Sat morning - still at Częstochowa

A good breakfast at another Mercure hotel

Only 10 minute walk to the Black Madonna

Looking Uphill

Looking downhill 

First shopping strike

A Dominican guide through the museum treasury.  (Funny jokes)

Replica of Our Lady icon here

Basilica church behind which chapel located

Fri evening Częstochowa

Here she is. Main subject of this course

Elizabeth found a nice video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHTPPBxowQY

Went to mass at 6:30

Not so crowded  then but came back for evening prayer and whole church packed.

Fr Boguslaw brought us through sacristy

Lovely setting and our hotel only 10 minute walk up this entry ramp

Fri pm Birkenau

Even larger

Barracks and latrine

RR cars brought some to work, most to die

Friday pm Auschwitz

Sobering afternoon  

Had a good guide

Huge camp 

No photos inside displays or crematoriums

Cold day and we wondered how prisoners survived winters

Friday Wadowice

Feed them breakfast and they'll pack their suitcases and follow you anywhere. This time to the birth place of St John Paul II  

Pretty town square and Monika's grandmother lives just two minutes away. There she goes to visit her

No photos inside the museum, alas. The museum is built around the room where he was born and lived the first years of his life, plus numerous artifacts and photos

Hotel and supper

Cold, so took tram home

In time for a group photo

At Faustina

Shrine of divine mercy 

Arrived in time for rosary before the blessed sacrament 

Window of the cell where she died 

Example of the rain all day