Christmas in Poland - Year 2

After not having my Christmas decorations last year, this Christmas season has been one of the best ever. Just opening my boxes with all the decorations was in itself like Christmas since we did not receive our shipment in time for Christmas last year. It was so much fun to decorate and watch Thing 2's face light up.

We got into the spirit by gathering and delivering donations to a local orphanage. This was a two fold project that involved giving and also clearing my house for the onslaught of toys that would soon be arriving. Do my children really need any more toys? NO. But this does not stop our well meaning family from spoiling them to pieces. On a more positive note, I see an end in sight since Thing 1's toy requests are becoming more expensive. I think we will be seeing a decline in quantity real soon. But not this year.

We have a tradition here where the kids get to open gifts from family on the 12 days prior to Christmas. This clears the way for Santa's gifts. This also keeps the Santa thing going since they have no reason to believe otherwise. But the real reason for this pre Christmas hoopla is to give us parents practice in opening those annoying twisty tie things that manufacturers use to bolt down toys.

This year, I think our families have gone over the top. I mean seriously is one gift not enough? Do people not realize that too many toys equals overwhelmed children and lots of donations of neglected toys the following year? I can't wait for the request for expensive ticket items (game systems, video games) coupled with retirement checks. The grandparents are simply going to have to be satisfied with giving the kids one gift each.

Unlike previous years however, I am done and ready for the holiday. Gifts are wrapped, food and water purchased. Come to think about it, except for the gifts, getting ready for holidays here is a little like preparing for a hurricane. The stores are closed for up to 4 days depending on when the holiday falls and the day prior people are making hurricane warning worthy lines to stock up on their last minute necessities.

I will be spending the next few days making cookies for Santa, decorating cookies and making edible snowmen since the snow has been a dud thus far this season. I can actually enjoy the holiday weekend rather than scramble about fighting crowds.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Markets in Köln

We just got back from a weekend trip to Cologne/Köln in the North Westphalia area of Germany. The purpose of our trip was to drink lots of glühwein (hot spiced mulled wine) and shop until Thing 2’s stroller could hold no more packages. Mission accomplished and then some!

We started out our journey on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day. Needless to say our kids were very excited especially after they found that St. Nicholas had left him a small gift in their boots that morning. Thing 2 had no idea why she received a stuffed animal, but she enjoyed it anyway. After breakfast, we headed to the airport to catch our flight. Our friends and their daughter, (the girl Thing 1 holds hands with and gives flowers to) joined us.

We flew with German Wings this time. All I can say is that I highly recommend using them while flying within Europe. They saw that we had a toddler and took their time to orient us to their baby policies and where the changing tables were, etc. This airline is like the Southwest Airlines of Germany. No one is assigned a seat so it is a free for all. Luckily, most people hate sitting next to children so we had 2 rows to ourselves. On my children’s behalf they both behaved appropriately, eating, napping or watching their DVD’s. The only thing about German Wings is that there is no beverage or snack provided for free. But, you can purchase snacks and beverages on board if you wish. The way I see it airline food is not very tasty and with kids, I always bring my own snacks along. No loss there.

Lastly, another reason for loving Germany – their honesty. For the second time in 15 months we left our beloved DVD player on the plane. We were unable to contact the airline over the weekend. I thought it was a loss, but it was actually left at the airport lost and found intact. Thing 1 was delighted to be reunited with it. Back in 2000, I left my purse with passport at a restaurant near Ramstein. I came back for it the next day and it was there untouched with all my things in it. The Germans have yet to disappoint me.

We arrived in Köln around 2pm. After collecting our bags, we headed to our hotel, the Dorint Sofitel Köln. Fantastic! A descent sized room, clean hotel, private bath and right in front of the metro. We arrived to find a cookie making/decorating activity in the lobby complete with a chocolate fountain and a visit from St. Nick. After checking in and settling in, we met up with our friends.

We were starving by that time and decided to have dinner before heading to the markets. We ate at a restaurant at the hotel. Mistake #1! We had soup, sandwiches and beverages to the tune of 90 Euro!!! Gasp! The service was great, but the food was nothing special.

After dinner, we headed to the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) Christmas Market through the mist of light rain, the red light district with it’s sex shops (appropriately named “Hohe” Strasse if you pronounce it in English), and the shopping district. Along the way we noted some magnificent window displays some of which were animated. The kids loved those. Not to worry – there were none of these in the red light district!

We got to the market just in time to browse a bit and drink some glühwein. These markets are located in every major city in Germany and now in many European capitals (Vienna has a beautiful market in front of their Rathausplatz as does Prague). Every year wooden stalls come up during November to house the many vendors that will be selling their goods. Every year they develop a design for a ceramic mug in which the glühwein will be served. Each market has a different mug so the goal is to go to each market and collect these mugs by drinking more wine or hot chocolate for the kids (with Bailey’s for the grown ups). The Cat and I collected some back in 2000 when we visited his parents in Germany and we now have half a cupboard filled with these. The wine is hot which helps since it was pretty cold out there. Google glühwein for several home recipes if you want to try it.

So, what do they sell? Just about everything. Many times goods are focused on the country or region you are in. In Germany, every market will have the following for sale:

ORNAMENTS – Not just any ornament – these are usually hand painted with attention to detail. They are works of art. The most remarkable one I saw was by Mr. Zhou from China. He and his students hand paint the ornaments from the inside out. Meaning, he inserts and thin brush into the center of the ornament and paints the scene or figures from the inside. Truly remarkable!

PYRAMIDS – These date back to medieval times before Christmas trees. It is a carousel with several levels depicting Christmas motifs, such as angels or manger scenes, or secular ones like mountain-folk, forests, and other scenes from the everyday life of people in the Ore Mountains where it originated. The spinning motion of the pyramids is traditionally achieved with the help of candles whose rising heat spins a propeller above.

BAVARIAN HOUSES – Very cute! You put scented oil in the chimney and a tealight inside. Lighting the house and releasing the aroma. My collection is now at 10.

BEER STEINS – Each of these is decorated with different scenes and the name of a German region or attraction. I traded in the shot glasses of my youth for these when we started traveling to Germany in 2000.

NUTCRACKERS – You will find them in all shapes and sizes here.

SMOKERS - Wood carved figures that come in many types. You will find Santas, snowmen, skiing figures, gnomes and even a NYC Firefighter. Why are these unique? Because you place incense within the cavity of the figure and light it. Smoke (incense) then comes out of the figure’s mouth as if it were smoking. The only smoke I care to inhale.

LINENS – Handcrafted in Germany, some in China, these are beautiful linens used for decorating your tables during the holidays. They are quite ornate.

SWEETS AND OTHER FOOD - Gingerbread, truffles, and all kinds of sweets, bratwurst, crepes, champignons (mushrooms – French style), other cuisine – Yummy! Speaks for itself…

Other vendors sold jewelry, candle holders (interesting designs), musical instruments and music (Thing 2's and my favorite), wooden toys, German wines, art, wool hats/mittens/slippers/socks and just about anything you can think of. You can see pictures of some of these items at http://www.christkindl-markt.com/index.php.

They have some amusements for kids as well as live nativity scenes or carved nativity scenes. It is a tradition in Europe to visit churches especially on Christmas Eve, since each has created their own “crib” or nativity scene centered around different themes.

There are six Christmas markets scattered through Cologne: The Cathedral Markt, Alter Markt, HeuMarkt, Rudolfplatz (with a fairy tale theme), Medieval Markt, and one held on a cruise ship on the Rhine. We made it to 5 of them in about 3 days. My favorite was the Cathedral Markt and the Rudolfplatz Markt. The Medieval one, while it sounds interesting, did not sell many useful items although the entertainment (archery, medieval music and dancing) was fun.

The kids had their moments, but for the most part they behaved well. Thing1 and I shopped for a gift for his dad and some of his teachers. We gave him an allowance to buy something for himself. Luckily, he understood that he would not receive any more money. He saved his money until the last day after seeing the local LEGO Store. He bought a small LEGO set and a kaleidoscope at one of the markets. Thing 2 was content as long as she was out of her stroller and someone gave her chocolate. We had to hide the stuff from her because she would just go nuts. She rode her dad’s shoulders a lot and enjoyed that.

Köln is one of the cities located directly on the Rhine and it is the stop of many Rhine cruises. We unfortunately did not have much time for that this time around although it is on our to do list. We were able to go to the Lindt Chocolate Museum (or factory as the kids called it). That was great fun for all (especially Thing 2 who continued trying to get one of the workers to dip more waffles for her in the chocolate fountain – she was a mess by the time we left). We got to see actual chocolate being made including those hollow Santa Claus statues and Snow Men.

Josh had been here previously so, while Thing 2 napped, we went into the Cologne Cathedral/ Kölner Dom so that I could check out the Cathedral Treasury. This Cathedral is famous because it is thought to hold the relics (remains, body parts and/or personal belongings) of the Magi or Three Kings in addition to the Staff of St. Peter and a chain link from the chains that once bound St. Peter. They also have pieces that are thought to be parts the Cross of the crucifixtion. I snapped pictures of just about everything until I got caught and was told I couldn’t take pictures. Too late! The Cathedral itself was magnificent, but they keep the lights dimmed so it was difficult to get a truly worthwhile picture.

If you ever decide to take the family or yourself on a Christmas vacation, Germany is definitely worth visiting. Many of the traditions that we observe today in the United States originate from this area (i.e. advent calendars, Silent Night, German-American Thomas Nast’s modern image of Santa Claus, most famously, the Christmas tree tradition which began in Strasbourg in Alsace (then in Germany, today in France). If you go early enough (around Thanksgiving), you will find the most unique Christmas gifts (by American standards of course). I highly recommend it.

Autumn Break Continues: Vienna and Salzburg

We took an early morning flight to Vienna on 10/30. After checking in to the Courtyard Marriott next to Schoenbrunn Palace, we were on our way.

Out of all the European capitals, this is my favorite. The sights, architecture, culture, the food, the music, the desserts - I was in sensory heaven. The Viennese certainly know the good things in life!

