Laurie in Poland
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Auschwitz
cranes attached to a note in one of the crematoriums. The note says "War is scary and hopefully people won't have to go through it again."
plaque at train station
Plaque is in front of train station at Podborsko. During the war, the town, which was then in Germany, was called Keifheide. This is the station that my dad, and thousands of other enlisted men, got off at, and then walked to Stalag Luft IV. As my dad tells it though, the camp commander made them run. Because they were shackled and handcuffed, some of the men didn't make it.
Zigmund (L) and Jupi
Zigmund, the sculptur, will complete this head in bronze. He hopes one day to deliver it to the Air Force Academy Museum in Colorado
out my window
This is the lovely view out the window of where we're staying. And it is an active construction site. And they get going about 6am.
church
This is St. Joseph's church, just down the block from where we're staying. It's quite nice inside. In back of it is the garden neighborhood I posted a picture from last week. If you look closely, you can see the wedding party on the steps.
schindler gate
This picture is a little dark, so you can't really see the gate, which is original. The sign is not. It's a short walk from where we're staying.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
no work today, not complaining
We all met this morning as usual, at the site office, only to be told that Cesary would not be joining us as he was in detox. Not a problem, except that no one could find the keys to the tool shed. We walked over there anyway, with a few likely keys in our pockets, only to find that none of them worked. We looked all over the building for some way to get into it, but to no avail.
So we have a free day, which we're all happy about! A nap will come in handy since we have a 10pm concert tonight. The 15 international Jewish festival started over the weekend (http://www.cracow-life.com/events/krakow-jewishfestival.php) and tonight we are going to see Joshua Nelson (www.joshuanelson.com/) do his brand of Hebrew soul. Can't wait!
Tomorrow we're taking the day off to go to Zakopane, in the Tatra mountains, about 1.5 hours south of here. This will be a great trip.
list #3, what I've read since I've been here
1) Book of Daniel, by E. L. Doctorow
A bit confusing at first, til I figured out that Daniel is referred to in both the 1st and 3rd person. Since I know nothing about the Rosenbergs trial, which the book is loosely based on, I will have to study up on it. The book was most interesting relating that story (Daniel is one of their 2 children) than Daniel's current life story during campus and general unrest during the late 60s.
2) The Final Solution, by Michael Chabon
Since I loved "Kavelier and Clay" so much, I was hoping for more from this book, even though I think I read some lukewarm reviews. It wasn't as much a story line as it was an opportunity for Chabon to show off his flowery, masterful, multi-layered writing style. Even though the book was only a hundred and something pages long, it took about 4 days to read since I wanted to read certain paragraphs over and over and revel in them. One of the small number of hardback books I've bought recently at full price, rather than getting it from Amazon.
3) Swimming to Antarctica, by Lynne Cox
Tufts people will recognize Cox as an author how delighted us with her story during last year's Author Talk series. She as so charismatic in person that I bought the book on the spot. After having read it, I have to have faith in her sincerity and judgement, although a cynic could interpret her swims as self-promotional hoo-haa. It was nice; it kept my interest; I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it. However I am skeptical that she played a large role in the thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations.
4) Dear God, Have you Ever Gone Hungry, by Joseph Bau
The memoir of a young man in the Krakow ghetto, later at Plaszow, liberally illustrated with his own drawings. In 'Schindler's List,' he gets married in a very quick ceremony. I don't remember this scene, but it is straight out of Bau's life. He has a map of the ghetto in the book and it clearly shows that the location we're in was in the ghetto. In fact, one of the main thoroughfares, Limanowskeigo, is our street.
Next I will start "By Myself and then some," the autobiography of Lauren Bacall. This was an impulse purchase, not something I was waiting around for for years. It appears as if I've done nothing while here except reading. On the contrary! But 10 hours each way on the train this past weekend by myself with small talk being an impossibility made for some great reading time. Sadly I finished the Cox book with about 6 hours left on the train. I amused myself by looking at the pictures in some Polish cooking and gardening magazines. I found a recipe for a strawberry, raspberry and blueberry pastry that looks divine.
'
Next I will start
email access problem
My Tufts email access is a bit unreliable right now (not Tufts problem; I think it's due to the age of the PCs I'm using here). I have set up a yahoo account, sabol1355@yahoo.com, if you'd like to email me.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
today at the POW camp and etc.
Today was fabulous, and I have the pictures to prove it (and will upload them early next week).
