Day trip to Zakopane, a ski resort in the Tatra mountains, next to the border with Czechoslovakia. It is still unseasonably cold for May. We take a nice and easy walking tour of the town, with a tasty lunch in a local eatery. Nothing special really, it would be much better to come here in full Winter, for skiing, or in Summer, for trekking. Now we can't do either!
In one quaint shop I buy a tea set: pot, 6 cups, and milk jar for zl 2500, nice souvenir.
Dinner in the evening at the Staropolska. Our local guide, Halska, maintains this is a "typical" restaurant, but I hope she is wrong. It is really nothing special, a smoky joint with mediocre food.
Today it's the start of the "Juwenalia", a kind of youth celebrations during which college students go around asking for money. Seems like a Halloween for older kids. The make more noise and ask for money instead of candies.
16 May 1980
Zakopane tour and Juwenalia
Tags (click on a tag to read posts on same topic):
Poland,
TRAVEL,
university
Location:
Zakopane, Poland
15 May 1980
Dunajec river cruise and promises of liberation
Day trip to the Dunajec river, on the border with Czechoslovakia. We drift down the river for 18 km on a big wooden raft piloted by some quite deft local sailors. It is very cold and windy.
We stop for lunch at a local eatery along the banks of the river, al100 for a hearty meal of sausages and potatoes, hot soup. Cheap, tasty and filling.
During the boat ride, we often get very close to the Czechoslovak bank, and a few people here and there come down to have a look at us. It is very embarrassing to hear Pat get up on our raft and yell at them from the top of his lungs: "Hang in there, we'll come to liberate you from Communism!". Once, twice, three times... If only... He is being silly and if he weren't silly he'd be irresponsible.
People here have memories of such promises in the past, when it was Western (especially American) government agencies, such as Voice of America, that gave false illusions to the peoples oppressed by the USSR. Especially when Hungary rose in 1956, many brave Hungarians actually believed that NATO could come forward and liberate them. But it did not, and they were crushed by Soviet and Warsaw Pact tanks.

Location:
Dunajec
14 May 1980
Pieskowa Skala
Morning walking around town for some shopping, but as usual quantity and quality leave a lot to be desired. But I do find something quite interesting: an old Atlas, a huge book printed in Germany right after World War I, which still shows the old German Empire, when Poland, carved up by Russia, Germany and Austria, did not exist as a country.
Polish-German relations have always been touchy, to say the least. They were terrible in the first half of the XX century. It is a bit ironic to find this atlas here. A great buy for zl 2500.
In the afternoon we drive to the Pieskowa Skala castle. Quite impressive. Not so much inside though, even if I feel proud to see that most of the interior decorations, furniture, paintings, sculptures etc are Italian. Apparently the queen of Poland at the time was a Medici and tried to take as much as possible from her native Tuscany to decorate her new home.
Not much here is Polish. They even display pictures of objects which are at other museums elsewhere in Poland. We have to wear some funny slippers to preserve the tired parquet...
Polish-German relations have always been touchy, to say the least. They were terrible in the first half of the XX century. It is a bit ironic to find this atlas here. A great buy for zl 2500.
In the afternoon we drive to the Pieskowa Skala castle. Quite impressive. Not so much inside though, even if I feel proud to see that most of the interior decorations, furniture, paintings, sculptures etc are Italian. Apparently the queen of Poland at the time was a Medici and tried to take as much as possible from her native Tuscany to decorate her new home.
Not much here is Polish. They even display pictures of objects which are at other museums elsewhere in Poland. We have to wear some funny slippers to preserve the tired parquet...
Location:
Kraków, Poland
13 May 1980
Salt mine and fine arts
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Nativity scene made of salt |
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Salt reproduction of Leonardo's last supper |
Pat picks up a cute girl from East Germany. Two in fact. Good luck.
Then back to Krakow, to visit the Museum of Fine Arts. Many many paintings by Italian artists, among whom a madonna with an ermine by Leonardo is the most notable.