Moving around Vienna could not be easier. Trams, trains and buses get you where you want to go and transportation is quite efficient. You can buy day passes or take it trip by trip. As always, any city is best seen by walking so we only rode public transportation in the early morning and then in the evening.

We headed straight to Stephensplatz where the ever imposing St. Stephens Cathedral towers above the Kartnerstrasse shopping district. Built in 1147 and enlarged through the centuries concluding in 1511, it is too large to capture it in its entirety. St. Stephen's is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vienna. In Austria as in Warsaw, you can find a church practically on every corner. Each church has different architectural styles. St. Stephen's is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The church is built of limestone.

Within the cathedral, several chapels are dedicated to different saints. Most interesting are the catacombs that lie beneath the church. There are several crypts. The Ducal crypt holds 78 bronze containers containing the viscera of 78 members of the Habsburg. Their hearts are buried in a crypt within Augustinekirche. For those wondering, it was common for people to request that their internal organs be removed before burial in order to preserve their bodies. This tradition dates back to ancient Egypt. Within the catacombs one will find rooms filled with skulls and bones (a big pile of them) belonging to victims of the bubonic plague. Thing 1 was creeped out and interested in them at the same time. We had to remove Thing 2 from the church due to her need to talk loudly.

Some religious relics contained in St. Stephen's include a piece of table cloth from the Last Supper and the bones of St. Valentine. Mozart's funeral was held in the Chapel of the Cross within St. Stephen's on December 6, 1791.

Speaking of Mozart, one of his only surviving apartments is around the corner from St. Stephen's. He lives at today's Mozarthaus at Domgasse 5 from 1784 - 1787. We took a short tour and a bite of Mozart Cake and coffee before moving on to the Haus der Musik. If you love music and have small children, this interactive museum was an enjoyable diversion from the other museums. The kids were able to learn the waltz, listen to different musical genres, conduct the Vienna Symphony through an interactive baton and much more.

We continued on day two with a visit to Schoenbrunn palace. Schoenbrunn Palace was the summer residence of the Habsburg royalty. It is not just a palace. Schoenbrunn is also home to the oldest and possibly largest zoo in the world. At one time, it was the private Habsburg menagerie. You can easily spend two days here.

We went on the Grand Tour of Schoenbrunn that includes 40 rooms. The tour mostly focused on two houses of the Habsburgs: Emperor Franz Stephan and Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth of Bavaria aka "Sisi."

At the age of 6, Mozart's father, Leopold, arranged for Mozart and his sister to perform for Empress Maria Theresa in the Mirror Room. After the performance, he reportedly jumped on the empress' lap and showered her with kisses.

The Palace itself was impressive and the history of the Habsburg was quite intriguing. Especially the legend of Empress "Sisi." "Sisi" as she was known was married at age 15 to Franz Joseph (23 at the time). While most people were fascinated by the couple, the couple were not as close as people portrayed them to be. Despite the emperor's love and devotion to Sisi, history and records of her personal records show that she felt trapped in her marriage, despised court life and was obsessed with her weight and preservation of her beauty. Sisi lived her life separate from the emperor, occupying herself with her own travels. She was sometimes away from the palace for years at a time

Among the many interesting displays is the carriage museum that contains magnificent carriages owned and used by the Habsburgs over the centuries. The most impressive were the coronation and the funerary carriages. Another must see is the Gloriette where you can attain a picturesque view of Vienna. We got there at sunset and it was absolutely stunning.

On our third day, the Cat took the kids to the Schoenbrunn Zoo for the day while my mother, aunt and I took a day trip west to Salzburg. It was about a 4 hour drive by bus to Salzburg including two stops at Landzeit, an autobahn restaurant that puts the pit stops on the FL turnpike or I-95 to shame. Wiener Schnitzel anyone? And it was good! We also stopped at the Lake District for some beautiful scenery starring the Austrian Alps.

Salzburg is famous for several reasons. Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg. Near Salzburg, in Oberndorf, is St. Nicholas church. It was here in 1818 that "Stille Nacht" was first performed. In English, this translates to "Silent Night." And of course, this area was made famous by the Sound of Music. Some scenes were filmed in the Lake District and at certain sights around Salzburg although the Austrians are not very familiar with the movie. The Salzach River divides old and new Salzburg. In the Middle Ages, the river was used as a trade route especially for salt. From Salzach, you can see Hohensalzburg Fortress on Monk's Hill. Built in 1077, it is the main landmark in the city. A pedestrian bridge allows people to walk from one side to the other without having to deal with traffic. In order to get up to the fortress, you can either hike up the steep hill or take a ride in the "funicular" that will drop you off there in a minute.

We visited Salzburg on 11/1, All Saint's Day, which is a recognized holiday throughout Europe. While not as elaborate as the Polish cemeteries on this day, families were visiting graves, laying flowers and lighting candles. We visited a cemetery where Mozart's sister, Nannerl, and Haydn's younger brother Michael are buried.

Salzburg is filled with cafes and shops along it old streets. One street, Judengasee, which literally translates into Jew's Street, ironically is filled with Christmas shops selling hand painted ornaments and other decor. Number 9 Getreidegasse is the house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756. The Mirabelle Gardens is adjacent to Mirabell Palace across the river from the fortress. The entire area was used in the filming of the Sound of Music. It was here that Julie Andrews sang "Do-Re-Mi" with the von Trapp children in the Sound of Music.

On the way back to Vienna, we stopped at the Landzeit restaurant for dinner and then continued to our hotel. One thing I must mention is that Austria's autobahn like Germany's provide drivers with a great driving experience. The roads are well paved and it seems very easy to navigate so long as you know the words for enter and exit. The trip ran all day and we returned home quite late.

We started our day at Michaelerplatz at the Hofburg Palace, the winter residence of the Habsburgs. Why they had two seasonal residences within minutes doesn't make sense, but then again they were royalty.

The Hofburg is a vast complex of royal apartments, home of the Spanish Riding School, Augustinkirche, that covers a large area between the Graben shopping district and the Museum Quarter. In front of the entrance to the Hofburg, there is an archaeological site where ancient Roman ruins have been excavated over the past 15 years. Next to the Hofburg is St. Michael's Church. Not too different from all the other churches. However, what makes St. Michael's unique is it's crypt. Viennese nobility is buried here. But that is not why it is unique. The special climate conditions in the crypt have left mummified rather than rotting corpses still in their funerary clothes. They are on display in open coffins. Kind of creepy! Unfortunately for us, we were unable to locate the entrance to the crypt and were a bit disappointed in missing the necropolis beneath.

We started our day with the Spanish Riding School. Established in 1572, it's name is derived from the horses used which were bred in Spain. The Lippizaner stallions used today are descendants from Spanish horses. We were able to attend a performace of their morning exercises to music. It wasn't too appealing to me, but the children enjoyed watching the horses prance to the music. We followed up with a visit to the royal apartments and then Augustinkirche where the hearts of the Habsburgs lie.

All of the above was interesting and historical. However, my favorite part of the day was just walking around the city, listening to Strauss and Mozart played throughout the city, enjoying a Sacher torte and strolling through the Burgarten park amidst autumn leaves. I think the reason we saw so much over a short period of time was because we walked so much. We took in the parks, the State Opera House, Heldenplatz (where Hitler made his famous speech annexing Austria to Germany), Demel (the Imperial bakery), Kohlmarket street, the Graben, the Rathaus, the Imperial crypts at the Kapuchin Church, Votivkirche and Sigmund Freud's home. We also took in a carriage ride much to the children's delight. You can rent one for up to 3 hours. It is a nice way to orient yourself to the city. They can be rented next to St. Stephen's cathedral.

This was one of the best family trips we have ever taken. Vienna is just so charming and very clean. You can tell the Viennese take pride in their city. If I ever get the opportunity to live here, I will move in a heartbeat!

Autumn Break: Krakow and Auschwitz

Thing 1's school has lots of vacation breaks. Despite the fact that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are not holidays here, they get a total of 6 weeks off between their autumn, Christmas, winter and spring breaks. That does not include any Polish holidays (including Easter Friday and Monday). So, this affords families plenty of opportunities to travel throughout the year. With Autumn Break coming up we scheduled a trip to Krakow and Vienna while my mother was visiting.

We flew to Krakow on Saturday morning 10/27, our 6th wedding anniversary. Initially we were going to travel by train, but the time to travel between cities was almost as long as driving there ourselves. We found airfares between all cities that were roughly about $200 USD for all three segments. So, we decided that 1 hour on a plane to each destination was preferable. It worked out well since it gave us more time in each city. The trip was about an hour and with grandma and my aunt in flight we had an extra pair of arms for Thing 2.

We stayed at the Abella Apartments in Krakow. The Abella Guest Rooms and Apartments was a lovely residence very close to Old Town Krakow. The owners were helpful to us and available throughout the day unlike many guest houses where the reception is closed most of the day.

The formal entrance into the Old Town begins at the Barbakan (fortress) before crossing through the Florianska gate. The gate was the entry exit point on the way to and from Warsaw. This leads to Florianska street lined with merchants, cafes, and artists selling their creations. The street leads you to the market square.

Krakow's Old Town Market Square is quite large, double that of Warsaw. The Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) is at the center of the square with cafes, restaurants, residences, and clubs surrounding it's perimeter. The Sukiennice is thought to be the oldest shopping mall in the world dating back to the middle ages. It's still serves the same purpose, as vendors sell all kinds of crafts inside. The Kosciol Mariacki is a lvoely church located at the corner of ul. Florianska. It is quite beautiful inside with lots of religious art abound.

I was quite impressed by how beautiful Krakow is. Krakow was at one time the capital of Poland. It is one of the few Polish cities that was not in ruins at the end of WWII. In fact, it is said that the Communists had no place to build after the war so they had to select a site outside of Krakow to create the industrial city of Nowa Huta which became the ideal for communist propaganda. Ironically, its main square, previously Lenin Square, is named Ronald Reagan Square today.

In the short time we were there, we saw many of the main sites in Krakow. The market square in Krakow is quite large, double the size of Warsaw's market square. The streets leading to the square are lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. One shop/café that we visited was a "pijalnia czekolada" known in English as a chocolate bar. Yes, you read correctly. At these establishments throughout Poland, you receive a menu of chocolate drinks, chocolate desserts and you can order individual truffles that brought to you on raised silver tray. You can also order coffee and add flavors to the chocolate drinks, like mint or cherry, etc. It was quite a treat.

