The Grandmother Land

There’s a strange phenomenom when you come home from a big trip. At a certain point you wonder, did that really happen? Thank goodness there are photographs to prove my seventeen days in three countries were all real.

My cousin Barbara Anne (BA) is three years older than me. Our mothers are sisters. Their parents came from Poland, although we never got to meet our grandfather who died when our moms were kids. Our grandmother was very religious, spoke mostly Polish, and never remarried.

As their descendants, we found ourselves talking about going to Poland together. (The silver bird above contains some of my mom’s ashes.) When the trip started to take shape, we added Budapest, Hungary. (BA’s dad’s roots are there). Then we realized we’d be so close to Croatia, we should go there too.

It looked like Hungary’s general election might go off the rails so we decided to skip Budapest. Instead, we chose Prague, Czechia. The rest of the trip was fully booked so Prague didn’t make the most sense from a geographical point of view but – whatever! European transit is excellent and we are SO glad we chose Prague. The gorgeous city is rich with history, beauty, coffee cups the size of cereal bowls, and friendly people.

But First Things First

With our grandmother’s death in 1987, we lost family history we didn’t know enough to ask about at the time. She grew up on a farm outside Warsaw, but where? We did what we could to connect to her life including touring around Warsaw’s Praga district, the only part of the city that wasn’t destroyed in WWII.

Although we arrived on Easter Monday, plenty of places were open despite the Catholic holiday. On our first night, we ate perogies. Later, we also enjoyed cabbage rolls as well as beetroot soup. These are things that grandma made and that we remember her for. We picked up a few basic phrases but many if not most people there know some English. Our Polish gives us away as tourists from the first syllable.

(Click on a photo to enlarge it or see it in more detail. )

A 360 Degree View

Warsaw’s Museum of Science and Technology has an observation deck that offers a panoramic view of the city. It’s about 114 metres (374 feet) above ground level. Inside the tower is pretty cool, too. Its cafe is decorated with posters about Poland’s medal-winning Olympians. Everywhere you look, there’s an opportunity to learn about this proud country.

They Don’t Bury History

Poland keeps its military history alive and honours those who fought to make and keep the country free. Everywhere you go in Warsaw, there’s a square dedicated to a battle or a hero or heroes. There are statues all over the city and plaques that tell the stories of historic moments they never want to repeat and yet, are grateful for. They also honour many other prominent Poles including, of course, composer Frederic Chopin. Slate benches are placed around Warsaw that play a Chopin selection at the push of a button.

There were so many wonderful experiences and moments of serendipity. We had several interactions with locals that made our day. Here’s one example:

One evening, we purchased postcards in a small shop, intending to send them to older relatives. The young clerk spoke little English and we used gestures and generalities to find out where to buy stamps the next day.

We arrived at what we thought was the destination: a pharmacy in a square not far from our room. I said “Dzien Dobry” to the pharmacist. (It sounds like Jane Dobreh.) He quickly realized we spoke English and asked how he could help. I said, “We were told we could purchase stamps here?” With a straight face he replied, “You must go next door for stamps. To the post office.”

Ah, so the kid in the souvenir shop was trying to say NEXT TO the pharmacy! We all had a great laugh at our expense.

We stayed in a Hotel/Hostel in Warsaw’s Old Town. It truly was a hostel but it was fine. We had a pleasant, clean room and our own bathroom. I expected it to be more of a hotel from the description. Derek and I stayed in one near Venice, Italy that was terrific. Location was the biggest priority. The room was just to sleep in, anyway.

South to Krakow

We had a full calendar in Krakow and only one afternoon to explore. Krakow is the closest city to major destinations such as the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which was first mined in the late 1200s. The tour goes down 135 metres taking you through narrow passages as well as into full rooms. One is a complete chapel, all made from salt. It’s an incredible place and still being mined today.

The following day, we toured two concentration camps: Auschwitz and Birkeneau. I considered myself fairly well educated on these headquarters of horror but I still learned so much.

I have no photos although you are allowed to take them in most areas. No judgement to anyone else but I just didn’t feel right about it. These are gravesites for millions of innocent people. Photos are readily available online for anyone who’s interested enough to search for them.

Birkenau was much bigger than I imagined. Auschwitz already existed as a military base and was repurposed and expanded for the Nazis’ vile reasons. Just three kilometres away, Birkenau was purpose built, over a span of more than 400 acres. It’s twenty times the size of Auschwitz. The evil regime was planning for a limitless future of genocide and destruction.

The Nazis, as you might know, shaved the hair off people who were brought to the camps. They collected the hair and sold it to textile makers who wove it into their materials. One of the exhibits at Auschwitz is one week’s worth of prisoner hair found in bags when the camps were liberated. The display of that hair fills several glass cases along the wall of a long room. I would estimate it’s 30 feet by six feet. The scope of the horrors is unimaginable, even when you already know about much of what happened there.

We Need to Bear Witness

The Polish people don’t celebrate the date of the camps’ liberation because it was the Russians who “freed” people into communism. (Canadians and Americans liberated the camps in Germany.) The Poles endured a lot more before their country became truly free.

Visiting these camps was a bucket list item for me. There are no words to describe what it feels like to stand inside a gas chamber where thousands upon thousands of scared and confused innocent people were murdered. I felt infused with the desire to act. To do something tangible in opposition to the wrongs that are being committed today. It’s not enough to just know you’re on the side of good. I felt compelled to add my voice and actions to the world’s positive energy. It’s true that you’re a different person after being there.

Next week, the trip continues to Prague, Czechia, and then Zagreb, Croatia.