It started when Jupi and his friend picked me up at 11am. Our first stop (not a stop, really, but a drive by) was a town called Bialogard. He told me that the Soviets only moved out of this town in 1995, after (as Jupi tells it) Lech Walesa traveled to Moscow and got Yeltsin drunk on vodka and made him sign an agreement. Up til this time, there had been a gigantic Soviet military installation there.
Our next stop was to the train station in Podborsko, which during the war, because it was in Germany, was called Kiefheide. The significance of this station is that it was where the POWs who were going to Stalag Luft IV were dropped off. They walked the last 3 miles or so to the camp. THe station, according to vets that have visited it, hasn't changed at all in 60 years. It does like pretty "vintage" if you know what I mean. Jupi's friend, Zigmund, who is a sculptor, has a piece there.
Finally, we went to the site of the camp. Zigmund made a large sculpture there, which was unveiled in the early 90s, which much pomp and circumstance, attended by Polish and American officials and American vets. There were about 10000 POWs in the camp, 9500 of them Americans.
The camp is now the site of a young forest. It's very peaceful, quiet, and the only sound is that of birds singing. We walked a short distance into the woods to see some building foundations and a fire pool. When the camp was running, it was divided into four quadrants, but apparently this is the only fire pool that still exists. Jupi is trying to have the camp designated as a military cemetary (it is documented that some Americans were buried there). If this can be done, government money will be allotted to it and more memorials and other work could be done there.
It was on the way back from the camp that Jupi's friend, Yamchak, told me he was a physics teacher. I told him that I am in awe of all my freshmen advisees at Tufts who want to take physics and I believe they are smarter than average people. He said that physics teachers wives are usually not in agreement with this statement. It was a very funny moment.
We stopped for a drink in Tychowo, the local town that is closest (but not very close) to the camp site. The mayor of Tychowo spoke at the dedication of the sculptures at the camp, and there have been local exhibits about life at the camp. Tychowo is the sleepiest Polish town I've visited so far, and quite charming. Lots of small gardens exploding with flowers.
Back in Koszalin, we made one more stop at the local cemetary, which was started by the Soviets. Jupi told a story about a giant sculpture there. It depicts a Soviet officer protecting a small Polish boy. It had originally been in the Koszalin town square. After the Soviets left, people used to refer to the soldier as a kidnapper, rather than a protector. The locals wanted either to tear down the monument or move it. It was decided to move it to the cemetary, where it does have a place of honor, if you will, at the entry. The main reason to go to the cemetery was to see another of Zigmund's sculptures, to Polish martyrs in all wars. There is a special plaque commemorating the POWs at Luft IV. It's a very impressive sculpture.
At this point, Yamchuk dropped us at Jupi's house and took his leave. I gave him some American money for gas, and he joked about keeping it as a souvenir. I had been debating all morning about whether to give him Polish or American money. I thought the tour was over, and I guess it was, but now the Polish hospitality kicked into overdrive. I met Jupi's lovely wife and son, we rested for a few minutes and then took a short walk to Zigmund's house, who is a character. A documentary should really made about this guy. I commented that his house looks unusually old and he said it is: it's an amalgam of all kinds of old found materials. A door is from a 19th century building, a window from an old farmhouse, etc. In every corner is something amazing to look at, with an equally amazing story. He has a collection of material from Luft IV and other WW2 sites. He showed us a few of the several portfolios of this work that he's done over the years and presented me with two drawings that I was honored and touched to receive.
Back at Jupi's house, which is a beauty from this century (large, ceramic tile roof, lovely side and back garden, ivy growing up the brick walls), I watched a 30 minute movie that he made (he used to be a TV producer) about the unveiling of Zigmund's sculptures at Luft IV, complete with interviews with some of the vets that attended. And then there was lunch! We started with a warm beet soup that Jupi's wife stressed was made with young beet roots that she believes are sweeter than average. I've NEVER been a fan of beets of any kind, but this soup was fabulous. I thought that was it, but no: we then had a delicious stew, potatos, salad, and of course, beer. It was at this point (6pm) that I was ready to die and go to heaven but instead it was time to leave. I had no idea I was going to be entertained and educated by this delightful family all day!
I'm sure I've left something out, so I'll think more about the day and probably post more later, and will surely post pictures. Now, I admit, since I am in a beach town, I need some ice cream!
vacation within a vacation
I have to keep reminding myself that my trip to Poland is a "vacation." Because we work 5 days a week, it doesn't feel like a typical vacation. This weekend is different. I am staying in a little beach town on the shore of the Baltic Sea. The water is seriuosly cold, but due to the heat, I think it will feel quite refreshing later today.
