19 Years

Nineteen years ago today I was a new bride. I swear I only blinked a couple of times (maybe three at the most), and suddenly I am 42, the mother of four kids (two of whom are teenagers!), I'm living in Poland and have been happily married for nearly two decades.

When we walked across the Hohenzollern Bridge here in Cologne a few days ago we saw hundreds and hundreds of locks on the fence. This bridge has become a place for young couples to put a lock on the fence and throw the key into the Rhein River below. They are called Love Locks by the locals. Well, Myles and I realize we are not terribly young (still a little young though!), but we could not resist the sweet sentiment since we were visiting Cologne on our 19th wedding anniversary.

Some of the locks are elaborate and have names engraved. Many are simple and have names written on them. We found a simple lock, wrote our names and wedding date on it, and joined this tradition.

We went to the bridge and attached our lock and threw the keys into the river below. We'll make a dinner date later in the week since we were traveling today.

We are now home in Gdansk. We had an uneventful flight. I find it very charming that on every airplane trip we have taken in Europe, the passengers have clapped when we landed. Of course, it is a brisk 44 degrees here. We were spoiled with the weather when we were in Germany!

The words above were on our wedding invitation. Today I will say this: That day I married my friend, the one I still laugh with, still live for, still dream with, still love. Our story continues...

Dusseldorf

Today we took the train to Dusseldorf. Before we boarded the train we bought three big pretzels from one of the many vendors and snacked on the train. Half of one is plenty for one person. It took about 35 minutes to get to Dusseldorf.

We walked all over the city and saw some of what it has to offer. We were only there for the afternoon, and perhaps we are weary of walking and touristing, but we all decided that between Cologne, Bonn and Dusseldorf, the latter takes third place. It is a toss up between Cologne and Bonn. We love both of those cities.

That said, we are still glad we had the chance to visit Dusseldorf. It is where Augustus Gloop (from Willy Wonka) was from in the 2005 movie. In the 1971 movie, he was from the fictional town of Dusselheim--they had to be representing Dusseldorf, ja? Funny, we did not see any mention of Augustus as we walked around Dusseldorf. It is also on the Rhein River. We walked along their fun wavy sidewalk that symbolizes the waves of the river.

We watched the boats go by and were lucky to have yet another lovely spring day.

We saw parks with funky trees,

quite a few statues,

and Trey entertained himself with his own shadow when he lost interest in all the attractions.

In 1288 there was a Battle of Worrigen which was a fight over territory. The Germans won this battle and legend has it that the children of the area started doing side flips along the banks of the river, thus the cartwheel was born. This cartwheel statue is now one of the most well known symbols of Dusseldorf.

When we thought we could not walk any further, we made it back to the train station and came on back to Cologne. We picked up some curry wurst from a vendor right outside the train station and brought it home for dinner. We all think we could eat this every day!

Tomorrow we have one quick errand to run in the morning and then we are heading back to Gdansk in the afternoon.

Off to Bonn

This morning we went to the High Mass at the Cathedral at 10:00. It was very ceremonial and was said by a cardinal. The cardinal sprinkled holy water and got Ben really good! It was awesome, and he really could use a good cleansing blessing every now and then. After Mass we took a train 30 minutes south to the adorable city of Bonn. When I was taking German in high school, our teacher talked about Bonn a lot. At the time (80s), Bonn was the capitol of West Germany. Of course, now since the fall of the wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany, the capitol for the whole country is Berlin.

We happened into Bonn on a beautiful and busy day for them. It was 79 degrees here today--wow! We had lunch at a little outdoor eatery with yummy, inexpensive sandwiches.

As we walked into the center of town, we heard cheers and excitement. We had stumbled upon the Bonn Marathon! The city was crowded with huge numbers of people everywhere. There were DJs, music, food stations, etc. There were people handing out all kinds of things.

We scored some free bottles of water, bottles of apple juice, apples, bananas, carrots, pens and balloons.

Our lucky day for sure! We were able to see some sights and cheer on the runners as they sped by. We saw quite a few reach the finish line with crowds clapping and encouraging each runner. The time clock is visible in this picture. This man met his waiting, cheering, excited daughter and she ran with him the last hundred yards or so.

We walked around the center of the city and saw the home where Beethoven was born. 

Bonn is very proud of their native son, as they should be. There is a statue of him in the main square. 

Bonn is situated about 37 kilometers south of Cologne and is also on the Rhein. The Siebengebirge Mountain range is to the south of Bonn and is partially visible in this picture of Myles and the girls.

The day was picture perfect, and there were so many people everywhere we went. Many families were at a big park that we found. Children were playing and there were soccer games being played on nearby fields. It was a great day to be outdoors.

