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This is the Long Sword and Broad swords of William Wallace – “Braveheart”. While the Hollywood movie was inspiring to watch it missed some of the most interesting things about William Wallace. For one thing using the Long sword as a measure, Wallace would have been over 6 1/2 feet tall to use it!

Sir William Wallace, (born c. 1270, probably near Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland—died August 23, 1305, London, England), one of Scotland’s greatest national heroes, leader of the Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long and ultimately successful struggle to free Scotland from English rule.

His father, Sir Malcolm Wallace, was a small landowner in Renfrew. In 1296 King Edward I of England deposed and imprisoned the Scottish king John de Balliol and declared himself ruler of Scotland. Sporadic resistance had already occurred when, in May 1297, Wallace and a band of some 30 men burned Lanark and killed its English sheriff. Wallace then organized an army of commoners and small landowners and attacked the English garrisons between the Rivers Forth and Tay. On September 11, 1297, an English army under John de Warenne, earl of Surrey, confronted him at the Forth near Stirling. Wallace’s forces were greatly outnumbered, but Surrey had to cross a narrow bridge over the Forth before he could reach the Scottish positions. By slaughtering the English as they crossed the river, Wallace gained an overwhelming victory. He captured Stirling Castle, and for the moment Scotland was nearly free of occupying forces. In October, he invaded northern England and ravaged the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland.

Upon returning to Scotland early in December 1297, Wallace was knighted and proclaimed guardian of the kingdom, ruling in Balliol’s name. Nevertheless, many nobles lent him only grudging support; and he had yet to confront Edward I, who was campaigning in France. Edward returned to England in March 1298, and on July 3 he invaded Scotland. On July 22 Wallace’s spearmen were defeated by Edward’s archers and cavalry in the Battle of Falkirk, Stirling. Although Edward failed to pacify Scotland before returning to England, Wallace’s military reputation was ruined. He resigned his guardianship in December and was succeeded by Robert de Bruce (later King Robert I) and Sir John Comyn “the Red.”

There is some evidence that Wallace went to France in 1299 and thereafter acted as a solitary guerrilla leader in Scotland; but from the autumn of 1299 nothing is known of his activities for more than four years. Although most of the Scottish nobles submitted to Edward in 1304, the English continued to pursue Wallace relentlessly. On August 5, 1305, he was arrested near Glasgow. Taken to London, he was condemned as a traitor to the king even though, as he maintained, he had never sworn allegiance to Edward. He was hanged, disemboweled, beheaded, and quartered. In 1306 Bruce raised the rebellion that eventually won independence for Scotland.

Many of the stories surrounding Wallace have been traced to a late 15th-century romance ascribed to Harry the Minstrel, or “Blind Harry.” The most popular tales are not supported by documentary evidence, but they show Wallace’s firm hold on the imagination of his people. A huge monument (1861–69) to Wallace stands atop the rock of Abbey Craig near Stirling. He was the subject of the movie Braveheart (1995).    https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wallace

While Wallace is an interesting historical character, his battle tactics were brutal and grim – war is hell!

We saw the swords in Scotland, and the plaque in London. After leaving Scotland we took the train to Kings Cross in London.

Yup –  THAT Kings Cross! We then schlepped Luggage to Paddington Station to Left Luggage and set off to explore London for the day….a short day!

My goal for the day was to see the Wallace Memorial, after that I was open to just seeing what we could. After a couple of stops we hit the Tower of London…..

Saw London Bridge

Westminister

And Big Ben

A day in London is just a small taste

And of course a return trip is quite needed! Then it was time to recover luggage, take the train to the airport, quick flight to Dublin, quick sleep, and flight home….

Before we leave…more Castles in Scotland

 

 

This is a beautiful and mystic country

It is easy to imagine the Scots hiding in the mists with their bagpipes scaring the hell out of their enemies. This is a beautiful country and it would be easy to walk it forever…walk into a mist and down a mountain….through a vale, and into a moor….it is legal to walk anywhere in Scotland, you can walk across anyone’s property as long as you leav it as you find it and don’t molest the animals….

 

And the lovely animals that there are. The common wildlife include Red Deer, Golden Eagles, peregrine falcons and wild cats, not Here Kitty, Kitty, but true Wild Cats. My Favorite is Hairy Cattle

and of course, sheep – of which there are many!

The other wildlife (yet unconfirmed) is the Loch Ness Monster – we went out on the Loch searching….

