Yes, I was in Poland. I think we only spent one or two nights there. My step-father's mother was from Germany and he took the family over there for one last look before she was too old to make the trip. The thing is, the part of Germany she was from is now part of Poland. Anyway, our trip to Poland was actually a little scary. When we checked into our hotel there were these men that looked like police officers or something, they took our passports and wouldn't give them back until we left in the morning. It made us uneasy. I think we were in kind of a poor area. All the buildings were square and gray and we saw several children begging. Everything looked so different that we never did find where my step-dad's mother lived.
It was interesting to be in Germany that year, as it was just after the Berlin Wall came down. Parts of it were still up. They were selling chunks of it in the streets to tourists. We went to lots of places. Austria was my favorite. A few years later, my step-dad was transferred to Cologne, Germany through Ford. I got to spend a month there two summers in a row. I took my boyfriend (now husband) and we traveled all over and had a blast!
Yes, I was in Poland. I think we only spent one or two nights there. My step-father's mother was from Germany and he took the family over there for one last look before she was too old to make the trip. The thing is, the part of Germany she was from is now part of Poland. Anyway, our trip to Poland was actually a little scary. When we checked into our hotel there were these men that looked like police officers or something, they took our passports and wouldn't give them back until we left in the morning. It made us uneasy. I think we were in kind of a poor area. All the buildings were square and gray and we saw several children begging. Everything looked so different that we never did find where my step-dad's mother lived.
It was interesting to be in Germany that year, as it was just after the Berlin Wall came down. Parts of it were still up. They were selling chunks of it in the streets to tourists. We went to lots of places. Austria was my favorite. A few years later, my step-dad was transferred to Cologne, Germany through Ford. I got to spend a month there two summers in a row. I took my boyfriend (now husband) and we traveled all over and had a blast!
Do you remember the name of the city? I was in two major western cities during our travels in 2005. One was Poznan (where my boyfriend was born) and the other was Szczecin (where we got to stay in a castle/ turned hotel for a week as part of his summer opera workshop). Although things have improved I'm sure since you were there, when I was there just a few years ago you could still see the affects of WWII on the country. It was very sad to see the people begging in the streets and I know exactly what you mean about the square gray buildings in some of the more poor areas. It's a beautiful country and the people are so wonderful and proud. It's too bad you didn't get a chance to see Warsaw or Cracow...gorgeous places.
Yes, I was in Poland. I think we only spent one or two nights there. My step-father's mother was from Germany and he took the family over there for one last look before she was too old to make the trip. The thing is, the part of Germany she was from is now part of Poland. Anyway, our trip to Poland was actually a little scary. When we checked into our hotel there were these men that looked like police officers or something, they took our passports and wouldn't give them back until we left in the morning. It made us uneasy. I think we were in kind of a poor area. All the buildings were square and gray and we saw several children begging. Everything looked so different that we never did find where my step-dad's mother lived.
It was interesting to be in Germany that year, as it was just after the Berlin Wall came down. Parts of it were still up. They were selling chunks of it in the streets to tourists. We went to lots of places. Austria was my favorite. A few years later, my step-dad was transferred to Cologne, Germany through Ford. I got to spend a month there two summers in a row. I took my boyfriend (now husband) and we traveled all over and had a blast!
Do you remember the name of the city? I was in two major western cities during our travels in 2005. One was Poznan (where my boyfriend was born) and the other was Szczecin (where we got to stay in a castle/ turned hotel for a week as part of his summer opera workshop). Although things have improved I'm sure since you were there, when I was there just a few years ago you could still see the affects of WWII on the country. It was very sad to see the people begging in the streets and I know exactly what you mean about the square gray buildings in some of the more poor areas. It's a beautiful country and the people are so wonderful and proud. It's too bad you didn't get a chance to see Warsaw or Cracow...gorgeous places.
Actually it helped me to understand one of the Polish stereotypes. Polish people have the reputation for using many different colors together, like mismatching colors (people used to make jokes about it when I was a kid, at least). Well, there we saw houses that had wooden picket fences around the yards and each picket would be a different color. I think with all the "grayness" in their world, they were just trying to bring some color to their lives. That's how travel broadens the mind. Every culture has their stereotypes, but when you go there and find out, you understand that there is a perfectly good reason for things. If I was living there, I'd probably have a colorful fence, too. No, I don't remember the name of the city, but I could probably find out from my step-dad sometime. Or maybe I could find it in my journal. Okay, I'm off to do some major tucking in of children, TTFN!