The background of this picture is the University of Bonn, and most of Bonn's residents were taking advantage of the spectacular weather.

Tomorrow we are going to take the train the other way, about 40 miles north to the city of Dusseldorf.

A Splash of Cologne

We had a full second day in Cologne today. We started by touring the huge Catholic Cathedral.

This church is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany. It is visited by 20,000 people per DAY. It can be seen from quite a distance. It is actually pictured on the back of Ben's religion book. His visiting the cathedral is surely worth some extra credit!

Construction was started on the church in 1248. After some starts and stops (due to lack of funds, disagreements and wars) it was finally completed in 1880. That's a 600+ year project! This cathedral is known for housing the bones of the three Magi who came to pay homage to the infant, Jesus. The relics are in a gold shrine behind the high altar. This is what has made Cologne a pilgrimage for Catholics for centuries. It is an impressive building with many chapels inside. It has a very long center aisle and lots of stained glass windows.

 
Each year that the archbishop has served the diocese is symbolized by a guilded rod. These are visible at the top in this picture of Myles and Natalie. 

 

The current archbishop has served for 22 years so far.

This was taken in the Chapel of the Cross. It is the oldest monumental crucifix of the Western World. It was donated to the Archdiocese of Cologne by the Archbishop Gero in 976.

After we explored the cathedral, we went outside and found a fountain representing the Legend of Cologne. The story goes that the people of Cologne were very lazy and that gnomes came in and did all the work of the people at night. One day a woman who was very curious about this, decided she wanted to see some gnomes. So she put peas on the floor and waited. When the gnomes arrived that night to do the work of the people, the peas made them fall down. They were so angry that they all left Cologne. From that point on the people of Cologne could no longer be lazy and had to do their own work!

We walked along the river and decided to hop on an hour boat ride up and down the Rhein. It was a quick little trip where they pointed out the sights of Cologne as we went by.

When the short cruise was over we headed back near the cathedral. When my sister came to visit us in Poland, she made some friends on the flight from LA to Frankfurt, Germany. Margrit and Hans were very kind to her on her very first trans-Atlantic flight, and helped her navigate customs and get to her connecting flight. They have kept in touch with her, and they live near Cologne. We emailed them and told them we were going to be in town. They met us today for a couple of hours. We sat outside on this magnificent spring day and had some ice cream together. Then they showed us a few sights around the area. It was very kind of them to meet us and we enjoyed their company very much!

They showed us this actual Roman era aqueduct that is on display. It is kind of off the beaten path, so we would not have seen it if they had not pointed it out to us. It's hard to imagine that this structure is 2,000 years old
.

We had some sandwiches for dinner and then went back to the apartment after this very full day! We are planning to take a train to Bonn tomorrow and see the sights there.

"So Far I Am LOVING Germany!"

The title above is a quote from Abbie as we enjoyed our day today!

The ash has cleared from the European skies. We did not know whether or not our flight was going to go as scheduled until Thursday morning. Thursday was the first day that flights were taking off as usual. After seeing all the news reports I was a little concerned about long lines at the airport of people who had been stranded. It was a chilly 39 degrees in Gdansk while we were waiting for our bus to go to the airport at noon. We arrived at the Gdansk airport about an hour before our flight. There were no lines, and we went to our gate. There were quite a few people but it seemed like no more than usual. We boarded the plane, and when they closed up the doors I was shocked to see that no less than half the seats on the plane were empty. I guess people either were not stranded in Gdansk, or they just took a train home.

Our flight to Cologne (Köln) took about 90 minutes. We got off the plane to find the Köln airport quiet, also with no lines and not too many people around. The airports in Gdansk and Köln are not huge, but I was so surprised to see the lack of lines in both places. It was a balmy 55 degrees when we exited the plane at about 4:00 p.m. Myles called the place where we booked the apartment we are staying in, and they texted an address. We found a cab that could seat our family of six. I'm starting to get really annoyed at Europe's complete shock that a family would ever have four children. Everywhere we go in Europe, people are completely baffled by this. And I'm completely baffled by them. 

Our cab driver looks at the address and takes us to the center of town. We can see the gigantic, historic cathedral on the way. We know that supposedly we can see that cathedral from where we are staying so we know we are close. The cab driver drops us off at what he thinks is the place and leaves. Turns out it was not the right place. Myles called the apartment lady, who is really aggravated with the cab driver for not following her instructions and for leaving us there. Oh, well, it was only a couple of blocks away, it was light and warm out and we each only had one small bag with us, so it was no big deal.

Our apartment has two bedrooms and a sleeper sofa in the living room, two bathrooms and a tiny kitchen. That works out great for us. We settled in and then headed out to find a nearby restaurant for dinner. On the way home, Abbie and I stopped at a grocery store and found some things for breakfast. The kids made a happy face breakfast for Myles (oh yeah, we found doughnuts--that's a real treat!). 