10 km outside of Krakow and up to 1072 feet (372 meters) below the surface are the Wieliczka Salt Mines. We went down a good 600 steps into the subterranean salt mines. It was a bit cold down there, but it was well worth it. The best part - an elevator at the other end waiting to take us back up. We were led through a labyrinth of passages and caves into sections of the mine that were named for famous persons who have previously visited or famous Poles.

Different scenes depicting Polish stories are carved out of rock salt. A bit like a Wax museum, but far better. One story we were told that was depicted here was that of the Hungarian princess Kinga who was to marry the sovereign of Krakow. She wanted to bring a wealthy gift for her fiancé. She asked her father for a salt mine as a dowry, which he provided. She threw one of her rings into a salt mine of her father and traveled to Poland. Near Krakow, in Wieliczka she told the people to dig a deep pit. The miners found salt, and enclosed in the first piece of salt they mined was the ring of Kinga. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass in a subterranean cathedral here made of rock salt.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 both enjoyed the mine. Thing 2 loved feeling the texture of the walls. I was waiting for her to try to lick the wall. Thing 1 thought is was really cool to be in a cave 400 feet below the surface.

Krakow is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, Jagiellonian University. Both Pope John Paul II and Copernicus were students here. Further, Pope John Paul II was the Archbishop of Krakow before he became Pope. Wawel Castle is situated on a Wawel Hill. It was the seat of Polish Kings until the capital was moved to Warsaw. The Cathedral within the Wawel complex contains catacombs with the remains of many of the former Polish Kings and Queens. It is a beautiful site.

On a more somber note, my mother, aunt and I took a day to travel to Oswiecim known to the world as Auschwitz. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling you get as you step foot at Auschwitz. You feel a heavy weight on your shoulders and it is not for the faint of heart. Children under 14 are not allowed which is why we left the kids with the Cat for the day.

The Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum opened in 1947. Those who survived insisted that this site be preserved to bear witness for future generations of the horrors that happened here. Much of it remains unchanged from 1945.

As you walk through the gate at Auschwitz I, you see the phrase "Arbeit Macht Frei" translated into "Work, shall make you free." Thousands of prisoners walked through this gate at Auschwitz each day to long hours of labor. In the evening, they returned exhausted, carrying the corpses of those who had died while a camp orchestra played marches. The camp consists of row after row of concrete buildings each providing a different function for the Nazis. Tours in Auschwitz take you to the different blocks were prisoners lived. The buildings here were built by the Habsburgs for their military when this part of Poland was under the Austria-Hungarian Empire.

Block 10 is where the infamous medical experiments took place. Here Dr. Mengele performed experiments on young children, particularly twins. Mass sterlization experiments were also carried out here. You just can't wrap your mind around that.

Between blocks 10 and 11 is the "Death Wall so named because from 1941-1943, the SS shot several thousand people in that courtyard. Block 11 served as a the camp jail and Zyklon B trials took place here. It is rumored 750 prisoners died in these initial trials. There are still signs throughout the camp with a skull warning people to halt or be shot to death on the spot.

We visited the crematoriums. The smell of death just seems to linger in the air. The special group of prisoners assigned to burn corpses in the crematorium The(Sonderkommando) was temporarily quartered in block 11 away from the other prisoners thereby keeping this a secret which is why the Nazis were able to continue this mass extermination as long as they did.

Each block holds a different exhibit. Each exhibit gives visitors insight into the daily lives of prisoners here. The Nazi's initially used Auschwitz as a camp for Soviet POW's and Polish intellectuals who were part of the resistance. Some Jews were also brought here, but the majority were sent to Birkenau.

Following the Auschwitz I tour, we met the guide at Auschwitz II - Birkenau walking through the Gate of Death. A former SS guardhouse tower is located above the gate and overlooks the complex.

Mid way through the camp is the selection ramp. They divided the strong/healthy from the elderly, ill, pregnant women, & kids. Those classified as fit for work were placed in the camp. The others, 70-75%, were sent to die in the gas chambers.

Train tracks run through Birkenau with barracks on either side dividing the men and the women. The barracks truly resembled barns. One that I will never forget was a barrack with a row of benches with wholes. They were toilets. The Nazis made prisoners use the bathroom together to strip them of any human dignity they may have had left.

At the end of the tracks, walking from the SS guardhouse, is a memorial to those who died here in several languages.

Compared to Birkenau, Auschwitz I was much better kept. People who came to Birkenau were pretty much waiting to die where people in Auschwitz I were used for work and other sick purposes.

It was a very emotional and thought provoking experience. I think everyone should visit at least once to bear witness to these atrocities.

From Auschwitz, we returned to Krakow to prepare for the next leg of our trip: Vienna.

Where is the Great Pumpkin?

Not so much the Great Pumpkin, but a pumpkin patch? Like most things in Warsaw, Halloween is catching on. They don't celebrate the holiday like we do in the States, but get a kick out of the Americans going all out. A limited amount of costumes are available, but no trick or treating.

We were quite pleased to find a pumpkin "stand" on the side of the road near Thing 1's school. It was the closest thing to a pumpkin patch I had seen here. We stopped by and purchased a few pumpkins for our house and for Thing 1's pumpkin carving activity at school. The kids had fun picking out small pumpkins for themselves.

At school, the reaction to pumpkin carving by the parents from other countries was simply amazement. You would think that they had never seen a pumpkin carving. The Cat volunteered for this activity and he told me that he was approached by several parents asking if they could take one of the pumpkins home.

Halloween - taking over the world one country at a time!

ASW UN Day

Every year the American School of Warsaw (ASW) hosts a UN Day. With children from so many different countries, they set aside a day to celebrate the different cultures. Today was actually the culmination of two weeks of presentations by the parents and students to their classes about their home countries or ancestry.

With Thing 1 being half Cuban, a quarter Scottish-Irish, a quarter French Canadian with a little Cherokee thrown in for good measure, he had many options. His teacher however, asked that Thing 1 represent Cuba. So began my first school project since I finished my masters degree. I put together a presentation for the kids about life for children in today's Cuba. I left them all dumbfounded on that one. I also taught them the clave rhythm on borrowed claves from the music teacher and we played some salsa music for the class. It was an enjoyable afternoon. On UN Day, each classroom holds a luncheon where parents bring dishes native to their country. I brought picadillo over rice, a mom with kids from Thailand brought pad Thai, an American mom brought macaroni and cheese, a Danish mom brought some cookies, etc, etc. It was quite a feast.

Following the lunch, the kids were assigned to different moms and we took them through the hallway tables and onto the gym. Thirty different countries were represented on 58 tables decorated with national crafts and artifacts, representatives in traditional dress, and cuisine (snacks). It was a huge event. The children were given ASW UN "Passports". Their mission was to visit as many tables as possible, answer questions about the country's table and receive a stamp in their passport. Thing 1 enjoyed visiting the different tables and collecting treats and country specific goodies form each table (especially candy).

For Thing 2, all ended when she reached the South Koreans. They had brought a display of native drums and hand drum. Thing 2 was in heaven. So much so that when I tried to give back the drum, she flipped out. The South Koreans were nice about it and let her play with the drum until we left. It served as a tracking device too since I could always tell where she was by the beat of the drum.

This was a wonderful experience for all the kids. Their understanding of the world just doubled. What a wonderful program!

Kazimierz Dolny, Nałęczów and Puławy

I just returned from another language immersion trip. We left at 5:45pm on Friday. The trip is only about 90 km away from Warsaw , but with the road conditions and accidents along the way, we did not make it to the area until about 9:30pm. Have I mentioned that the roads in Poland are the worst I have ever driven on? Bumps, potholes, one lane each way, people playing chicken by passing cars as oncoming traffic gets closer and closer....you can find all of this on Poland roads. Anyway...

Once we arrived we found our pension (other word for B&B). However, another couple on the trip was staying at a hotel higher into the hills. So here we are at 10pm in the van climbing up these hills in a forest in pitch black darkness. I was expecting Jason to jump out with an ax at any moment. We get lost of course because the roads are not marked. Finally, we arrive to find that no one is at the reception. We all had a Scooby Doo moment as we explored this isolated house in the middle of the woods. We heard some guests in their rooms and some in our group proceeded to knock on their doors but they spoke no English. So, the couple that was supposed to stay here chose to rent a more expensive room at our hotel instead. We headed back to the “Mystery Machine” and headed to Hotel Wenus. Yes, it sounds funny, but the W is a V so it’s really Hotel Venus. We finally ate dinner at 11:30pm. I was exhausted.

Our hotel was nice. It was clean. But like most hotels in Europe if you do not reserve a 4 star and above be ready for some surprises. Let’s starts with the room. The room was tiny. Picture this: Open the door and there are two twin beds lined up (each bed touching the other) against the wall with a small wardrobe behind one of the beds and a small dresser with a TV and chair on the opposite sides of the beds. The bathroom felt larger than the room itself. For the most part, the place was clean and well kept. It was ok since we were just going to be there to sleep, but sleeping was part of the problem.

The beds were hard. In fact, I probably could have slept on the floor and had the same experience. The pillow was the only thing that was soft. Forget having matching towels or sheets! I brought my own towels and I probably should have brought sheets too. The only sheet on my hard mattress was a thin white sheet that was more of a blanket. It did not even cover the entire mattress. I did not sleep well either night. If it were not for the huge cups of expresso they served for breakfast, I would have been a zombie all day. Speaking of breakfast, the usual continental breakfast served in the US is quite different here. Instead of pastries, they serve fruit, yogurt, meats, cheeses, eggs, juice (in tiny cups) and of course, coffee.

We spent all of Saturday walking and hiking, exploring Kazimierz. I have never experienced such cold weather in the middle of September. It felt more like late November. It must have been in the low 50’s F, but the wind made it feel more like 40 something. For the most part, despite a few short rain showers the weather cooperated.

