Saturday, June 14, 2008, Krakow Poland and trip to Auschwitz Death Camp.

Auschwitz is located here.

I awoke at 7:30 a.m. and had a quick breakfast at the hostel at 8 o:clock. I walked over to the bus station and bought a round-trip ticket for Auschwitz. I boarded the bus at 9:10 a.m. and arrived at the camp at around 10:45. It took us around 1 1/2 hours to get there. I was surprised when I arrived. In the 68 years since the end of World War II, the area around the camp has been built into a thriving community. It was as though the camp was put there as a tourist attraction.

Upon entering the camp, now called the Auschwitz Museum, I found my way to the information desk and inquired about tours. There would be one starting at 11:30, so my timing was good. It was suggested I attend a short film first and report back to collect an earpiece and receiver so I could hear the tour guide. There were about 25 of us in this section of the tour. The admission to the museum was free, but the tour was 49 Zlotys, around $20. Our tour guide was knowledgeable about the evolution, history and use of Auschwitz. Her English skills were quite good. Our tour was of two of the three camps associated with Auschwitz. This was the main camp, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkinau. We did not visit the third camp, Auschwitz III-Monowitz. The tour took around 3 hours.

As we toured Auschwitz I, it became clear to me that the reason for the camps' existence was to abuse, torture and then kill people. Auschwitz was the biggest of the Extermination (Death) Camps. It was estimated that 1.1 to 1.6 million were killed there -- 90% of whom were Jews. Others killed were gypsies, Catholic priests, Russians, political prisoners, homosexuals and the mentally retarded. Most victims were killed in gas chambers using Zyklon B gas; other deaths were caused by systematic starvation, forced labor, lack of disease control, individual executions, and so-called medical experiments.

I was particularly disturbed by a couple of sights I saw. One was the use of human hair for blankets, mattresses and cold weather clothing. It seemed a particularly morbid idea to use one of this items. We were told, also, that the ashes and bones from the crematoria was used a fertilizer in farming. I tried to understand what it must be like to eat food fertilized with human remains. While I realize that I was looking at these events with the eyes of a 21st Century adult, with the 20-20 vision of history as a context, it is still difficult to imagine such uses of the victims killed there.

The other thing that impressed me, and affected me, was "Block 11". Block 11 was known by he prisoners as "the death block." It filled several functions, but the most important was that of the central jail. At first it seemed "incongruous" to have a jail within Auschwitz, but then as I toured the facility, its uses became clear. In the basement of the block, there were two different kinds of cells that were particularly cruel: 1) the starvaton cells. Here prisoners were put into the cells, closed in without light, and starved to death. It usually took 7 days to kill them. Those who survived were killed with an injection to the heart; and 2) the standing cells. Here, 4 prisoners were put into a cell 30"x30" and forced to stand throughout the night. They then worked as slave laborers the next day and forced to stand again. This process would last 3 days or more! Finally, the court yard area between Blocks 10 and 11 was called The Death Wall. Here prisoners, usually political prisoners from Poland, were shot against one of the walls. Around 7,000 people were killed this way.

Later, as I thought about these sights, I wondered about the construction of these facilities. Someone had to think of them in the first place. Someone else had to draw the architectural plans and someone had to supervise the slave laborers during construction. It started to sink in that Auschwitz had evolved into the sole purpose of killing people. But when we were taken to Auschwitz II-Birkinau, the purpose of the camp became even more obvious.

Auschwitz II-Birkinau is 3 kilometers from the main camp. The first thing one sees is the main gate. It is a large imposing building that seems to dominate the scene. But, once inside, one can see that Auschwitz I-Birkinau is absolutely huge. It is about 20 times the size of Auschwitz I and, at its peak, held 170,000 prisoners. But Birkenau was built to kill people. As train-loads of people arrived, mainly Jews from Nazi occupied Europe, "in" Auschwitz II-Birkenau, they were chosen to enter the slave labor force or be killed. Usually, a prisoner could go from the train to the crematoria in an hour or less. But, regardless of whether prisoners were chosen to die or work, the plan was the kill them all. The only difference was that some were killed immediately, while others were worked or tortured to death. Men, women and children, regardless of age, were treated this way. Any child under 14, except in some cases where medical experiments were conducted, were killed.

