A Day of Few Words by Many
There were hundreds visiting Auschwitz, but hardly a sound
Tour guides speak softly, their messages heard clearly through headphones
Spoken in a variety of languages
It was cold and dreary, but you really couldn't complain or whine
We learned Auschwitz was a central hub for extermination
People brought here from all over Europe - 1.3 million
A place where the learning was applied in building more efficient death factories
The tour included Birkenau (Auschwitz II) a couple of miles away
300 barrack-style building (150 on each side of the tracks) beyond this main building
500 people per barrack
The train pulls up and people poured out to be sorted
Two gas chambers/crematoriums on the other side of the trees
Two more in the forest to the right
This is where Jacob (Sandy's hospice patient) came
He was sorted to a work camp and his parents went beyond the trees
We were delivered to our apartment early afternoon
Plenty of time to visit a few place - we leave tomorrow
Finally found the entrance to the cemetery in Kazimierz and it was open
Jewish graves hundreds of years old
Of course we failed to realize there was an entrance fee and were called back to pay
Of course, the ticket booth was not near the entrance
Must be a "Polish thing"
A surrounding wall embedded with broken tombstones
Destroyed during German occupation
An early dinner and then home - over the bridge to our apartment
Tomorrow we get the rental car and leave Krakow
And the dreary weather should be leaving too
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