Last days in Poland (26-29 Sept 2007)

28 Sept 2007: At the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki, Krakow

We travelled back to Krakow on Wed 26 Sept.   Previously we had stayed in the centre of town.  Now we stayed a little further out, near the shrine to the Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki.

During the two full days of the Thursday and Friday we visited several places, including the Divine Mercy shrine, where the earthly remains of St Faustina Kowalska are situated under the painting by Adolf Hyla which was inspired by St Faustina's visions.

Ali at  the Divine Mercy shrine

One of the most moving visits was to Krakow's old Jewish quarter - Kazimierz. About 64,000 Jews lived there before the second world war, and only about 3,000-4,000 survived, many of whom did not remain in Poland.  It was sobering to walk through the streets where those who suffered so greatly had lived and especially to visit the Synagogue where they worshipped.  Unfortunately I discovered when we arrived that I had forgotten to bring my camera and I have no photos of it.

Many of the survivors owed their lives to the industrialist Oskar Schindler, and we visited his factory which kept them in employment. 

27 Sept 2007:  Ali at the Oskar Schindler factory in Krakow

We visited new places in Krakow and revisited some we had seen some days earlier.

Tyniecka 10 - the house Karol Wojtyla and his father lived in after moving to Debniki, Krakow in 1938

The right side view of the Vistula river in front of Tyniecka 10

The left side view of the Vistula river in front of Tyniecka 10

St Stanislaw Kosta Church in Debniki, attended by the younger Karol Wojtyla

The courtyard of the Collegium Maius of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow

28 Sept 2007:  Ali in the main square,  Krakow