Kazimierz is a town on the banks of the Vistula River dates back to the 11th century. Some of its medieval history is well preserved. The streets are all cobblestone. There are wooden cottages with thatched roofs (like Shakespeare’s at Stratford upon Avon ) amidst more modern dwellings. An old wooden well sits in the middle of the Market Square. There are many artists who live and work here. There are galleries selling their work practically everywhere. There are also vendors selling all kinds of crafts.

We climbed a few hills to reach the ruins of the Zamek (Castle) and Baszta (Tower) built by King Kazimierz in the 14th century. The Tower looked more like a lighthouse to me and probably served that purpose. There are panoramic views offered to those willing to climb to the top (see pictures). Boatrides/Ferry rides are offered on the Vistula River for other views of the area.

As we walked around, I kept seeing signs everywhere for Koguty which mean “rooster.” I was rather surprised thinking that there were roosters for sale (this would be odd, but in Poland you just never know). I later found out that the “rooster” is a symbol for the city and that the Koguty is really a sweet bread shaped like a rooster. And to think I thought I could bring home a real rooster as a souvenir! We took a carriage ride and a ferry ride. In the evening we had dinner and went to a bar to listen to some live music. We had a great time. When we got back, we turned on the tube to find the “Miss Polonia” pageant. We had a good time comparing our pageants to theirs. These girls paraded around the stage with smiles that would not cease. The botox must have been passed around because I just don’t know how they could keep smiling for that long. And forget the tears of joy when the winner was announced. The winner just kept smiling showing no other emotion. They also did not seem to know that the answer to any pageant question is “world peace.”

Sunday, we left Kazimierz for Nałęczów and Puławy. Nałęczów is a spa area renowned for its mineral water (some of which is bottled and sold throughout Poland ). People travel here mostly for R&R. There is a park connecting all the facilities with a pond in the middle where swans were swimming. This part of the tour was not very exciting (I would have rather checked in at the spa for a few hours) until I found the Wedel House. Think coffee house with chocolate instead of coffee. I have never seen something like this. All the drinks are chocolate. You can order truffles for a snack or decadent desserts. A group of us found our way there and ordered truffles and chocolate drinks. And it was not even lunch!

We had some lunch in Nałęczów and then drove out to Puławy for a tour of the palace there. I didn’t take any pictures of these areas because they really did not offer much (unless you are going to the spa). But, one of our travelers did and his photo link is below. We took a bumpy ride home after the Palace tour and made it back to Warsaw by 6pm. It was a short, fun trip and I hope to go on the next one that they offer.

Links for Kazimierz Dolny, Nałęczów and Puławy:

http://www.kazimierz-news.com.pl/wersjaa.html

http://www.naleczow.com.pl/index_en.html

http://www.um.pulawy.pl/eng/news.php

The Long and Winding Flight

Thank you to everyone who has e-mailed me this summer missing my weekly (sometimes daily) blogs. I do enjoy writing them, but we had a busy summer. We are now back and after a busy week getting Thing 1 ready for kindergarten, getting everyone’s inner clocks on Warsaw time, catching up with old and new friends, etc., I am blogging once more.

Our flight back went better than expected. I was stopped several times by people offering to help and wondering how I was managing with three carry on's, a stroller, and a car seat. They were really curious about how I was managing the car seat. So, here is a visual......to get around the airports with all that stuff, I placed Thing 1's backpack in the stroller storage area (it also contained the DVD player). Thing 2 was strapped into the stroller. Her diaper bag was hanging from the back of the stroller. My backpack was on my back. I flipped the car seat over so that the seat part draped over the stroller's handle bars and the head of the seat was pointed towards the floor. I had Thing 1 hold on to the stroller and I pushed the car seat/handle bars to make my way through the airport. When claiming the bags at the terminal, Thing 1 wheeled Thing 2 around (without the car seat hanging off the stroller) while I wheeled the baggage cart with all our stuff.

Here is a little travel log I kept (partly documented in flight while the children slept)....

2:50pm/8:50pm ( Miami/Warsaw ) – Whew! We made it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare. Thing 1 is confused because he is happy to see his dad, but sad to be leaving the rest of the family. How can he feel both things at once, he wonders?

3:00 pm/9:00pm – Pre-boarding has begun. This is one of the few perks of traveling with young children. Thing 1 is walking in front of me with his backpack and Thing 2 between us. I am carrying a heavy backpack, diaper bag and a car seat. Thing 2 finds a nice roomy chair in the first class area and proceeds to accommodate herself. She has good taste although she gets quite upset when I motion her to keep walking. A nice flight attendant begins talking to her and she forgets about her disappointment. This keeps her entertained while I install the car seat and get situated. Thing 1 is a pro at this and by the time I finish he is already seated, buckled in with his backpack underneath the seat in front of him.

3:30pm/9:30pm – We are beginning to taxi. Thing 1 is "reading" the safety pamphlet. Thing 2 is flipping through a Lufthansa magazine telling me about the pictures. She then plays with her headphones and is amused by the music she hears coming out them. We begin to pretend that we are the Little Einsteins and are about to blast off. Thing 2 begins to pat-pat-pat on her lap and plays along. We are airborne!

5:00pm/11pm – Thing 2 has not had a nap today. A flight attendant brings out an early meal for her. She eats a bit, but she is more tired than sleepy. I need to keep her up a bit longer. Out comes the DVD player and as she focuses on that, Arthur and the Invisibles starts on the flight screens. Both kids are happy and entertained.

7:00pm/1am - The kids need to get some rest. What I am about to describe, only a parent can understand. Thing 2 is constipated. Either that or she is not comfortable pooping on the plane. She keeps grunting in her seat and it is obvious that nothing is happening. I take her to the bathroom which she hates since it is so small. I check her diaper and nothing. I rub her tummy and try to move her legs a bit to give her some support in case she wants to go. Nothing. I put on a fresh diaper. She is irritable at this point. She drinks her bottle of milk (not the best option for her predicament, but a soothing one to her) and passes out within the hour crying out in her sleep periodically due to the gas pains she must have been experiencing. Mylicon is the one medication I wish I had brought.

8:00pm/2am – The DVD player battery dies. Thing 1 willingly falls asleep shortly after. As people begin reclining their chairs, I begin to wonder why small commuter planes seem to have more leg room than these larger planes used for transatlantic flights. If someone reclines their chair, you practically have their headrest in front of your face. It makes no sense. It should be the other way around. I try to dose off, but Thing 2 is obviously uncomfortable and keeps tossing, turning and crying out every so often. Another child is screaming down the aisles. I am thankful it is not my child.

9:00pm/3am – Thing 2 is up again. She tries to wake up her brother, but he is sound asleep. She throws a minor fit before I give her the "not acceptable" menacing look and she gets herself together. She begins watching a little of the second in-flight movie and babbles for about 45 minutes before falling asleep again.

10pm/4am– I finally dose off for about an hour.

5am/11pm (EST) – Coffee and breakfast are being served. The kids are sound asleep. I am exhausted.

6:15am/12:15am (EST) – Passengers clap as we land in Frankfurt . Exhaustion (and Thing 2’s constipation) aside, the flight was uneventful. I change Thing 2 into her regular clothes while we wait to deplane. Thing 1 is not waking easily. He says he wants to stay in Germany . I finally tell him that we have 1 hour to catch our connecting flight and if we miss it, we won't see daddy today. He gets up. We deplane and make our way to our transfer terminal and through security once again. I make everyone go to the bathroom (Thing 2 is still constipated!) and we make it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare.

6:55am/12:55am (EST) - I let Thing 2 walk around the waiting area. A little activity may help her situation. Thing 1 has a snack while I read a USA Today paper.

7:15 am/1:15am (EST) – We board our next flight and the flight attendant tells me that my car seat (which I just used on another one of their flights) does not meet their "regulations" for the aircraft. He will have to ask a supervisor. I tell him don't bother – just take the seat. It has been a hassle to carry.

7:45am/1:45am (EST) – Thing 2 is quite happy in her own seat and looks very proud of her "big girl" privilege. The flight attendant asks me how old Thing 2 is. I know what he is getting at: children under 2 have to be harnessed to their parent during takeoff. I lie "she just turned 2." She is wearing size 24 month clothing after all, so technically she passes for 2. They leave me alone and Thing 2 has harness free flight. She eats her breakfast. Thing 1 plays with his toys.

8:30am/2:30am (EST) – I smell something foul. Thing 2 has pooped. We get up to change her diaper. There is only one bathroom with a changing table and some woman was in it putting on make up for at least 15 minutes. I gave her a dirty look as she exited. Thing 2 feels much better. She is clean and fed.

9:15am/3:15am (EST) - Thing 2 passes out in her seat as the plane lands in Warsaw . We deplane and make it to the terminal for passport control. I am the first in line. However, there are three guys at the window and guess where they are from? United Arab Emirates ! So, we have the Polish version of the national guard reviewing their documents, and not one, but two agents reviewing the passports. I appreciate their thoroughness, but my patience is wearing thin. The only thing that makes it tolerable is that the kids remained quiet during our wait. While I am the first in line, I am the last from my flight to clear passport control. My bags are ready for pick up on the belt. The Cat is calling on the cell phone.

9:45am/3:45am (EST) – The Cat is waiting at the terminal with flowers for me. Thing 1 practically abandons Thing 2’s stroller as he runs to his dad saying "I miss-ed (pronounced just like that) you so much daddy! I am so excited to be home." Thing 2 begins to kick her legs and throw her hands up in the air for daddy to pick her up.

12:30pm/6:30am (EST) – After a shower and lunch, I pass out for an afternoon nap. The kids play with the Cat and begin dropping like flies around 2pm. My nap helps get me through the evening, but I am up Sunday morning at 5am wandering the house aimlessly while everyone sleeps until about 10am.

Jet lag continues for about 5 days….

THE END!

School is back in session!

You never quite understand the wonderful feeling of school starting again until you are a parent. I have spent three weeks trying to keep two children entertained at home since it has been hovering near 0 degrees for the past 2 weeks and after the holidays I have no interest in seeing a shopping mall for a while. Don't get me wrong - I have enjoyed doing things with both kids while they were home for the holidays. But it is a paradox because it can be exhausting trying to keep idle hands and minds from become too bored.

