This is the third of three blog entries I've written this morning, so check below first, about Switzerland and Paris.
Yesterday morning we went through the wild escapade of getting up at four, packing our things and walking to the metro for the first train sometime after five-thirty am, and getting ourselves to the Porte Maillot stop to catch a bus run by Ryanair, our cheap airline to Ireland, to get out to the Beauvais airport 80 kms away to catch our plane to Dublin. When in Dublin, we ate and began to figure out how to see Dee's family. By the time we got off the bus in Enniscorthy (Dee's father's hometown) we had been up for thirteen and a half hours.
But here we are, having spent last night with Dee's Aunt Ann, uncle John, and cousin Joe, and then a couple hours at the greyhound races, at her uncle Victor's house, catching up on sleep (I slept 10 hours, very uncharacteristic for me), and waiting to visit family and see Enniscorthy before heading back to Dublin tonight so we can come home tomorrow night.
Visiting family is the perfect way to end the trip, in an English speaking place, just across the ocean from home. We're ready to relax a bit at home, but are excited about our move to McAdam this weekend and starting at the church on the weekend. We've missed all of you, and really enjoyed your comments on our blog and emails through the month.
Some quick stats, as of today: 28 days, nine countries, countless new friends, eight significant visits in major world cities (and lots more short or long visits in other small or large places), nine foreign languages encountered, seven overnight trains, about 900 pictures (no joke), and one big ache for sustained normal homecooked food again.
Thanks for reading the blogs about the trip!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Paris
I don't know where to begin with Paris.
Looking back on the whole trip now (as I write this we're in Ireland at Dee's uncle Victor's house in a small town called Enniscorthy), there is no question that Prague was the most beautiful city we were able to see on the trip (and that either of us have ever seen), but we both have the same opinion about our favorite city overall, and that is Paris.
There's something in the air in Paris, and you can't even explain what it is. It feels unlike any place I've ever been, and everything there seems coated in this romantic glow. Rain in Paris on Sunday even felt different from rain in other places, as we walked through the neighborhood Montmartre, with its windmills on several street corners (including the red one - Moulin Rouge), steep hills on mostly pedestrian streets, the cemetery where I was able to see the grave of one of my favorite movie directors, Francois Truffaut (as an actor, most people know him only as the French scientist in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and just the general atmosphere of this cool and popular neighborhood on a hill.
But the romance of Paris was also there as we watched rollerbladers performing on the bridge from the left bank of the Seine to l'Ile de la Cite by Notre Dame cathedral... and as we took a boat cruise along the Seine, with the Louvre on our left, the Musee d'Orsay on our right (we visited both of those museums and loved them- and yes, we saw the Mona Lisa too!), and the Eiffel Tower behind us... and as we sat on the lawn in front of the Eiffel tower at sunset with a crowd waiting patiently for the sparkling lights to come on... and as we walked along the river passing vendors selling old books, postcards, and new paintings.
It was amazing, and it was the fullest three day stretch of our trip, and that's why we didn't get to blog for the last five days.
Looking back on the whole trip now (as I write this we're in Ireland at Dee's uncle Victor's house in a small town called Enniscorthy), there is no question that Prague was the most beautiful city we were able to see on the trip (and that either of us have ever seen), but we both have the same opinion about our favorite city overall, and that is Paris.
There's something in the air in Paris, and you can't even explain what it is. It feels unlike any place I've ever been, and everything there seems coated in this romantic glow. Rain in Paris on Sunday even felt different from rain in other places, as we walked through the neighborhood Montmartre, with its windmills on several street corners (including the red one - Moulin Rouge), steep hills on mostly pedestrian streets, the cemetery where I was able to see the grave of one of my favorite movie directors, Francois Truffaut (as an actor, most people know him only as the French scientist in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and just the general atmosphere of this cool and popular neighborhood on a hill.
