Poland

The weekend after Oktoberfest, Olivia and I accompanied Justyna home for the weekend. We were greeted at the train station by Justyna's father, who presented us with a rose each. He then took us back to their home, a lovely cottage in the suburbs of Katowice, a city about an hour from Krakov. Katowice actually reminded me a lot of Wichita; the two cities are about the same size. As we entered the house, we were immersed in a sea of sensuous smells, including special stews like borsht, a mushroom and pasta soup, and pierogi among other things. Many of the meat dishes (as well as pastries) were garnished or stuffed with plums. The minute I entered Justyna's house, I was regretting eating that sandwich on the train....her family had a huge meal planned for us. I played with Justyna's cat while waiting to eat. He liked me so much that I had to move him off of my lap when I wanted to move. Having the cat there eased the tension created by the language barrier that existed between Justyna's parents and I. The cat served as somewhat of a language buffer, easing the tension and serving as somewhat of a medium of communication...after all, everyone can relate to animals. After our huge lunch, the three of us hopped into Justyna's car and headed to the mall to do some shopping. The next day, we got up only to be welcomed by another HUGE meal. I am pretty sure that Justyna's mom prepared almost every single traditional polish dish (or at least it felt like it!) I love how healthy they are...the simple and fresh combinations make me feel healthier (like I can get away without exercising because I am eating fresher bread....not really the case haha) For breakfast, we would combine simple cold meats and cheeses (a particularly delicious white cheese was amazing) and fresh bread with cucumber and tomatoes. After breakfast we headed to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp used during WWII. Words cannot describe the intense emotions that I felt while walking silently through the camp that is now home to so many ghosts. I have learned about, read about, and studied the Holocaust for several years and am quite aware of the horrific acts that took place in the camp, but there is still something much more haunting about visiting the location in person. The polish accent of our guide only added to the experience; I kept trying to put myself in Justyna's shoes by asking myself: "How would I feel if such a thing were to happen to my own people (people of my own cultural background)?" After all, 75,000 poles were executed in the concentration camp. I do not know how many details I should include here, but probably the most shocking and emotional point of the tour involved walking into a huge corridor filled almost from top to bottom with human hair. Just thinking about it now makes me shudder...While it was difficult to complete the tour, I am glad that I did it. I think that it is something that everyone needs to see. After all, it is reality. The camp stands as a reminder of a historical event that cannot be erased, wiped out, or changed. What happened happened, and that cannot be changed. All we can do is remember, and as Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
The next day we traveled to Krakov for the day. Michael (Justyna's boyfriend of five years) was kind enough to drive us there in his car, which took about an hour. Justyna and Michael went on a walk around the city while Olivia and I got a personalized, guided tour of the Wawel Castle. It was neat to have one tour guide for two people...we could ask her questions whenever we wanted to! The Wawel Castle and Cathedral were truly breathtaking, something straight from a fairy tale castle. I learned that one of the Polish kings was actually a woman at one point, Jadwiga, a daughter of a Hungarian king. She received the crown as Polish king at the ripe age of 9! As I climbed up to the famous bell tower of the Wawel Cathedral, I felt like I was a character in a medieval movie. The Zygmunt (an 18 ton bell with a 660 pound klapper) hangs atop the tower, and is said to grant the wishes of those who touch the bell and make a wish. I did make a wish, but for what I will never tell! The Wawel Palace, with its lavish tapestries (with four different categories with specific themes and color schemes), elaborate furniture and staterooms, and ornate coats of arms all contributed to the majestic historical content of the place. After the tour, we moseyed down the main street and stopped in for some traditional polish food at Polskie Jadlo. Here's the website: http://www.polskiejadlo.com.pl/restauracje/rynek/
The setting was quite cozy and the evening was enjoyable. After dinner we strolled along the streets a while longer before heading back to Katowice, where we spent the night in Justyna's flat. We were so exhausted from a long day that we didn't last long. We got up early the next morning and headed back to Justyna's family home for yet another traditional, delicious meal. Olivia and I relaxed and chatted with Michael and Justyna's sister while Justyna and her parents went and did some shopping. Later that day, packed down with Polish goodies, we boarded the train back to Wiener Neustadt.