Since Thing 1 began going to school regularly, I have come to the conclusion that when any given child is alone with their parent, they are a dream to be with. Add another to the mix and it become a chemistry experiment gone awry. Sure, they love each other. I see it when Thing 1 defends Thing 2 as she gets in trouble or Thing 2 gives her brother an impromptu hug. But, if boredom gets in the way, watch out!

Boredom tends to bring on trouble - sibling strife now being the most popular form of trouble in my home. It goes something like this. One child becomes bored. They rely on you to find something for them to do. If you cannot accomplish that task quick enough, soon enough, you will hear the shrieking of your other child as child one decides to have fun by tearing up someone's LEGO creation or taking away their blanket. And as usual, the other child always started it - even in toddler babble!

Silence is never a good sign when a child is in the home. Silence usually means someone is up to no good. In the past three weeks, I heard the sounds of silence a lot and while I usually enjoy it, in this context, it was nerve-racking, especially when my youngest would go missing somewhere in the house. I would find her shortly after she had dragged all her blankets out of the drawer and had proceeded to drag them all over the floor. Then of course, came the screaming when I would pick up the blankets and give her only one - it's never the one they want is it? Other silent moments led me to find her going through my purse and pulling debit/credit cards out of my wallet. To avoid moments like this, we had art time, music time, looking through pictures, ball pit/tunnel time, etc. But there are only so many activities you can do before they (or you) lose interest.

Technology is your friend when you have two kids to entertain. Forget TV - all these websites with kid friendly programming are fantastic. Nick Jr. and Noggin were a big hit. I must have watched every video from Jack's Big Music Show. They have all these coloring pages you can print out. You can make music, read, etc. Both kids love watching animal videos on You Tube too and of course the Jib Jab animations over the holiday were fun and had to be played over and over. Thing 2 even learned how to replay it. Of course, being stuck in the house, you have to find some way to get the energy out. Nothing like giving the kids two soft pirate swords and unleashing the swashbucklers on each other. Keeps them entertained so they forget that you are there.

And the secret weapon - have a friend over! Bring in a third child to make things more interesting. Unfortunately, in our situation, most of Thing 1's friends were away for the holidays, but that first week, we took full advantage of anyone who was still home. Thing 1 and his friends play with each other and Thing 2 just follows them around trying to feel like she is part of the action. Your house is turned upside down and it looks like a hurricane came through, but at least it gives you another way to keep the kids busy - clean up time!

Thing 1 was very excited to go back to school. He is still at the age where school is enjoyable - no tests to study for or papers to write, etc. But, no one is more excited than us parents who send our eager children off to school today - at least through winter break!

Malls in Poland

I've been meaning to comment on this for a while. I speculate that the fact that they went from communism to capitalism must have made them a bit nuts when it came to building the behemoth malls that spring up around here every couple of month. Since we arrived I think about 3 malls have opened up just here in Warsaw. From what I hear, this is going on all over the country. They seem to have the need to outdo the most recently built mall with an even bigger one.
You can buy just about everything at your local "Centrum Handlowe" which in essence means "shopping center." Each comes equipped (standard) with a supermarket (smaller than those hypermarkets - pseudoTarget/Wal-Mart stores like Real, Auchan or Carrefour), Kino (movie theater), and IMAX (even the movies need to be shown on larger screens). Multiple restaurants are scattered about as well as coffee shops (Starbucks will soon join the fray at long last!). Each mall has a playcenter with some funky name where (get this!) you can drop off your children while you shop. The kiddies get to play in bounce houses, obstacle courses, ball pits, etc. They get to tire themselves out while you enjoy your shopping experience. I haven’t tried that yet because I hate leaving Thing 1 by himself, but by the time Thing 2 is 3 and he is 6, I may let them go together.
Each mall is attached to a covered parking garage. Each parking slot has a a light above it signaling occupied (red) or available (green). Each row of parking spaces has it's own electronic display letting you know how many spaces are available in each row. And, if you wish to have your car washed while you shop, you can drop it off in the garage and it will be ready when you leave. The most convenient thing about this covered parking is the fact that if it’s time to go grocery shopping and it’s pouring rain outside, it matters not. Just head to your local Centrum Handlowe and shop there without getting yourself or your purchases wet.
Apparently, this mall building is a nationwide epidemic because they are now popping up in lesser known cities in Poland. Now what they have to do is pay for newly paved roads to take people to some of these malls!

10 Items or LESS!

Thing 2 and I took a trip to our local store to purchase a few things I couldn't find at the other store we went to yesterday. I had 5 items so I got into the 10 artikuly czy mniejszy (10 items or less) lane. There are 3 people ahead of me when a older couple in the line begin to put much more than 10 items on the belt. What the f***? I thought to myself in English ,wishing that I knew how to say that in Polish (need to ask the Polish teacher about that one). I'm not even a native and I can read the freakin' sign.

I haven't been in a hurry since I moved here so while it was annoying, I let it go. The people behind me however, did not. This lady went up to the couple and called them on it. This older man began to justify his prescence in the line by trying to infer that groupings of the same type of items (for example, several different beers, different fruits, etc,)all counted as one artykuly. It got ugly. A manager was called. The guy must have said something derogatory because the manager went off to get security. People in other lanes started chiming in their opinions. It was crazy. I paid for my 5 items and got out of there.

I'm sure that this happens in the States all the time (although I have yet to be a witness, probably because I usually have more than 10 items and wouldn't be in that line anyway). But, it was much more humorous to witness in Polish.

Beware of Naming Your Newborn in Poland

This has to be the most amusing story that I have run across since I began reading the Polish weeklies published in English (although the drunk guy who broke wind at mention of the president's name was pretty funny too).

So, I'm reading the Warsaw Insider (http//:www.warsawinsider.pl) the other day and I run across an article about naming your baby. Like in the US, parents need to register their newborn in order to obtain a birth certificate. However, I couldn't stop laughing when I heard that the people who run this Bureau of Civil Affairs have the right to reject the baby's name. A law passed in 1986 gives these bureau employees the power to decide whether the name parents choose is offensive or potentially embarrassing to the child later in life. If you insist on a rejected name, you must petition a court of appeal.

At first, I thought this was a joke based on some rumor. However, I asked my Polish friends and they confirmed this to be true. Now that I think about it, this is probably a good idea for the US as well with all the weird names people come up with nowadays. But, it's not just the weird names. I learned that if I had wanted to name Thing 1 his given name and he was born here, they would not approve the English spelling. This means that Thing 1's name would be Rzecz 1 which is the polish name for Thing 1 (My son is not really named Thing 1, but for this blogs purpose that is his name). I'm afraid at what Thing 2's name would look like. I knew I was not crazy to have my second baby in the USA. Even if we opted for a 3rd while here, I would go back to the US to deliver.

So, celebrities beware! Courtney Cox and David Arquette's baby, Coco, would have had her name rejected for sure. Co in poland means "what." I doubt these conservative polish officials would have allowed them to name their kid "What?What?" Ditto for Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter "Apple," whose spelling would be altered to "Jabłka."

Spring Break 2007: Southern Germany Theme Parks

Who says Florida is the theme park capital of the world? For spring break, we decided to have a fun family weekend and explore what Germany had to offer in the way of theme parks. Unfortunately, our trip did not get off to the best start.

I had reserved a taxi for the morning, but when the time came, there was no taxi. When I called, they said they could send one in half and hour. It was Saturday! How many people actively need cabs on a Saturday morning at 7am? There was no time to lose so we packed up the car and opted to pay for parking at the airport instead.

We rushed to the airport and parked in long term parking. Unlike other airports that have shuttles to take you to the terminal, we had to do without. The Cat took the bags and I took the kids up a hill to the departure terminal.

Things were not looking up since there was a very long line at Lufthansa's check in counter. There was no way we were going to make the flight. When it was finally our turn, we were informed that the Embassy travel office had not provide Thing 2 and me with a ticket, only a receipt. We were definitely not going to make the flight.

We went to the Carlson Wagonlit office at the airport to take care of the problem. The problem actually ended up saving us thousands of dollars. It turns out that, despite our late arrival at the airport, since the ticket agent made the mistake in not issuing the ticket, they would have to rebook our entire family at no cost to us. It was a major holiday week (Constitution Day and Labor Day) and had we had to change our flight for being late, we would have ended up paying nearly $1000 per ticket. So I am grateful for the agent's mistake.

The next flight to Munich was not until 3:30pm. So we had about an 8 hour layover in the Warsaw airport. Let me tell you about the Warsaw airport. There is only one terminal at this time because they keep delaying the opening of the new more modern one. There is a place to grab some ice cream, a cafe to have lunch and a few souvenir shops. That's it. No window shopping at Burberry or Coach. No toy store, nada!

After exhausting the ice cream and lunch options, the children played with some of their toys and Thing 2 practiced her walking throughout the terminal. She also peed on herself which required a change of clothes and since I had my luggage with me for a 6 hours of that 8 hour wait, it worked to my advantage.

We finally left for Munich around 3:30 arriving around 5pm. We rented our car and hopped on the autobahn towards Nuremberg which is mostly known for the war crime trials against the Nazis. The German autobahn is fantastic. It reminds me of home, but much more scenic.

Originally, we had planned to travel to the mountains to see Neuschwanstein Castle. The Cat and I had been there in 2000 and the kids had never gone. Thing 1 was familiar with it from the Little Einsteins. However, we had to cut that out of the itinerary because it was more out of our way than our other two destinations.

We arrived in Nuremberg in time to check in to our hotel and have dinner. We stayed a the lovely NH Hotel Nuremberg which was very clean and very modern looking. It reminded me of the decor at the Pizza "Bistro" Huts that I have previously described. I like chocolate brown so I was right at home.

We stayed overnight, had breakfast in the morning, packed the car again, and headed to Playmobil Fun Park. Playmobil is a brand of toys native to Germany that sell around the world including the US. Ironically, in researching the park, I found that there is a similar Fun Park in West Palm Beach about an hour from where I used to live. Go figure!

Anyway, the park is themed after the toys. It's not so much an amusement park as it is a play park. Different play areas were themed after different Play Mobil Sets. There was also an interactive indoor area where kids could explore the different toys and of course the gift shop.

