Two and a half hours after our Black Madonna stop, we arrive at Auschwitz through a driving rain. Lovely. If this wasn’t already going to be a somber visit, well, now, in the rain….appropriate, to some degree.

A quick bathroom stop then we huddle at the entrance waiting for our entrance tickets and local guide, who appears rather quickly. She is very knowledgeable, but has the deep, deep raspy voice, almost like a man’s (and there is quite a bit of debate about that after the fact in the bus, I’ll tell you), but more like a really heavy smoker. At any rate, she is a top notch tour guide, but that voice – it just makes me lose complete interest. Like a droning fly in my ear. No matter – we’ve been here before and as we have a huge interest in this whole era of WWII, we are pretty knowledgeable ourselves. Meaning, I don’t feel like I miss anything by tuning her out.

The our begins and we advance to the Arbeit Macht Frei gate with views to the perimeter security of the buildings….

Then on inside to the camp proper, passing the different block buildings, entering the living quarters, now the museum with the same displays that got me the first time here – that damn hair (of which I chose not even to take photos this time). And the shoes. It is always those two things that just break my heart for some reason.

Outside we pass the execution wall and make our way through the soggy and empty lanes to the crematorium to view the gas chamber and the stoves, then retreat to the bus for Birkenau.

While the displays in Auschwitz get to me, it is the Birkenau camp that really speaks to me. Could be some of the books we have read, but Auschwitz seems so solid and “livable” (I know, I know it wasn’t, but the bricks, the cement, everything seems almost civilized) whereas Birkenau is just horrific. You can imagine the conditions. And knowing the prisoners had to build it – and that the train just arrived and it was the end of the line – and the sorting – and words escape me.

At least we are in the fresh air here. Any consolation at this point.

Needless to say, it is a quiet ride into Krakow, each of us with our own thoughts. We don’t arrive to the hotel until past 7 and have a few minutes to get settled in our rooms, freshen up, then rejoin everyone for dinner downstairs.

Tonight is tomato soup, once again, a lovely stuffed chicken (with vegetables! Yay!) and a strawberry ice creamy yogurty thing for dessert. Nice way to finish out the day with our group who have fast become friends.