After visiting the gas chambers and crematoria deep inside the camp, I walked the entire length of the railroad track to the main gate. As I passed the area where the selections were made, I tried to imagine the events that happened here. I realized that, as the train came through the main gate and the people came off the cattle cars, the entire train was already in the camp. Many of the passengers were already dead from the several day journey without food or water. I was standing at a point on the Earth where millions had passed to their deaths. There were hundreds of visitors in the camp with me, and the contrast seemed surreal.

This makes the third camp I've visited: Dachau, Terezin/Thesenstadt and Auschwitz. While the first two were slave labor camps, many thousands died or were killed there as well. In a way, all of these camps were death camps. Oddly, I was most effected by Dachau, maybe because of our guide, maybe because it was the first camp I visited -- I'm not sure. But one thing is certain, one can study about the Holocaust, listen to testimony or watch films and documentaries, but it isn't until one actually visits these places and witnesses the remains of what happened here, does he or she begin to grasp the realities of those times.

For those who deny the Holocaust, and the killing of 12 million people by the Nazi's before and during World War II, they need only take the time to visit here themselves. While one may not understand why these events happened here, one cannot deny that they happened. The evidence screams at us and reminds us all to remember the lessons of history.

Friday, June 13, transit to Krakow Poland from Vienna Austria.

Click here to see where I am now.

The day started at 7 a.m. I managed to drop my camera from the bed to the floor, a distance of only 12 inches, and the LCD screen broke. The camera is useless, so it's time to buy another. I'll need to find one I can use in the U.S. as well as Europe..

I boarded the train at 9:08 a.m. and started the 5 hour journey to Katowice. I'll need to change trains for Krakow and should arrive around 4:21 p.m. It's been a quiet journey so far. My compartment is filled with 5 other guys going into Poland. They've been talking non-stop since they boarded. At first it was a bit distracting, but I put on my earphones and am listening to a pretty good FM station that, for some reason, doesn't seem affected by the fact we're traveling across 2 countries! I just turn up the volume a bit, and my compartment quiets down with the music.

I've heard a couple of times that Vienna is the entry point to Poland and the East. I realized a bit ago that it is very possible, probable really, that I am following the same train routes the deportees took on their way to Auschwitz! I've been thinking about this for the last hour or so and it forces me to reflect on all the stories and reading I've done over the years. I think about those who were here before me. The whole thing started when we went through a small town and I saw a cattle car on a rail siding. It's funny how the mind can play these kind of tricks on you. I'm typing on my pc on the train right now, so I'll put this away until later.

Well, it's later! I arrived in Krakow at around 5:30 p.m., about an hour late. I found the tourist information booth and asked about the location of the hostel and a place where I can buy a camera. As it happens, the train station is right next door to the largest shopping mall, the Galleria, in Krakow. So, I was able to buy the same camera I have now, only the new version. I'm not sure what it cost me, as I paid in local currency -- the Zlotty!!

I didn't know what to expect when seeing Krakow for the first time. All the way here on the train, the little towns and cities we stopped in seemed very remote. They appeared to be small bedroom communities, so I thought Krakow might be the same. Well, as usual, I was wrong. Krakow seems to be a sizable modern city. I mentioned the shopping mall, for example, it was huge, lots of people and prosperous. I was surprised to be honest. The hostel I'm staying in is on the main town square. The square is very picturesque, lots charm and expensive looking restaurants.

I'll be here for 3 nights and 2 full days. I will be going to Auschwitz tomorrow, and then on Sunday explore the rest of the city, including the Jewish section. There is a lot to see here, so I'll have a full couple of days. I'll also inquire about any astronomy clubs, observatories and planetariums, although these are my second priorities.

So, until tomorrow, as usual, stay tuned.....

June 12, 2008 Vienna Austria. I decided to check into two sights today: 1) the Jewish Section in Vienna, and 2) the Vienna Planetarium. I went to the local train station, Westbahnhof, near the hostel and looked around for the Tourist Information office. I found out that it was located downtown in an area called Karlsplatz. It is near the opera house and the area was quite a bit different from yesterday. It was far more cosmopolitan, busier and clearly a higher-end part of town. I've discovered that, when one is looking for a particular venue like the Tourist Information Office, it's a good idea to ask directions, go a little bit and ask again!