But the romance of Paris was also there as we watched rollerbladers performing on the bridge from the left bank of the Seine to l'Ile de la Cite by Notre Dame cathedral... and as we took a boat cruise along the Seine, with the Louvre on our left, the Musee d'Orsay on our right (we visited both of those museums and loved them- and yes, we saw the Mona Lisa too!), and the Eiffel Tower behind us... and as we sat on the lawn in front of the Eiffel tower at sunset with a crowd waiting patiently for the sparkling lights to come on... and as we walked along the river passing vendors selling old books, postcards, and new paintings.
It was amazing, and it was the fullest three day stretch of our trip, and that's why we didn't get to blog for the last five days.
Paris
I don't know where to begin with Paris.
Looking back on the whole trip now (as I write this we're in Ireland at Dee's uncle Victor's house in a small town called Enniscorthy), there is no question that Prague was the most beautiful city we were able to see on the trip (and that either of us have ever seen), but we both have the same opinion about our favorite city overall, and that is Paris.
There's something in the air in Paris, and you can't even explain what it is. It feels unlike any place I've ever been, and everything there seems coated in this romantic glow. Rain in Paris on Sunday even felt different from rain in other places, as we walked through the neighborhood Montmartre, with its windmills on several street corners (including the red one - Moulin Rouge), steep hills on mostly pedestrian streets, the cemetery where I was able to see the grave of one of my favorite movie directors, Francois Truffaut (as an actor, most people know him only as the French scientist in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and just the general atmosphere of this cool and popular neighborhood on a hill.
But the romance of Paris was also there as we watched rollerbladers performing on the bridge from the left bank of the Seine to l'Ile de la Cite by Notre Dame cathedral... and as we took a boat cruise along the Seine, with the Louvre on our left, the Musee d'Orsay on our right (we visited both of those museums and loved them- and yes, we saw the Mona Lisa too!), and the Eiffel Tower behind us... and as we sat on the lawn in front of the Eiffel tower at sunset with a crowd waiting patiently for the sparkling lights to come on... and as we walked along the river passing vendors selling old books, postcards, and new paintings.
It was amazing, and it was the fullest three day stretch of our trip, and that's why we didn't get to blog for the last five days.
Looking back on the whole trip now (as I write this we're in Ireland at Dee's uncle Victor's house in a small town called Enniscorthy), there is no question that Prague was the most beautiful city we were able to see on the trip (and that either of us have ever seen), but we both have the same opinion about our favorite city overall, and that is Paris.
There's something in the air in Paris, and you can't even explain what it is. It feels unlike any place I've ever been, and everything there seems coated in this romantic glow. Rain in Paris on Sunday even felt different from rain in other places, as we walked through the neighborhood Montmartre, with its windmills on several street corners (including the red one - Moulin Rouge), steep hills on mostly pedestrian streets, the cemetery where I was able to see the grave of one of my favorite movie directors, Francois Truffaut (as an actor, most people know him only as the French scientist in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and just the general atmosphere of this cool and popular neighborhood on a hill.
But the romance of Paris was also there as we watched rollerbladers performing on the bridge from the left bank of the Seine to l'Ile de la Cite by Notre Dame cathedral... and as we took a boat cruise along the Seine, with the Louvre on our left, the Musee d'Orsay on our right (we visited both of those museums and loved them- and yes, we saw the Mona Lisa too!), and the Eiffel Tower behind us... and as we sat on the lawn in front of the Eiffel tower at sunset with a crowd waiting patiently for the sparkling lights to come on... and as we walked along the river passing vendors selling old books, postcards, and new paintings.
It was amazing, and it was the fullest three day stretch of our trip, and that's why we didn't get to blog for the last five days.
Switzerland
It's been several days now since we've been able to post (sorry everybody!), but that's because Paris happened. So let me backtrack.
We left Vienna on Wednesday night and headed for Zurich. That night we passed through the most incredible lightning storm we had ever seen. Literally, for half an hour, there were constant lightning flashes no more than two to three seconds apart. I saw fork lightning out the window of the train, and our whole cabin would be lit up for several seconds at a time. We were on a very hot, un-air-conditioned train, and the storm broke the heat outside and made for a comfortable sleep after a fascinating storm.
