Days 6-8: No birds, no birds, the sky is swollen black

Krakow

Just got back from Auschwitz and Birkenau. A very sobering experience as I'm sure you can imagine. Auschwitz is the much more organised one of the two with exhibitions etc and it's also much smaller. It's scale doesn't really reflect what went on. Obviously the place is not the thing but nevertheless the fact that Birkenau is immense seems more appropriate. It's also virtually untouched. They've rebuilt a few of the buildings and stuck up a couple of signs but that's about it. Plus there are far fewer people there. Most just go to Auschwitz. As a result it has a lot more impact. I far prefer to see the actual thing itself rather than see the thing changed into an exhibition about that thing. If you know what I mean. Really glad I decided to go on this day trip alone. Not one where a lot of chatting is appropriate and you need to do it in your own time.

Yesterday was rather more light-hearted. We went to the salt-mines. Wow they have it easy here in Eastern Europe. It was actually very interesting. A UNESCO world heritage site and all that jazz.

Tonight is dumpling and vodka night at the hostel or something like that.

If you're interested, the following are a small selection of what has been particularly rockin' the Hatton MP3 player this week:

- Gin in the Gin-Soaked Boy by The Divine Comedy

- It's Not OK by The Enemy

- Mausoleum by MSPs (obviously, although not strictly speaking the right concentration camps)

- Stay Too Long by Plan B

- I Ain't Gonna Cry by Little Angels (yeah, weird eh?)