After a bit, I walked into the Tourist Information Office and found that I was within a few blocks of the Jewish Museum, a Holocaust Memorial and the largest and oldest synagogue in the Vienna. I went to the museum first and asked about tours. I was told that the synagogue had an English language tour. So, the good news is that the tour was going to proceed at 2 p.m. (it was noon), the bad news is that they required a picture I.D., so I had to go back to the hostel to get my passport. It only took me about 15 or 20 minutes tol get back there and I had a side benefit of learning the subway system REALLY well!!

I returned to the synagogue at 2 p.m. and there were around 8 or us, including an Israeli couple. The tour was of the Vienna Synagogue itself, not the neighborhood, but I was glad that I was able to find a tour at all. During the discussion, the tour guide talked about the plight of the Viennese Jews over the centuries. It's interesting that the Israeli couple couldn't understand why that "just didn't fight back, insist on their rights or leave"!! We talked about about the alternatives the Jews had at the time, and I thought it was wonderful that the Israeli mentality was to "fight" in some way or another. There are currently 7,000 Jews living in Vienna whereas there were more than 150,000 before the war. The tour lasted about an hour and we left, each of us going in different directions.

It was around 3:30, and I noticed that the planetarium was just a bit farther out on the same subway line that got me to the synagogue. Around 15 minutes later, I was in front of the planetarium only to find out that it was closed. There was a guy out front of the door smoking a cigarette. I wanted to take a picture, so instead of asking him to move, I asked him to shoot a picture of me in front of the building. As luck would have it, he took a key out of his pocket, opened the door to the planetarium and asked if I wanted a picture of the planetarium projector! How lucky is that? We went inside and I took a picture or two. He knew of the Kuffner Observatory, saying it was connected through the same governmental organization as the planetarium.

On the way back to Westbahnhof, I spotted this cool little internet cafe, paid my 2.5 Euros and "you know the rest". I've enjoyed my stay Vienna very much. It is a beautiful and friendly city. There are cute shops, cafe's and bistros everywhere. I look forward to returning here someday. There is so much more to see. Well, I've given myself a good excuse to take another trip to Europe next summer!!

Tomorrow I'm off to Krakow and Auschwitz. The adventure continues.......

June 11, 2008, Vienna Austria. Today was my first full day in Vienna. Before I left for Europe, I made a contact on one of the astronomy websites I frequent. Chris Goldmann offered to show me around an old observatory of Vienna. I called him this morning, took a train to a stop near his home and he picked me up at around 10:45 this morning.

Chris Goldmann is a 26-year-old physics and astronomy student at the University of Vienna. He belongs to an association which, among other things, has the care-taking responsibility for the Kuffner Observatory in the hills overlooking the city. The views from there are breathtaking. This beautiful observatory building dates back to 1884 when Moriz von Kuffner funded the design and construction. The nearly 11" diameter refractor is still the 3rd largest refractor in Austria. More importantly, it had an instrument considered unique in its day, and even now, a Heliometer -- for measuring the diameter of the sun and distances to stars.

Chris and I spent a good deal of time touring the facility. We went into all the domes, talked about the history of the observatory and Kuffner family and discussed what the observatory is doing today. At one point, we put a solar filter on the big scope and tried observing the sun. But as luck would have it, just as I looked into the eyepiece, clouds rolled over the top of the sun and it remained cloudy for the rest of the day!

We then adjourned to a cute little bistro near the observatory for lunch. I asked Chris to help me order some traditional food, and I had a great Austria soup (called Griesznockerlsuppe), salad and noodle dish. It was all delicious and we enjoyed an extended discussion about Austria, the European Union, politics and more.

Around 2 o:clock, Chris and I made our way over to the observatory at Vienna University. This is a 68cm (26.77 inch) refractor, and was for a time the world's largest refracting telescope. It was built n 1878. Whereas the Kuffner Observatory has been fully restored, the University's observatory has not, and it shows the years of wear. But despite its age, one can see the truly majestic nature of this instrument. It is still a thing of beauty.