I got on the train yesterday morning at 6am and had an uneventful, comfortable trip as far as the northern Poland town of Gdynia. The countryside, with its rolling hills and fields of crops, is quite scenic. The best part, of course, is the cows, combined with fields of poppies and other wildflowers. If you see Gdansk (Lech Welesa, Solidarity) on your map, look slightly north and you'll see Gdynia. In Gdynia, I had to transfer to a no-reserved-seat train. At first, I chose a seat, not realizing I had plopped down in the cushy 1st class. The compartment mates told me to just stay put, what could the conductor do? Well, I'll tell you what the conductor did: he told me to move to the crowded, sweaty 2nd class cars. I sat in the diner car, which would have been fine had it been airconditioned, or had there been windows that opened. I did get some reading and napping done, and finally my stop, Koszalin, appeared.
In Koszalin, I was met by Jupi Podlaszewski, who will take me to Stalag Luft IV today, the POW camp my father was in. Jupi has a story as well: his father served 2 years in Auschwitz, before escaping (less than 150 people successfully escaped) just before the camp was liberated. Jupi has an English-language teaching school in Koszalin and is also a theater director. If you have any good quality english language fiction you want to get rid of, please consider giving them to me and I'll send them to Jupi.
Jupi drove me to Mielno, the town I'm staying in, about 5 miles from Koszalin, and will pick me up a little later this morning for our trip to the camp. Last night, I had a lovely 5-course prix fixe dinner at a place called Meduza, on their verandah overlooking the sea. I didn't have to stretch out the dinner to stay for the late (9:30ish) sunset; the service was terrible. Anyway, dinner was avocado, tuna, and hardboiled egg salad; a thick mushroom soup (velotte?); medallions of pork in a brown herb sauce accompanied by potatos; 2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream in a cherry syrup with fresh cherries and 2 beers. The price: 62 zloty, about 20$.
After dinner I walked around a bit, saw a group of elderly Poles gathered singing along to an accordion player. Back in my spacious room (30$ a night, my Polish friends think this is highway robbery) I watched a little German MTV and tried to figure out how to open and close the patio doors. Both here and at my room in Krakow, the windows have two sets of hinges: one that lets you open the window on the at the top, and one that lets you open the window from the left. This is such high tech engineering, I often can't figure out how to open the damn things and get scared that they're going to fall out on my head. So far taht hasn't happened.
Breakfast was included in the price of the place I'm staying in and all I can say is wow!: tomatos with generously slices of fresh mozz, 3 different kinds of salad, sausage, 3 different kinds of ham, 4 kinds of cheese, breads, pickles, yogure, real cereal, all accompanied by a Polish rock station. The only surprise at breakfast was the lack of fish. Every 2nd restaurant here is a fish place. I would have been happy to chow down on some herring and smoked salmon. Alas, it was not meant to be.
After the tour today, I hope to get in a little beach time. Tomorrow I get back on the train to Krakow.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Auschwitz trip
I was hoping to get in a longer posting on today's trip to Auschwitz, but I need to make this brief. It's late and I need to get up at 5am tomorrow to make the 6am train.
For now, suffice it to say that Auschwitz and Birkenau (Auschwitz II) are incredibly grim places, but there are several temporary places where people have left flowers, stones, and paper cranes.
After the camps, we visited the Auschwitz Jewish Center, in the town of Oswiecim, which is the Polish name for the town that became renamed as Auschwitz. The AJC is in a synagogue and has numerous rememberances of life in the town, which thrived with Jews, before the war. I haven't checked out their website, but it's at www.ajcf.org.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
2 beautiful houses
Last Saturday when we were wandering around our immediate neighborhood, we came upon these two wonderful specimens. I want to go back to this neighborhood and look around some more.
exotic car
I haven't seen this car again since I took this picture several days ago. I also have a Honda Civic, and am thinking of going with the leopard stripe motif when I get back home.
in the cemetery
This is from the first week of work. The grass was this high everywhere, and you'll notice, alas, the weed whackers instead of some serious John Deere lawn tractors. The bald man reading the paper is Cesary, our "body guard." He spends time smoking and drinking beer.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
short work week, not complaining
My work week ends after tomorrow, Wednesday. On Thursday we're going on an all-day trip to Auschwitz. On Friday I get on a 6am train to Koszalin to visit the site of the POW camp my Dad was in. I hope to stay in the town of Mielno, on the Baltic Sea.
