We left our warm hotel in Krakow after breakfast and shared a taxi with an American high school English teacher from Chicago.  The journey of 31 miles was uneventful.  The first surprise was the town of Oswiecim, normal in every respect except that it is located right next to the camp.  I just couldn’t imaging living that close to something that bad!

We entered Auschwitz 1 under the infamous arch and were greeted with the words “ARBEIT MACHT FREI”,  (work sets you free).  As I write this I am reminded that just a week ago the sign was stolen during the night, fortunately the thieves were apprehended before it could be sold.  It had been cut into 3 pieces.  A replica has been erected pending the repair of the original.

As foreboding as Auschwitz 1 is with it’s fences and barbed wire, sentry towers and blocks of brick built prison buildings it did not prepare me for my visit to Auschwitz 2 - Birkenau.

Birkenau occupies a huge open space filled with row after row of mainly wooden cell blocks.  In the centre is the marshaling yard where trains from throughout Nazi occupied Europe deposited their human cargo.  On the tracks visitors had left bouquets of flowers, some fresh that day, some frozen and others dying.  The main building, with the tower through which the trains passed, is now an observation room for visitors, a warm sanctuary.   In my portfolio of images I have included some original photographs to help illustrate how it was at the time.  There is not much of the gas chambers or cremation buildings to see - which rather surprised me.  In one of the original cell blocks are chilling reminders of the past, items removed from the dead; human hair, spectacles, hair brushes, suitcases, prosthetic limbs - and alongside, a pile of empty Zyklon B gas cannisters.

At the Nuremberg Trials, held after World War 2 Rudolf Hoss, the first commander of Auschwitz, stated (perhaps proudly?) that 3 million Jews had been exterminated.  Sometime later this number was revised to 1.1 million, which presumably excluded the Gypsies, political prisoners and others who did not “sign up” to Hitlers new world order.

Much is made by the Jews of their barbaric treatment at Auschwitz and other camps - and rightly so, but it saddens me that the extermination of the Gypsy (Roma) people is hardly ever mentioned.  Records show that Roma men were imprisoned at Auschwitz a year or two prior to the arrival of the Jews.  At the same time Nazis doctors were sterilising their women whom they considered “unworthy of human reproduction”.  It would appear that anything up to 500,000 Roma died at Auchwitz and other camps and thousands more were displaced into Poland.   The Nazi supporting Vichy Government of France deported 30,000 Roma to Nazi concentration camps for extermination.

I know this was all a long time ago and it couldn’t happen again - could it?  Well, it has - in Cambodia (2.5 million), Bosnia (110,000),  Rwanda (1 million) and Darfur (600,000), to name those that come quickly to mind.  In Darfur it is still happening!

You can see all my Black and White Auschwitz images by clicking here. The portfolio will open in a new browser window, close the window to return here.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”

George Santana, Philosopher 1863 - 1952

The fair is held in one very large, hilly field.  Around the one side is a “street” of stalls selling all kinds of clothing, fancy goods, horse paraphernalia, gypsy goods, Crown Derby china, baby prams etc - and lots of fast food trailers selling just about everything you can hold in your hand - and chips with everything.  The centre of the field  is where the mostly cob horses (small breeds sized between a pony and a horse) are displayed and sold.  Compared to the  Appleby Horse Fair (see my slide show here) it was a pretty tame event, but interesting nevertheless.  I met some very interesting folk and learnt a bit more about Gypsy culture and traditions.  It was a good day.

As for the photographs.  Not the most photogenic of events but I am quite pleased with them.  I hope you enjoy them.

Rudyard Kipling wrote after a visit “It is as though we walked down the streets of a small town, so tall are they and  so close do they stand”.

Tropical illnesses and problems at childbirth were the main causes of death and many of the young wives interred were not long off the ships from England, lured no doubt by the promise of a luxurious lifestyle with a gallant and well heeled young officer.  Many tombs are in the shape of massive neo-classical pyramids, pavilions, obelisks and pagodas and one in the shape of a Hindu temple.  The names on the tombs are a veritable “who’s who” of the time.  Included are a descendant of Oliver Cromwell, a great grand-daughter of King Charles II and sons of both Captain Cook and Charles Dickens.  The Hindu temple tomb, now sadly in a state of advanced disrepair, is the resting place of Major General “Hindoo” Stuart (more) who was buried with his idols, I have included a photograph.  A colourful chap it seems who “went native” shortly after arriving in India and was one of the few British officers to embrace Indian Culture.

Unfortunately, much of the cemetery is now a no go area inhabited by drug addicts and thieves who live there in the well built structures.  The caretakers, fearful for their safety, would not accompany me so I only ventured as far as I considered safe. Below is a election of my photographs taken there in 2008, I hope you enjoy them and this little bit of British colonial history.

]




]

Latest News.  I entered the photograph of “Laurel and Hardy” and the red airplane (see it below) into the Evrium Software monthly photograph competition, it was judged runner up.  Thanks Evrium.

On a few hectares of land alongside their finca (house) in the hills between Marbella and Estepona, on Spain’s Costa del Sol, they care for more than twenty donkeys at their breeding sanctuary.  Every day of their lives is devoted to their charges and holidays are a thing of the past.  The temperature during the Summer months regularly exceeds 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but the work still goes on.

