Our European Adventure, Day 7

Today we spent the majority of our day on a five hour train ride across Poland to Warsaw. This morning we woke up in time to check out of the hotel and go on a Jewish Life Walking tour.

Our guide, Heather, took us around the Jewish Quarter and showed us remnants and monuments that have been built in an attempt to explain German life in East Berlin. First, we were shown the remaining foundation of the first synagogue built in Berlin. After being saved during Hitler's reign because the Jews had built a new synagogue across town and sold their old temple to the government for use as a post office, the building was decimated during a bombing. Also near the site was a monument commemorating the site of the Jewish community center and representing the women's protest.

The foundation of the first synagogue in Berlin

Monument for the women's protest

We walked across town and went to the museum of Otto Weidt's workshop for the blind. Weidt was a prominent figure in Berlin during World War II because he did his best to employ Jewish individuals who were either deaf or blind in his workshop. He also aided them when they needed to go into hiding and even managed to help some of his Jewish contacts escape from concentration camps after his workshop was raided. Outside the museum was a small courtyard that is famous for its graffiti and we were able to take a few pictures of the artwork.

A full view of the courtyard entrance

Next we visited a Jewish cemetery that had been destroyed during World War II and the headstones were used to build walls and other buildings during the war. In the cemetery, there is a gravestone (even though he isn't buried there) for MM who is considered the Socrates of Germany. He managed the reform the German practice of Judaism by aiding Jews to acclimate in Jewish society and be both Germans and Jews. He also encouraged synagogues to convert the torah to the local language so both versions would be available to those studying it. In front of the cemetery there used to be a Jewish retirement home that was also destroyed and now a plaque is the only thing left in its place.

The only gravestones remaining in the cemetery

To finish out the tour, we saw a part of the stepping stone project that is taking place across Europe. Each set of five stones cost 95 euros to sponsor for research, construction, and travel. The purpose of the stones is to provide a remnant of the Holocaust that can come about during daily life. Each piece of the project includes information on five individuals who were murdered during the Holocaust, typically their name, where they lived, and the birth and death dates are listed. We also saw the outside of a Catholic hospital where a doctor who helped the Jews by forging death certificates for them before they went into hiding worked. Unfortunately, we had to leave the tour at that point because it started to pour and we had to get to the train station.

The stepping stone project

We ate our packed lunches quickly when we got back to the hotel and took our bags to the train station where we were able to get our Poland passes validated. We did much better on time today and had time to both purchase a meal for the train ride and do a little shopping.

During the train ride we slept, ate, and played cards. At the beginning of the ride, we were also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk with a 24-year-old German who attempted to explain their education system to us. It was an interesting experience and sad to wave goodbye to him when his mother and him left the train shortly after we arrived in Poland.

Our cabin on the "wagon" (German for coach)

Once we arrived in Warsaw, we struggled to find anyone who spoke English and could direct us to the Holiday Inn that we’re staying in, but thankfully, after not too long we were able to find a map and realized the hotel was right outside the train station if we only went the opposite way that we had already tried. I checked us in and was able to pick up the package containing our now sole credit card. It’s a good thing too because otherwise they were going to charge us a 200zl deposit for any possible damages to the room and we definitely didn’t have that.

Our rooms and hotel is really nice, but it’s weird the further we get away from large groups of English speaking people. From what I’ve heard though, we should be able to find people who speak some English if we ask those we see who look to be in their twenties. Hopefully it’ll work out for us.

Our European Adventure, Day 4

Once we checked out of the hostel and stored our luggage, we walked around the city. We went back to the church we visited on our first day in Amsterdam and walked through the red light district during the daylight so that Matt could take pictures.

After our walk around the city, we picked up our bags from the hostel and headed to the train station to catch our train to Berlin. We bought dinner at a small grocery store, Hema, that was inside the station. Everything was actually pretty reasonably priced, so it worked out well.

I screwed up through and got the train for the train wrong. I thought we were supposed to leave at 5:19, but that’s actually when we’re supposed to arrive. I got so confused with military time.

It’s a good thing that we got the station early though because we had to ask to find out where our train would be leaving from. We also had to get our passes validated at the ticket agent since this is the first time we’re travelling by train. We had a minor heart attack though when Ben couldn’t find his rail pass. We had to run across the train station to try and buy another before our train came. It turns out he had just dropped it on the floor when I asked where to get on the train though. Relieved, we had his pass validated and raced over to the platform only to realize that I had the time wrong and we still had twenty-five minutes before our train arrived.

