Warsawa

I have officially survived my first chaperoning experience. I traveled to Warsaw for three days this past week with the 3g classes. Usually travel means that I am free of my students can be silly and act however without worrying about anything, however that was not the case this time around. Despite this it was fun to travel with students and interacting with them outside of the classroom was nice. We crammed a lot into our visit! Warsaw is a very historical history and has been through a lot over the years. Most notably the destruction by the Nazis during WWII. The latter part of the XX century was spent rebuilding this city, so most of what we saw was reconstruction and replacements, not the actual original structures. I was impressed with the liveliness of the city and how it has grown and healed over the past 60 years.

On the first day we toured the Senat (Polish spelling). We saw the rooms where different committees meet and where the whole Senat gathers. Overall it was very similar to the various senate buildings in America. The most noted difference were the crucifixes found in some of the rooms. Poland is VERY Catholic. After this we went on a walking tour of the Old Town that included Warsaw University, the old city walls, and the old Market Square.

The second day started with a tour of the Zaziekni Palace, which means Palace on the Water. The palace is situated within a huge public park that is expertly maintained and manicured, and it is also home to peacocks. (I think that students had more fun with the peacocks than the tour of the palace!) The inside of the Palace was beautiful, which is a compliment to the artists and architects who restored it. Next we went to an exhibit at the Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from Russia. The exhibit was about conservation. Lunch was at the nicest mall in Warsaw, "Golden Terrace." The mall had every major European store, plus a few American. Most importantly there was Greek food!! in the food court and a Mark & Spencers grocery shop. I just about cried reading all of the English labels. The remainder of the afternoon was spent at the Warsaw Uprising Museum that documents the way that the natives of Warsaw fought against the Nazi occupation. It is hands down one of the best museums I have ever been too. Every caption and description was written in Polish AND English. I would highly recommend this museum to anyone to travels to Warsaw as an important step to understanding the history and character of the city.

There was a damper on the last day of the trip because of a steady rain, but we fought through and still saw a lot. We went to the oldest cemetery in the city to see some of the most famous graves. The cemetery is divided into two parts, one for military and one for civilians. The graves were beautiful. Next we went on a tour of the Royal Castle. This castle had been completely destroyed by the Nazis, so everything had to be rebuilt after the war. Many countries donated valuable pieces to the new castle, including America. What we did we give them? Bust of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin. (?!?!?) The Palace is a true testament to the strength of Poles to overcome and work through adversity.

After this we piled back on the bus and drove back to Cieszyn. I really did enjoy touring Warsaw. I went in expecting to see communism at every turn, but instead I was greeted with strength, color, and hope. The Poles have not had an easy time of things, but through it all they push forward. This is an important message for the world to hear. Myself included.

Blessings,
Colleen