduko puzzle before we had to exit the plane.

GRANADA & MALAGA

THE ALHAMBRA

SUNNY MAYBE, BUT COLD

THE PALACIO DE LOS LEONES

WASHINGTON IRVING WROTE 'TALES OF THE ALHAMBRA'

CALLE MARQUES DE LARIOS AT NIGHT

PLAZA DE LA MERCED

FROM THE CASTILLO DE GIBRALFARO

THE CASTILLO DE GIBRALFARO

MALAGA HARBOUR & THE OLD BULLRING

THE CENTRE POMPIDOU

IN MALAGA NATURE PARK

PICASSO LOOKED WELL BRONZED IN THE SUN

It was still dark as we walked briskly through the Malaga streets to catch the 7.00am bus to Granada.

From the moment I had booked the holiday, it had been my intention that we visit the famous Moorish palace/fortress complex of the Alhambra in Granada. However, I hadn't realised that they limit the daily number of visitors who can enter the Nasrid dynasty palaces, and tickets are generally sold out weeks in advance. After much internet searching I was lucky enough to find a company offering guided tours that still had some tickets and, though it cost us three times the price, did at least get us in. It turned out that I has bought the company's last two tickets for the day!!

Of course, we still needed to get to Granada and had purchased tickets for the ALSA Bus on the previous day. The journey was really smooth and comfortable, and by 8.45am we had arrived at Granada bus station, located in the suburbs of the city. Another bus took us to the city centre, and from there we walked uphill for a good 20 minutes to reach the main entrance of the Alhambra complex where we would meet our guide. We arrived in good time for the 11.00am start of the tour.

Our guide was Anna, who spoke excellent English. She took us first to Palacio del Generalife, the Summer Palace of the Nasrid sultans, which is outside the fortified walls. The Muslims occupied Spain for around 700 years, until driven out by Christian armies in the 'reconquesta'. Sadly, much of the Muslim architecture and decoration of the Palacio del Generalife has been modified or destroyed since the 'reconquesta'.

Next, we passed through the gate into the walled Medina or city area. We saw the foundations of houses destroyed by Napoleon Bonaparte, simply because he couldn't take the Alhambra back to France with him. The complex is vast, so it took is a short while to reach the Palacio de Carlos V. This building, constructed by a Catholic King of Spain, is rather out of place in an otherwise Moslem enclosure.

We proceeded to the Alcazaba or Fortress, a military area with a clear defensive function that was the first part of the Alhambra constructed. Finally, we entered the Nasrid palaces, in turn the Palacio del Mexuar (ordered to be built by Sultan Ismael I), the Palacio de Comares (due to Yusef I) and the Palacio de Los Leones (due to Muhammad V). In spite of the ravages of time, the quality of the Moslem artistry and workmanship that made these palaces such impressive places in their time is still clearly evident. We exited the palace area into El Partal, once the site of further palaces, but now terraced gardens.

Our tour had taken a full three hours. After a late picnic lunch, we walked back down to Granada city centre. There were lots of shops and interesting buildings to look at, so we slowly ambled our way all the way back the to Bus Station. We had bought an open ticket and assumed that we could return to Malaga on any bus we chose. However, we hadn't reckoned on our selected bus being full. After a minor panic, we got yourselves onto an alternative bus which took us swiftly back to Malaga. By the time we got back to the apartment it was nearly 9.00pm and dark, but we still managed to summon enough energy to prepare a supper of sausages and vegetables.

The following Saturday morning involved a rather slower start, but at least it was nice and warm outside by the time we exited our digs. It was supposed to be carnival season in Malaga, so we headed down to the Plaza de la Constitution to see what was going on. Not a lot as it happens! Since we were in the main shopping district we consoled ourselves with a little retail therapy. Once we were satiated, we decided to climb up to Castillo de Gibralfaro, the fortress that overlooks Malaga. It was a steep climb with the sun beating down on us, but well worth it. We walked the full distance around the fortress walls, stopping for our picnic lunch along the way. The views over the city, the sea to the south and the hills to the North, were spectacular.

Our walk back down took us past the old bullfighting ring and on towards the lighthouse. There were lots of shops in the harbour area and the noisy presence of a rock and roll band signalled that there was a carnival after all. The was also a huge multi-coloured plastic cube dominating the harbour wall which we later established was the 'Centre Pompidou Malaga', the first international branch of the famous Parisian art gallery.

