Our first experience in Krakow!

As we sat in the airport by ourselves, John Tyler and I saw quite a few military men walking about with their german shepherd dogs. We even saw them use the dog to sniff through a bag. We wondered what was going on. I, stupidly, thought it would be a fun thing to remember, so I used John Tyler as an excuse to take a picture of the military men that I saw. John Tyler was walking by himself a few feet from me and there was a group of 3 men, 2 in military uniform and 1 in a black suit and tie-looking like a CIA agent (if he were American.) I took the picture of John Tyler walking towards me with a smile on his face. No sooner had I taken the picture than the man in the suit was speaking harshly at me in Polish. I said that I didn't speak Polish. He simply said, "The picture, let me see the picture." He picked up my camera, looked at the picture, told me "Erase that, now, " and walked off, only to go upstairs and continue to watch John Tyler and I until J.C came back and we left for the train...spooky!

Waiting for the train after we got off the airplane in Krakow, Poland

He's no longer the calm baby he used to be! I had to chase him to get his hat and gloves on....aren't they adorable...thanks agian, Jeb and Britt!

Krakow- The City

1-We thought that this building was beautiful but funny because of the faces.

2- J.C and I wandered down one of the main streets just looking at all the shops. It was pretty. We wanted to stay out longer but little John Tyler was getting too cold so we ended our exploration early. The good and bad thing about John Tyler is that he never complained...but when his hands are turning purple and his nose looks like it is going to fall off...I guess it's time to go inside!

John Tyler goes shopping ALONE!

"Hhhhm...I wonder what's down this hall?"

"Where have you been young man?"

Shopping in Krakow At the Mall

There was a pretty big mall just a block or so from hotel and right over the train station. It was wonderful to have a warm place to wander through and entertain ourselves. The only other entertainment we had was a t.v that carried only Polish speaking movies, news, ect. While there everyone found something that they were coveting, but no one got anything.


"Can we have it Papi?...pleeeeeaaase?"

Our Phone Talker

We actually have no idea how John Tyler knew that this was a phone. We have never had a phone like this; both J.C, Suku, and I only use cell phones. As soon as John Tyler spotted the phone in our hotel room he went straight to it, picked it up, and started chatting into it. J.C grabbed our camera just in time to catch him giving me the phone. Then I gave it back to him and he continued his chat.

Random pictures from Poland

1- The view from our hotel window.

2-John Tyler's train ride to Auschwitz. How sweet!

3- View of the countryside from the train

4- J.C feeding John Tyler a spoonful of pure sugar...yuck!!! J.C thought he was sooo funny!

Aushwitz I

This first picture is of me strapping our young man into his chair in preparation to go on the tour that highly suggests not having children come who are under 14 years of age. J.C and I hadn't even considered the idea that we wouldn't be able to take John Tyler. Once there, we realized that it was not a child friendly place. We were glad that John Tyler was still too young to really be affected by the images and stories that were told. If we come again, we will not bring children with us (unless they're mature 14 year olds or older.) It is too much for a child to understand. I think it would just bring terror and nightmares instead of compassion and understanding. It was nerve racking for me at first because I didn't want to slow the group down or make it difficult for them to hear. The group was wonderful with us and J.C was amazing as I have mentioned in the blog following this.

The second picture is of the entryway to the concentration camp. The words mean, "Work Brings Freedom." Ironic isn't...the Jews worked and they were not given freedom.

Auschwitz I- continued

The trees in these pictures were planted by the Germans in an attempt to beautify this place in order to make it appear from the outside that the Jews were living in a good place. Maybe the beauty helped the Jews to bring their nicest belongings to help them get started in their new homes. (I didn't remember/know that the Germans had told Jews that they were being 'relocated' to a new home in order to get them to bring their valuables until I went on this tour.)

Auschwitz- continued:Our Trooper

John Tyler was such a trooper. Even though his fingers were red from cold, he just kept a cheerful countenance. J.C had to stand at the very back (because John Tyler was happily talking) and I had to stand at the very front of our group in order to keep him happy without disturbing the group. I felt bad and wanted J.C to let me switch him but he wouldn't hear of it. He wanted me to be able to enjoy the tour and so he spent the entire day taking care of John Tyler. John Tyler only cried once when he fell while charming the older women in the group. The first picture is of him charming them and the second picture is of me coming out of one of the buildings right after he fell. He needed a little love and then within a minute or two we were off and running with smiles on our faces (the third picture). Actually, I had just come out of the torture building when he fell and there was a subdued feeling about the group so this is a picture of me hanging back behind the group galloping with him so that he would smile instead of cry. John Tyler's smile/laughing is much quieter than his crying, trust me.

Auschwitz I

These are the gallows where people were hung as examples for all the prisoners to see. They were origally built to hang 12 people who supposedly knew and helped 3 prisoners escape.

The building on the right of the gates is the building where most of the torture took place. It was the site of the first gasing. They put 750-850 (I forget which one) in the basement and testing the chemical that they later used in all their gas chambers. The basement was also were they had prison cells, standing cells, and starvation cells to discipline prisoners. The gates open to the alleyway where those sentenced to death were shot. The picture of the wall is a replica of the wall that the prisoners were placed in front of before being shot. It was built to protect the brick wall from any blood, bullets, ect. (evidence).

Auschwitz I -continued

This is a picture of the place where the man in charge of this crematorium in the next picture was hung after the war. I don't remember his name right now, but he was one of the big men in charge of murdering a lot of Jews. The second picture is, as I mentioned previously, a crematorium that was used by the Nazi's as a bomb shelter at the end of the war. How horrible that they would use the place where they murdered so many people as a place of refuge for themselves.

Auschwitz II- Birkenau

This camp had upwards of 300 barracks. It was built after the Nazi's realized that Auschwitz I wasn't large enough to handle the amount of prisoners that they had or were planning to have. This camp had atleast 3 crematoriums. There were 1.7 million people that went through this and Auschwitz I camps. When they freed the existing prisoners, there were only around 2,500 left. These particular pictures are of the train tracks that ran right through the middle of the two sections of this camp. This would have been were they were brought in and then seperated into those who would live and those who would be gased. It was difficult to smile for a picture, but we wanted to remember it. How do you pose in such a place? As we stood there looking at the view, I wondered what it must have been like to step out of the cramped train and see the barbed wire...what did they feel? Did they have any idea that some of them would die within an hour? Did they hope for their loved one's quick death, or did they hold on to the hope that they would all be free? I'm determined to go back to the U.S and find books about real people who survived these camps. I want to know their stories now that I've seen where they were forced to live.

Auschwitz II- Birkenau, continued

(First picture) These are some of the barracks that Germans burned down to try to hide what they were doing before the Allies freed this camp. There was too much evidence to burn and not enough time to cover there tracks. (Second picture) This is J.C and John Tyler standing within the actual concentration camp, only a few feet from the barracks.

The Train Ride Home (back to our hotel)

These are some pictures of the countryside that J.C took from the train.

Poland turned out to look exactly how I always pictured it.

I bet that it is gorgeous in the summertime.

This last picture appears to be an anti-Jew sign written in graffiti. It was disheartening to see after visiting Auschwitz.

Our Hotel in Krakow, Poland

This is where we stayed for two nights. It was one of the cheapest hotels in Krakow. J.C booked it. I was nervous that it would be disgusting (because of the price) but it turned out to be wonderful.

J.C and I finally got our wish of having two seperate beds instead of one. This appears to be a king-size bed. Look closer and you'll see ridges in the covers. It actually turned out to be two single beds pushed together. We loved it!