Poland - 1987

Usha Shah
12 hours ago
4 min read

My husband had been earlier to Poland. But I could not go. His first trip was very short . Very likely he went to port city of Gdansk.

Gdansk

Probably he went to Gdansk. Earlier, when we discussed Poland, I mentioned Gdańsk as one of the important places that many visitors see. A few things make Gdańsk special:

It is Poland's principal Baltic Sea port.
For centuries it was a wealthy trading city connected to merchants from across northern Europe.

Its old town is famous for colourful merchant houses and elegant streets.
The city's waterfront is lined with historic buildings and cranes that recall its maritime past.

Historically, Gdańsk has been at the crossroads of Polish and German influences. In German it was known as Danzig. Over the centuries it belonged at different times to different states, which gave it a unique cultural character.

The city also occupies an important place in twentieth-century history:

The opening shots of World War II were fired near Gdańsk in 1939.
Decades later, the city's shipyards became the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which played a major role in the decline of communist rule in Eastern Europe.

Next time when he was going for a conference, I also went along with him. This time it was in Warsaw.

Warsaw.

The capital city of Poland is Warsaw. Warsaw lies on the Vistula River and is the country's largest city. During World War II, much of Warsaw was destroyed, especially after the Warsaw Uprising

There was a conference that my husband was attending, so I went with him. We were staying in a hotel. I may have or not have gone for any session. But at the end of conference a grand party was arranged. It was a beautiful setting, so next day again we went to the same place. It was located along a very wide avenue. The location was rather simple, but we enjoyed the garden.

Liked the garden. So next day we went there again. After enjoying the garden we decided to walk along the wide avenue. This avenue is broad, tree-lined, and one of the most elegant streets in the city.

The conference in Warsaw ended with a grand reception in an outdoor garden near a broad avenue, then one of the strongest possibilities is indeed Łazienki Park. Then we walked along the avenue and large posters of interesting places were put up. They were very nice and later I saw a small book of same pictures in the New York Library.

The only sightseeing we did was the ‘Old Town’ and that was a very interesting place.

After the conference we went to Krakow.

Krakow

Kraków is home to Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1364. Many distinguished scholars studied there, including Nicolaus Copernicus, who proposed that the Earth moves around the Sun.

Kraków often feels more "old European" than Warsaw. Its medieval market square, ancient churches, university buildings, and the nearby Wawel Castle create an atmosphere that has survived for centuries.

Our guide as we walked around the university was English speaking young man , perhaps a student at the university. Later he took us down a Salt mine - to the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine.

We waked deep down and reached the famous St. Kinga's Chapel.

The chapel is far underground. The walls, floor, and many decorations are carved from salt. Even the chandeliers appear crystal-like because they are made from salt. The space feels like a real church rather than a mining chamber.

One feels disbelief that human beings created such a place beneath the earth.

We returned back to Warsaw and waited for the train to take us to Berlin - this would be our second visit to Berlin. Years ago when we travelled with Urail pass we had arrived to Berlin by plane.

Berlin First Visit

In 1964 when we were returning from USA we bought a Eurail pass. This allows us to fly to Berlin. Those memories are not forgotten. We went around by bus that goes around in circle and you can get down or climb again at any spot.

Besides seeing the famous buildings we went close to old Berlin Wall. At a nearby theatre there was music program by a famous musician from USA. May be they were celebrating the day of “Fall of Berlin Wall “

From Warsaw To Berlin

This will be our second visit. On this visit we arrived by train, from Warsaw and enjoyed looking at those same buildings.

What you see on Berlin Circuit

Brandenburg Gate

This is perhaps the most famous symbol of Berlin. During the Cold War it stood near the Berlin Wall. Many visitors remember it as a grand gateway with columns and a chariot sculpture on top.

Reichstag Building

The German Parliament building. If you visited after German reunification, guides almost certainly pointed it out. Today it is famous for its glass dome.

Berlin Cathedral