Chris dropped me by the tram station at around 5 p.m. I had a wonderful time with him. Gaining this kind of insight of the Vienna astronomy scene was a wonderful treat. Thanks to Chris, it made my first day in Vienna truly memorable.

There is still more astronomy to see in Vienna. I'll probably take in the planetarium tomorrow, but that will be about it. I want to explore more of the city before I leave for Krakow on Friday. After all, this is the city of Einstein, it was the capital of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and the home of Mozart and Liszt. So, I'll be off in the morning to discover and explore.

More later....

June 10, 2008, Budapest and transit to Vienna. (I am located HERE today). I had a 5 p.m. train to Vienna so decided to take a side trip to the planetarium in Budapest. It is at the edge of the city, and I was able to find my way there by taking a tram and then a bus. The planetarium is located in a large park surrounded by an expanse of grasses, flowers and trees. It's a nice venue. I found the entrance and asked if I could talk with the plentarium director. After a quick phone call, I was asked to wait for a bit.

I met with Dr. Lorenc Kinga. She and I had a very nice visit together. We discussed the planetarium equipment, the programs and a nearby observatory in the hills over Budapest. It was unfortunate I was unable to visit the observatory, but I just ran out of time. The planetarium has a very nice Zeiss projector that dates to about 1960 or so. At one point Dr. Kinga took me into the planetarium to watch part of the show they were presenting to a large group of school children. The projector was doing a wonderful job, and the sky above the show floor was filled with stars, the Milky Way and planets. I had a chance to take a couple of pictures and I bid farewell to Dr. Kinga and her staff. They were very nice to me, something I've found again and again as I've visited planetaria and observatories throughout Europe.

I arirved in Vienna at around 8 p.m. and will get busy seeing the city tomorrow. So, until then --- Ciao.....

June 9, 2008, Budapest Hungary. Today I spent a good portion of the morning and a bit of the afternoon touring the Jewish section of Budapest. The Jewish section is defined by the existence of 3 or 4 synagogues located throughout the city. Our tour guide had an interesting story to tell of his own. His parents were born in 1948, after the Russian occupation. Under the Russians, religion was "illegal", so his parents did not admit to, nor did they practice, being Jewish. As a result, our guide was unaware of his Jewish roots. After the Russians left, he became aware of his ethnic roots and became involved in learning more of his heritage. He has now progressed to the point of conducting tours of the Jewish community and exploring more about this part of his history.

Our first stop was the Dohany Synagogue. Synagogues are named by the street on which they are located. It was a Jewish holiday, so we were able to gain entrance under somewhat restricted conditions. Yet, the interior of this beautiful building is majestic in itself. Budapest has more than 20 synagogues, some of them were "hidden". For example, we visited an apartment building in an old section of town. The center courtyard of the apartment had a synagogue built in the courtyard, inside a virtually closed structure. It was a way for the Jews of Budapest to build their houses of worship when it was illegal for them to own land.

At first, it wasn't very obvious that Jews live in Budapest. As our tour wound its way through Budapest, and "old Buda", one began seeing signs of Jewish commerce. Shops were here and there, but not in great numbers. Today, around 80,000 Jews live here, but in the 1930's, over 200,000 lived here. During World War II, Hungary was an ally with Germany and the Jews were somewhat ignored. But in 1944, the deportations began, and when the rail lines were severed by bombing, forced marches began to Vienna and then on to Auchwitz. All in all, well over 1/2 the population was deported and/or murdered.

As was the case in every part Europe I've visited, except for England, Jews were excluded from the greater population. They were forced to live in ghettos, and kept out of most forms of commerce. In all of these cases the ghettos were walled in. It is interesting how the Jews of Europe managed to survive and flourish. First secretly and then more publicly. It's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, no question.

All in all, we visited 3 synagogues, 3 or 4 memorials and a couple of monuments. One of the monuments was in honor of Carl Lutz, a Swiss diplomat. During the later period of WWII, he was able to use his connections with the Germans as an official of the Swiss Government to save thousands of Jewish lives. The monument, to the left, is in honor of his efforts. A plaque on the wall quotes the Talmud and says: "He who saves but one man (life) is as he had saved the whole world".