The park was great. Our visit did not quite turn out that way. Thing 1 who has been suffering from terrible migraines, started experiencing a headache shortly after lunch. He ended up throwing up. We decided to cut our visit short and head to our next hotel, but he was really sick and was throwing up in the car. Luckily, I had a souvenir cup and let him use it to throw up in. It was not a pleasant day.

We checked into the Hotel Zettler in Gunzburg which was a bed and breakfast turned hotel. Thing 1 was feeling very ill and we just let him rest into the evening. We did not know if he would be up to going to his most anticipated attraction, LEGOLand Deutschland, in the morning. I think he heard us talking about it and made a complete recovery by dinner.

We headed to LEGOLand Deutschland the following day. It is every LEGO fan's dream. They had different areas themed after the different LEGO sets as well as a Mini Land of cities designed entirely with LEGOS. The park was more geared toward children Thing 1's age and older. I think 6 would have been a better age for him to have gone. Thing 1 enjoyed it anyway and Thing 2 was happy just tagging along, not quite understanding why her brother would disappear every so often. We spent a pleasant and very cool day at the park before heading back to Hotel Zettler.

The next morning we had a very pleasant and beautiful ride back to Munich to catch our flight home. The Bavarian region of Germany has loads of attractions for families and I'm not talking Oktoberfest here. The Germans are quite child friendly. For example, since Thing 2 is still drinking milk, I had to purchase milk every so often for her bottles. The Germans gave me free milk everywhere I went for her. Any time we went somewhere the kids would receive special treats. Young families would enjoy a vacation here.

Longer Days, Short Nights

When the clock sprung forward last month, it was a welcome change to the short days we had been having for 6 months. But soon, this too became somewhat of an adjustment. You see, the closer you live to the Arctic, the shorter or longer your days become depending on the season. Unfortunately, with the longer days, comes a really early sunrise (5:19 AM today) that continues to come earlier until summer solstice on 6/21. Why they decided to lengthen the day by adding time to the morning baffles me, but the point is that by summer solstice the sun will be rising at 4:13 AM and will then begin its decline until DST begins again. Sunset will be around 9:03 PM.

We have blackout curtains in our rooms. My problem is of a greater nature. We have always taught Thing 1 that he is not supposed to get up before he sees light in his window. Lately, he has been rising earlier and earlier. Not a good prognosis for summer vacation!

Speaking of which, if you are planning European travel, Scandinavian countries and cities along northern Europe are great to take in during the summer. Certainly, it may be crowded, but the weather is usually gorgeous with temperatures rarely getting into the 80's (average is 75) and if you travel in June, you will experience the longest days ever thereby maximing your vacation dollars or euros (especially in Oslo or Helsinki where the sun rises around 3:45AM and will not set until nearly 11PM).

Gdańsk , Sopot and Malbork

This past weekend I found myself on a train trip to Gdańsk , Sopot and Malbork in the Pomeranian region of Poland on the north Baltic Coast . I was able to take this trip by myself which is the first trip I have taken without my family since a conference I attended in 2004. I missed them, but I really needed to take a break. Josh stayed home with the children and did a fantastic job caring for them and maintaining the house while I was gone. He admitted that while he handled everything ok, he realizes that it is much harder to stay home with them than he originally thought. So, in a way, it was good for him too.

Our Group

Our group consisted of 15 expats and the two Polish language instructors. Half of the group was quite fluent while the rest of us were beginners. I knew faces, but since I don’t work there, I didn’t really know anyone. It was nice to get to know all these people with such well traveled backgrounds. It made me feel normal to know that I was not the only one with a travel addiction traveling every two to three weeks. In this lifestyle, this is normal. Most people take trips monthly at a minimum.

There are many discounted airlines that fly anywhere in Europe fairly cheap. With the frequent flyer miles collected by many of these employees, you can get lots of tickets and only pay the taxes on them. The people I met, combined, had pretty much traveled the world. Many of their previous posts took them to Cairo, Kenya, Moscow, Budapest, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo, Bangkok, Shanghai, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico to name a few. They had great stories to tell and lots of travel tips.

It turned out to be a great group of people. We got along well and got to know a lot about each other especially on the train. The trip was perfectly timed. We had enough time so that we never felt like we were rushed (except for the shopping part). We left from Warszawa Centralna (central station) around 6pm Friday evening. We took the intercity train to Sopot which an hour away from Gdansk and where we would be staying overnight.

Traveling by train was fantastic. Unlike the air travel where you have to arrive hours in advance, we arrived at the station about 10 minutes before our train and hopped on as soon as it got there. Each car has several compartments with about 6-8 seats each. There is also a dining car. I was surprised because I did not expect much more than drinks and snacks. However, they served hot dishes in addition to kanapkas (sandwiches), zupy (soup) (don’t try that on a train) and piwo (beer). We spent most of our time in the dining car getting to know each other. Other than a couple of kids pulling the emergency brake and delaying us by a few minutes, it was a fairly easy train ride. We traveled second class on this trip. If I had my children with me, I would have probably traveled 1st class just to give them a bit more room.

Sopot

We arrived around 10:30pm in Sopot which is a resort town on the Baltic coast. We walked from the station through ulica (pronounce ulitsa and meaning street) Monte Cassino This street is closed to traffic and has a busy nightlife with clubs, bars, restaurants and cafés lining the streets as well as some art galleries and shops. Ul. Monte Cassino leads to the Sopot pier and boardwalk. We were staying at 3 separate hotels and ours was the only one on the water, so we were the last stop. By the time, we dropped off everyone, checked in and got to our rooms it was around midnight.
The hotel which I really can’t pronounce was abbreviated WDW. We joked that it a Walt Disney World resort, but since the W’s here are pronounced like “V’s”, that wouldn’t work. It was a 3 star resort right on the boardwalk. I had a single room consisting of a twin bed, small sitting area with a couch and TV and a bath room. It reminded me of a dormitory, but it was clean and had free breakfast. It was fine for 2 night solo trip. I would need more room if my family was along for the tour.

Saturday we met up on the boardwalk and walked along the pier and on the beach with shoes because it was still a bit cold in the morning. This was not easy and, combined with all the other walking and climbing to come, proved to be quite a workout for all of us. The pictures of the ocean are all on the Baltic Coast and there were lots of swans on the shore which I had never seen before. The pier leads out onto the Baltic. I saw nothing but clear blue water and the horizon. It was beautiful. We could not have had better weather with clear blue skies and highs in the upper 50’s/low 60’s. The weather remained the same throughout the weekend.

There are no attractions here. It is more of an entertainment-dining area reminiscent of Georgetown in DC, Fells Point in Baltimore , Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale and Ocean Drive on South Beach or Cocowalk in Coconut Grove.

Gdańsk and Oliwa

We caught a train to Gdańsk around 10am. Gdańsk history dates back to 980 AD. In 1945, the city was demolished by World War II and rebuilt based on historical documents and pictures taken prior to the war. The city also symbolizes the Solidarnosć movement that began in the 1970’s and 1980’s that paved the way for the fall of Communism in 1989.
The poor and deteriorating economy along with the Polish exasperation with Communism prompted the working class to revolt in 1956, 1968, 1970 and 1976. The revolts failed and many people were killed or sent to labor camps. In 1980, workers in the Gdańsk shipyard began an uprising fueled by poor economic conditions, nationalism and a new elected Polish Pope. Pope Jana Pawel II returned to his homeland encouraging his fellow Poles to revolt against Communism. Workers went on strike and formed the trade union Solidarnosć.

Solidarnosć drafted 21 demands including the right to strike, freedom of speech (Lech Wałensa was fired from his job for discussing working conditions at the shipyard), and improved working conditions (including shortening the work week from 48 hours to 40 hours. Polish government instituted martial law. No one could leave town and a 6pm curfew was in place. Solidarnosć went underground and continued to press for reform. This continued for about 8 years when the Communists finally gave in to talks with Solidarnosć amid worsening economic conditions and much public discontent. By April 1989, the Communist party agreed to legalize the Solidarnosć party and to free elections in Parliament. By August 1989 (a few months before the wall fell) the Poles elected a non-communist prime minister and this was followed by the election of Lech Wałensa as president of Poland.

In the afternoon, we walked to Old Town Gdańsk. Unlike many European cities, Gdańsk has no market square. Rather, they have a long street or drugi. Gdańsk reminded me a lot of Germany and I later learned that it in its early history it was populated by Germans. This old town road was beautiful and it did lead into a small square. The road was lined with lots of cafes, ice cream shops, chocolate bars (these are wonderful places that serve chocolate beverages/liquors, pastries, truffles, etc.), restaurants, shops and museums.

We went in the town museum. One of the rooms, the red room, was the most ornate I had ever seen. The ceiling was a series of paintings on canvas. You couldn’t tell it was the actual ceiling in the pictures. In the same building there is a tower with a panoramic view. We made our way up the 600 steps. I kept telling myself that after climbing Diamond Head I could climb this. But at least Diamond Head had some trails that were level. This was a straight climb up. It was worth the view (see below). As a bonus, shortly after we arrived at the top, the church bells began playing melodies and this went on for about 15minutes. Some of the videos of the city from the tower include the melodies from the church bells.

Gdańsk is the amber capital of the world. Amber is a mineral of many colors. Depending on the age, amber can range from nearly white, through all shades of yellow and orange, to dark, almost cherry-like red. In addition to jewelry, I have seen bouquets of amber roses, ships made of amber, chests, jewelry boxes, etc. It is quite beautiful and very impressive artwork. We came upon a street where all the shops were amber shops. All of the women on the tour went a bit nuts and our instructor kept trying to get us out of the shops to continue our itinerary. Eventually, she broke down and let us have an hour to shop. Needless to say, I added to my jewelry collection.

We ate lunch at Restauracja Kubicki (established in 1918) at the end of Gdansk boardwalk on the banks of the Motława River . We had reservations and they led us to a room with a long candle lit table lined with laced tablecloths. The waiters wore bow ties. I felt more like I was at a state dinner party than an ordinary lunch. The food was quite good and inexpensive. In fact, everywhere we ate, the food was good and inexpensive. All my meals cost about $12-15 USD including appetizers or soup and drinks. The only time I paid a bit more was when I had a cocktail with my meal and even then the total was only about $20 USD.