And only had one quick glimpse of her

 I just want to say that if I go back, I am not sure that I will ever come back, the stark beauty speaks to my soul.

Of the neat and interesting things we saw, we toured Doune Castle, saw Sterling Castle, and several other castles. Fans of Game of Thrones may recognize the Winterfell great hall from these pictures – some of the exteriors were used in GOT – also Monty Python used the Castle in the Holy Grail.

And so we continue in the History Museum, we focus on the important things of course:

I have a great many pictures from this visit – and at the time I took them I just knew that they were important and I would remember…some of that knowledge has moved out!

For several centuries, tartan remained part of the everyday garb of the Highlander. Whilst tartan was worn in other parts of Scotland, it was in the Highlands that its development continued and so it became synonymous with the symbol of clan kinship.

Tartan was used to make the items of clothing which are today considered traditional Scottish dress, including the philabeg, or kilt, and of course the trews. These would be worn with shoes of untanned hide and the cuaran, a knee length boot also made from hide which was shaped to the leg and kept in place by thongs. A hat, or bonnet of knitted wool sporting a badge of the clan, usually a plant of flower, would sit proudly on the head of the clansman. The highly ornamented leather sporran worn in front of the kilt served as a purse completed the ensemble.

The women of the clan wore a curraichd of linen over their heads which fastened under their chin. The tonnag was a small square of tartan worn over the shoulders, and the arasaid was a long self-colored or tartan garment, which reached from the head to the ankles, pleated all round and fastened at the breast with a brooch and at the waist by a belt.

Early tartans were simple checks of perhaps only two or three colors. The colors were extracted mainly from dye-producing plants, roots, berries and trees local to a specific geographic area. These simple checks or tartans were worn by the people of the district where they were made, and as such became the area or clan tartan.

It is said that the weavers took great pain to give exact patterns of tartan by identifying each color of every thread upon a piece of wood known as a maide dalbh, or pattern stick. An account from 1572 records how a housewife gave colored wool to a weaver to make into cloth. In suing him before the magistrate she accused him of making the cloth to his ‘awin fasoun’, or own fashion, and not according to her instructions. She won her case and the naughty weaver was punished.

With the evolution of chemical dies, weavers were able to introduce more elaborate patterns including more vivid and varied colors. As clans grew and branched through birth, death or marriage, the newer clans evolved tartans of their own by adding an over stripe onto the basic pattern of the parent clan.  http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Tartan/

TARTAN CATEGORISATION

1. Clan/Family. Tartan associated to one’s family background. The Clan (or Family) tartan is worn by the clan’s members as well as well-wishers. If someone has a Scottish surname, there is probably a tartan associated to this name, too. Click here to search the Clan finder.
2. Name. Tartan intended for anyone of that surname – be it an individual or the whole family. The registrant of such a tartan may be expected to have a number of people with that surname sign off on the design, as evidence that they approve of the registration. In some time such tartans may be accepted as Clan/Family ones if no other patterns are available.
3. District. Tartan named after particular geographical area. District tartans may be symbols of countries, cities, provinces, states or even small towns. Such tartans are usually worn by those who feel a personal connection to the area that the tartan represents. Practically, it is often used also by those who cannot find their clan or family connection to any of the tartans.
4. Portrait/Artefact. Tartan’s thread-count is taken from a real artifact, painting or an article of clothing. The Scottish Register of Tartans suggests including the tartan’s origin in its name.
5. Corporate. Tartan which belongs to a particular company, organisation or group of people gathered around specific interests. The trend of creating corporate tartans has started in the 1980s and has remained continuously popular right up to the present day. Naturally, these tartans are worn only by employees or group members, and weaving of the tartan is normally restricted to company approved weavers only, to ensure distribution is controlled among approved wearers only.
6. Commemorative. Tartans created in order to memorialise someone or something. They mark a special event or a person and may be worn by anyone who has an interest or who feel associated to the tartan’s theme.
7. Fashion. Tartan brought to life because of commercial issues. The copyrights are owned by the commercial companies and un-approved mills are excluded from weaving them, unless the notes say different.
8. Military. Tartans connected to the branches of the armed forces, which can be worn by any person with a genuine claim to affiliation with that branch. Volunteer branches are also included in this category.
9. Royal. Tartan that is strictly connected to the Royal Family. These tartans are worn only by the members of the British Royal Family. However, few tartans considered as “Royal” ones (such as Royal Stewart) have no restriction and historically can be worn by any subject of that monarch (or, as with Royal Stewart, now anyone can wear it).
10. Regimental. Similar to normal military tartans, however these are affiliated with a specific regiment, and really, only veterans or currently serving members of that regiment should wear these.
11. Trade. Tartans which are used to represent other jobs, not related to the military. Trade tartans are however particularly popular among vocations with a strong military connection, such as the emergency services.
12. Universal. Tartans intended for people with a link to Scotland, who wish to wear tartan but do cannot identify their clans or the districts his/her ancestors lived in. Universal tartans are also a good solution for those who have no particular connection to Scotland but are passionate fans and enthusiasts of all things Scottish!

