skull_bearer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
skull_bearer) wrote2007-10-21 12:34 pm
skull_bearer) wrote2007-10-21 12:34 pm
Entry tags:
What I did on my Holidays, Day 2
Wednesday 5th September
There's no connection to myself
-Zero, Smashing Pumpkins
Better now, the first day's always the worst. The weather's changed too, instead of cold, ity's not wet. Not much of an improvement. Didn't sleep too badly, checked out of the hostel, and finally found the train station. Meaning that I tramped around for an hour looking for it before it occured to me that I was holding the map upside down. There's a train for Lublin in 35mins, which I intent to be on. Looking forward to the trip but not sure what will happen when I get there. Need to book a hostel, and the thought of visiting Majdanek is starting to frighten me.
Well, they got the train right. If this thing wasn't running when the nazis invaded then I'll eat my raincoat. It's one of those trains with compartments (they're practically unknown in England now) it's quite nice, and I managed to find one that didn't stink of ciggarettes (coming from a country where it's illegal to smoke in public places, let alone transport, ceneral europe was a shock). I wish I could work out how to open the windows though.
Mystery solved. We now have fresh air. And rain *closes window*.
Poland is very green. I've seen more trees than houses ever since I left Warsaw. Still raining, and I now have two travelling companions. Only one speaks English, andshe isn't goign to Lublin. The other one is and he kindly agreed to warn me when we get there. The train is really fast. The forest reminds me of that room in gradma's house (it's wallpapered with images of a forest, and with the varnished wood cabinets and green carpet it really is like going to sleep in a forest).
The fields are long and thin.
I should stop listening to Nickleback (look up the lyrics to Hold out your Hand and you'll see what I meant)
Lublin.
This place seems inclined to finish me before I even get to Madjanek. I arrive (it was still raining, and the station wasn't only the map in my Lonely Planet guide. Mercifully there was a map outside the station. I spent a good ten minutes just staring at the black space labled 'Madjanek') and make the long treck up to the old town to look into getting a room at the hostel there. No luck, the place is being renovated and/or bulldozed. Cursing, I make an even longer walk (with my immenstly heavy backpack) to another. It too is being redone (I couldn't believe it either). Now rather scared and in a great deal of pain (if I ever re-write that torture scene in Past Tense, I'll have experience to draw on [This walk really did damage my shoulders, I had no end of trouble from them for the rest of my trip and they're only now getting back to normal]) I make my way to my third (and last) chance. It is open (although it too was having construction work done. Moment of blind panic there), but no one speaks English. (It took me about fifteen minutes to communicate what I wanted). On top of that, the first door I try doesn't open. The second one does. The room is noce, and actual room rather thasn a dorm and at 90zl a night, it's incredibly cheap, £15. Payment got confused since they don't take card, so they took my passport instead. I don't know if they'll give it back after I pay or after I hand they keys back though.
Oh yes, and I'm wet through, hungry and cold.
After a second (less frantic) tour of Lublin, I conclude that it is a very nice city indeed, with or without the bad weather. Very old world, the old town is straight from a story book, with the winding cobbled streets, tall houses, all perched on top of a tall hill.
I didn't take any photos of Lublin, since I was saving them for Madjanek. I got this from Wikepedia and it's pretty much where I was when I was writing this. this was taken on the bridge between the old town and the castle, facing the old town. I was in a restaurant not far from there.
Unfortunately, the weather was nowhere near this good.
I'm in a restaurant, having my first fucking meal of the day! I was too busy trying to find the train station in the morning, too desperate finding a hotel int he afternoon. It's 5pm, a bit early for dinner, but frankly I don't care. I picked up a guidebook on Jewish History at the Tourist office (the only place where anyone spoke any english!) and I'll be following that tomorrow morning, with the much anticipated and now rather dreaded trip to Madjanek in the afternoon. Then another nigth here, and then onto Krakow.
