I went to Loussac library yesterday in an attempt to get somewhat prepared for this trip that begins in two day. Part of me likes the idea of just letting things happen. Part of me knows that you there are lots of interesting things to see and do and if you aren't prepared you can miss great opportunities. And a third part says, "You're going to see people first, and places second. Let the people point out what there is to see."
We did talk about a trip to Poland. Our daughter pointed out that there is a first growth forest in Poland she'd like to see. The travel guide says it was protected as a place where the kings could hunt. It's a national park now and they also have the largest herd of European bison. But it's way on the eastern side of Poland. What about Krakow? That sounds like a fascinating old city and some of my relatives come from that area. But it is an 8 hour train ride each way from Berlin. Maybe we're better off using our time to poke around Berlin. My first trip to Berlin was in 1964 and the wall was a very real presence. I was able to go into East Berlin while my Berlin hosts were not. We were there again a year after the wall had been opened. It's presence was still everywhere, but you could cross over into the east. And finally, we were there in 2001 when lots of construction had blurred the old border much more. Every time I've been in Berlin, my host was Götz, a relative by marriage. He has died since then. His daughter is still there and we will see her. She was about seven when I first met the family. And, of course, my daughter is there. But she's supposed to be working on her dissertation and I suspect her sense of Berlin is still limited.
Then we have five people we want to see in and around London. And my father's first cousin in Brussels. And my friends from Göttingen days, HG and I, who live in a tiny town in Northwest Germany. I've made contact with everyone and they know we are coming, but we don't have dates set other than arriving and departing Berlin. And I got to talk to HG today via Skype. It was like we've been talking everyday.
And the sun is shining brightly in Anchorage, it's in the mid 40s, and so I'm off to do more errands.
Dachau Concentration Camp. Easy to get to. Direct train from the main station in Munich and others you could get to from Berlin and Krakow.
ReplyDeleteVery very very much worth seeing. It'll change your life.
Anon, thanks for the tips. We've been to Sachsenhausen and Buchenwald in prior visits. My father's parents, aunts, and brother all died in camps, so this has always been a part of my life. If we go to Krakow, we'll certainly have to decide if we want to visit Auschwitz or not.
ReplyDeletePoland is indeed a beautiful place and Polish people has very good relations with Hungarians.
ReplyDeleteI have to show my respect to your daughter because when overseas people talk about Europe, they are thinking about the UK, France, Spain and such countries and for me it seems that in their eyes there is nothing beyond the former Iron Curtain.