We drove from Budapest through Slovakia (another country we can truthfully say we've been, even if only on the highway!)
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| We stopped for a "bio-break" at a wonderful little village in ski country! |
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| The size of the building is seen in comparison to our bus! |
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| The ski slopes are right there! I believe we were in the Tatra Mountains of Poland |
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| A few of us wandered up the hill a little and discovered St Anthony of Padua Church! Especially significant since that is Fr Chris' parish in Dayton! |
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| The shop next door had a wonderful little koi pond with a small bridge |
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| Business must be good - here's the makin's for a new log building! |
Wadowice
We stopped at the boyhood home of Pope John-Paul II
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| Virgin Mary's Offertory, now a basilica, is the church where Karol Wojtyla was baptized, received his first Holy Communion, and grew in his faith. |
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| The plaza contains a number of stones and plaques to commemorate the many places JP-II visited while pope |
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| A reliquary holds a small bit of blood gathered when JP-II was shot |
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| A small side chapel holds the baptistry used when Karol Wojtyla was baptized as an infant |
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| When Pope John Paul II visited, he reverenced the baptistry from which he received God's precious gift |
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| Outside the basilica |
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| We met our guide for the rest of the day, Anna, outside |
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| Mass in a side chapel was wonderful! |
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| The group after mass |
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| These folks are St Anthony parishioners |
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| This house is immediately adjacent to the church and is the house where Karol grew up |
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| Eventually, this small museum will occupy the house where Karol grew up |
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| This church, a ten minute walk from the town square, was built to celebrate John Paul II surviving the assassination attempt |
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| When it became clear we had encountered adoration, we did not intrude |
Wieliczka
Salt Mine
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| Salt was once mined in large mines such as this. This mine still produces salt, but not by miners who dig it out |
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| Our guide Anna meets Mark, the guide for the mine |
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| We descended into the mine using a four-story elevator. |
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| We were packed in pretty tight! |
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| We saw many statues made of salt in chapels |
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| At one time time, all the salt was hauled on men's backs up these steps in 70 pound bags! |
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| Gnomes watch over |
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| This mock up shows how brine was pumped to extract salt |
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| We encountered many chapels . . . |
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| . . . and religious statues - this one carved from wood |
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| This pond was made to hold water during operations and did not occur naturally |
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| These horizontal striations are from drills for blasting |
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| Horses provided much power for moving the salt |
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| We used modern woodden stairs to descend |
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| Mocked up offices of supervisors |
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| Buckets used in case of fires |
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| We then encountered a magnificent main church - where we had mass! |
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| Stations just outside the church |
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| We enjoyed Fr Chris' masses a great deal |
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| We encountered a unique gift shop |
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| A floor "mural"of light emphasizes - what else - salt |
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| This interactive video game was pretty challenging! |
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| We had some coffee and cream cake - so called "pope's cake" |
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| A large banquet facility in the mine |
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| A cutout gave Bob a chance to cut up! |
Wawel Hill
Back in Krakow, we visited the site of the ancient fortress and pinnacle of Krakow
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| The group walked up a long ramp to the upper level of the hill |
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| From the hill, we could see the popular dragon statue which spouts fire every hour, much to the delight of the children |
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| The hill offers a great view of the river |
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| Anna poses in front of the Cathedral |
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| This brass model shows all the structures of the hill |
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| Outside the Cathedral |
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| At the door of the Cathedral |
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| A statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko outside the Cathedral |
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| These struts to strengthen the walkway are dragons! |
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| A tethered balloon offers visitors a bird's eye view (some of these photos have become skewed- out of order) |
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| The Cathedral |
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| The Cathedral |
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| The Cathedral interior |
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| The group gathers at the door |
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| The Lamb of God |
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| The Palace - we toured the Palace but could not take photos |
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| As we descended, we encountered the seminary where JP-II studied |
Krakow - Old Town
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| The oldest street in Krakow |
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| Cloth Hall in The Main Market Square |
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| The uneven spires of St Mary's overlook the Main Market Square |
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David & Denise in front of the statue of poet Adam Mickiewicz
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Bob & Theresa
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Cloth Hall & Adam Mickiewicz in Krakow Main Market Square
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Small bistros line the edge of the square
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Town Hall Tower
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The Old Town is ringed by a beautiful city park - about a block "thick"
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The seminary from the street
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A popular way to see Krakow
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"Let's stop and have a beer!"
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St Francis
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A large side chapel had a replica of the shroud of Turin . . .
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. . . just below this statue of Christ's Passion
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| Kosciol Sw. Krzyza (The Holy Cross church) |
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| Our guide suggested we stop here for this mural - "Dancing with the Dead" a depiction of the departed meeting us at the judgement - some happy and some not so |
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| This very unusual painting depicts the blood of Christ |
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| Ss Peter & Paul |
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| Dominican Church |
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| Cloth Hall after dark |
Łagiewnikach
- Divine Mercy
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| Divine Mercy Shrine |
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| This mural tells the story of God's love for us . . . |
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| . . . ending in the pieta |
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| This statue was in an adjacent chapel |
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| The convent is adjacent |
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| This chapel houses the relics of St Faustina |
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| This garden holds statues of St Faustina and the Divine Mercy of Jesus |
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| The main basilica |
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| These chapels are in the lower level of the basilica |
Krakow St Florian
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St Florian
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| Mass |
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| Relics in St Florian |
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Plac Jana Matejki - between St Florian Church & Florian Gate
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Florian Gate - The only remaining part of the old city wall
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St Mary from near Florian gate
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| St Mary |
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| St Barbary - A small Jesuit Church next to St Mary |
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| St Mary - prior to opening altar |
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| St Mary - after opening |
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| St Mary - the Choir |
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| St Mary tower - the bugler appears hourly |
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| We were given an hour for lunch and had no zlotys! McDonald's takes charge cards - and are fast! |
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| Cloth Hall after lunch |
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| Our hotel was perfectly located - only three blocks from St Mary! |
Auschwitz
We drove to Oswiecim to visit the Nazi death camps known as Auschwitz & Birkenau
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| "Work will make you free" |
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| The kitchen |
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| A steady rain fell - appropriate for the sadness and horror of the story which we would witness |
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| A simple memorial |
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| Photos tell the story of arrival |
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| This model shows the cramped conditions in the rail cattle cars |
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| Selection - all children and elderly went immediately to gas chambers. |
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| Many women, refusing to leave their children, went with them, thinking they could protect them. |
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| After selection |
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| Plan of the camps |
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| The gas chambers were high capacity |
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| Victims were told they were to be "de-loused" and that they must strip |
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| Bodies were burned |
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| The gas was introduced as pellets which became gaseous with the body heat |
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| Allied aerial photos had identified the prison |
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| Tons of luggage and clothing. |
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| Orthopedic appliances |
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| Shoes |
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| Tight quarters |
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| Death at the wire |
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| Or the firing squad wall |
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| The only remaining gas chamber |
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| The gallows where the camp commandant was executed |
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| The crematory |
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| Birkenau - Auschwitz II |
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| The "barracks" in Birkenau were prefabricated horse barns with no windows. |
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| A horse barn designed to house 32 horses housed 400 human beings |
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| The latrine was so smelly, the SS would stay clear, allowing social interchange |
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| The camp orchestra |
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| Catholic priests marched into Auschwitz |
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| After a sad day, enjoying a meal was more difficult, made possible by the company |
Early Thursday morning, we headed out to Czestochowa - our last day before heading home!
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