My Family name is Gillis, we belong to the Clan MacPherson.

 

Most people know that my father’s people all came from the highlands of Scotland. That is my only ‘known’ heritage, and the heritage I feel most strongly about – so I have always wanted to go to Scotland. That is the beginning of the story. William, the world traveler, spend 3 months in Africa, primarily Ghana, and was heading back to the states in late June.  We decided to meet in Dublin, Ireland and travel to Scotland. As with all of the trips we have taken my job is getting there and William takes care of the internal arrangements. First let me say that there is not enough time- ever- to see and do all that you want. Second, travel light, and third, be prepared for anything!

Arrived in Dublin – lovely airport; met William who arrived from Ghana – that was great – and now we are in Ireland! We hit the Hop On-Hop Off and quickly toured the City, including a stop at the natural history museum.

Now THAT is a Moose! Above William’s head – it was a building filled with ancient animals – well, not the animal, but the bones and stuffed creatures to make sure that we know who (what) was in Ireland from early times.

We only had one day in Dublin – so touring was the best way to see a bit of it – of course that isn’t enough time to see much of anything – so I have to go back!

The next morning, we flew to London. Quick flight, and from the airport to the train station where we boarded a train for Edinburgh, Scotland. This really is a trip I have been looking forward to all of my life. It was exciting to board the train….and then the train A/C failed, and it was quite warm, and the lady next to us had a crying baby….but I was getting to see the countryside as we sweated our way through England and on to Scotland.

We arrived in Edinburgh mid afternoon – took a taxi to our Lodgings which William had arranged – an how cool is this place!! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms – a lovely apartment a couple of blocks from Edinburgh Castle. If you are traveling – have William book your lodgings!

So we unpack and explore. First stop, Edinburgh castle and town.

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century the castle’s residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland’s national heritage was recognized increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmed have been carried out over the past century and a half. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1100-year-old history, giving it a claim to having been “the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world”.  https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/edinburgh-castle-p245821

I wish I could remember all the exciting and wonderful things we did while in Scotland – we ate fish and chips (wonderful), drank wonderful beer, and Scotch – did a Scotch tasting – official tasting, I tasted a lot of Scotch independent of the official tasting….walked a lot – and explored the highlands – the scenery was awe inspiring, and I felt like I could stay forever! We saw the little café where JK Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling), and we wandered through a totally ancient cemetery…

And the park below the University of Edinburgh

The up the hill to the University

Edinburgh is a beautiful and very historic city – beyond that the Scots are a very frank, and plain spoken people

I rather like the message – no holding back and no doubt about the message 🙂

 

We explored the castle and the town below. You just never know what you will see

The Grassmarket was also a traditional place of public executions.

A memorial near the site once occupied by the gibbet was created by public subscription in 1937. It commemorates over 100 Covenanters who died on the gallows between 1661 and 1688 during the period known as The Killing Time. Their names, where known, are recorded on a nearby plaque. One obdurate prisoner’s refusal to escape death by swearing loyalty to the Crown prompted the snide remark by the Duke of Rothes that he had chosen to “glorify God in the Grassmarket”.

In 1736 the Grassmarket formed the backdrop to the Porteous Riots which ended in the lynching of a captain of the Town Guard. A plaque near the traditional execution site now marks the spot where an enraged mob brought Captain Porteous’s life to a brutal end.

A popular story in Edinburgh is that of Margaret Dickson, a fishwife from Musselburgh who was hanged in the Grassmarket in 1724 for murdering her illegitimate baby shortly after birth. After the hanging, her body was taken back to Musselburgh on a cart. However, on the way there she awoke. Since, under Scots Law, her punishment had been carried out, she could not be executed for a second time for the same crime (only later were the words “until dead” added to the sentence of hanging). Her “resurrection” was also to some extent seen as divine intervention, and so she was allowed to go free. In later life (and legend) she was referred to as “half-hangit Maggie”. There is now a pub in the Grassmarket named after her.