When we awoke we were passing through mountains on both sides of us as we approached Zurich. The city itself is not in a very mountainous region, but on our way we saw some nice medium sized mountains.
We got out at Zurich, locked up our bags, and began our whirlwind tour of Switzerland in one day. First stop was Lucerne, a beautiful little town with several small medieval town squares, some gorgeous mountains in the distance, and a lovely lake called, appropriately, Lake Lucerne. We had breakfast at a little buffet place, walked around the town, and got back on the train.
On the next leg of our day we were headed for Interlaken, and the train ride was unbelievable. We were high in the mountains, surrounded by mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and spent the whole time gawking out the windows (I actually stood up most of the trip) at the sights around us.
From Interlaken we took another train to a little place called Lauterbrunne, famous for its waterfalls. There we did an hour and a half walk enjoying the scenery next to the giant mountain Jungfrau, which was entirely invisible to us because of clouds. Slightly disappointing, but still a beautiful walk.
Our last stop in Switzerland was the capital, Bern, which we explored for a couple hours, eating lunch on a noisy street corner where, once again, crazed World Cup fans did their thing. So funny watching the police try to direct traffic in that commotion.
We got back to Zurich in time for our last night train of the trip, and the most exciting destination of all: Paris.
We left Vienna on Wednesday night and headed for Zurich. That night we passed through the most incredible lightning storm we had ever seen. Literally, for half an hour, there were constant lightning flashes no more than two to three seconds apart. I saw fork lightning out the window of the train, and our whole cabin would be lit up for several seconds at a time. We were on a very hot, un-air-conditioned train, and the storm broke the heat outside and made for a comfortable sleep after a fascinating storm.
When we awoke we were passing through mountains on both sides of us as we approached Zurich. The city itself is not in a very mountainous region, but on our way we saw some nice medium sized mountains.
We got out at Zurich, locked up our bags, and began our whirlwind tour of Switzerland in one day. First stop was Lucerne, a beautiful little town with several small medieval town squares, some gorgeous mountains in the distance, and a lovely lake called, appropriately, Lake Lucerne. We had breakfast at a little buffet place, walked around the town, and got back on the train.
On the next leg of our day we were headed for Interlaken, and the train ride was unbelievable. We were high in the mountains, surrounded by mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and spent the whole time gawking out the windows (I actually stood up most of the trip) at the sights around us.
From Interlaken we took another train to a little place called Lauterbrunne, famous for its waterfalls. There we did an hour and a half walk enjoying the scenery next to the giant mountain Jungfrau, which was entirely invisible to us because of clouds. Slightly disappointing, but still a beautiful walk.
Our last stop in Switzerland was the capital, Bern, which we explored for a couple hours, eating lunch on a noisy street corner where, once again, crazed World Cup fans did their thing. So funny watching the police try to direct traffic in that commotion.
We got back to Zurich in time for our last night train of the trip, and the most exciting destination of all: Paris.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Vienna
We made it to Vienna yesterday morning, and immediately loved it. The city center is great, with the Stephansdom (cathedral) right in the middle of everything. We visited the Hofburg (imperial palace) for a few hours yesterday, seeing the royal apartments there, the silver collection, and learning abuot Sisi, the Habsburg empress Elizabeth. It was well worth the money.
Last night we saw a concert at a building at the Schonbrunn palace. The price was a bit steep, but it was fun (and appropriate to hear Mozart and Strauss pieces in Vienna).
The weather is so hot here (in the mid30s to 40). We're taking it easy today, just to be able to recover, since the heat wears you right out. We'll be spending the bulk of the afternoon back at Schonbrunn, in the massive park there.
Tonight we leave for Zurich, and we'll be spending the day tomorrow on and off trains throughout Switzerland, before we take another train tomorrow night to PARIS!
By the way, Matt, we are consistently still doing the Alias visualization technique you taught us for each city. It's pretty fun!