 

This morning we headed out to a beautiful day! We only brought jackets with us on this trip (first time since October that we did not bring coats with us!). We froze in Gdansk, but since we arrived here it's been wonderful. It was a high of 62, sunny and fabulous today. We walked along the Rhein River. 

It is absolutely a beautiful walk and we just strolled along looking at things as they caught someone's eye. We walked to the Lindt Chocolate Factory and Museum. The kids enjoyed learning about how chocolate is made and they watched each step of the process in the factory.

Then of course, we all were able to sample some. And then there's the chocolate store. They sure get you there! Good times.

We sat on the steps of the museum afterwards and everyone had a taste of their purchases. 

We left there with goodies in hand and found a place for lunch that had the most delicious bratwurst. We love curry wurst!

So we sat outside on this beautiful day enjoying our German lunch and watching so many people out walking around. 

We made our way to a large shopping area that was full of people milling around. Myles, Ben and Trey went into the Lego store where they played for about an hour. The girls and I went shopping! Abbie found a Claire's and was thrilled right out of her mind. The girls also enjoyed shopping at a couple of clothing stores where they each scored a couple of items. 

 

We decided to stop back by the apartment to relax a bit. There is a playground right outside our building where Trey played. He ended up completely filthy before dinner. Everyone cleaned up and we headed out for dinner at 6:00. We found a restaurant that boasted US steaks on their menu. 

We went there and it was very good! But the steaks on the menu that were from the US were very expensive. We ordered from the meat that came from Argentina since that was much more in our price range, and it tasted pretty darn good to us!

On our way back we came across a gate from the Roman era. It was built around 50 AD. That's hard to imagine. 

 

The weather is supposed to be warmer each day we are here. We won't know what to do if we encounter a day that is 70 degrees or more. The last time we saw that kind of warm temperature was the day we left Kansas City in September. It was 80 that day! We are looking forward to enjoying the next few spring days in this lovely area.

Volcanic Ash? VOLCANIC ASH?

I think if I had to make a list a week ago of 100 reasons I might be stuck in Gdansk, volcanic ash from a volcano in Iceland probably would not have made that list. This is the weirdest thing ever! We are not stuck...yet. We are scheduled to fly to Koln, Germany this Thursday, but the likelihood of that is not high at this point. My friend Ivija's husband is stuck in Oslo because of the ash sitting high in the European skies. He was supposed to fly home Friday.

Many world leaders, including Barack Obama, have canceled their plans to attend the state funeral of the Polish president in Krakow today. I read though, that on Thursday over 1,000 secret service police had arrived in Krakow from the US to prepare for the American President's arrival. They are all still stuck there! I hope they are enjoying their time in the beautiful city of Krakow and doing their part to keep the Polish economy going. The family of President and Mrs. Kaczynski do not want to postpone the funeral. While they may be criticized for that because now many world leaders are unable to attend, I totally understand. The shock and intensity of this event has gone on for more than a week now. The sooner they can have peace back in their lives, the better.

Yesterday, at 8:56 a.m., sirens wailed in Gdansk. That was the exact time of the crash, and the siren marked that one week had passed. At noon the sirens sounded again, signaling two minutes of silence. We watched the ceremonies in Warszawa for President and Mrs. Kaczynski and the others who died in the plane crash on television. There were throngs of people with Polish flags and Solidarity flags. Saturday was beautiful but chilly, and the ceremonies were all outside to accommodate the huge number of people. The high here was about 48. I'm sure it was similar in Warszawa. They named each person who was killed in the crash. As they scanned the crowd we could see the president's (30ish year old) daughter and his twin brother. We watched some very emotional speeches. And while our Polish is seriously lacking, some messages and emotions are universal, thus understood. In the crowd were men dressed in blue Solidarity coveralls with Solidarity hardhats. I found this very moving.

Gdansk has shut down again, but his time it was planned. We knew that our favorite grocery store would be closing at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and would be closed for the rest of the weekend. So we stocked up on groceries Friday night to get us through the weekend. This is a significant cultural difference. Most retail stores here have now been closed for two weekends in a row. That is unheard of in the US.

The kids have school tomorrow, and we will sit tight to see what happens with that crazy volcano in Iceland!

Business As Usual

After the shock of the airplane crash on Saturday, the city of Gdansk shut down. I assume that the same is true for the rest of Poland but I only know for sure about here. Stores were all closed for the weekend. Polish flags with black ribbons appeared everywhere. Banners and photos of those who died in the crash were posted all over the place. Masses for the dead were going on in all the churches.

