his may be a good time to talk about one of the more unpleasant discomforts that can overtake one while travelling. It may not be a topic for the most proprietous so bear that in mind as you choose to read on. This subject has to do with something that is a part of everyone’s life, The Daily Constitutional. In particular, it relates to one whose ‘Constitutional’ is only precariously daily. In this case, travelling is a sure way to disrupt this activity. In hopes of correction, one sometimes must seek medicinal cures. These cures are easy to come by in the US where one can peruse, and purchase without discussing the matter at all. Not so in Europe where these cures are dispensed by pharmacists or their clerks. Imagine the embarrassment of asking the clerk if s/he understands ‘constipation’, only to say it louder and slower when they shake their head, ‘CON*STI*PA*TION’. Embarrassing as it is, it is still less humiliating than what ensues next when without the aforementioned word, one must explain their current condition Of course, the clerk realizes this is one’s own condition as no one else would go to such lengths to describe this sad situation. They would have turned around and left.
e spent some leisurely days enjoying the beautiful city of Prague, and the quaint city of Krakow, Poland. In both places we enjoyed a few long mornings and late nights. Prague is so beautiful. It is easy to see why so many tourists flock to visit this city each year. We were surprised at the large number of tour groups and college kids that seemed to turn the city into a circus in the day. Still, the Charles Bridge was peaceful in the morning, and had a relaxed feel in the evening. In Krakow, we had the good fortune of renting a flat for our stay. We felt very pampered as we spread our stuff across this space that was bigger than our home in Seattle! All for a mere 16 US dollars a night! Our host gave us good tips on where to eat the best Polish food, and so we enjoyed pierogies with the locals who were very proud to serve their foreign guests.
utside of Krakow, we spent a day visiting Auschwitz. There isn’t a good word to describe the range of emotions that are evoked when visiting such a somber place. It seems that for everyone who visits, there is a point that is reached where one doesn’t need to see anymore. It is at this point, that the museum has done its job. It is to remind us of our frail humanity and also of our vast and ignorant capabilities. We so easily in these days credit ‘democracy’ with being the right way. Visiting Auschwitz reminded us of how important it is to really know who your leaders are, and why you follow them.
fter spending so much time in Eastern Europe, we found that it was really in the Baltic States that we experienced the most angst and pride over their post-Soviet independence. We visited all three capitals in the Baltics and found that each city had its story to tell, and was very proud to state its emancipation from the former Soviet Union. We were in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. (Don’t worry, we had to find out what it was too.) For those curious, this was a secret pact between Hitler and Stalin giving Russia control over the Baltics. It is a ‘Black Ribbon’ remembrance holiday of the beginning of their captivity. They celebrated it with speeches and many choruses of old Lithuanian patriotic songs. This was all held in the park where a large statue of Lenin sat in the middle. The middle now bare, he resides in the backyard of a warehouse on the outskirts of town. As the festivities dwindled, we visited the KGB museum housed in a former KGB prison. Inside were pictures of KGB victims tortured, killed, and then left in this same park as ‘bad examples’ for the rest of the city to see. An older woman next to us began to cry as she told us that she remembered these events from her childhood. It is funny to think that her childhood may have been long ago, but the KGB were active in Vilnius until 1991.
his may be a good time to talk about one of the more unpleasant discomforts that can overtake one while travelling. It may not be a topic for the most proprietous so bear that in mind as you choose to read on. This subject has to do with something that is a part of everyone’s life, The Daily Constitutional. In particular, it relates to one whose ‘Constitutional’ is only precariously daily. In this case, travelling is a sure way to disrupt this activity. In hopes of correction, one sometimes must seek medicinal cures. These cures are easy to come by in the US where one can peruse, and purchase without discussing the matter at all. Not so in Europe where these cures are dispensed by pharmacists or their clerks. Imagine the embarrassment of asking the clerk if s/he understands ‘constipation’, only to say it louder and slower when they shake their head, ‘CON*STI*PA*TION’. Embarrassing as it is, it is still less humiliating than what ensues next when without the aforementioned word, one must explain their current condition Of course, the clerk realizes this is one’s own condition as no one else would go to such lengths to describe this sad situation. They would have turned around and left.
e spent some leisurely days enjoying the beautiful city of Prague, and the quaint city of Krakow, Poland. In both places we enjoyed a few long mornings and late nights. Prague is so beautiful. It is easy to see why so many tourists flock to visit this city each year. We were surprised at the large number of tour groups and college kids that seemed to turn the city into a circus in the day. Still, the Charles Bridge was peaceful in the morning, and had a relaxed feel in the evening. In Krakow, we had the good fortune of renting a flat for our stay. We felt very pampered as we spread our stuff across this space that was bigger than our home in Seattle! All for a mere 16 US dollars a night! Our host gave us good tips on where to eat the best Polish food, and so we enjoyed pierogies with the locals who were very proud to serve their foreign guests.
utside of Krakow, we spent a day visiting Auschwitz. There isn’t a good word to describe the range of emotions that are evoked when visiting such a somber place. It seems that for everyone who visits, there is a point that is reached where one doesn’t need to see anymore. It is at this point, that the museum has done its job. It is to remind us of our frail humanity and also of our vast and ignorant capabilities. We so easily in these days credit ‘democracy’ with being the right way. Visiting Auschwitz reminded us of how important it is to really know who your leaders are, and why you follow them.
fter spending so much time in Eastern Europe, we found that it was really in the Baltic States that we experienced the most angst and pride over their post-Soviet independence. We visited all three capitals in the Baltics and found that each city had its story to tell, and was very proud to state its emancipation from the former Soviet Union. We were in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. (Don’t worry, we had to find out what it was too.) For those curious, this was a secret pact between Hitler and Stalin giving Russia control over the Baltics. It is a ‘Black Ribbon’ remembrance holiday of the beginning of their captivity. They celebrated it with speeches and many choruses of old Lithuanian patriotic songs. This was all held in the park where a large statue of Lenin sat in the middle. The middle now bare, he resides in the backyard of a warehouse on the outskirts of town. As the festivities dwindled, we visited the KGB museum housed in a former KGB prison. Inside were pictures of KGB victims tortured, killed, and then left in this same park as ‘bad examples’ for the rest of the city to see. An older woman next to us began to cry as she told us that she remembered these events from her childhood. It is funny to think that her childhood may have been long ago, but the KGB were active in Vilnius until 1991.