Last night we saw a concert at a building at the Schonbrunn palace. The price was a bit steep, but it was fun (and appropriate to hear Mozart and Strauss pieces in Vienna).
The weather is so hot here (in the mid30s to 40). We're taking it easy today, just to be able to recover, since the heat wears you right out. We'll be spending the bulk of the afternoon back at Schonbrunn, in the massive park there.
Tonight we leave for Zurich, and we'll be spending the day tomorrow on and off trains throughout Switzerland, before we take another train tomorrow night to PARIS!
By the way, Matt, we are consistently still doing the Alias visualization technique you taught us for each city. It's pretty fun!
From Munich to Vienna
Hey there everyone! the y and z are reversed on this computer so if I misspell-forgive me k? So yeah, this is dee and reporting for team Kohler the team is doing fine- better than fine, great!
After taking the night train from Simon Pau's to Munich, we met up with Chris who was actually on the same train! That was funny. She told us about her time in Swiss, and we told her about the Pau's. We fell in love with Munich. It's a big city with a great feel about it. The first thinbg we did was go to the city centre, where a large cathedral, and 4 big clocks are around you on different buildings. At 12 we went back to the square and it was loaded with tourists and we watched with them as 1205 came and the cathedral clock chimmed, and all these figurines danced around in a window of the cathedral. I thought it was over and then differnt figurines performed a jousting match on horses and one guy got clobbered by the other guy- it was really cool!
For the morning we went walking thru the cities 2 major parks- the hofgarten and then one of the biggest parks in Europe- the englisher garten- this one has a river running thru it, all green alpine water, freezing cold, great for cooling the feet down! And also, this river has a number of more rapid areas of flow, and at one of these places where very wavey water was churned up, there were surfers surfing on this constant wave, being filmed!! After this, we walked thru and then sat for an hour on our own and read or prayed, etc. It was sooo relaxing and nice!
By the way, the lonely planet told us this but we saw it in the flesh(no pun intended)- there were a ton of people just out sunbathing in the park- NAKED! It was shocking and funny at the same time. Like that would NEVER happen in Canada. But it seems to happen a lot in Europe...one more cultural difference.
In the afternoon we went to see a fairytailish castle, reputedly the one that Disney's castle is modelled after. It was never completely finished so we could only see bits of it as we got a tour through the building. It is so high up and we had to walk 5k just to get to the town before ascending up a winding road to the castle. The walk for me was grueling, but we made it and it really was so beautiful. As soon as we got close to the town (Füssen)we could see the Bavarian Mountain range- snow caps and everything- breathtaking!! From the castle you can see the mountains, the small little towns of germany on green rolling hills and a waterfall coming down from a mountain that the catle is right beside. Scott's dad visted this same castle in '71, so we were thinking of you, Frankie!:)
Vienna!
That night we took the nigttrain to Vienna, Austria. We bunked with 2 other guys and they were from Peru and Columbia! So I was able to practice my Spanish with them! We also met an Asian guy on the train who went to Dal! He grad,.ed the same yr as me, but from his Masters in Math. I only have a bit left on this compu so I'll let scott blog the rest of yesterday and today- thanks for reading this and for all your prayers, we have been healthy anbd safe thus far!
After taking the night train from Simon Pau's to Munich, we met up with Chris who was actually on the same train! That was funny. She told us about her time in Swiss, and we told her about the Pau's. We fell in love with Munich. It's a big city with a great feel about it. The first thinbg we did was go to the city centre, where a large cathedral, and 4 big clocks are around you on different buildings. At 12 we went back to the square and it was loaded with tourists and we watched with them as 1205 came and the cathedral clock chimmed, and all these figurines danced around in a window of the cathedral. I thought it was over and then differnt figurines performed a jousting match on horses and one guy got clobbered by the other guy- it was really cool!
