Poland 2016 Spring: Wednesday, April 27th 2016

Suprising Lublin

Mention of Lublin in our guidebook was small. It included mention of Majdanek, the first concentration camp ordered by Himmler, just outside town. It wasn't familiar, did some reading and we were so close...

5Kms out of town a huge sculpture with guard towers and barracks in the distance encircled by barb wire

The monument is astoundingly immense

Paid our admittance and drove inside. There were 2 cars and 1 bus of high school kids.

The Majdanek compound was out in the open and not hidden like other Nazi "detention centers."

It wasn't destroyed before capture by Soviet forces in 1944. Papers, artifacts regarding how the camp functioned were found.

Inside the wash home, barracks and crematorium are exhibits and diary entries - many in English - with pictures of the person and a summary life history.

This place was more personal than Auschwitz

There's a final memorial way out, in the distance. You walk under the dome and there's a huge mound of cremains - found after the camp was liberated.

The etched words on the dome

"Our fate is a warning to you"

"Glad" we visited - but its not joyful

While in the suburbs, found a large grocery story (one of our favorites - Carrefour), bought snacks for the plane and bubble wrap.

Rather than try to find the Polish word(s) for bubble wrap, we show the salesclerk an image on our iPhone. Works really well.

Back in town, found a quick pizza in the square below Lublin Castle.

Lublin wasn't destroyed during WW2 because it was a Nazi headquarters.

The castle's a museum and its chapel has Russian Byzantine 14th century paintings - pretty incredible.

Dragged Sandy to 2 more churches and then set him free from future obligations.

It was time for hot mulled wine (me) and elderberry lemonade with fresh mint (Sandy).

Like this town

It's not "touristy"

But it's not perfect. Some buildings need care but have amazing personality in their current form.