Last weekend we took two walking tours. The first covered the immediate area in which we're staying, with highlights including one of Schindler's factories and some remains of the ghetto wall. FYI: the land our hotel is on was in the ghetto. The rest of Saturday was spent on the main market square, which is an amazing place. Huge, lots of activity. On Sunday we took a 6 hour tour of the main market square and the Wawel Castle. The tour had a historical perspective, so I learned about some of Poland's kings (one who was a woman!), invaders and such. If I ever figure out how to upload my pictures I'll post some. Definitely I'll post them when I get back home and am using a computer I'm familiar with.
Monday, June 20, 2005
List #2: some things Americans can learn from Poles
#1 The price of food. Tonight for dinner, I had 5 potato pancakes, assorted slaw and carrots and cucumbers, and an extra large beer, outside, at a picnic table, in a very cute courtyard. The price of said amusement: 13 zloty, aka 4$ and change. Another case in point. In American theaters, popcorn has become just slightly less expensive than an ounce of gold. Today, a small popcorn: 5.50 zloty, aka less than 2$
#2 Well-behaved dogs. Everyone in Krakow seems to have at least one dog. Mostly mutts, crosses you'd think you'd never live to see. But the best part is that they're all very friendly, to the point that I think they're cats. You know the type, they ignore you, even the large number of strays are busy doing other things and don't really care very much about the humans in the hood.
#3 the size of cars. Ford and Hummer forgot to tell the Poles that everyone is supposed to drive cars just slightly smaller than the state of Idaho. Cars in general are so small her that it looks like their backend has been cut off. Still, no one seems to feel deprived.
#4 the spelling of certain words. I want to open a bar called Alkohole, which is the Polish translation for, you got it, alcohol. I also see computery and tipsy, which has something to do with getting ones nails done.
Friday, June 17, 2005
list #1
Here are some of the things (and people) that would make this project go much more smoothly:
1) upright aluminum storage shed, lockable. This would allow us to come right to the work site without the additional walk to the office to pick up tools every day. I guess the people in charge are concerned that if the tools are left in the field, they might be stolen. Yesterday we lived dangerously and wrapped our new clippers and shears in a plastic bag and hid them under some debris. They were there this morning, shears starting to rust, and snails attached to the bag. Still, it was one less thing to have to carry.
2) tools, preferably produced after the Soviet era. We have two old rakes, two sad misshapen shovels, four new hoes (with ends that fall off), and four clippers and two pairs of shears that we bought at the Polish version of Home Depot, which I mentioned in an earlier entry. I already bent one pair of shears trying to use it for a job for which it was not made. Because the shovels are in such bad shape, we use the shears, closed, to loosen and dig out dirt.
3) a heavy duty lawn tractor/mower (with bagger!). Two guys spent most of today weed whacking the knee high grass in the immediate area in which we're working. They did a great job, but no one has cleared away any of the debris.
4) infra red or some kind of satellite mapping that will show us where the graves are. We spend a lot of time probing with our sophisticated tools, only to dig up rocks that aren't grave stones. Alternatively, an expert in the design and layout of late 19th century POlish Jewish cemeteries would be a great addition. And if not that person, how about a rock jock, who can tell me if I'm digging up rocks or grave stones. Oh, and if someone can tell us if we really found a bone today, and if so it was human or otherwise, that would be helpful.
5) a band to play music while we're working
6) someone else to make the lunch! Every day is pretty much the same, sandwiches made out of good bakery white bread, buttered, with a little cheese, some tomatos, cucumbers and bologna (which I get all of -not that I necessarily want it!- since the others are vegetarians).
7) speaking of tools, some stiff brushes would be nice, so that when we're cleaning off graves, we can be meticulous. Which reminds me, I bought some serious work gloves before I left but I fear that because I use them for double duty as trowel and broom, I don't know how long they'll last.
8) a central receptacle for all the lawn debris. I fear that when we dig, we pile dirt onto additional places that we should be working.
I'm really not asking any of you for donations! Just trying to give you an idea of what the work is like.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
trying to make an international phone call
Last night after dinner, I wanted to call home to talk to my father and to let him know it will be a giant exercise in futility to try to call me here. He remembers how easy it was to call me in China, mainly because I had a phone in my apartment. Here, there is a phone at the reception desk, but chances are good I won't be here when he calls.