On Sunday we decided to 'head for the hills'. Gleaning what information I could from free local maps, and with a bit of help from Google, I reckoned that we could find a walking route to the Mountains of Malaga Nature Park. We headed North East along streets and through residential areas until we came to a footpath that took us to the summit of Monte Victoria. From there, we located a path that took us down the other side, crossing over the A7 Autovia (motorway) and into the Nature Park. We passed a nice little bar-cafe along the way and each enjoyed a San Miguel light beer with a free tapas, whilst bathing in the warm sun.

We spent about an hour and a half aimlessly following rough footpaths around the park until we found a quiet spot for lunch. We headed back to Malaga on a rough compass bearing, using a stream bed to guide us, and eventually exited the Park by passing under the the viaduct that supported the A7.

We stopped for a second time at the same bar-cafe as before to enjoy another beer and tapas. Rubi asked if we could have some olives too, which the waitress duly brought to us, but refused to accept any additional payment for when we left.

We skirted around Monte Victoria on our return trek and were soon back at the Plaza de la Merced. We thought it was about time we took a photo of the seated bronze figure of Picasso in the Plaza. He birthplace, close by, is now a museum run by the 'Fundacion Picasso'. As luck would have it, entry was free between 4.00pm and 8.00pm on a Sunday.

WOT! ANOTHER HOLIDAY?

ARRIVAL IN MALAGA'S PASEO DEL PARQUE

NOW, WHICH WAY UP DOES THE MAP GO?

OUR APARTMENT NEAR PLAZA DE LA MERCED

MALAGA RAILWAY STATION

NEAR THE CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

EYE, EYE, BUT NOT IN LONDON

CALLE MARQUES DE LARIOS

RUBI PRACTISING HER FAVOURITE HOBBY 

It's February 2018, and there has been plenty going on since we came back from Ireland last August. We spent a week at Longmynd House in Church Stretton at the end of August, with me guiding walking guests for HF Holiday's and Rubi as a guest herself. The weather was great and exploring the Shropshire Hills on foot was a real pleasure.

The other significant event was that I sold my holiday home in Dartmouth. It has provided many happy memories during my 17 years of ownership, but work is thin these days so I need to cut down my outgoings and have some capital to call upon.

Like last year, February is an ideal time to take a cheap European holiday somewhere warmer than the UK, and this year's destination is........Malaga, on the Spanish Costa del Sol.

Wednesday February 7th, and after an early morning start we flew from Gatwick. The airport bus from Malaga Airport finally dropped us at Paseo Del Parque near the centre around mid-afternoon. It was coolish, but the sun warmed us as it peeked its face from behind the clouds.

We were travelling light, so immediately headed for a tourist information office to get some maps and advice on what to see in the city. The Picasso Museum naturally came high on the list. A slow wander through the streets brought us to our apartment near the Plaza de la Merced, close to Picasso's birthplace.

Our apartment was quite cold, and we needed the owner's advice on how to operate the air conditioning unit to get it warm. It was quite chilly outside by the evening, so after a supper comprising leftovers we had brought over from the UK, we opted for an early night.

Next morning we headed off to the bus station, to the west of the city, roughly a half hour's brisk walk away. We needed to book bus tickets to Granada for the following day, and to Gibralter for the following Monday. With a little advice from helpful locals, the process turned out to be quite simple.

We walked back to the city centre via the railway station and the docks, passing the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo (Centre for Contemporary Art) and a big wheel similar to the London Eye, only a bit smaller. A walk up the pedestrianised Calle Marques de Larios took us through the main shopping hub to the Plaza de la Constitution, where an information office provided us with a map of Granada, useful for the following day's excursion.

Rubi found a nice clothes shop and bought a pretty dress. There, we bumped into a chatty lady from Brighton, travelling solo, who had come over on the same flight as us. She ended up buying a similar dress.

We continued east through the jumbled streets, looking for a non-touristy place to have lunch. Finally we found a locals' cafe on Calle Victoria which offered a 3-course 'menu del dia' with wine for €9.25 each. Cracking!

We had eaten quite late, so by the time we walked a little more and visited the supermarket to stock up with food, it was time to get some rest. We needed to rise by 5.00am the following morning to catch a bus, so another early night beckoned.