In 1775, the young advocate James Boswell’s first criminal client, John Reid from Peeblesshire, was hanged in the Grassmarket for sheep-stealing. Boswell, convinced of his client’s innocence and citing Maggie Dickson’s miraculous recovery, hatched a plan to recover Reid’s corpse immediately after execution and have it resuscitated by surgeons. He was finally dissuaded from this course of action by a friend who warned him that the condemned man had become resigned to his fate and might well curse Boswell for bringing him back to life.

Sir Walter Scott described his memory of the Grassmarket gibbet in his novel The Heart of Midlothian published in 1818.

“The fatal day was announced to the public, by the appearance of a huge black gallows-tree towards the eastern end of the Grassmarket. This ill-omened apparition was of great height, with a scaffold surrounding it, and a double ladder placed against it, for the ascent of the unhappy criminal and the executioner. As this apparatus was always arranged before dawn, it seemed as if the gallows had grown out of the earth in the course of one night, like the production of some foul demon; and I well remember the fright with which the schoolboys, when I was one of their number, used to regard these ominous signs of deadly preparation. On the night after the execution the gallows again disappeared, and was conveyed in silence and darkness to the place where it was usually deposited, which was one of the vaults under the Parliament House, or courts of justice.”

We explored the city under the city – where the citizens who worked in the town lived. Far below ground, no sunlight piercing the gloom and still air, people lived, birthed, raised families, and died. When disease struck it spread rapidly through the dim place. Children ran and played in the same rivers of soil and sewage under the city. Life for the poor, the “normal” citizenry was difficult and these places help us to understand…understand disease – both physical and political.

The Museum of History of Scotland was a lovely exploration as well.

 

 

 

 

So we left Poland, took the train and went back to Berlin. Needless to say we schlepped luggage up 5 flights of stairs, and kind of collapsed from trip exhaustion! It was an extraordinary adventure!

The rest of the trip included a visit to the Laundry Bar – we can wash our laundry and drink beer! Then back to the apartment and packing for the trip home. Flew from Berlin to Paris, Paris to Detroit, and back to Louisville. Happy to be home, but sad to leave the adventure. Next posts will be from the 2016 trip to Scotland and England. Thanks for sharing my extraordinary

adventure.

Last day in Poland – I am really sad. Although I knew that this vacation would come to an end, I really feel like I need to explore these amazing places more! But sadly, that will not be, so we must explore today! We decide to make a real visit to the Castle which we find on Wawel Hill.

The Wawel Castle is a castle residency located in central Kraków, Poland. Built at the behest of King Casimir III the Great,^[2] it consists of a number of structures situated around the Italian-styled main courtyard. The castle, being one of the largest in Poland, represents nearly all European architectural styles of medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in the country. In 1978 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Centre of Kraków.

For centuries the residence of the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood, the Castle is now one of the country’s premier art museums. Established in 1930, the museum encompasses ten curatorial departments responsible for collections of paintings, including an important collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, prints, sculpture, textiles, among them the Sigismund II Augustus tapestry collection, goldsmith’s work, arms and armor, ceramics, Meissen porcelain, and period furniture. The museum’s holdings in oriental art include the largest collection of Ottoman tents in Europe. With seven specialized conservation studios, the museum is also an important center for the conservation of works of art.

Needless to say, as this is a central theme of our adventure, we walked. The castle and grounds sit on a hill, so we are walking up hill (we did a lot of that too). Wawel Hill is 25 meters above the Vistula River.This is a view of the river from the castle wall.

It was once surrounded by the rive and swamps so it was a safe place, and easy to defend. There is evidence that this site has been used by city defenders as early as the 9th century. In 1000 A.D., Boleslaus the Brave began construction of the Cathedral. At the turn of the 11th century a Romanesque castle was built and it survived until the 14th century. King Ladislas the Short and King Casimir the Great, Queen Jadwiga and Ladislas Jagiello enlarged and further developed the castle. The castle has an extensive history, fires, invading hordes of armies, and more construction. The Germans used the Castle during the second world war and hung a swastika from the Thieves’ Tower.

The back of the Thieves tower (Left). You can see the different levels of construction, this photo is of some of the persons who contributed over the ages to the construction efforts on the castle. It is a large structure, multiple buildings including a treasury, and armory, the Cathedral, The Royal Residence, and multiple service and military areas.

