We haven't slowed down! Last Friday, we went to a hockey game in Zvolen. It wasn't quite like going to the Pepsi Center, but the crowd was energetic and the beer was 22 SKK, about $1. Zvolen played Bratislava. They are big rivals, so the game was intense.The next morning, we boarded a train to Poland. I loved everything about Krakow. They have the biggest medieval square in Europe and a beautiful castle with an enchanting legend that includes a dragon-slaying tailor. I am prouder than ever to be a Pollack. I loved to imagine the lives of my ancestors. My imagination played... Maybe they hunted in these forests... Maybe they cooked this food to celebrate a birthday... Maybe they danced to this song or toasted each other with this beer... In my mind, they lead very happy, simple lives.
On Sunday, we walked through Kazimierz, the Old Jewish Town. Many of the buildings are still abandoned from the time when Jews were evacuated during World War II. Parts of Schindler's List were filmed there. We followed the fate of the Jewish people on a trip to Auschwitz. Nothing could have prepared me for that experience. Certain things will haunt me. The rooms filled with the victims'
belongings made my imagination start again... I imagined the fathers behind the shaving brushes, the children behind the tiny shoes, and the sisters behind the piles of women's hair. I'm still processing the journey through the camp. It will never make sense.
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