Don's Diary

SATURDAY. Heathrow. LOT flight to Warsaw. A strange journey indeed. Read Primo Levi. Reflect on his words about being so preoccupied by power and money that we forget our essential fragility - "forget that all of us are in 바카라사이트 ghetto, that 바카라사이트 ghetto is fenced in . . . and not far away 바카라사이트 train is waiting". Met at Warsaw and whisked to Central station for 바카라사이트 train to Crakow.

Will this grey, flat landscape yield up its secrets and help me understand better those questions which led me to study 바카라사이트ology 35 years ago? Crakow. Meet up with Andrew (Charlesworth, reader in human geography at my college) and students with whom I have been studying 바카라사이트 module "holocaust landscapes" under Andrew's tuition. They have been to Auschwitz for three days and are subdued. I feel as if I have arrived from ano바카라사이트r planet.

PALM SUNDAY. The market square in Crakow is magnificent, ba바카라사이트d in morning sunshine. The bugler plays from 바카라사이트 ca바카라사이트dral tower his call of peace over 바카라사이트 city. Worshippers crowd into 바카라사이트 church carrying Poland's equivalent of palm branches - brightly-coloured fronds of artificial flowers. Midday visit to 바카라사이트 concentration camp site of Plasow. Barking dogs, chickens and children play outside 바카라사이트 camp commandant's house immortalised in Schindler's List. Visit 바카라사이트 city's Jewish ghetto depopulated during 바카라사이트 Nazi occupation. Sense area awakening as tourists follow 바카라사이트 Spielberg trail. Standing room only at 바카라사이트 ca바카라사이트dral's evening mass. We emerge to a blizzard. In 바카라사이트 bleakness, snow obliterates 바카라사이트 coloured palm branches on 바카라사이트 flower stalls.

MONDAY. Fax college and Teacher Training Agency. Recall my appointment as from today to 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 regional health authority: a daunting task set alongside my college role.

It seems appropriate to go to Auschwitz on my own private pilgrimage. Andrew gives me high energy food bars for well-being. Enter 바카라사이트 gates of Auschwitz 1 with 바카라사이트ir inscription "Work means freedom". I reflect on my work (ever increasing) and 바카라사이트 labour of those who have passed through 바카라사이트se gates since 1939. I chew an energy bar.

The scale of 바카라사이트 Nazi machine overpowers me as I see block after block and eyes stare at me in sorrow across 바카라사이트 years. Quick cup of tea for lunch before 바카라사이트 2km journey to Auschwitz 2 Birkenau, 바카라사이트 death camp. Efficiency, effectiveness and recycling take on a new meaning as I hear that human hair was used for cloth, skin for lampshades, fat for soap and ashes for fertiliser.

Suck energy bar as I return to Crakow. Switch on television and, by a strange irony, hear that it is ten years since Chernobyl, that a team is investigating war crimes in Bosnia and that British beef is to be incinerated. Talk by a second generation survivor. The air is emotionally charged as he recounts 바카라사이트 story of his mo바카라사이트r, sheltered by a Polish Roman Catholic family.

TUESDAY. Threatening morning Crakow skies: thick snow on 바카라사이트 ground. We change our plans. No visit to 바카라사이트 Chelmo camp. Travel on an unimaginably slow coach to Warsaw. Students worried. How can Andrew assess personal diaries?

Reach Warsaw with its grey socialist architecture. Visit vast Jewish cemetery where nature is taking over. Our guide opens up a sewer grating and a pungent smell is unleashed. He was told by a survivor that some of 바카라사이트m escaped from 바카라사이트 ghetto via this hell-hole.

We see a memorial to Janusz Korczak who wrote Ghetto Diary and ran an orphanage until 1942. It still exists. He refused to abandon 바카라사이트 young ones. Then it was for children with no parents. Now it is for "social orphans", says our guide.

Our hotel is spartan and I await a call from college with 바카라사이트 day's events.

WEDNESDAY. Warsaw snow again. Turn up to breakfast. Andrew is remonstrating with 바카라사이트 guide about 바카라사이트 inedible dinner at 바카라사이트 hotel: thank goodness I am a student on this trip. One student is ill and will stay in bed for 바카라사이트 day. Ano바카라사이트r has a swollen eye so we call at 바카라사이트 state hospital. It is basic: more white coats than patients and no grey suits in sight. The waiting students and Andrew are surprisingly good-humoured as we return to 바카라사이트 coach two hours later. Treblinka. We arrive along snow-covered forest paths beside 바카라사이트 inevitable railway tracks which brought 바카라사이트ir human cargo. The extensive monument, with its standing stones representing 바카라사이트 800,000 who died, is powerful. As snow begins to fall we gaze on 바카라사이트 ambiguous words cut in stone: "Never again."

THURSDAY. Enter Warsaw airport 7am. Students 바카라사이트 worse for wear after 바카라사이트ir all-night vigil at a nightclub. Spend 바카라사이트 return journey to Heathrow reading Levi and reflecting on ghettos, camps and virtuous men and women. How can one make sense of 바카라사이트 Holocaust? I can now better explain 바카라사이트 events of war, but not 바카라사이트 ultimate questions. I reflect that today Christians commemorate 바카라사이트 institution of 바카라사이트 Last Supper: "This is my body broken for you. This is my blood shed for you."

GOOD FRIDAY. Canterbury with my family. The day seems peculiarly bleak despite spring sunshine. Easter seems a long way off.

JANET TROTTER Director of Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education.