Toward the end of the day, I was ready for a change, and found that Budapest has a nice aquarium a bit out of town. So, with instructions from the tourist office, I was able to take a tram (streetcar) and bus for a 45 minute ride to a shopping mall. There was a pretty complete aquarium there, and I enjoyed the exhibits or an hour or two.

Tomorrow I am off to Vienna. So, 'til then, "stay tuned"...

Click here to see where I am now.

Sunday, June 8th, Budapest, Hungary. I took a 9:45 p.m. train from Prague to Budapest last night. It was a sleeper compartment, and although I paid for a 4-person compartment, I was lucky and no one joined me. Even though, it was pretty darn uncomfortable. But, I considered it part of the adventure of this trip and enjoyed the journey anyway. I arrived in Budapest at 7 a.m. and found my way to the hostel, left my bags and was able to arrange a 3 hour tour of the city with a tour-bus company. One of the most impressive aspects of the tour was Melinda, a 23-year-old young woman who could speak 5 languages! She gave the descriptions of the city in all languages, and was most impressive. There were about 15 of us on the tour, with English, Spanish, Italian and German. She also spoke Hungarian.

As I arrived in Budapest at 7 a.m., it was raining, and the city looked old and foreboding. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As I toured the city, it became clear that Budapest is an absolutely beautiful city, on a par with Paris or any other cosmopolitan center of the world. The sun come out at around 10:30, and it warmed up nicely. The tour made its way to 4 or 5 important parts of the city, two of which were in the hills overlooking Budapest. The views from on-high were amazing, and I fell in love with the city almost immediately.

Budapest was actually two cities, Buda and Pest, but was unified into one city in 1873. The city is separated by the Duna River. It was only a bit later that I learned that the Duna is the Danube River. This is a river we know as a river of song, poetry and beauty. It is a marvelous sight to see the river wind itself through the city, surrounded on both sides by majestic buildings, parks and people. It is crossed by 4 bridges, one of which (the Liberty Bridge) dating back to 1894.

The river itself is beautiful, and there is a wide variety of activity on the water. Boats for cruising, gambling, industry and sightseeing were in evidence. It was a beautiful day, and many people were out and about enjoying the themselves. It seemed like tourists and residents alike were everywhere. So, more adventures in this beautiful city tomorrow.

Viszontlatasra for now......

June 6, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic. Today I plan to leave Prague, and I've arranged for a late sleeper-train to Budapest. Since I had some time, I thought a day trip would be in order. A stop by the tourist information center led to me an interesting city called Kutna Hora (pronounced cut-nah hore-a). The city is about an hour away from Prague by train, so it was easy to get there. Once I disembarked I was interested in finding the "center of attraction", the Ossuary and Church of Kutna Hora. An ossuary is a facility for the storage of human bones.

According to accounts I read in the brochures I received while visiting there, an Abbot was sent to the Holy Land by the king 1278. Upon his return he sprinkled the cemetary near the church with some of earth he had removed from Golgotha. Golgotha was the site where Jesus was said to have been buried by the Romans. The cemetery soon became a desirable burial site throughout Central Europe. During the Black Death in the mid 14th century, and after some wars in the early 15th century, thousands of people were buried there.

Around 1400 a Gothic church was built in the center of the cemetery with a lower chapel to be used as an ossuary. After 1511 the task of exhuming skeletons and stacking their bones in the chapel was given to a monk of the order. So, in 1870, a wood carver by the name of Frantisek Rint was hired to put the bones in order. He used the thousands of bones to adorn the church, made a central chandelier and built huge bell-shaped mounds of human bones! So, to make this long story short, I went to see the city and Ossuary.

OK, so I've seen some interesting and different sights in Europe. But, I must admit this one caught me right between the eyes. It's difficult to see so many human bones displayed in such a casual manner. I do see how "just another church-like building" has now been transformed into a tourist attraction. There were lots of people there. In such a small town, it must be a boon to their economy! It wasn't expensive to get into the church, but around the church were cute little bistros, curio shops and a tourist van or two. All of these added to the town's prosperity, I'm sure.

So, ciao for now. My next report will be from Budapest, Hungary! Wow, whata ride.