The train is rather cute. It’s cramped quarters, but we have four beds in a six-bed room. I have one of the top bunks, which is nice because I get to look out the window and watch the scenery go by.

Our train cabin
Ours was the first stop of the train on its journey through Europe, but we met our two roommates when we picked them up in Cologne. Zack is from Nebraska and travelling on weekends while working in Europe. Jean is from the northern part of France and going to Berlin to learn German. They’re pretty cool, both were very considerate when they got here since we completely rearranged the cabin, taking out the bunk ladder and putting up the table.

In Wait

Just spent another thirty minutes of my life on hold with Rail Europe. I still haven't received my seat reservations. It's been more than two weeks! Apparently they're still waiting to make the reservation for Warsaw to Krakow. I don't understand how I can be so into planning ahead while still being Polish, the two things seem to contradict each other.

Gaggle Splat

The trip to Europe this August is pretty much all set, thank god. I think this is the first trip that I've planned completely on my own and, while I love planning and think I would make a terrific travel agent, I can definitely see why people pay extra so someone else will do all the work. This trip has been like my full-time job the past couple of weeks.

A couple of recommendations for other travellers:

• Don't work with Susan at Breakaway Travel in Ypsilanti, MI. She's annoying, very slow, and adds hidden surcharges to your total for all of her "hard work". On second thought, I guess if you're rich and have all the time in the world, you could work with her, but still...
• Buy stuff through STA travel! They're super nice!
• Allow three hours every time you call Rail Europe (and trust me, to get your seat reservations right, you'll have to call multiple times). You will be on hold for AT LEAST an hour, unless you manage to time your call just right smack in the middle of the day.
• And that reminds me... make sure to allow room in your budget for seat reservations in addition to your EuroRail passes. Someone got smart and decided to charge the tourists for both their discounted passes and an additional price for their actual seat, lucky us.
• Remember to breathe... just because the one perfect hostel is booked doesn't mean there isn't a cheaper, nicer hotel available that happens to be closer to the train station.

EuroRail

The passes are here! The passes are here!

The trip feels so much closer now that I've received the EuroRail passes from STA Travel. Now I just have to make sure all the annoying, expensive seat reservations go through.

Ireland: ARRGHHHH!

This morning we woke up at the Girl Guide camp and completed our chores by changing the sheets, mopping the bathroom, and cleaning the kitchen after a breakfast of cereal, croissants, and toast.

As soon as we were done cleaning, the taxis arrived to take us to the train station. We piled into three of them and off we went. As soon as we got to the train station, we found Amanda a wheelchair. Then we killed time by hanging around the station, taking exit sign pictures, and waiting in line to board the platform. Finally we boarded the train. It was really fancy and sleek! I was surprised by how comfortable and spacious it was. The train ride wasn’t very scenic though, so I just sat and read for the two hours.

When we got to Dublin, we collected our bags and walked a mile to the hostel! It was a really long walk to take down all the cobblestoned streets.

Once we decided how to arrange ourselves at the hostel: adults in one room and girls in the other, we headed out for lunch. At La Pizza, I ordered an eight-inch cheese pizza that came with fries, salad, and coleslaw. I was disappointed that the fries weren’t called chips on the menu. I cleaned my plate except for the salad (it had gross dressing) and the coleslaw and then took a ketchup packet as a souvenir.

All of the streets warn you to look left before crossing

After lunch, we headed to the Tower Bar Book Market, which almost felt like how I imagine Chinatown. It was very urban with street dancers and a book market outdoors. There were plenty of little shops surrounding the square too. I found two books that looked interesting while we were there. We passed a lot of graffiti around that area as well. It seems fairly prominent in Ireland.

We were in a rush though to make it to our Viking Splash Tour, which left from St. Stephen’s Green. The tour was alright. We wore Viking hats and screamed at people on the footpaths when they weren’t expecting it. After the guide took us around Dublin, we briefly went out on the water and he talked a little bit about the history of Dublin. He also showed us where the World is docked as the ship is currently visiting Ireland. I lost the hat I was wearing on the tour though because it was windy and blew right off my head.

After the tour, we stopped in a small shop on our way back to the hostel. I bought a shot glass, lighter, t-shirt, hat, mug, and some postcards. We also stopped at Tesco, the European version of Meijers, and I bought a Kit-Kat because they taste better here. I’m going to take it home with me.

For dinner, we ate macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, grapes, and chocolate chip cookies. I had like five cookies because everyone kept giving me theirs. My travel group cleaned up afterwards and then we came upstairs to have a meeting about tomorrow.