Here you can see a view of the open (huge) courtyard surrounded by multiple services for the castle. The upper corner shot is of the Royal Residence (we did not visit) but we did visit the treasury and armory. I have one photo, before they informed me that photos were not permitted,

We then visited the Wawal Cathedral, Beautiful, awe inspiring (as I imagine they were intended to) we saw a lot of dead kings and queens – visited the crypt, lots of dead people there as well. The patron saints of the cathedral are St. Wenceslas and St. Stanislaus.   In the center of the cathedral is a shrine to St. Stanislaus, who was a Bishop and martyr. The story goes that in 1079, King Boleslaus The Bold argued with the Bishop and ordered him killed. They had a conflict and the verdict was that he (the Bishop) was to have his limbs severed from his body. According to the legend, the King killed the Bishop himself and had his body cut into pieces, but the body grew into one in the 13th century. Stanislaus was canonized in 1253 and his grave became a destination of pilgrims praying for miracles in their lives. The legend also contains a prophecy that says that no one with the name Stanislaus could be a successful king of Poland. To date that prophecy has proven true as two kings with the name Stanislaus (so if you know of the prophecy why would you name your baby Stanislaus?) were forced to resign from the throne.

Once upon a time a dragon lived beneath the castle. We had the opportunity to visit the Dragon’s Lair – and amazingly, more stairs 🙂 – but it was a fun way to end the visit to the Castle.

Occasionally, the dragon still breathes fire we got to see it, but I didn’t get photos. The weird looking picture in the bottom right is inside the Lair.

So we leave the castle, I wish I had been able to get more pictures, maybe William will post some of his (hint, hint), but to see more I suppose you will just have to do what I did and visit Krakow – a visit I highly recommend – it is a beautiful place, and it has an amazing history. I think I will go back and read James Michener’s Poland, which, while a novel has a whole lot of history included. Poland has a really interesting history both ancient and current. As our guide reminded us, Poland was behind the Iron Curtain until 1989, and still had Soviet rule until 1991. I have to encourage my readers to learn more about  Hungary and Poland – as I will be doing this summer. I would love to go back and repeat this trip, there is so much more to see.

Kraków, also Cracow, is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland’s most important economic hubs. It was the capital of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1038 to 1569; the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1795; the Free City of Kraków from 1815 to 1846; the Grand Duchy of Cracow from 1846 to 1918; and Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1998. It has been the capital of Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999.

St. Mary’s Church (Kosciól Mariacki) in Krakow is a large 14th-century church especially famed for its magnificent wooden altarpiece. Krakow’s original St. Mary’s Church was destroyed during the 13th-century Tartar raids; rebuilding began relatively soon after. The present church was built on the foundations of its predecessor, which was built before the town plan of 1257. This is why it stands slightly askew from the main square. The new St. Mary’s Church was completed in 1397; the towers were added in the 15th century. In the 20th century, St. Mary’s Church made an appearance in the film Schindler’s List

The church’s two towers (15th century) are noticeably of different heights. Legend has it that they were built by two brothers, one of whom grew jealous of the other’s work and killed him with a sword, the less talented brother killing the more gifted one, since he was afraid of the competition. You can even see the purported murder weapon, hanging in the gate of the Sukiennice. Another major highlight is the lone trumpeter in the high tower, who plays a strange hourly call known as the “Hejnal Mariacki.” Ringing out to mark each hour, it breaks off on an abrupt half-note to commemorate an unknown bugler who was struck in the throat by a Tartar arrow as he tried to warn the city of the invaders.

The Basilica has 30 alters,  including the St. Anthony’s Chapel in which people sentenced to death could say their last prayers, as well as the chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa which includes a picture which is believed to  be one of the oldest replicas of the Black Madonna.

The tour through the wall of the ghetto, Schindler’s factory (which we did not tour but it is on the list) and the square where are placed the Empty Chairs representing the lost Jews. During World War II, the Jews had no choice but to live in a specific place that was identified by the German authorities at the time.  So, in 1941, the Podgorze district of Krakow was closed off and used as a Jewish ghetto.  It must have been a terrible place to live because they lived in fear of their and their families’ lives, they lived in overcrowded conditions with four families to one flat, and those that didn’t starve to death were either murdered or sent to a concentration camp. The chairs represent loss and absence as the ghetto in Krakow was cleared and all the residents’ possessions were strewn across the streets. The chairs are actually bronze, I was unable to determine the significance of the covering on them when we visited.

