On Saturday, I returned from a weeklong trip to Poland with my program. 70 students were on the trip to Gdansk and Warsaw. I really had no expectations for Poland, and I am glad I did not. The places were very interesting that we saw, but I don't know if I would go back. So... Let's dive into the land of Poland.
Gdansk
The city of Gdansk is located on the Baltic coast and is famously known as the place WWII started. The city was pretty much destroyed during the war (as was almost everything in Poland), so everything that we saw has been rebuilt since WWII. This is the historical part of Gdansk. The buildings are beautiful regardless of when they were built.
Let's enter the city. Shall we...
Some of the buildings in the main section of Gdansk are being brought back even closer to what they originally looked like.
The historical city, touristy but beautiful.
Standing on Polish ground.
Shall we learn some Polish? I didn't pick any up while I was there... sorry.
Look who is in jail?!
A statue remembering the revolution in Gdansk.
The blue forest!
This remembers the solidarity movement (rising up against communism) in Gdansk.
The victims are remembered for their courage.
Which way shall we go? You pick.
We rode on a pirate ship from Gdynia to Gdansk where we saw the area that we attacked by Hitler which led to WWII. I have to say that this is the first pirate ship I have ever riden on.
On the pirate ship!
Arriving at the peninsula that was attacked. It's weird to think that this is really where it all started.
Nancy, my friend, is manning the canons!
Remembering the victims that died that day.
Everything on this peninsula has been left the way it looked after it was attacked.
This monument stands at the end of the peninsula and overlooks the Baltic Sea. It stands to remember those who fought in WWII.
Oh... the Polish trains. These are not just exhibits of the what the trains used to look like... These are the trains they still use.
Malbork
Malbork is home to the largest castle in Europe (by area). The Teutonic Knights lived here. The castle was later used by Hitler after the fall of Poland and was damaged greatly during WWII.
This is what it looked like after WWII. Much work has been done to restore the castle to its original state.
The chapel has remained untouched since the bombing to serve as an example of what they hope will never happen again.
Warsaw
On Monday, we rode a train from Gdansk to Warsaw (on a fairly nice train... thank goodness!). Most of the citizens of Poland are Catholic and celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st and usually several days after that as well. This was unfortunate because many things were closed for the holiday while we were in Warsaw. This window is an example of architecture in Polish churches.
Feeding pigeons out of their hands. Makes a good picture!
The Warsaw Uprising.
We took a guided tour about the former Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. This building is the only one left in the city that has not been remodeled. It is amazing what grave conditions these people were forced to live in.
This memorial stands to remember those who were forced to get on trains at this square and go to death camps.
An example of a Jewish Cemetery.
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Hebrew.
This remembers the parents that did everything to stay with their children, even if that meant walking your last steps to the gas chambers with them.
The Warsaw Ghetto was a section of the city that was actually walled off from the rest of the city because of the fear of diseases that the Jewish people carried. The rations were harsh. In order to live, many families relied on their young children to crawl through holes in the walls and get food from the other side.
The palace in Warsaw was extremely damaged during the war and was completely rebuilt using both original and new materials.
The Periodic Table coming to life!
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Nancy and I. Roomies!
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