June 5th, Prague. The weather continues to cooperate and it's been warm, but not very humid. A nice change from just a couple of days ago. I went into the downtown area for a bit, and I decided to visit the Jewish section during the morning. While waiting for a tram, there was a enjoyable and colorful parade coming down one of the main streets. I wasn't able to determine the purpose of the parade, but one of the people I spoke to said it represents an early historical period of the city.

I then went into the Jewish section of Prague for a few hours. This area of town is what is left after World War II. Now, there are 1600 Jews living here, where as before the war, upwards of 60,000 lived here. This amazing area exhibits the traditions, customs and legends of the Jewish people in Prague from their early settlements in the 10th century. The remains of the community include what were 5 synagogues. These are now museums with artifacts dating back to the inception of the community in the 1300's. The Jewish community in Prague is considered one of the oldest in Europe. I spent around 3 hours going through the various museums, had a bit of lunch found my back to the tram.

I had a 3 p.m. appointment at the observatory in Prague with a Mr. Martin Fuchs. I found my way to the cable car that takes tourists and residents up the steep hill into a beautiful park area. The park has a variety of activities, including a "hall of mirrors", rose garden, a replica of the Eiffel Tower (about 1/3 size) and the observatory.

I met Martin Fuchs and he was gracious enough to spend around 1 1/2 hours with me. We toured the observatory, talked about telescopes and discussed the instruments. Afterwards, we went to Martin's office where I showed him my website and we talked about telescope making. All in all, it was a very enjoyable visit, and one that I will not soon forget.

Tomorrow I'll be "on the road" a bit, heading for Budapest. I've also decided to add Auschwitz to my iternary, so I'll be going to Krakow before heading to Berlin and Then Amsterdam.

Oh yes, andJennifer will be joining me in Amsterdam? What a great way to end this adventure!. Don't ya think?

Later

June 5, 2008. Prague, Czech Republic. Today I was out a bit early and began by walking across the Charles Bridge into an older part of Prague. The bridge is beautifully constructed and was built in 1357 by Charles IV and was completed at the beginning of the 15th century. I continued into the city and wandered into Old Town, a part of the city that dates back to the 12th century! Now that's some history, I thought. I had an opportunity to board a small sightseeing "train" and thought I'd take in a bit of the city. As the train made it's way through the city, it touched on the Jewish Quarter, and I decided it'd look into that part of town tomorrow. Finally, half way through the sightseeing trip, we stopped at Prague Castle and is disembarked and stayed for awhile.

Prague Castle is 1000 years old on its own. This is an amazing complex of buildings, churches, basilicas, residences and royal residences dating back to 970 C.E. I found my way to the entry and was able to join a tour that had just started a few minutes before. Our guide was very knowledgeable and had good English skills. There were about 8 of us on the tour, so it was a small enough group to be able to ask questions. The tour took about an hour and was worth the time. Afterwards, I wandered the castle grounds a bit and decided to walk down the hill to the city. The castle overlooks the city from high atop a hill with the city of Prague displayed beautifully below it.

As I walked down the hill, I noticed in some literature that the Prague Planetarium was on a tram stop I had used a couple of times. I decided to head there and see if I could make a contact with someone and see the planetarium. I found the planetarium easily and as I entered the front door, I asked if I could speak with the director or lecturer. A bit of a language problem ensued, but shortly a young man joined me who introduced himself as Jan Sifner. Jan is the Head of the Technical Department and was delighted to meet someone interested in his craft.

I enjoyed a delightful hour or two with Jan. He was good enough to show me through the entire planetarium. I was the only visitor there at the time even though it was open for business. In that respect I was lucky! We talked about the three planetarium projectors in the building, including a small Zeiss Projector from the 1950's, a variety I didn't know existed. After a bit, Jan asked if I'd be interested in seeing an English language planetarium show, and I said yes. I spent the next 50 minute in the plentarium theater, by myself, watching a fascinating show about alchemy and the early interpretations of astrology. It was a wonderful presentation and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Jan and I had a chance to talk about telescopes, and I told him I was a telescope builder. We looked my website and discussed a variety of different issues on the subject. He then told me of the Prague Observatory in the nearby hills and asked if I'd like him to fix up a private tour for me. Of course I said I would, and he made a call and gave me the name of an individual I'll be seeing tomorrow at 3 p.m. I'm looking forward to that outing very much.

