Visit Poland
My one and only visit to Poland came way back in April 2003. I was living in Bratislava at the time on a one year teaching contract. My friends and I were pretty much always on the road to somewhere that year. Hence it was only a matter of time before we got around to Poland.
Jumping on a train from the Slovak capital, a bunch of us made the cross country journey over the border to Krakow. Even after the passing of all these years I remember it as a trip of great contrasts. On the one hand I recall lots of chilling in the sunshine on Main Square. But then there was also mound climbing, dragon hunting, bar hopping and long, lazy meals.
Main Square, Krakow. April 2003.
In stark contrast, we took the time to visit the nearby World War II concentration camps in Oswiecim. As an experience, it certainly wasn’t fun. And yet seeing these tragic spots and paying tribute to those who died here felt really important to me. A rite of passage if you will.
The railway tracks of Birkenau. April 2003.
Scraping together the photos to make these articles happen was a real challenge. However, I just about got there in the end. For the full story on my old trip to Poland, check out my travel reports from:
Krakow
Auschwitz & Birkenau Memorial Museum