Following lunch and shopping we headed back to the station and caught the train to a town called Oliwa (or Oliva/Olive). This was just supposed to be a short stop to walk through Oliwa Park and see Oliwa Cathedral.
When we arrived at cathedral, we were in for a treat: we inadvertently ended up crashing a Polish wedding. We arrived just as they were pronouncing them man and wife and the church’s pipe organ, a Rococo style organ built in the 1760’s and at the time the largest in Europe, began playing Mendelssohn’s Wedding March as the couple and their wedding party made their way out of the church. The timing was perfect. I got most of it on video although the beginning of the video is a little fuzzy. From there, we went back to Sopot via the train for dinner.

Dinner in European restaurants seems to go on for hours. Our dinner that evening began around 8pm and did not end until 11pm. We were so exhausted by the end of that day that many of us were falling asleep while waiting for the check. Taverna Rybacki (literally Fish Tavern in English) turned out to be a great seafood restaurant. This one was a bit more rustic and cozy with their warm décor and candles along the stairs and on the tables. I would definitely go back.

Malbork (Mariensburg)

After a really late night, I awoke Sunday very tired and trying to rush to catch the train to Malbork. It was an hour train ride heading south. The great thing about taking the train is that you can make stops along the way and leave your luggage (provided it is not oversized) in a secured storage locker or bag check at the station. You can then go sightseeing and pick up you bags upon departure. We took a 20 minute walk from the station to Zamek w Malborku (Malbork Castle ) on the river Nogat. This was an amazing site. It is probably one of the largest castles other than Schloss Neuschwanstein that I have ever seen. Unlike any that I have seen, this one is built solely of brick. According to our guide, it is one of the largest medieval gothic castles in Europe and it was built in stages beginning in the mid 1300’s. It was completed in the 15th century. There is a large moat around the castle which is now dry. You can envision what it must have been like when the knights lived here. The castle is divided into High castle which was a fortified monastery for the order consisting of St. Mary’s Church, Middle Castle which was the seat of Teutonic Power and location of the Palace of the Grand Master of the order, and the Outer Bailey which was the auxiliary service and military area for the fortress. A tour takes about 3 hours. After finishing the tour, we crossed over a bridge to the other side of the Nogat River which provided a more panoramic view of the castle.

The Teutonic Knights, an order limited to German aristocracy, were initially a chivalrous monastic order established in 1190 during the third Crusade offering help to those in need. However, Pope Urban II sent the order to Marienburg to convert the local pagan population (i.e. the Prussians) thereby becoming a more militaristic order. The knights took vows of chastity, obedience, poverty and the additional vow of battling enemies of Christ. The justification for the Crusades was that pagans were the embodiment of evil. They were not believed to human, making the teaching about doing onto others as one would have done unto oneself inapplicable (sounds a bit like the Islamic Jihad taking place against Christians and Jews today).

The Teutonic order developed a working relationship with the Polish monarchs. They allowed the order to remain in Poland as long as they kept the Prussians, always a threat to Poland , in check. The order conquered Prussia , but they didn’t stop there. They continued on to Pomerania , conquering that area as well (including Gdansk ). The alliance with Poland was broke. Poland allied itself with Lithuania against the order and eventually defeated them, thereby taking back Pomerania . Malbork became the residence of Polish Kings until the first partition of Poland in 1772 when it fell into the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Prussia .

During WWII, the Nazis used the castle as a kind of headquarters during the war. When the Soviet Army began its liberation of Poland they attacked the castle with American M4 Sherman tanks provided by the US . However, they proved futile in infiltrating the castle. The Soviet army began shelling the castle. Most of the castle has been rebuilt, but much still remains in ruins including the interior of St. Mary’s church adjacent to the castle. There are lots of artifacts that have survived and many that are damaged, but managed to survive.

On the castle grounds is the Hotel Zamek (Castle Hotel) complete with a restaurant where we had lunch. There are several souvenir shops selling medieval types of souvenirs. I brought home a bow and arrow set for Nicholas. There was a group of Russian children running around with swords, sling shots, and bow and arrow sets and they were having such a good time. They also sold medieval dresses and veils with rounded headpieces. I wanted to get one of the rounded veils for my princess, but her head is too small for the sizes offered. One green dress I saw reminded me of the one worn by Princess Fiona in Shrek.

We wrapped up our tour around 3:30pm and walked back to the station to collect our bags and catch the train to Warszawa. The train ride both ways was about 5 hours, but the time goes by so much more quickly than traveling by car. Again, perfectly timed, we rolled in Warszawa Centralny as the sun set over Warsaw .

The Pomerianian region of Poland is a port of call for a few Baltic cruise ships. If you ever find yourself in Poland in the spring, summer or early fall, I would definitely recommend a trip to the region.

Websites:

http://www.gdansk.pl/en/
http://www.sopot.pl/intgmservlets/WWW.Main?LANG_VERSION=ENGLISH
http://www.malbork.pl/mwc/en/

Easter in Poland

I thought Christmas was the mother of all holidays, but Easter seems to be right up there. The Poles love Easter, both religious and secular traditions. Of course, being the predominantly Catholic country that Poland is, everyone flocks to church this week (like they do every week – really!). Only this past week, the churches have what I would call a marketplace area. Vendors sell flowers, edible specialties, and the most creative palm creations I have ever seen. They don’t just get a palm branch for Palm Sunday. They have to decorate their Palm. They can be small palms or they can be as large as 15 meters. I’ve never seen anything like it. They are very pretty. Polish people bake a lot during this time of year as I could tell from the crowds in the baking aisle at the store. They bake all kinds of novelties, but the one I have heard the most about is mazurek. It is a cake layered with fruit that is popular this time of year.

Then, of course, spring has arrived and with it what seems egg worship. I think the Germans do this too. You will find all kinds of jajka (egg) décor. Hand painted eggs (very ornate), egg ceramics (hand painted) that serve as candle holders, ceramic egg baskets, egg holders, etc. There’s quite a selection!

Moving on to the secular, you will find lots of chocolate eggs, chocolate eggs with surprises (not just the Kinder eggs), chocolate bunnies, ducks and lambs, baskets with candy, bird houses with candy, nests with candy, etc. The Polish go all out. They have Easter egg hunts like we do as well. On Good Friday, they have large “Way of the Cross” processions through Old Town. For most, it is a holiday. With good reason because everyone seems to make a dash for the grocery store to stock up on food to get them through the weekend since everything shuts down (like at Christmas) on Saturday and will not reopen until Tuesday. I had to engage in my shopping with both kids by myself since Josh was in Africa until Saturday. I was able to get through it by feeding my human vacuum (Mikayla) Cheerios throughout the grocery store. On Easter Eve, people bring baskets of breakfast food (including eggs) to their local churches to have them blessed. The following morning, they feast (more like gorge) on all the food. The tradition is that before beginning the meal you cut pieces of hard boiled eggs and pass them around the table and everyone takes a bite. Instead of breaking bread, they break eggs!

The only minor disappointment for us this year was the fact that there were no white eggs to be found. Only brown ones. We had an egg dyeing kit, but have you ever tried to dye a brown egg? Not exactly the spring like pastel colors we were looking for. The kids enjoyed it irregardless. Next year, we plan to buy actual paint and hand paint our eggs. It may prove to be more fun that way anyway.

Easter Monday is also a holiday. This is one of the things that I love about this country. In the United States, it does not seem that anything stops for any holiday. Even on Christmas, restaurants and entertainment venues open later in the day. People here work very hard and many work more than one job, but during Christmas and Easter, the focus is on family and the promise of hope. It is hard to focus on these things when family members are missing because they have to work or kids skip out family events to go out with their friends. Here it is not a problem. It is forced time off because your employer is closed. A refreshing thought!

Happy Easter to All!

A New Hope?

No, it's not Star Wars, it's Starbucks! Poland is certainly moving up in the world. Later this year, Starbucks is set to open its first shop in Poland, likely (I hope) here in Warsaw. Since other EU countries have Starbucks, I thought for sure I would find one in Warsaw. Wrong! It was disappointing at first, but I got used to Coffee Heaven – the Polish version of Starbucks. However, I prefer Starbucks. In Ireland, I asked the concierge for directions to the nearest Starbucks. Before he told me, he said “I just don’t get it. I just don’t get what Americans see in Starbucks.” I kept my mouth shut, but I was thinking “Don’t get what? The coffee I got at the local coffee shop this morning was horrible. I threw it out!” I can see why Irish food is not very popular around the world.

Our Irish Adventure

Driving in Dublin (or in Ireland in general)

There is a reason why the guidebook mentioned “don’t drive in Dublin.” Let's put it this way: we arrived at the Dublin airport around 12:15pm, claimed our bags and got our car rental and were on our way around 1:45pm. We did not walk into our hotel room until 5 pm and it was only a 10 mile drive from the airport!!! All the streets have names, but you can't ever find the street you are on because there are no markers for the majority of streets. Plus, if you find a marker for one street and drive a few blocks, you have probably driven on to another street even though you never turned off the original street. In other words, a street may be broken up into several different mini streets. Couple that with typical city streets that prevent you from turning right or left at any given time and I can now understand why the travel guide said that driving in Dublin was a nightmare! Listen to the travel guides!!!

My suggestion would be to rent the car and drive far away from Dublin towards the west or the south. But be warned: Traffic in Ireland is in every major city, including Cork. You may get in, but you will have a hell of a time trying to get out. We couldn’t wait to return our rental. If you go specifically to Dublin, take the Air Link bus from the airport which will drop you off in the city and then rely on public transportation. For the tourist sights, the Dublin Sightseeing Bus works well since you can hop on or off at over 20 different sites. And, by the way, driving on the left side of the road is not as difficult as it seems. As an added bonus, the Irish have markings on the street telling you to “look right or left” depending on where you are so. The hard part is having to consciously think about keeping left.