For the morning we went walking thru the cities 2 major parks- the hofgarten and then one of the biggest parks in Europe- the englisher garten- this one has a river running thru it, all green alpine water, freezing cold, great for cooling the feet down! And also, this river has a number of more rapid areas of flow, and at one of these places where very wavey water was churned up, there were surfers surfing on this constant wave, being filmed!! After this, we walked thru and then sat for an hour on our own and read or prayed, etc. It was sooo relaxing and nice!
By the way, the lonely planet told us this but we saw it in the flesh(no pun intended)- there were a ton of people just out sunbathing in the park- NAKED! It was shocking and funny at the same time. Like that would NEVER happen in Canada. But it seems to happen a lot in Europe...one more cultural difference.
In the afternoon we went to see a fairytailish castle, reputedly the one that Disney's castle is modelled after. It was never completely finished so we could only see bits of it as we got a tour through the building. It is so high up and we had to walk 5k just to get to the town before ascending up a winding road to the castle. The walk for me was grueling, but we made it and it really was so beautiful. As soon as we got close to the town (Füssen)we could see the Bavarian Mountain range- snow caps and everything- breathtaking!! From the castle you can see the mountains, the small little towns of germany on green rolling hills and a waterfall coming down from a mountain that the catle is right beside. Scott's dad visted this same castle in '71, so we were thinking of you, Frankie!:)
Vienna!
That night we took the nigttrain to Vienna, Austria. We bunked with 2 other guys and they were from Peru and Columbia! So I was able to practice my Spanish with them! We also met an Asian guy on the train who went to Dal! He grad,.ed the same yr as me, but from his Masters in Math. I only have a bit left on this compu so I'll let scott blog the rest of yesterday and today- thanks for reading this and for all your prayers, we have been healthy anbd safe thus far!
Saturday, June 17, 2006
One of the best days of the trip
We are at the Pau house in Hoerstgen, Germany now. It was great to see Simon and his Dad out the window of the train as we pulled into the Duisburg station Thursday night. Yesterday we went for a bike ride and then after dinner went for a little car trip with Simon... to the Netherlands!
In Venlo, NL, just like everywhere else we've been, World Cup fever was in full swing. Only one thing filled the streets as much as football fans: bicycles. After Venlo, we went to a little town called Arcen, where there is a little castle with a moat. That was pretty cool. When we got back into Germany we went to a town called Kevelaer (VERY Catholic) that served to demonstrate how much prettier the average nice town in Germany is than anywhere in Canada.
Today we saw the ultimate, though. We drove to Bonn this morning (Beethoven's birthplace, former capital of West Germany) and caught a cruise ship on the Rhine, and rode it to a little place called Konigswinter. There we took a tram up to the highest point to a lookoff in the hills, where there was a ruin of an old castle tower and an old castle being repaired. It was a beautiful view and a really cool town.
Then we headed for Cologne. I think it's the third biggest city in Germany (after Berlin and Munich) and it was AWESOME. We went to the Dom (cathedral), which was easily the biggest church we had ever seen, and then walked the 509 steps to the top of one of its towers, 97 metres, and could look out over quite a long distance. After we got down, we wandered through the city, which was jumping with football fans. We have great pictures of it that we'll post later. THe atmosphere here is so festive and fun, nothing like what we thought it would be during World Cup time. You feel like you're walking in a theme park most of the time, this dreamworld where football makes everyone happy and friends with everyone else. By the edge of the Rhine we saw a one-man-band that was unbelievably good and ridiculous-looking, and these two Iranian boys (about six or seven) who wouldn't stop dancing, in a very suggestive way, the whole time he played. We got loads of pictures of them. It was hilarious, and one of the high points of the whole trip so far.
The Pau family are great. They are so hospitable and get along so well. Watching Simon and his Dad inspect with great intensity any mechanical curiosity (especially the one man band with his weird set-up and generator running in the back) is so refreshing and enjoyable. Along with SImon and his Dad, we were accompanied today by the Paus' friend Mary, who is from Texas but has been working here for the last year or so.
It was an unforgettable day.