As I was leaving the planetarium, I then saw a notice for a light show and concert in the adjoining fair grounds. Why not? I went over there, had a snack and enjoyed an hour of recorded music and "dancing lights" from 8 until 9 p.m. As it got a bit later, and darker, it started to cool down and I decided to call it a day. I've found an interesting "Chinese Restaurant" with an internet cafe in the rear. So for now, I'll catch up on my blog, check out an email or two, get a cuppa tea and look forward to tomorrow's adventures.

Bye..

June 4, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic. Today I decided to go to the city of Terezin, about an hour away by bus. Terezin is a fortress city, builty at the end of the 18th century by the Emperor Joseph II to protect Bohemia from the northwest.. Terezin was completed in the 1890's, but was never used as a military base. Rather it was used as a prisoner of war camp during World War I, and ultimately became a prison for some soldiers and poltical prisoners.

In the 1940's, the Nazi's determined that Terezin would be a relocation center for the Jews who fell under their domination. The Jews were promised relocation to a new place to live in peace and security. In reality, for many of the Jews who were relocated there, it was a way-station to the extermination camps to the east. During WWII, the Gestapo used Terezín, better known by the German name Theresienstadt, as a ghetto,concentrating Jews from Czechoslovakia, as well as many from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark. Terezin was not used as an extermination camp, but of the over 150,000 Jews who arrived there, about 33,000 died in the ghetto itself, mostly because of the extreme population density. About 88,000 inhabitants were deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps At the end of the war there were 17,247 survivors.

I boarded the bus at 10 a.m. and arrived in Terezin at 10:55. A bit of a change came in the weather, with rain threatening a good part of the morning. It drizzled a bit and rained only a little during my stay there. I found a tourist information center in the city, got a map and some directions, and set out to look around the city and visit the museums. I visited the Jewish museum just around the corner from the bus stop. Since Terezin had a "semblence" of society, the Jews who populated the city tried to build a sense normalcy. The arts florished and as a testament to life there, the museum was full of artworks by the children and adults alike.

I wandered the city and noticed it isn't a very busy place. There are a small number of businesses, some kids came and went from school and there were a few cars. But it didn't seem to be very populated. The library was closed, so maybe there was something going on -- a holiday perhaps. I don't know. One of the things I wanted to see was the crematorium. Just to the right of the crematorium building is a graveyard along with a black marble monument to their deaths. There is a second graveyard at the entrance to the Small Fortress also. There are Christian and Soviet memorials at the site as well. Except for another 2 people just leaving as I arrived, I was the only visitor. It doesn't seem that this part of Terezin gets many visitors.

I decided that no visit would be complete without visting the Small Fortress -- the prison. It's about a 15 minute walk from the town, and as I looked back toward the main part of the city, I could clearly see the "fortress" aspect of Terezin. It is surrounded by walls and gates that can be used to control traffic if needed. Ofcourse, today, it is much more open, but I could see how the entire complex was indeed a fortress. I could see the Small Fortress in the distance, and as I got closer, the graveyard became a dominent feature. The front entrace is forboding, with black and white painted stones at the entrance that outline a sense of hughness and mass. The gates seems to say "you will not leave here -- unless I let you leave!".

Oddly, and as opposed to the feelings I had at Dachau, I didn't feel a sense of "misery" here. Yet, clearly, the people who were imprisoned here were starved to death, punished for minor violations or executed in the public square. Maybe it was because I walked on my own and didn't have a guide telling me what happened along the way. It didn't seem as though the museums added to the realities of life in Terezin. Only that Jews had been imprisoned here, had lived here, had died here and very few survived.

As I returned to Prague by bus, it was raining fairly hard. I was glad I carried my umbrella. The rain cooled the humidity and temperature a bit. It seemed a fitting end to the experiences I had in Terezin/Theresienstadt.

Here is where Prague is located.

I was able to get the early train from Munich to Prague today. And it was a lucky thing I did. The rail system enroute to Prague required maintenance and we were about 2 hours late. Arriving in the daytime allowed me to find where my lodgings were without having to deal with getting around the city at night.

