A visit to Schindler’s Museum, Krakow Churches, churches, everywhere! I’ve rarely seen so many churches in one place. And so many of them are huge. But even so, I was unprepared for the scale of the ultra modern Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki. It is massive! I was very taken by the simple white interior which was highlighted in colour by the dappled light streaming through stained glass panels. I have to say that the story of Saint Faustyna…
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow After having already spent a good week in Krakow, I was well used to seeing churches and chapels at almost every turn, but I certainly didn’t expect to see chapels 100 metres underground! We were on a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is only 14 kilometres outside the city and which is oh so much more than simply a mine. For a start, the scale of it is mind-blowing. In order to reach the…
A visit to Nowa Huta I’ve always had a soft spot for the hard lines of communist-era architecture. To me, there’s something weirdly comforting about chunky, rectilinear concrete buildings. Perhaps it’s because they remind me of sheer cliff faces. I’ve no idea what they do for the Oldies, but I was quite happy to join them on a trip to Nowa Huta, an industrial satellite town meaning ‘new steel mill’ which was built from scratch in the 1950s not far…
Sights that defy belief. Words that defy comprehension. Guide in Birkenau: ‘You will probably be here longer today than most of the prisoners who arrived here. Around 80% were sent directly to the gas chambers.’ Guide in Auschwitz: ‘Hitler promised to make Germany great again.’ I have no words.
A bird’s eye view of Krakow ‘Up, up and away in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon‘ The 5th Dimension It’s rare that I get a real bird’s eye view of a city, but I was thrilled to get exactly that when the Oldies took me up in a tethered balloon over beautiful Krakow. What fantastic views and what a lovely town! From my perch 150m high, I noticed what a colourful city it is too. From the red brick and…