November 19, 2015 - Katowice

We return to Novotel Hotel.  It's late, it's raining, so we just eat at the Hotel.

Above the headboard at the Hotel

November 20, 2015 - Katowice

Ken goes to the University (which is next door to the Hotel) to check out the equipment and facilities. Unfortunately the speakers he brought are blown but everything else seems to be okay.  Judy had a 20 minute massage and arranged for another one tomorrow.

Judy walks to the souvenir store, which decided to stay closed until 1:00 and didn't seem to want her business.  But, wait, next door is a Super Sam, which is really just a huge indoor mall.  Judy finds a stall selling jewelry.  The man who runs it is super nice and Judy ends up with necklaces for about 15 people.

On the walk back to the Hotel, another major find - a frozen yogurt place.



We decide to go to dinner and find a good chinese place (Li Long) not too far away.  Good food and good beer.



November 21, 2015 - Katowice

Teaching Day for Ken.  Judy gets a 40 minute massage.  Wow - the masseuse (who was, according to him, a physical therapist) had the strongest hands.  Well worth the money.   Judy heads back to the souvenir store and to Super Sam for more gifts.  She stops at the Church of Immaculate Conception.   Judy also went to the Silesia Museum.  It is excellent.  She skipped most of the art exhibit and went straight to the history of the area.  The museum had just opened within the year and is at the site of a former mine.  Silesia was known for coal mining and at times was occupied by Germans or Russians.  The Germans held it for awhile, and lost it to the Russians who kept the area under Soviet rule until 1989.  The museum is well laid out and is overwhelming.

Ken finishes class.  All goes well.  We go to dinner with people from the University - Tomasc, Rafal and Ewa.  We exchange gifts (we brought them post-it notes in leather binder with UALR on it and playing cards from the Arkansas Symphony with pictures of scenes around Arkansas.  We have an excellent dinner and very good discussion about law and politics.

Celebration in Katowice

Pedestrian mall/street with Church of Immaculate Conception in background

Silesian Museum - Coal shaft

November 22, 2015 - Katowice

Another day for Ken to teach.  Judy works out a little and pretty much stays in the room.  We go for an early dinner, pizza at Len Arte.  It was okay.  But we stop at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the way back which was having a beautiful concert with pieces from Bach and Mozart.

 November 23, 2015 - Auschwitz and Birkenau

We arrange for a tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau from Katowice.  The driver, Jacov, drives us and we hook up with an English speaking group of about 25 people.  There is so much to see, to take in, and not enough time to do it all.  The first part of the tour is Auschwitz I,

Gate to Auschwitz I

Buildings in Auschwitz I

Model of crematorium ion

Empty cans of Cyclon B which was used in Auschwitz to murder people in the gas chambers

Located between Block 10 and 11, this wall and adjacent courtyard was an execution plaza where an estimated 20,000 inmates lost their lives. Most were shot from behind while standing naked.

Rudolf Hoss's house outside the fence

After his capture, trial, and having been sentenced to death, Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss was hanged on April 16, 1947, on this spot near Crematory 

Chimney above the crematorium

Barbed wire and chimeys

Entrance walk to Birkenau

Barracks at Birkenau

Birkenau

International Monument of Camp Victims

Guard Towers\at Birkenau

International monument

Ruins of crematorium

Ruins of Crematory at Birkenau

Ruins of another Crematory

Interior of brick residential barracks in Birkenau

Guard Tower

This is the main entrance to Birkenau as viewed from the unloading ramp. Through this entrance train transports from twenty three countries arrived, bringing millions to their death.

Birkenau operated 4 gas chambers where 6,000 people were put to death each day by the Nazi regime.

Original train and where it came

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Oh, the horrors of humanity.  After this we head back to Katowice with Jacov.  He recommends Tatiana restaurant.  On the walk to the restaurant, Judy falls because of uneven sidewalk and lands on her knees.  To ease the pain of the day and the knees, we have a few mulled wines and beers and head back to the hotel.

November 24, 2016 - Katowice to Little Rock

We wake up at 4:00 a.m. and Judy cannot walk.  The knee is really hurting.  Jacov takes us to airport, where we arrange for a wheelchair at all the connections.  Such service.  There is a special lift to the plane, off the plane, special shuttle bus in Frankfort where we are escorting through passport control to the gate.  The knee eventually gets better after a visit to Dr. Vandenschilden a week later.

At the Katowice airport

All in all, a very full and excellent trip.