I don't think I'll be visiting Sobibor after all unless I find something in the guidebook-
One minute, they've just brought me the most INCREDIBLE lemon beer. Ye Gods, wow. (not only did I eat like a king, I drank like one too :) This place does seem to be redeeming itself after a bad start. I hope the food's as good. Steak tartar, roast pig in honey and tomatoes in cream. A good solid meal to revive me after my day. (note to anyone with any sense, steak tartar is hideous. Everything else was great though, so after a nice desert the meal was still a success)
Erik's been quieter, he's never been to Lublin so it's understandable. He's even been letting me toy a bit with Past Tense.
Some arsehole though it would be a good move the draw a swastika on a wall (this was near my hotel). You know, that's even more stupid than when the English do it. You (the people drawing it) would only be one up fromt he Jews on the Nazi's to-kill list had they won the war, arsehat. Untermenchen like the rest of them.
Unless, of course, it was meant as a critism of the owner of the wall, which is fair if incredibly bad taste and a Godwin's violation to boot.
(the first, but unfortuately not last bit of neo-nazi graffitti I was to see on this trip)
Gah! Running out of phonetime! I'll have to find somewhere that sells phonecards tomorrow.
On the + side, I learnt my lesson and booked a frigging hotel in advance. Crackow Hostel in (you guessed it) Krakow, my next stop. I spent tonight+ tomorrow night at the hostel, then move on to Krakow, one night there, then one night in Oswiecim.
Yeah, like that's a good idea. Remember the desert? This'll be only, oh TEN THOUSAND TIMES WORSE?! (deserts are scary places) If you aren't crazy after visiting the camp, a night in the near vicinity'll do the trick!
Okay, still unsure there, but three nights in Krakow (or around it) for sure. First day for Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, day two for Auschwitz, day three for Krakow...
Actually, that's abit unrealistic. let's try that again. I leave Lublin bright and early. Say the train's at 10, I'll get to Krakow by 3. An hour to drop things off, it's 4. Spend several hours exploring Krakow. Day 2, saturday, ha.ha.ha.
Might not be such a good idea. Maybe have a looka round Jewish quarter. Rather empty now. Resereve dasy three for seeing where they wnet. Then find a way of getting to Prague. On the + side there are trains from Prague to Vienna, so that part should be fine.
There's no connection to myself
-Zero, Smashing Pumpkins
Better now, the first day's always the worst. The weather's changed too, instead of cold, ity's not wet. Not much of an improvement. Didn't sleep too badly, checked out of the hostel, and finally found the train station. Meaning that I tramped around for an hour looking for it before it occured to me that I was holding the map upside down. There's a train for Lublin in 35mins, which I intent to be on. Looking forward to the trip but not sure what will happen when I get there. Need to book a hostel, and the thought of visiting Majdanek is starting to frighten me.
Well, they got the train right. If this thing wasn't running when the nazis invaded then I'll eat my raincoat. It's one of those trains with compartments (they're practically unknown in England now) it's quite nice, and I managed to find one that didn't stink of ciggarettes (coming from a country where it's illegal to smoke in public places, let alone transport, ceneral europe was a shock). I wish I could work out how to open the windows though.
Mystery solved. We now have fresh air. And rain *closes window*.
Poland is very green. I've seen more trees than houses ever since I left Warsaw. Still raining, and I now have two travelling companions. Only one speaks English, andshe isn't goign to Lublin. The other one is and he kindly agreed to warn me when we get there. The train is really fast. The forest reminds me of that room in gradma's house (it's wallpapered with images of a forest, and with the varnished wood cabinets and green carpet it really is like going to sleep in a forest).
The fields are long and thin.
I should stop listening to Nickleback (look up the lyrics to Hold out your Hand and you'll see what I meant)
Lublin.
This place seems inclined to finish me before I even get to Madjanek. I arrive (it was still raining, and the station wasn't only the map in my Lonely Planet guide. Mercifully there was a map outside the station. I spent a good ten minutes just staring at the black space labled 'Madjanek') and make the long treck up to the old town to look into getting a room at the hostel there. No luck, the place is being renovated and/or bulldozed. Cursing, I make an even longer walk (with my immenstly heavy backpack) to another. It too is being redone (I couldn't believe it either). Now rather scared and in a great deal of pain (if I ever re-write that torture scene in Past Tense, I'll have experience to draw on [This walk really did damage my shoulders, I had no end of trouble from them for the rest of my trip and they're only now getting back to normal]) I make my way to my third (and last) chance. It is open (although it too was having construction work done. Moment of blind panic there), but no one speaks English. (It took me about fifteen minutes to communicate what I wanted). On top of that, the first door I try doesn't open. The second one does. The room is noce, and actual room rather thasn a dorm and at 90zl a night, it's incredibly cheap, £15. Payment got confused since they don't take card, so they took my passport instead. I don't know if they'll give it back after I pay or after I hand they keys back though.
