About Poland

Marek
Originally uploaded by rossyrap.

At the beginning of November I went to Poland, in particular to Warsaw for a job seminar.
Unfortunately I couldn't visit Warsaw very deeply. I just was in the downtown, I saw the market square but it was in the evening and it was so dark .. and so cold that I couldn't appreciate it!
Then I spent a week end in Krakow with some colleagues of mine.
As Krakow is 5 hours from Warsaw by car and only 2,40 hours by train we chose the second mean and it was a good idea for many reasons.
First of all we travelled quietly. We appreciated the panorama through the windows and above all we spent the free time for discussing with a person that was sharing the compartment with us. Marek, his name, a polish man, about 45 years old. He was reading a newspaper and as soon as a colleague of mine asked him something about how to visit Auschwitz, it was the beginnning of a "history's lesson" about Poland and it was a big lesson! In fact, he talked for more than 1 hour, about Auschwitz, Warsaw, Krakow, kings, wars and more.
He suggested us do not visit Auschwitz and unfortunately we followed his suggestion. He talked us about the human rest still in the museum and about shoes of children and other stuff left there from the people that died there. We were so impressive that decided do not go.
He talked about second world war, and what amazed me was the cultural disaster that followed that war. He substained that not only people died in that war, but above all the culture because all the people with an high level of education were killed. People as professors from University and Jewish high cultured people were killed on purpose after partecipating to misleading dinners with Nazi.
Then he talked about Italy, as a great country in which culture and every kind of art has its kingdom. He talked about Copernicus that studied in Italy. He was so enthusiastic to talk with italian people :).
After this "for free" lesson he showed us how to get a taxi in Krakow and we couldn't thank him in any way except by taking a picture of us (see picture, Marek is the man with the white cap) and sending it to him by mail. And I did it !
A question arised to me suddenly: why did we choose the same compartment of that person?Was it just luck?or destiny?
Finally we started visiting Krakow, it is a nice place, Pope Juan Paul II is very loved there.
I went back home after a very short visit to Eisenstadt, but I was ill and I just saw the main street for 10 minutes. Nice town!