Ireland with Children

I love my kids. I think they are great little travelers and did well on our trip. However, if you can avoid traveling to Ireland with young children, I highly recommend it. Irish cities tend to be party towns and it is impossible to do a pub crawl with a toddler and a 4 year old (even with older ones). Even the Cat's embassy colleagues who have young children told him that it is very hard to live in Dublin with small children.

If you decide to travel with young children, here are some tips to help you along. Don’t get me wrong, the Irish were very friendly towards my children. The problem is that establishments don’t cater to families with small children unless the venue targets that demographic (i.e. The Dublin Zoo). The majority of restaurants do not have high chairs. It is not fun to juggle a human monkey who is trying to take your food while you are trying to eat. Many restaurants do not allow children under 12 after 6pm. It’s understandable. The Irish drink heavily. Alcoholism rates are high. Definitely not something you want to expose children to. We ran into quite a few drunks passed out on the street in middle of the morning and that was enough as far as trying to explain that to a 4 year old.

Baby care/changing tables or rooms are scarce. I had to change Thing 2 in the trunk of our rental car one time because we could not find a place to change her and car seats took up the entire backseat.

Babies won’t care about being in Ireland to begin with. Preschoolers like Thing 1 are different. The week prior was St. Patrick’s Day. At his preschool, they taught him about the holiday and symbols of Ireland like the shamrocks and leprechauns, etc. By the time we arrived in Dublin, he was very excited. They are very curious and inquisitive at this age. He asked about everythng and I tried to make my answers exciting for him.

At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I told him about the man behind the legend. I told him about Jonathan Swift who was the dean of St. Patrick’s at one time and is buried there and about the popular Swift novel, Gulliver’s Travels. He was fascinated by the crypts in the churches, the statues and the stained glass windows. We also happened to go into St. Patrick’s while they were finishing morning mass. I took the opportunity to talk to him about the Catholic Church and the symbolism of the mass and the church, etc. He may not understand everything now, but it will come back to him at the appropriate time.

At the zoo, he would ask me to read all the animal information to him. He wanted to know what they ate, whether they were carnivores or herbivores or both, where the animals came from, etc. The Dublin Zoo was fantastic. I even got excited to see a lion right in front of my face (through the glass barrier). I had never seen one that close. Thing 2 loved the animals and the section with farm animals was popular with her as well.

Thing 1 enjoyed climbing up to the Blarney Castle, crawling through the dungeon, learning about the Druids, etc. He was fascinated by the tombs at NewGrange. The tombs were prehistoric. We got into a discussion about how they are called pre-historic because the people who lived at the time could not write/record their “stories.” Therefore, we really don’t know the true significance of the structures we were seeing. He learned that every year on the winter solstice, the sun lights the interior of the tomb for 17 minutes before it goes dark again. He was very entertained and easy to travel with.

Dublin also has many parks. St. Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square and Phoenix Park (home of the Dublin Zoo, the president of Ireland and the ambassador of the United States) are very well kept. Phoenix park is huge! Larger than Central Park in New York to give you an idea. We fed the birds and ducks at St. Stephen’s Green one afternoon and it was a very pleasant and relaxing experience.

As for child friendly restaurants, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Burger King are everywhere and some do provide high chairs for young children. Many had changing tables in their restrooms. There is a family restaurant called SuperMac’s that is like an Irish McDonald’s that serves fast food and caters to families. NewGrange had a tea room that served hot food and tea and coffee. They had high chairs and a baby care room. They also had the best baked potato I have ever had. Other than that, you have to look hard to find child friendly places.
An interesting side note...

The McDonald here had an added treat - it had a McCafe! No, I'm not kidding. That was even the name. They sold gourmet coffee, pastries and cakes. The interior of the McDonalds was somewhat upscale minimalist style that seems to be very popular in Europe. Think IKEA. We left the camera in the car, because if we had not I would have taken a picture. The place even had automatic doors! I've noticed that what we consider fast food is somewhat upscale dining here. Very odd to me!

Euro vs. USD

Ireland is part of the European Union and chose to convert over to the Euro. Right now, the Euro is valued a third above the dollar. So, 1 EUR is equivalent to 1.33 USD. Needless to say, it is a very expensive country albeit not as expensive as Great Britain where 1 pound is valued at nearly 2 USD. The Irish will nickel and dime you for everything (including grocery bags 15 cents and ketchup 20 cents). I’m surprised they didn’t charge you to use their bathrooms like they do in France.

Things seem to be overpriced too. For example, a mediocre (at best) meal at a Eddie Rockets, a family restaurant comparable to its American counterpart Johnny Rockets in the USA, will run you about 45 EUR which is about $60 USD. Now, have you ever spent $60 USD on burgers, fries and drinks for a family of 4 at a place like Johnny Rockets? You get my point.

The food in Ireland is mediocre at best. It will come at no surprise that the one thing they do well here (other than whiskey and beer) is potatoes. I have never had a better potato. I could have had one as a meal every day. If you go (anywhere in the EU) and make major purchases, ask about VAT forms wherever you make purchases with your receipt. All of Europe charges you this VAT (value added tax or sales tax) which varies (22% in Poland, 21% in Ireland) on the sum of your entire purchase. If you get VAT forms, you can turn them in at the Dublin airport and get that cash back before you leave. Other countries have different rules. If you reside outside the European Union, you are entitled to claim back the sales tax on any goods you buy in Ireland or any EU country.

Global Refund (http://www.globalrefund.com/default.asp?viewSiteId=1) provides refunds at the airport. They operate in other countries as well and their website helps you locate participating merchants.

Blarney: The City, the Castle and the Stone

Blarney is a small quaint town about 8 km north of Cork famous for its castle and stone. The Blarney stone legend is that he/she who kisses the stone will receive the gift of eloquent speech. Legend also has it that in the past people have urinated on this stone. Seeing that my speech is fairly eloquent, we chose not to kiss it. To kiss it, you literally have to lower yourself upside down while holding on to some bars. You can reach the stone by climbing ot the top of the castle along a spiral staircase. We were lucky that there was no rain (a rarity in Ireland) the entire time we were there because it would have been a slippery climb to the top. Once you finish seeing the castle, you can tour the rock close, witch’s kitchen and fairy garden. There are some great trees you can climb to sit and relax. While we were not able to go, the city of Cork is nearby and further south is Cobh.

Cobh used to be known as Queenstown and happens to be famous for two reasons: it was the last port of call for the Titanic before it embarked on it’s fateful voyage and soonafter, it received the survivors and dead from the sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-Boat during WWI. The Lusitania, a British passenger ship, was secretly carrying US weapons, a reason given by the Germans for torpedoing the ship.

For further information, please refer to:

http://www.blarneycastle.ie/
http://www.cobhheritage.com/
http://www.county-cork.com/

NewGrange: A Blast from the Past

The megalithic passage tombs at NewGrange built by neolithic communities 5000 years ago, pre date the pyramids at Giza and Stonehenge. There are several tombs located throughout the region at Knowth, Tara. They can only be reached through the Brú na Bóinne Visitor’s Center which is about a 45 -60 minute drive from Dublin. There are also tour buses from the Dublin. It is out in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but farmland! The facility however is modern. The Center includes an exhibit about the tombs, a short film and the Tea Room for a bite to eat pre or post tour, restrooms and a baby care room. A bus takes you to the site from the visitor centre.

A word of warning: If you are claustrophobic, don't go into the tomb. Only 10 people fit inside and it is a tight squeeze. My backpack got stuck in the passageway and I had to back up remove it and then continue on. It's a very confined space.

If you go between April-October and you have children with you, the Newgrange farm operates moments from the visitor centre. It is a working farm. Children get to pet the animals and are given a lamb to care for while they are there. There is a sheep "derby" at 3pm on Sundays weather permitting. We were ready to go, but were apparently a week early.

For more information:

http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm
http://www.newgrangefarm.com/

The Irish

For the most part, the Irish were very friendly people. Everyone we encountered were very kind and helpful. They love to chat and if you are pressed for time be careful what you ask.

Twice we had to ask for directions when we arrived. Both times, the people we spoke to engaged us in stories that we probably would have enjoyed if we weren’t so tired and wanting to get to our hotel.

About directions…all directions tend to be given in terms of how many traffic lights before you need to turn, bridges you need to cross, forks in roads or T-intersections. All this because streets are not marked. It worked though and we got to our destination at last.

Polish Immigrants in Ireland

Poland is still in its infancy as a country. Since joining the EU in 2004, they have been working towards integrating into the EU. Warsaw is not the most beautiful European capital, but you can already tell that there are projects on the way to change that. EU membership for the most part removes the need for a work visa in other EU countries. Like the states, EU citizens from one country can work in another without a permit. However, new member nations have transitional provision placed upon them by other member nations as to when they will be allowed to work in a particular country.

When Poland entered the EU, Great Britain and Ireland were two of the few countries to welcome the Poles to their workforce. The Poles for the most part have migrated in droves to both. Unemployment here is 14.9 %. Many young Poles attend university only to find no jobs available in their country. Therefore, this has become a good opportunity for them. Sadly, there are side effects to it as well. Many unemployed parents are choosing to migrate to these countries in order to make money that they can then send home to provide for their children. On our flight back, there were two children 11 and 9 years old who were being dropped off at the Dublin airport by their mother and were then claimed by a relative when they arrived in Poland. They were obviously visiting their parent(s) in Ireland. At this time, there are as many as 600,000 Poles living in the UK and Ireland. Several times, we were asked where we were living and when we let them know we lived in Warsaw, they had nothing but nice things to say about the Poles.

The Irish and Poles are very similar. For one, they love to drink whiskey and vodka respectively. Both nationalities are hard workers. That’s probably what I heard about the most – what hard workers they were. Both are predominantly Catholic. Both countries have histories seeded in the struggle to become an independent nation. Both are working class people and hard workers at that. The Poles have integrated well into British and Irish Society. I was surprised to see many Polish products available in Irish grocery stores. Many have learned to speak English.

Economically, this is great for both nations. The Irish are able to find workers for jobs most Irish won’t do or are not qualifies to do and the Poles take the money they earn, send some to their families who in turn spend it on Polish goods thereby helping the Polish economy. This is a good example of a successful immigration policy – so far.