In Venlo, NL, just like everywhere else we've been, World Cup fever was in full swing. Only one thing filled the streets as much as football fans: bicycles. After Venlo, we went to a little town called Arcen, where there is a little castle with a moat. That was pretty cool. When we got back into Germany we went to a town called Kevelaer (VERY Catholic) that served to demonstrate how much prettier the average nice town in Germany is than anywhere in Canada.
Today we saw the ultimate, though. We drove to Bonn this morning (Beethoven's birthplace, former capital of West Germany) and caught a cruise ship on the Rhine, and rode it to a little place called Konigswinter. There we took a tram up to the highest point to a lookoff in the hills, where there was a ruin of an old castle tower and an old castle being repaired. It was a beautiful view and a really cool town.
Then we headed for Cologne. I think it's the third biggest city in Germany (after Berlin and Munich) and it was AWESOME. We went to the Dom (cathedral), which was easily the biggest church we had ever seen, and then walked the 509 steps to the top of one of its towers, 97 metres, and could look out over quite a long distance. After we got down, we wandered through the city, which was jumping with football fans. We have great pictures of it that we'll post later. THe atmosphere here is so festive and fun, nothing like what we thought it would be during World Cup time. You feel like you're walking in a theme park most of the time, this dreamworld where football makes everyone happy and friends with everyone else. By the edge of the Rhine we saw a one-man-band that was unbelievably good and ridiculous-looking, and these two Iranian boys (about six or seven) who wouldn't stop dancing, in a very suggestive way, the whole time he played. We got loads of pictures of them. It was hilarious, and one of the high points of the whole trip so far.
The Pau family are great. They are so hospitable and get along so well. Watching Simon and his Dad inspect with great intensity any mechanical curiosity (especially the one man band with his weird set-up and generator running in the back) is so refreshing and enjoyable. Along with SImon and his Dad, we were accompanied today by the Paus' friend Mary, who is from Texas but has been working here for the last year or so.
It was an unforgettable day.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Prague to Poland to Berlin
Today is our last day in Poand. We got a good sleep on the train last night, and a better one this morning back at the church here. Tonight we leave at 9:43 (4:43 Atlantic time) for Berlin, and arrive there tomorrow morning. Travelling is so fun.
Tonight we'll be going to local Catholic festival where we'll get to share 10 minutes (singing together and sharing about our visit), which Jurek feels is yet another good connection for the Baptists here to make. We were invited by the vice-president (more like vice-mayor of the city here), so it is a good opportunity.
We hope to see a few of our Katowice friends tonight before we leave, Ania, Radek, and Kasia. It would be nice to get to say goodbye after a fun evening together.
Tomorrow we'll have the day in World Cup-crazy Berlin (in Pague the Old Town Square was set up with a large screen and a massive crowd Monday night for Czech Republic v. USA, so it should be even worse being actually in Germany). Pray that the trains won't be booked already, so we can make it to Simon Pau's house on schedule Friday for our weekend visit there. We're really looking forward to seeing him at home and going for a boat ride on the Rhine on Saturday.
Gotta go for now! We're thinking of you all!
Tonight we'll be going to local Catholic festival where we'll get to share 10 minutes (singing together and sharing about our visit), which Jurek feels is yet another good connection for the Baptists here to make. We were invited by the vice-president (more like vice-mayor of the city here), so it is a good opportunity.
We hope to see a few of our Katowice friends tonight before we leave, Ania, Radek, and Kasia. It would be nice to get to say goodbye after a fun evening together.
Tomorrow we'll have the day in World Cup-crazy Berlin (in Pague the Old Town Square was set up with a large screen and a massive crowd Monday night for Czech Republic v. USA, so it should be even worse being actually in Germany). Pray that the trains won't be booked already, so we can make it to Simon Pau's house on schedule Friday for our weekend visit there. We're really looking forward to seeing him at home and going for a boat ride on the Rhine on Saturday.
Gotta go for now! We're thinking of you all!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Prague
Hey everyone!