Most Saturdays of the year, Marlene can be seen at the Peurto Banus market handing out leaflets and soliciting donations, which is where I first met her.  Without financial support from the public they would be unable to meet the cost of vets, farriers and the food bill.  The sanctuary is open to the public every Sunday and they derive some income from the small number of visitors who leave donations or sponsor a donkey.

In the spare time she doesn’t have, Marlene is President of ANCRA (Asociacion National de Criadores Rasal Asnal Andaluzia) in English,  The National Association of Breeders of the Andaluz Donkey.  For more information click here to go to the ANCRAA website.  The following is her personal description of the Giant Donkeys of Andalucia;

“These are not your average donkeys as fondly remembered from seaside holidays of yesteryear, these beauties are around 1.45m- 1.50m to the wither, which means they are VERY large. Their special gentle character, grey/white colouring and beautiful facial bone structure with their exquisite eyes are their most outstanding features.  As mans’ special workmate, they have carried water, olives, oranges, lemons, farm produce, building materials etc and up in the cork forests they were used for carrying huge loads of cork. In the fields they ploughed and harrowed and sowed in perfect harmony with man.  After work groomed to perfection and dressed in colourful authentic Spanish headgear and backpack etc they carried the romantic young man to the next village to woo his sweetheart! Who could resist man and beast so handsomely presented!! It is only the advent of agricultural machinery, trucks and the motorcar that has made them redundant and therefore expendable, and sadly forgotten.  Suddenly you begin to realize that there are no large donkeys to be seen around and the planet could be losing another member. Please don’t let it happen.”

What I find so strange is that the Andalusians have a great love of horses and like nothing more than parading (read posing) in their national dress astride a beautiful horse, sucking up admiration like a sponge.  Yet these same people have no feelings whatsoever for the “humble” donkey that has served Spain, and their ancesters, so well over the centuries.  Black bulls don’t do to well there either!

In Spain the donkey is considered stubborn and slow.  Second Spanish dictionary descriptions define it as an “idiot”, “oaf” and “stupid”,  so it’s not surprising it’s PR ‘aint too good.  The truth is much different!  They learn quickly, are intellegent and they enjoy the company of humans. Could it be they are only stubborn when human handlers ask too much of them?  I call that clever.

If you are ever on the Costa del Sol, taking a break between golf games or recovering from sunburn, then pop along to the sanctuary and meet Marlene and Steven, you might even get to cuddle a donkey.  You will be made very welcome, as I was.

Details and a map are on the website.

Armed with my Nikon 300 and new Sigma 150-500 lens, on it’s first outing, I captured the following images.  All hand held, I used manual focus, focusing on the wickets for the action shots.  Exposure was difficult given the sunlight and the team’s white strip making manual adjustments essential.  I am quite pleased with the results, see what you think.

This year was my fourth visit and I must say, unfortunately, the least enjoyable.  Too many people, over 30,000 they say, overly aggressive security guards and an unmanned police drone flying around and annoying everyone.  You would think the police had better things to do with their resources?  In the past I have arrived in the evening and secured a parking spot in the well organised car park.  This year I arrived at 3.30am to find the road to the car park blocked off and no obvious alternative available.  I ended up parked on a road island two or more miles from the stones, not a good start!

For the first hour or so I was ready for the walk back to the car. The crowds were such that I never expected to get anywhere near the stones - and the action.  Action for me at the Solstice is a varied selection of interesting folk having a good time, good to be around and great to photograph.  In my previous three years there I have seen one (not very good) sunrise, this year it never appeared at all, not that many seemed to notice.  By 6 am the crowd had thinned out considerably, the sun made a brief appearance and I was in to the end.

The centre of attraction is the stone circle, not for any mystical or pagan reason but because that’s where the best party is!  It’s here that the drummers  beat out their rhythms  surrounded by dancers and others fueled by the excitement, onlookers crowd the surrounding fallen stones for a better view - and to be viewed.  It takes me a while to squeeze through the crowds  to a good spot where I stay for the next hour or so.

Photographically speaking, 2009 was not the best!  Two cool grannies, an attractive young lady in a tatty top revealing her boobs, a few great faces and not much else.  I have included the best in a composite slide show of my favourites.

Another June another Solstice.

The following day back home in Winchester, Pam my wife, was reading the Sunday papers and stumbled across an article about LC.  It referred to his forthcoming sold out concert at the Bournemouth International Arena the following Wednesday.  Well it wasn’t quite sold out there was one seat left - in the front row and it became mine.  As on the Saturday previous the show was awesome, this time I was almost on the stage with him - and this time I had my cameras!  In the first half I used my Canon G9 without a flash on a high ISO.  At the break I set up the bigger Nikon D300 - and security descended on me.  As much as I tried to convince the the boss man that a camera is a camera is a camera, you get the gist, he wasn’t having any of it.  So back to the G9 for the second half.  I did sneak a few with the Nikon at the end, I wasn’t too bothered about being thrown out then.

If you are ever within a thousand miles of a Leonard Cohen concert - go and see him.