We planned on driving south to a spa...mainly because we needed it..with all the running around we've been doing , but as we were heading out of town, we remembered that we were going to look around in some of the cemeteries in Malbork...so we turned the car around and headed back to Malbork. We looked at a city map and the only cemetery we could see on the map...we couldn't find...we drove by the place several times but didn't see anything.
So we went back into town to the information place and asked there where a Catholic cemetery was. He said it was out of town a ways...so off we went. At the cemetery there was a building with a woman and man in it...again no English but finally we got across our mission...to find any Sawatzki's. She looked it up but couldn't find any. The man there said to come with him and he gave us a tour of the cemetery...boy...we walked all over that huge place! He said something about a lot of people are buried together...but when we looked at the monuments...most were fairly recent...people who had died mostly in the 50's. I'll bet the tour lasted 1 1/2 hours. He tried so hard to look around to see the family name, but never did. Here's a picture of the cemetery there:
He told us in the city of Malbork there was an old cemetery where a lot of
Germans were buried. He said it was a bit difficult to find...that it was situated between houses in a neighborhood. So we drove by several times and finally found a dirt alley and as we drove up saw a large gate ahead...and it was locked.
Here's what it looked like:
This is looking back from the cemetery towards the street that we turned off of. We are standing in front of the gate here:
We drove into the alley and there was a man working outside. We talked to him...of course in Polish...not understanding much. But somehow we conveyed that we wanted to get in the gate so he went to the school across the street to get the key to unlock the padlock at the cemetery gate (I know this sounds unreal). When I tell you things are different here, you know I'm not exaggerating.
So the man (the guy to the right in the above picture) gave us the key and told us to give the key back to him and he would return it. When Dad put the key in the lock it wouldn't go in all the way. He kept trying and he made some progress, but it wouldn't turn. So the guy came over to help...and this caused a commotion in the neighborhood and another man came over to see if he could help. They both kept trying and trying. Finally the one guy got some oil and just poured some in the bottom of the lock. He then went back to his house and got a pair of pliers and kept trying to turn the key. It must have taken 15 minutes...but finally the key turned and we were able to open the gate.
Here's what we saw when we first walked in:
I know why the lock on the gate wouldn't open...no one has been here in years. Everything is overgrown.
But it's not just that everything was unattended to and dilapidated...it's that most all of the markers had been intentionally destroyed....the name plates had been removed...leaving just the blank stone markers:
Here's one that got only partially destroyed...but you can see what happened. We don't have a clue who did it or why. What we did see on a few of the marked ones...was the dates would have matched Jacob & Marriana Sawatzki's deaths...if they died here (that's Johann's parents).
We spent the better part of an hour or more shuffling around this old cemetery. We're pretty sure that if any family members are buried in Malbork, they are here...but again...maybe they escaped to Germany or who knows where.
Here's a picture of Dad searching for names on the markers:
So we figured we did what we could do. It chunked out about 5 hours of our day, but we were glad we made the effort.
Also, in the cemetery, in the middle, there is a monument there that was put there in 2006.
it reads:
The translation as best as I can do, is this:
" In memory of the citizens of Marienburg and Malbork, here they have found their final peace". Lord knows anyone buried here didn't have much peace in their lifetime, so it's nice to think they are at peace here.
As we left Malbork, heading south, we thought you would like to see the countryside where maybe Johann was close to as a young man. Interestingly, it looks a lot like Nebraska. This is just on the outskirts of Malbork:
Took a toll road south and made good time...it was the best $6 we've spent lately! Arrived at the spa and they had a room available so we took it. It's a bit pricey but we didn't want to search out another place...sometimes it's such a hassle. But as usual, it was very confusing here...we were given a wristband to wear...which was I guess a key to the room and whatever else. We didn't know how to get to the pool (we only have 1 hour free and then have to pay extra), we didn't know where to go for dinner, where the pool towels were, and on and on. Found out the restaurant was open til 8:00 so decided to do our swim first.
Funny...it was just a regular swimming pool with some powerful jets...but no mineral water. Anyway, the water was nice and refreshing...not very hot. We were having a good time but noticed that everyone else in the pool...both men and women...were wearing these goofy looking bathing caps...the fabric stretchy kind. Most of the women looked like they had been hit with the ugly stick...and most of the men looked like Boris ...........
Anyway, we were enjoying ourselves and all of a sudden a man on the deck of the pool started pointing at us and angrily waving some in the air. It turned out to be those ugly bathing caps. Apparently we were supposed to wear them, also. So we put them on...and if we didn't look like a bunch of goofballs. Too bad I didn't have my camera there..we could have taken a selfie..and we would have been hearing about it for years!
Came up and got ready for dinner. We went to the only restaurant open in the hotel. There was a large group ahead of us so we were hoping to get a table. There was a waiter inside the door giving everyone a shot glass full of some drink. Each person got one as they walked in the door. Luckily there were plenty of tables. As we were about to go in and take the last 2 drinks on the tray, a lady put her hand up to stop us...for you...geschlossen! So they all sang some song in a different language while we waited for them to finish. When they did, the woman came over and spoke English and said that this was a group of Norwegians that were having a personal concert so we couldn't come in. We said we just wanted dinner, but she said the restaurant was closed. I asked what time it was and she said 7:00...but the restaurant was listed as being open til 8:00. She was nice and apologized but that was the end of it. I asked her if she was with the restaurant and she said no. So we politely left and I went to the front desk and asked the lady if the restaurant was closed...she said no ...it was open. I explained what happened and she got on the phone and called the restaurant and then told us it was alright to go there. So when we got there the waiter took us to the far corner. The Norwegians were on the other side of the room...having a private concert...some piano player that was really good. So the good news is that we got a personal concert over dinner. The one down side was that we couldn't talk the whole dinner because Dad had not put his hearing aids back in after the swim...so he was talking too loud and that would have been disruptive to the very quiet group of people listening to the piano concert.
Anyway dinner was really good and of course the beer was good too. After the concert, we were still eating and I could hear the woman talking to the waiter for awhile...finally she came over to our table and apologized and said it was different than other times...I think she was a tour guide. So she bought us each a drink...some sort of Polish drink...vodka with nuts steeped in it. I think it was walnuts...actually I think it was black walnuts...with the green hull...and holy crap...that thing packs a punch...almost like taking a hit of wasabi! It will knock your socks off!! Dad wasn't used to that either and the last shot went almost down the wrong pipe or whatever. He started to act like he was going to upchuck...making sounds almost like Matt before he pukes....those unearthly sounds. I thought oh my God the Norwegians buy us a drink and then Dad heaves on the linen clothed table! But he kept it under control and didn't puke (thankfully).
It was quite a day...walking around for about 5 hours in cemeteries, wearing hats in a Polish spa, and crashing a Norwegian private concert. We didn't name this Zsa Zsa and Pop Pop's Excellent Adventure for nothing!
One last special picture before we move on to Czech Republic.
Yep...you got it.......Pole lock
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Haha, it seems that trouble always finds you guys. Hope tomorrow is more relaxing for you. I like the pole lock joke.
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