It’s been nearly a week since I’ve returned from Poland, and I can’t help myself but to keep recalling all my good memories from my trip!
I know I’ve posted several statuses on how good a time I had there, so I won’t dwell on it very much on this blog, but really, I had such a good time and I have fallen in love with everything that is Polish; the culture, the food, the people!
Now, last I blogged, I was still in Krakow and I still had another day there, so here are the pictures from my last day in Krakow:
As I was leaving the city, literally as I was rushing to the bus station to leave, I stumbled into the wall surrounding the old town.
A nice Jewish cemetary was nestled in the Jewish quarter.
Along with this gem below, and I’m still not sure what it is…
And I ran into Pope John Paul II in the wax museum!
Following my mom’s suggestions, on my last night in Krakow I went to a restaurant and got a Polish dinner. What we have below here is fermented rhy soup served in a bread bowl, accompanied by fried cabbage, which is apparently eaten at Christmas. Needless to say I had a delicious and filling meal, the cabbage, especially, was amazing.
This is a Polish sausage I had while wandering the streets. Equally delicious, and a good break from the cold!
Now let’s all keep in mind, the main purpose of me going to Poland was to attend this conference in Warsaw, so on the Tuesday I jumped on a long bus that brought me from one important Polish city to another.
Once in Warsaw, I got picked up by one of the organizers of the conference and met the gang. Everyone was incredibly nice!! The organizers were social with the international students throughout the whole thing and I made lots of good friends among the participants as well. Truly, I know now that I have friends who I will keep in touch with and the people really do make the experience, I must say, and I could not have asked to be surrounded by better people.
Interesting how it works in terms of languages in Poland. All students MUST absolutely learn English, and they start doing so at a young age. They must also select another language to learn, either French, Italian, Spanish or German, and so by the time they’re about my age they can hold a conversation in three languages, which is impressive because it applies to almost everyone.
This conference and this trip also presented me with the opportunity to learn a lot about Polish culture. I learned that Poland’s climate is very similar to Canada’s, and I noticed we and the Poles actually do have much in common. For example, they go skiing there in the Winter and they go apple-picking in autumn! It was really cool to completely be able to relate with someone from a completely different country.
The warm hospitality was also nice and something I was really happy to receive, and it went well with the cold-ish weather. I say cold-ish because compared to Madrid, it was cold, but compared to the weather I’ve been used to my whole life in Montreal, it was nothing new for me. I just wore a hoodie, my trench coat, a hat and gloves and I was good!
Also, interestingly, the parties there follow similar schedules than Canadian parties, people go out a lot earlier and turn in a lot earlier, no partying all night like in Spain (though I did pull an all-nighter the night I had to fly out from Warsaw to Milan).
The conference itself was a great experience, I found three of the five to be extremely informative and I definitely come home more enriched than I was before I left. One of my main lessons was that I should always know how to ask and how to answer empowering questions wherever I am, which was very interesting.
All in all, I had such a good time in Poland it was so extremely saddening to leave. In fact, since my third stop on my trip was Milan, I missed the Krakow trip with the group (though I’d gone on my own beforehand) and I heard they had lots of fun. Regardless, Poland, I will be back!
Oh, and Warsaw is a beautiful city too, btw!
Interesting fact, the city was completely demolished during WWII, literally to the last brick, so the entire city, including the old town, was reconstructed, and it really does have a feeling of a reconstructed old town. Take a look.
This building was a gift by communist Russia to Poland. The lookouts are from the rooftop. Interesting piece of history.
The main square below. Truly captivating! The main building is a castle!
Of course, the city is surrounded by a fortress!
Mmm Pierogis (dumplings), heavy but delicious.
Oh, and I ran into my cousin Mario from Italy in Warsaw, what are the odds!? But I was sooooo happy to see him it had been four years! I will be visiting him in Italy in less than a month though. A presto, Mario!
(It was cold)
… and this post ain’t even done!!!
So, I left Poland on the Friday and was off to Milan, for my FIRST EVER VISIT TO ITALY!!!!!!!!!
21 years I’ve been identifying as Italian without ever having been. Can’t say that I’ve never been anymore. This trip was more for me to get to know my great-uncle and to see my aunt from Cancun, though also we visited the city and had amazing food.
First interesting story I have to tell is that of my uncles neighbors, Signore e Signora Colombi, and about Italian hospitality, something I am totally used to.
Signori Colombi were one of the nicest couples you’ll ever find, and as soon as I went over to say hi the wife didn’t even wait one second before rushing to the kitchen and COOKING! And so she prepared us a huge meal and regardless of how stuffed you are, you cannot refuse food from and Italian, especially not an elderly Italian.
In fact, on my way out, she cooked us another meal all’improvviso, and her food was truly delicious, though she kept running into the kitchen to cook so she was actually scarcely seen at the table, which was sad because she should be enjoying her meal. Signora, si sieda e mangi, non si preoccupi di me dai!
She even gave me a Christmas gift to bring home, honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.
This is the meal she prepared me on my last day, it was chickpeas, ravioli and meat in a broth. Her own invention, apparently, but delicious! Accompanied by… homemade ice cream!
Now, my uncle is also one of the nicest people I’ve met, and he took me out into town to see Milan, which was a perfect introduction to Italian cities. Milan has been criticized, I’m not sure why, the architecture is impressive and the Duomo is just captivating!
The attention to detail on this masterpiece is impressive, as every single spoke on the rooftop features a statue of a different person. Amazing.
And of course, we had some pizza at some small pizzeria near the Duomo, best pizza I’ve ever had!
And other notable food in Milan included some nicer-restaurant pizza while visiting cousins I previously did not know existed, and, of course, panettone!
Needless to say I ate well.
So after probably the most amazing trip of my life, which included three cities, a new culture and people and experiences I will never forget, it’s time for me to start planning more trips and live more experiences, but I needn’t neglect school, and my life here in Madrid, and I must keep true to a promise I made with myself to involve myself in more organized social activities here in Madrid.
Three months here, ready for nine more in the best experience of my life!
Dan.
Studying Abroad in Madrid!! 