We had to change trains in Plsen in the Czech Republic. The train station was right out of the 1900's. Although it was old and dirty from soot and other elements in the air, it was none-the-less charing enough. Very "European". Simple wooden benches were provided for travelers waiting for their train. We waited around 20 minutes and were back on-board an old looking train heading, again, for Prague. During the train trip, I felt a bit cold and put on the sweat shirt I bought at the Greenwich Observation in London. After we arrived in Prague, I took off the shirt and wrapped it around the handle of my suitcase. As I left the train and walked toward the main station, I was pushed and shoved a bit. I didn't think too much of it, until I realized my sweat shirt was gone!! I suppose someone needed it more than I!! Oh well, lesson learned.

I'm not very concerned about the theft, but it does remind me that there are dishonest people around, and one must watch out at all times. I keep my important valuables close at hand, and continually check to ensure they are secure. As is usually the case when getting to a new city, it's time to sit back with the maps and the tour-guide. Prague is an old city and deserves careful consideration. So, more on that later.

Bye for now...

Monday, June 2. Today I decided to "get outa town". I asked the helpful clerk at tourist information what a good day trip would be for me. I thought that Innsbruck would be a good bet, and he told me that along the way there is a beauitful Bavarian town called Mittenwald. So, with Eurail pass in hand, I checked the departure schedule and boarded a train at 9:32 this morning. I chose a first class seat and settled in with some Sudoku. As luck would have it, Axel Lehmann joined me in the compartment. He was going from Munich to some other cities along the way for business and, as it turns out, spoke perfect English. We had a nice discussion about sky diving, and Axel gave me some pointers about this part of the country. The trip to Mittenwald took around 2 hours, and I arrived 10:30 or so.

is everything I was told it was. A charming Bavarian town with beautiful artwork painted onto the sides of its buildings. The church is dated 1741, so it's been around a few years. As I strolled along the Obermarkt I noticed a market and stopped in to see what was inside. A few minutes later, I had the ingredients for a picnic lunch. I found a park nearby with a delightful fountain in the center. The green grass, shady trees and people sitting and strolling made for a perfect place for lunch.

I wandered off the main street into the neighborhood a bit. Colorful homes lined the streets. The lawns were perfectly sculptured and the mountains were close and in the background. Although it is easily 75 or 80 degrees on the floor of the valley , and a bit humid, the mountains are snow covered and tower over the city. I'm told the peaks of the mountains are 2,244 meters high (close to 7,000 feet or so). I also found that a cable car will go to the top of the mountain for a spectacular look at the city and surrounding area. So, I made my waz to the Karwendelbahn and paid for a round trip ticket. It need not be said that the views from 2244 meters were breathtaking. It was considerably cooler as well, a welcome break from the heat and humidity.

To round out the day, I returned to the station and boarded a train for Innsbruck. The trip took around 1 1\2 hours, so I relaxed and reflected on the day. You will recall that Innsbruck hosted the Olympic Games in 1976. It is a picture-book city, surrounded by majestic mountains with snowcaps and icefloes. I decided to spend about 2 hours here, so I found the tourist information center, got a map and started wandering around the city. The city is completely charming, with the Tyrol Trams carrying passengers up and down the streets. The Rudolfsbrunnen is a magnificient fountain and statue build in 1877 to commemorate the Tyrol's 500 years as a part of the Austrian federation.

An interesting part of the "old city" is the Golden Dachl, a house witha golden roof. The house where the roof is situated was built in around 1420 by Archduke Fredrick IV. By the end of the 15th century the house was in the hands of the Emperor Maximilian I. In 1500 he ordered that the balcony, complete with golden roof, be built in honor of his second marriage. This area is surrounded by restaurants, curio shops and more. Hundreds of people were in and around the attraction. There is a museum here as well, although I didn't go inside.

All in all, my day trip away from the big cities was a worthwhile distraction. Although, I must say that Innsbruck must be considered a bigger city. Yet, the time I spend in Mittenwald was very pleasant, and I'm glad I took the time to get into the countryside for a slower paced look at Germany and part of Austria.

Tomorrow I'm off to Prague.

More later....