Oh yes, and I'm wet through, hungry and cold.
After a second (less frantic) tour of Lublin, I conclude that it is a very nice city indeed, with or without the bad weather. Very old world, the old town is straight from a story book, with the winding cobbled streets, tall houses, all perched on top of a tall hill.
I didn't take any photos of Lublin, since I was saving them for Madjanek. I got this from Wikepedia and it's pretty much where I was when I was writing this. this was taken on the bridge between the old town and the castle, facing the old town. I was in a restaurant not far from there.
Unfortunately, the weather was nowhere near this good.
I'm in a restaurant, having my first fucking meal of the day! I was too busy trying to find the train station in the morning, too desperate finding a hotel int he afternoon. It's 5pm, a bit early for dinner, but frankly I don't care. I picked up a guidebook on Jewish History at the Tourist office (the only place where anyone spoke any english!) and I'll be following that tomorrow morning, with the much anticipated and now rather dreaded trip to Madjanek in the afternoon. Then another nigth here, and then onto Krakow.
I don't think I'll be visiting Sobibor after all unless I find something in the guidebook-
One minute, they've just brought me the most INCREDIBLE lemon beer. Ye Gods, wow. (not only did I eat like a king, I drank like one too :) This place does seem to be redeeming itself after a bad start. I hope the food's as good. Steak tartar, roast pig in honey and tomatoes in cream. A good solid meal to revive me after my day. (note to anyone with any sense, steak tartar is hideous. Everything else was great though, so after a nice desert the meal was still a success)
Erik's been quieter, he's never been to Lublin so it's understandable. He's even been letting me toy a bit with Past Tense.
Some arsehole though it would be a good move the draw a swastika on a wall (this was near my hotel). You know, that's even more stupid than when the English do it. You (the people drawing it) would only be one up fromt he Jews on the Nazi's to-kill list had they won the war, arsehat. Untermenchen like the rest of them.
Unless, of course, it was meant as a critism of the owner of the wall, which is fair if incredibly bad taste and a Godwin's violation to boot.
(the first, but unfortuately not last bit of neo-nazi graffitti I was to see on this trip)
Gah! Running out of phonetime! I'll have to find somewhere that sells phonecards tomorrow.
On the + side, I learnt my lesson and booked a frigging hotel in advance. Crackow Hostel in (you guessed it) Krakow, my next stop. I spent tonight+ tomorrow night at the hostel, then move on to Krakow, one night there, then one night in Oswiecim.
Yeah, like that's a good idea. Remember the desert? This'll be only, oh TEN THOUSAND TIMES WORSE?! (deserts are scary places) If you aren't crazy after visiting the camp, a night in the near vicinity'll do the trick!
Okay, still unsure there, but three nights in Krakow (or around it) for sure. First day for Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, day two for Auschwitz, day three for Krakow...
Actually, that's abit unrealistic. let's try that again. I leave Lublin bright and early. Say the train's at 10, I'll get to Krakow by 3. An hour to drop things off, it's 4. Spend several hours exploring Krakow. Day 2, saturday, ha.ha.ha.
Might not be such a good idea. Maybe have a looka round Jewish quarter. Rather empty now. Resereve dasy three for seeing where they wnet. Then find a way of getting to Prague. On the + side there are trains from Prague to Vienna, so that part should be fine.
no subject
Heh, I noticed that, too.
steak tartar is hideous
I like it, but it's dreadfully unhealthy and can give you worms, salmonellae and other sweet stuff... Other than that, hey, it's raw meat! Over here with it!
Maybe that stupid swastika was left by some nazi tourist? On the other hand, there are stupid people everywhere in the world, so it could have been one of the locals, too.
Oh, and by the way, I really do envy you for getting around Europe so much!