Obviously from the title, this isn't Lisa blogging. This is her sister Pam, and I am visiting the Gartlands in Poland, and this is my first time in Europe. I left my home in California last Thursday afternoon. I stood in the security line next to a guy from Israel who just couldn't believe that I was spending my first visit to Europe in Poland. I didn't mind - you have to start somewhere!
I arrived in Poland on Friday afternoon after getting very little sleep on the plane. Who knew that they would snap on all of the lights at 12:30 am and start serving breakfast? I met a wonderful German couple on the flight to Frankfurt and they took me under their wing and walked me through customs. It was so nice to finally arrive in Gdansk and see Lisa and Trey smiling and waving.
The weather was overcast and a little chilly. It was just what I expected Poland to be like. Lisa pointed out some of the sites in Gdansk on the cab ride home. The first thing that struck me was the incredible amount of graffiti on all the walls and buildings. There are some areas in CA that are like that, but this was everywhere. I didn't expect it in a town the size of Gdansk. We arrived at their cute little house where Ben, Natalie and Abbie were waiting with open arms. I unloaded my stash of supplies from the states - taco seasoning, beef jerky, brownie mix and girl scout cookies, to name a few.
They seemed very pleased to have these reminders of home. I hate to think of all the things that I would miss if I were away from home for a year. The next couple of days were low key. They introduced me to the public transit system and we took the bus to go shopping for Easter dresses.
One thing that struck me was the number of people out and about on the streets. I'm used to seeing a lot of traffic, but not people just walking around on the streets. Another thing I noticed was that people didn't greet you when you passed them. They ignore you completely, and they rarely smile. I think that Lisa described them as "stoic." It was unsettling.
On Sunday we went to church, and I've never been to a mass where I couldn't understand what they were saying. It was interesting, and I knew what they doing, but I felt strangely disconnected. I wonder if people used to feel this way when they said masses in Latin. We were there on Palm Sunday and they did a fun procession around the outside of the church with homemade palm creations.
The church was filled to capacity. You rarely see that at home unless it is Christmas or Easter.
Myles returned home on Saturday and made sure that I was not only having a good time, but was also learning something. We went to the Solidarity Museum on Monday and it was very interesting.
I vaguely remember hearing about the solidarity movement when I was eleven or twelve, but the magnitude didn't sink in until I was standing in the spot where the protests happened.
Lisa took me to tour a concentration camp not far from their town. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but it was something that I will always remember. The Polish people have been through so many hard times. Perhaps that is why they all seem so solemn.
We did a lot of shopping after that and took a train trip up to the coast where I made friends with the swans and got to dip my hand into the frigid Baltic Sea.
We finished off the week with trips to Old Town Gdansk and an all day excursion to Malbork, the oldest castle in Poland.
Myles asked me to reflect on what was my favorite part of my trip and what surprised me the most. My favorite part had to be Old Town Gdansk. It was very picturesque and what I envisioned Europe to be like.
You could almost hear horse hoofs clattering along the cobblestone streets. The most surprising thing was how the city was laid out in such a hodgepodge fashion. I'm used to a community with lots of zoning regulations. Here, you have small businesses stuck here there and everywhere with no rhyme or reason that I could see. There are huge, ugly apartment buildings everywhere that were built in the communist era. It seems so strange to see a beautiful centuries-old church next to one of these monsters. This difference was very obvious when we went up to visit Myles' university. They had beautiful gothic buildings next to ugly utilitarian communist ones.
This week flew by so fast. The Gartlands were wonderful hosts and tour guides. I went on buses, trains, trams and taxis, and walked for miles and miles. I did my best to stimulate the Polish economy. I would have bought more, but I'm only allowed one checked in bag at the airport. I am amazed at how well the G's have adjusted to their new life. I still think I would get lost going back to their house from the bus stop, but they've mastered school, grocery shopping and ordering at restaurants. I've enjoyed my time in Poland, but would like to explore some other parts of Europe the next time I come.
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