We're in Prague right now, staying at the International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS) in their hotel, which is very nice. We spent the day today in the city and will do the same tomorrow; this is a relaxing time at the end of our mission trip, meant to unwind us after all our busy-ness last week. I would say it's working, but this city is too amazing to realy relax. The castle, cathedrals, Charles Bridge, and Old Town Square, all of which we saw today, are all unbelievably beautiful.
(And Mission Impossible was filmed here.)
I have to head to bed, but will write more next time I'm online. This evening when we got back to IBTS Dee enjoyed sitting in the window looking out onto a wooded Czech hill where mist hung in the trees and she could see people hiking. It's beautiful here and beautiful in the city itself. We can do nothing but thank God for giving us this trip!
We're in Prague right now, staying at the International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS) in their hotel, which is very nice. We spent the day today in the city and will do the same tomorrow; this is a relaxing time at the end of our mission trip, meant to unwind us after all our busy-ness last week. I would say it's working, but this city is too amazing to realy relax. The castle, cathedrals, Charles Bridge, and Old Town Square, all of which we saw today, are all unbelievably beautiful.
(And Mission Impossible was filmed here.)
I have to head to bed, but will write more next time I'm online. This evening when we got back to IBTS Dee enjoyed sitting in the window looking out onto a wooded Czech hill where mist hung in the trees and she could see people hiking. It's beautiful here and beautiful in the city itself. We can do nothing but thank God for giving us this trip!
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Poland Day Six
Back in the internet cafe... Scott this time. We've done a couple of days of English classes now, visited a high school (where we spoke to nine classes about life in Canada - three classes per three people), and met with a professor at the Catholic seminary in Katowice. Tomorrow we'll be visiting Auschwitz, where I expect we'll all have our eyes opened even wider to something we all know about but haven't seen quite so closely.
Tonight at our English classes we're having Canada Night, where we'll do all kinds of Canadian things, songs, food, etc. Should be fun.
We're having a fantastic time, and recently were able to do our first load of laundry in over a week. Believe me, that is a happy occasion (for us and probably others too...)
This is a short post, but I have a limited number of minutes here to do a LOT of things!
Please post and leave your comments - we'll check again in a couple days!
Tonight at our English classes we're having Canada Night, where we'll do all kinds of Canadian things, songs, food, etc. Should be fun.
We're having a fantastic time, and recently were able to do our first load of laundry in over a week. Believe me, that is a happy occasion (for us and probably others too...)
This is a short post, but I have a limited number of minutes here to do a LOT of things!
Please post and leave your comments - we'll check again in a couple days!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Dzien Dobre! ~~Good Afternoon!
Hello to everyone from us in Poland! We are sitting in an internet cafe in the dwntwn train station in Katowice, Poland. We have had a safe and exciting trip so far! Our two mishaps both happened in London, where we got to see some great sites, Big Ben, London eye, Westminister Abby and inside, a thaeter play- the Producers, and Picadilly circus (London's time square). The first mishap was when my bank card was eaten by a bank machine when Scott wqas trying to get some money out for us. He called the number on the front of the machine and the kind british man on the other end tried to help but ended up saying: 'it seems that when the machine has captured your card, it cuts it up into little pieces inside the machine. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvienience but thank you for letting us know." Mishap number 2: we underestimated the time and way to get to Stansted Airport for our flight to Krakow and missed our plane. We had to buy new tickets and sleep in the airport on chairs- it was really funny. We (esp me, dee) were thankful for our sleeping bags (fleece liners) after that incident.
Poland!
Finally we made it to Krakow the next day with Karen and Earl and Jersey at the airport to meet us and take us home to our residence in the church in Katowice. Jerzy, the pastor is awesome- very friendly and always making really great puns...his english is very good that way. Anyways, I slept for 8 hrs while scott and the rest walked around the town a bit.
Poland!
Finally we made it to Krakow the next day with Karen and Earl and Jersey at the airport to meet us and take us home to our residence in the church in Katowice. Jerzy, the pastor is awesome- very friendly and always making really great puns...his english is very good that way. Anyways, I slept for 8 hrs while scott and the rest walked around the town a bit.
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