InterRail (yes, it's OT)

Having spent fucking ages looking for somewhere 'different' to go over
the new year break we started to consider using trains to go over to
Poland or similar. Someone here must have done this sort of thing
before (Paul Corfield?) so chip in with ideas and advise at will.

The rough idea is to leave on the 29th December and come back a week
later. Adie has said she'd like to visit Auschwitz (1) so Krakow would
be one destination, I quite fancy going to Prague because I haven't
been and that means I should do.

At a guess I'd say we should be aiming to spend a day or so in Germany
before going to Poland, spend a day there then head for Prague and
after that just drift home at will.

Prices seem pretty good with a 1st class ticket for 5 days travel in
ten costing £237 and a quick look suggests that hotels won't be too
bad out of the major cities. This compares to the £1200 it would cost
us to go to the Canaries and loaf around all day in what passes for
the sun in January.

 

That's brilliant. Thanks for helping, it seems even more of a good
idea and when you consider that neither of us have done Europe by rail
before it'll certainly be different.

For some reason Adie didn't fancy doing the trip on bikes. It's not as
if she hasn't got the kit and a choice of bikes to use.

 

Me and her did Prague[1] in a long weekend earlier this year - we
didn't see everything, but I don't think you'd need a week to see all
the best bits. By far the best move was getting a 3-day tram ticket[2]
and tramming everywhere. As you do a fair bit of walking you're ready
to do it after hopping off the tram.

[1] If you want the lonely planet guide, let me know.
[2] the hotel did them, but they seem to be available everywhere.

 

Andy Bonwick wibbled:

If you're in the area, make sure you go.

It's an experience you'll *never* forget - still makes my blood run
cold after 20 years.

 

I went a few years ago when I was working in the area.

I think it has that effect on everyone who goes.

 

As mentioned elsewhere, Auschwitz is a must. Words can't describe the
sensations I felt when I was there.

Poland is a lovely country. It's a kind of heaven for bachelors.

Also, whilst a damn site cheaper than the UK, Prague is still double
the price of anywhere else in CZ. It's a great place to visit though.

--
Cab :^) - I'm dyslex-spic apparently
GSX 1400 - Speedy Zimmerframe.
UKRMMA#10 (KOTL), IbW#015, BoB#4, POTM#3, SKA#1
email addy : ukrm_dot_cab_at_rosbif_dot_org
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Probably because all the blokes are over here working.

I'm open to other suggestions as to where to visit in the country.
Prague is just an idea really.

 

The link that Alan posted makes the overnight train look rather good.
Obviously Adie might get some say in this but then again..

I've been to Budapest somewhere in the region of 20 times and though I
really enjoyed it I'd sooner go somewhere different. I'll see what the
social secretary fancies doing and we'll just spend a few hours
planning things then make a decision.

The whole idea is to do something different from our normal holiday
stuff, it's our wedding anniversary on 31st Dec so while an overnight
stop in a city would be good it'd have to be sorted well in advance to
avoid wandering the streets looking for a hotel.

 

I think she's a bit late for catching the train to Auschwitz.

 

I confess to not understanding why anyone would want to go there. Is it a
Christian 'guilt' thing?

Frankly, I see more than enough hatred of Jews in real life and in UKRM, to
want to go to one of the 'cathedrals' of anti-Semitism.

D.

 

Guilt? Not a fucking chance, it wasn't my countrymen that quite
happily watched people being marched off from occupied countries. I
can say that in all honesty because I'm not French.

I think a lot of the hatred you see on here has nothing to with your
imaginary religion.

 

France's Jewish population actually remained one of Europe's largest, even
after the Holocaust.

I wasn't talking about hatred directed towards me.

D.

 

Thinking back a bit the whole Des becoming a Jew thing seems to tie in
very closely with the date when this was uploaded to youtube.



Maybe he's just protesting against Borat.

 

Not forgetting, of course, that Vichy France was the *only* unoccupied
country that fully co-operated with the Nazis in rounding up the Jews
for extermination.

France did it willingly, enthusiastically, and with every evidence of
satisfaction.

Not a nice stripe to have on your sleeve, which is why France tends to
gloss over it.

Perhaps it's just the French who don't go there, out of guilt....

 

'Vichy France was the *only* unoccupied country' ?

What the **** is 'unoccupied Vichy France' ?

Are you so stupid that you don't realise that you've just contradicted
yourself? Vichy France _was_ occupied. Otherwise, the government would
never have been in Vichy. So there was never any such thing as 'unoccupied
Vichy France'. Shit, you really know ****-all about the war.

In addition, the earliest deportation from France _of which I'm aware_,
took place in 1941 with the creation of the 'commissariat général aux
questions juives'. In 1941, France was occupied. The infamous Vél d'Hiv
took place in 1942. France was occupied in 1942, as well.

In fact, unless I'm mistaken (which is always a possibility, of course),
France was a deeply anti-Semitic country before the fall of the government
in 1940, but the deportations themselves didn't take place until after she
had fallen to the Nazis. France _did_ contribute enthusiastically to the
deportation, but you're an idiot (interesting how that word comes back time
and again in describing your posts) if you think that we 'hide' this fact.
Google for 'déportation' or 'mémoire Shoah' and you'll find many
governmental and non-governmental sites in French dealing with this period
of our history. IIRC, Europe's largest museum of the Shoah, is in France..

http://www.memorialdelashoah.org/

So France _was_ (and sadly, still is to a degree) anti-Semitic, but prior
to the Armistice with Nazi Germany, this was mostly limited to
discrimination and anti-Jewish laws. Deportation came with Occupation.

Did your love of France come from that period?

Googling for 'auschwitz' on google.fr will show just how uninformed you
are. Then again, it's not like we _need_ confirmation ...

D.

 

Actually 'Des became a Jew' at eight days old, but it appears that a
reminder (how conveniently selective are your memories) is required as to
who and when brought my religion into UKRM. Hint: it wasn't me ...

http://groups.google.fr/group/uk.rec.motorcycles/msg/2ffc3120a175a475

D.

 

Well you're not looking ...

http://minilien.fr/a0kfed

Nor should you forget Blaney's rant, screaming '**** the Israelis' as he
spat on his screen. Or Lozzo calling all Jews 'cunts' or something
similar.

A blatantly false claim.

If you really believed that .. .

D.

 

If you go for the Slavic type ..

D.

 

Err.. I think you'll find that a number of others did too - places like
Estonia and Latvia were more than happy to participate in the
round-ups.

Phil.

 

And Poland wasn't too hot on Jews either. Even before September 1939.

D.