On Tuesday we went to Old Town to see what memorials had been set up. We stopped by the shipyard memorial. One of the people on the plane was 80 year old Anna Walentynowicz. She was very involved in the Solidarity Movement in the 70s and 80s. She was well known for her brazen defiance by handing out illegal newspapers directly to the bosses at the shipyards. She was fired days before she was to retire which angered the other workers and sparked further Solidarity events. There is a picture of her and Mr. and Mrs. Kaczynski on the gate of the shipyard.


There were probably around 30 people milling around at the shipyard memorial while we were there. There were hundreds (if not more) lanterns that had been lit and placed in front of the memorial.

There are boxes of matches sitting in front of all the lanterns for people to use to light their lanterns. There was a solemn feeling as people stood quietly and reflected on what has happened.

We've been to the shipyard memorial several times. Today we saw a part of it that we had not seen before. There is a concrete square that has the imprint of John Paul II's shoes where he stood when he visited this spot. Funny how each time we visit a place we see something that we have not seen before.


We walked down the main street with restaurants and shops. Everything was open and there were many people out walking. There is a large display in the middle of the street of facts regarding the horror of Katyn.

This is the 70th anniversary of this mass murder of Polish soldiers, so I imagine this particular display was planned beforehand. It is its own event and has nothing to do with the crash. Sadly though, the crash adds to the tragedy that is Katyn. Or as people are saying here- the second tragedy of Katyn.

We stepped into the Church of Saint Mary. The ceiling in the church is very high. I hesitate to venture a guess because I am not good at that sort of space judgment--maybe 30 feet? 40 feet? It's seriously high! There is a red and white banner from the ceiling nearly to the floor. There is a large framed photograph of the President and First Lady displayed on the altar steps with red and white roses in front of it.

The funeral of President and Mrs. Kaczynski has been set for Sunday in Warsaw and then they will be buried in the crypt of Wawel Cathedral in Krakow. We were there back in October. That was where John Paul II was Cardinal before he was elected Pope in 1978. I was reading this morning that the decision to bury the president there is very controversial among Poles. This president was a polarizing figure. While the nation is united in mourning for the president, political ideals have not changed. So some do not think that he deserves to have the honor of being buried with Poles who are considered true national heroes and kings.

I was happy to learn that Obama will make the trip to Krakow. Regardless of my political view, the fact of the matter is that he represents all of the US people to the world. So I put my politics aside and am very glad that the American President is making the effort to show Poland that we are sorry for their loss.

One thing I will comment on is that the smooth and quick transition of power to Komorowski on the day of the tragedy, the dissention of some Poles over the location of the burial and the "back to normalness" are very telling. Poland is a stable country with the ability to withstand a very catastrophic blow. They had a plan and immediately put it into action. This country has been free for only 20 years. And what strides they have made! They are strong and continuing to move forward. They are a country still in mourning, but fully capable nonetheless. Every person on that plane was significant in forming the Poland that exists today. While I'm sure they did not expect to be involved in such a dramatic and sad accident, this capable and forward moving Poland is what they all worked for many years to achieve.

On his own, Trey drew a Polish flag, signed it "Love, Trey," folded it up, put it in an envelope and asked me for a stamp. He wants it to go to the family of the president so he simply addressed it to "Polska." I'm sure that's good enough!

A Moment of Silence

As overwhelmingly sad as the tragic airplane crash that killed many Polish leaders is, we realize what a truly amazing experience it is for us to be living in Poland right now. The patriotism here is very moving. As we walked to church this morning, we saw Polish flags everywhere. They are being displayed on houses, businesses and apartments. The long apartment complexes have lots of flags hanging on each building. It is very impressive. Many of them have a black ribbon attached to the top to show that the nation is in mourning.

There are two large flags flying high outside of St. Stanislaus church along with a kneeler set up for people to pray.

Inside the church is the Polish seal (the crowned eagle) with a black ribbon at the top and candles lit in front of it. We went to Mass at 11:00 and that is where we were when the nation had two minutes of silence at noon. Pretty cool.

There are small Polish flags attached to the trams and buses today, too (not a great picture--it is on the right side on top). 
 

Malls are closed today. Grocery stores are closed today. There are lots of people out walking around. I'm not sure where they are all going but it is a beautiful, sunny 50 degree day here.

I have read that there is already speculation regarding whether or not President Obama will be coming to represent the US for the funeral, though details for that have not been announced yet. My opinion is that he needs to get over here. Poland is a loyal friend to America. Obama did not come to the 70th anniversary commemoration of the start of WWII here in Gdansk back in September. I was annoyed about that. This is a monumental tragedy for Poland. They need to see support from us. So I believe it is necessary for Obama to be in Warsaw. And I think it would be nice for George W. Bush to come along, too!