When I arrived last Friday, our coordinator took us to her house for delicious pierogies, which I mentioned earlier. At her house, using her landline phone, I was able to call home to both Allen's (father and husband for those of you who don't know) with no problem.
Yeah, well, gone are those days, as they say. Last night, my idea was to go to one of the big hotels. Surely they have people like me who want to make calls all the time, I reckoned. First step was to walk a good mile, maybe more, to the Sheraton, where I was told yes, than no, because I wasn't staying at the hotel. I was directed to a grocery store where I was certain to be able to buy a phone card, NOT a prepaid calling card, but a card that sort of starts the phone. No luck at the store; they referred me to a nearby kiosk which sells cigarettes, tram tickets, etc. No luck; they were closed. Next strategy was to try a different hotel. I went into the souvenir shop in the hotel because the reception desk was packed with tourists. The worker had no clue what I wanted but an English-speaking Pole took pity on me and directed me to a[nother closed] kiosk. Back to the hotel, to talk to someone else. No luck, but now the Pole thinks it's his mission to help me. The 2nd person says cards are available at the gas station next door. We go and buy one for 50 zloty, about 16$. Then to a pay phone, with card in hand. No luck. Back to the souvenir shop at the hotel, card in hand, no luck. To the reception desk, directed to a phone booth that just keeps playing a recording. To the next phone booth, no luck. Now, to the phone at the reception desk. NO LUCK. Now, this entire time, I had been waving my MCI card around saying all I needed was a ^*(&(^&^%%%!!! phone to use, that my MCI card assured me my call would be paid for by my home phone account. I guess I didn't explain this very well, but after so many strike outs, they finally let me dial the damn MCI access code for Poland, and what do you, within about 10 seconds I was talking to my father's answering machine!! After all that, he was not home.
Phone card: 50 zloty,
Time spent: 2 hours,
Being runaround: priceless.
Back at my room, my American roommate whose Polish is excellent told me I had bought the wrong card in the first place. Live and learn, I always say! Though I have no idea what I've learned by this adventure.
work, work, work
Wow, am I beat! Today was our second day of work. Here's the typical day (so far):
We (the four American volunteers and whichever POlish volunteers are helping that day) walk to the "office," an easy 15 minutes from our hostel. This is where the tools are kept, and is on one edge of the camp. For those of you who have seen a map of Plaszow, it's on the opposite side of the quarry from where the barracks were; that's the best orientation I can offer. we pick up the tools, inadequate enough that we're thinking of going to the local Home Depot (Ok, it isn't, but it's got the familiar orange motif) to buy some garden shears and possibly a shovel that doesn't look like it was run over by a tank. From the office, it's another 15-20 minutes to the work site. On this walk, we pass the quarry, where remnants of the filming of Schindler's List remain: some fencing and a road resembling the one built by the Nazis built from gravestones. A continual theme/question of the time we'll spend here is why hasn't Spielberg been asked to contribute to this cause. Of course, we don't know that he hasn't; we don't know at all.
Arriving at the work site, thankfully there is a large shade tree to rest under. This will be our center of activity for some time. The tree is in the midst of the Jewish cemetery on which the camp was built. Our work is to identify and clear graves of the detritus of years of overgrowth. That's it. Yesterday all I was able to do was to pull some weeds around a few graves, but today, working with another volunteer, we uncovered parts of 4 graves. No writing remains on any of the graves so there's no way to identify what we've found. The work is tough, sweaty and dirty, and we only work for 20 or so minutes at a time and then take a break. Today we stayed from about 9:30-2:15pm or so. No one us balked when the Polish volunteers said they'd had enough for the day!
Yesterday, day one, we walked around the site and our guide told us about some things that are around. Amon Goth's (the sadistic commandant, Ralph Fiennes in the movie) house is nearby, but in some disrepair. Someone is rumored to live there. A grave that is clearly marked belongs to the grandfather of the little girl in red in the movie, but we don't know if this is a rumor or factual.
Looking around the site, you would have no idea it has ever been anything else but rolling hills and tall grass. I wouldn't say it's particularly beautiful land, but it's quiet and peaceful, and above the noise of the city. On the other hand, there is a view to some power company cooling towers and McDonald's is a short walk downhill.
I will post pictures as soon as I can find someone here who can help me download them off my camera.