So, after the visit to Auschwitz, we walked (surprisingly) back to the train station, caught the last train back to Krakow, picked up our luggage and schlepped it to the place William rented for us. First I have to say that he does an awesome job picking places – another two bedroom one bath place in a nice building close (walking distance) to everything.

We had a lovely breakfast in a café – watched people go by – drank wonderful coffee….I could have spent the rest of my day there!

Before I go much further, I want to strongly recommend that you learn something about Poland; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1054724.stm I saw this because I have limited knowledge of the history of Poland. I have read James Michener’s Poland, many years ago and all I could remember about the history was that the boarders of the country changed frequently, and the country was seldom in the hands of its own people…then WWII; well that leaves a lot of blanks – and like with Hungary there is much to be known.  http://www.localhistories.org/poland.html

So, Krakow is a pretty amazing place. The city consists of an “Old Town” still quite active and vibrant, with many churches and universities, and a castle (of course there is a castle), and the whole center of town is surrounded by a lovely park. I say that because I think I know every inch of that park! We had our lovely breakfast and heading into old town where we invested in a private tour with an English-speaking Ukrainian guide through the Old Town, the Ghetto, and to Schindler’s factory. She was a lovely girl who was flirting with William….did he give her his number? No – this is why he is still single!

Doing laundry – and Auschwitz post was emotional. I will be back….

We arrive in Krakow in the morning, sleeping on the train was everything I expected – I loved it, and would love to do it again! We take our luggage to left luggage lockers (William is great to travel with, he has traveled overseas enough to have an innate understanding of navigation for train stations, and all forms of public transport), and figure out which train to take to get to the first stop on the Poland experience – Auschwitz-Birkenau, a must experience. When William and I were in Washington D.C. we ha the opportunity to visit the Holocaust Museum. That was a moving and profound experience. I know that William has been to Auschwitz, but I cannot be here and not go. So we find the train, get coffee as we wait, and get some local currency. Poland uses the złoty, 3-4 złoty to the dollar, not quite as confusing as the forint – but by now I just accept the currency that I need to use, and get on with it!

Auschwitz concentration camp was a network of German Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It consisted of Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II–Birkenau, Auschwitz III–Monowitz, and 45 satellite camps.

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/auschwitz

Our guide is a Polish woman who spoke of her grandparents who lived in a village near Auschwitz having their land and home taken and being deported to Germany. They were amongst the other villagers in seven surrounding villages who were either deported to Germany or arrested and placed in Auschwitz to die a slow an painful death as they labored, building the new camp at Birkenau, on roughly 200-300 calories a day. Many lasted months, but most died within weeks. Fortunately for the Nazis there were many Pole’s and other political enemies of the Reich to fill their places. The horrors that human beings experienced in all of these camps is represented here. As you walk through you see the board bunks where people slept three to a bunk, in layers of three bunks. Most had diarrhea, and other health problems, so the worse place to sleep was on the bottom bunk as everything from the top flowed down.  There are a zillion books that you can read detailing the horrors of this experience, but I have a reading list that I currently recommend:

We were the Lucky Ones Georgia Hunter

A Train Near Magdenburg Matthew A. Rozell

Youth in Flames Aliza Vitis-Shomron

The Girl with No Name Diney Costeloe

I Wish it Were Fiction Aaron Starkman

While every book is written from the perspective of the writer, as with this blog, a well rounded understanding is needed to create an image that helps with understanding of the past. My great adult revelation and understanding was that we each live our own experience. My truth is the truth for me, and it may well be different from the lived experience of someone who experiences the same time and space – that has helped me understand my siblings and their experiences in our life. So I read of experiences and while they do not form the entirety of experience, they do help put some of the pieces into the experience.

 

He shared with us that he, and the other teachers were children of survivors. His mother arrived at Birkenau at age 15, accompanied by his grandmother (her mother), great-grandmother, and his aunt, age 13. He told us that when the train stopped and the door was opened, his aunt and mother jumped down together, happy to breathe fresh air after 10 days in the cattle car – his grandmother, who was also near the door stopped to assist her mother out of the cattle car as she was much older and had endured for 10 days as well. The consequence was that his aunt and mother were sent to the “live” line, and his grandmother and great-grandmother were sent to the showers. One moment, one pause – life or death.