21st September Milan

** Hi there. My last day in Milan. I am doing a dry run to see how long it will take me at 6am tomorrow to walk to the main train station. It might sound like a waste of time for some but with few exceptions I preferred to walk everywhere on this trip.

** There is another reason for going to the central station today and that is to visit the Shoah memorial located next to the station. Well not exactly next to the station, rather under the station. The memorial has been constructed exactly where the 774 Jewish people were sent off to the camps, mainly Auschwitz between the 6th December 1943 and 30th January 1944. Twenty seven people survived the war.

I will quotjen part of the pamphlet in english that they gave me.

Hundreds of deportees - most of them Jews - were forced into livestock cars. (This was where normally, post was loaded so it was under the station and away from prying eyes). Once filled, these cars were physically raised one at a time using a railway car elevator, emerging just outside the great canopy of the passenger station, so no-one could see or hear the occupants cries for help.

The memorial consists of basically untouched objects from its last inhumane use.

The Shoah foundation President writes that "memory protects us from ideological pressures, from the waves of hate and suspicion. Memory is the cultural vaccine that makes us immune to the germs of Antisemitisn and racism. ( Personally I would have issues with how he has written this because it is not the Jews who need to be vaccinated, it is those who still carry the memories inbred by 1700 years of Christian lies and hatred).

The Wall of Indifference 

These are the actual livestock railcar that were used for the transportation.

The lists of those who were deported

The very last name on the list may be a direct relation of my great grandmother, Sarah Zucker Amdur

There is a library attached that is research centre.

** After 10 odd weeks of travelling where most of the time I do not recognise what cities call food, I have come across a Chinese / Italian cafe that has a toastee maker and I am awaiting for my Americano coffee and toasted cheese. This is what I call the pinacal of food satisfaction, especially when travelling.