Monday, June 13, 2005
recent activities
The rain has finally abated, for how long I don't know, but because there was so much of it, the work site was too muddy to be at. Tomorrow, we start. So we had a free day today and visited the Wieliczka salt mines, about 15-20 minutes outside of Krakow. What an amazing place! I took a lot of photos and if I can ever figure out how to download them, I'll post some. The tour, given by a Polish woman who spoke very good english, was sprinkled with clever jokes about salt. It lasted about 1/5 hours, and we only saw 1% of the mine. People get married there (sounds like an odd way to start a life together) and there are 3-4 large reception halls. Pope JP2 visited twice and there is a lifesize carving of him, in salt of course. The only thing I could find to buy was a cute little Holstein sitting on a block of salt.
Yesterday, Sunday, we went (for the 2nd time) to a fabulous chleb (bread) festival, where many samples were being given. What could be better?! I mention that it was the 2nd time. On Saturday we had stumbled upon it, just in time for the ribbon cutting. A POlish man with a funny long black and white wig and beard was shilling for, of all places, the salt mines. Turns out he is a well known actor from Krakow, and was the voice of the donkey in the Polish version of Shrek! We had a photo taken with him. How cool is that?!
There is a local, smoked sheep's cheese that was being sold at the festival for 1zloty a piece, equalling about 33 cents. The cheese is pressed with decorative patterns. It would be great bar food, because it's so salty, but my Polish friends tell me it's only sold on the street.
Sunday after the bread fest we visited a place called the Tempel Synagogue. I've got pix and will post them. As temples and/or synagogues go, it was quite decorative, with beautiful stained glass windows. It wasn't destroyed during the war, so dates back a few hundred years at least. Sunday evening we went to a concert given of Yiddish folk music and I understood about three words, kinder (for children), a goot a vach (who knows how it's spelled, but I remember my Aunt Lil calling and greeting us this was every Shabbos) and a few other words. It was a nice show, but by the end of it, I was starting to nod off and was happy that it was relatively brief. Previous to the concert, our tour guide, Sylvia, took us to a wonderful Japenese art museum just across the Wisla river from the Wawel castle, which I'll talk more about next weekend when we go there.
The day before, Saturday, as I said, we went to the bread festival and to the Old Synagogue, which is a fabulous museum in the Jewish area, Kazimierz. I'll definitely go back there; there was too much to look at and to read for one visit. On one wall, the paint and a few layers of plastered had been removed to reveal some way old frescos.
Sat evening was the longest walk I've taken so far here in Poland. Our tour guides were two college age boys who are volunteering with our project. We met them in the amazing town square (the Rynek Glowny) and proceeded to this place called the Koscusko (spelling is way off) Mount. It was a serious walk to get there and then a good walk to the pinnacle. Of course, my camera batteries died when we got to the top, but it was very overcast so I don't think I would have gotten many interesting pix. Had dinner with the guys about 10:30pm at a Chinese restaurant, Polish style.
Friday, June 10, 2005
arrived safely
Plane from Boston to Chicago was late; plane from Chi to Warsaw was late. Luggage getting off plane was late. Lots of things ran late yesterday, but I guess that's to be expected with overseas travel. The good news is that I arrived safe and sound, met a program colleague in Warsaw and we traveled together to Krakow. LOTS of cows in the fields on the way to K. The program coordinator met us in Krakow and whisked us to her apartment, which is painted orange in one room, a burnt umber in another, very nice. She fed us some delicious bean soup and her mother's freshly made cherry and strawberry pierogies with thick cream. Now we're at the Patria, sharing the world's tiniest room. Kasia, the program coordinator is going to come fetch us in about an hour or so to go hang out, Polish style. Weather: rainy and seems to be in the law 60s. She says it's been this way for awhile.
No email access here. I need a newer system to access my account. I'll check into that later.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
about leaving email comments
I changed the permissions so you don't have to log in in order to leave a comment.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
nothing like a little Klezmer after a hard day
This place looks quite fun! And at roughly 3 zloty to the dollar, very reasonably priced. Also very near to where I'm staying. I'm a little concerned about the entree #130, Zander with Almonds. Is that what happened to him post-Buffy?
Previous Posts
- Krakow Gets First Rabbi Since Holocaust
- from the Chronicle, 8/12/05
- Miami Herald commentary: Death camp visit shows th...
- two stories from the Boston Globe
- Final list: What I loved about Poland
- more about Warsaw
- Warsaw vs. Krakow
- ironic fame
- plans and pictures
- last day is in the books
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