Location:
Wielicka, Kraków, Poland
12 May 1980
Oswienczim, the Nazi Lager of Auschwitz

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Crematorium |
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Wall of executions |
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Cloth made with human hair |
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Belongings of prisoners |
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Shoes |
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Hair |
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Birkenau |
We have lunch at 4:30, we could just not get away from the museum and its sister camp of Birkenau, where more people died than at the more famous Auschwitz.
Afterwards a walk downtown to do a little shopping with Ann, but all stores close at 7 and we can't get much done.
It's been an exhausting day, emotionally if not physically, and the evening is spent in the hotel room, reading and writing this diary.
Location:
Oswiecim, Poland
11 May 1980
Krakow visit and Moscow Olympics
Today we visit the city with Bogdan, who has hired a local tour guide to show us the sights. She is rather shy and underwhelming but we do learn a few bits and pieces of information as we go along.
Morning at the Wawel, impressive.
Excellent lunch at the Holiday Inn hotel. All meals for this trip are paid for by SGPiS, so we can let hell break loose and order anything that strikes our fancy!
Afternoon touring downtown with Ann, we'd like to do some shopping but it's Sunday and most stores are closed.
During dinner I have only a start of a discussion with Mat, our classmate from New Jersey, who is in a particularly bad mood. Always a sueprconservatives, he is especially belligerent today. Only a start of a discussion because it is impossible to discuss with him, so I let go. Despite his dislike for president Carter, he supports his boycott of the Moscow Olympics in light of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. I think differently, and believe that politics and sports should be kept separate. France is sending its athletes to Moscow, and they will march under the French flag at the opening ceremony. Italy is sending its athletes but without a flag, only the seal of the olympic committee. I kind of agree with my own country this time. Mat would like to inflict infernal punishment on any American athlete who would want to attend the Olympics in Moscow.
Great meal in the hotel, then we all hit the sack early, it's been a long day.
Morning at the Wawel, impressive.
Excellent lunch at the Holiday Inn hotel. All meals for this trip are paid for by SGPiS, so we can let hell break loose and order anything that strikes our fancy!
Afternoon touring downtown with Ann, we'd like to do some shopping but it's Sunday and most stores are closed.
During dinner I have only a start of a discussion with Mat, our classmate from New Jersey, who is in a particularly bad mood. Always a sueprconservatives, he is especially belligerent today. Only a start of a discussion because it is impossible to discuss with him, so I let go. Despite his dislike for president Carter, he supports his boycott of the Moscow Olympics in light of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. I think differently, and believe that politics and sports should be kept separate. France is sending its athletes to Moscow, and they will march under the French flag at the opening ceremony. Italy is sending its athletes but without a flag, only the seal of the olympic committee. I kind of agree with my own country this time. Mat would like to inflict infernal punishment on any American athlete who would want to attend the Olympics in Moscow.
Great meal in the hotel, then we all hit the sack early, it's been a long day.
Location:
Kraków, Poland
10 May 1980
Trip to Kracow
Not sure whether to spell it Cracow with two Cs or Kralow with two Ks. Somehow I prefer Krakow, it's more Polish.
After an early breakfast we meet with our professor Bogdan and Borzena. Bogdan has organized a minivan to take us to the second most important city in Poland. We spend the whole day in the vahicle, a rickety product of Czechoslovakia, I think, but I am not sure. It's got pretty hard shock absorbers and it's pretty slow, not that you could go very fast anyway on the Polish "highways" but it does the job. Reliable and not too noisy.
Short break at Jaskinia Raj to view some pretty impressive caves of stalactites and stalagmites.
Later one lunch break at Kielce, not impressive.
We finally reach Krakow by the late afternoon. The evening starts well with an excellent dinner at the "Cracovia" hotel. Lots of tasty and hearty food, especially meat.
We then decide to try a local disco, but it's a dark and stinky lair and we run away after less than five minutes inside. Much better to take a walk around the old town. The city is full of Italians, you can hear the language everywhere. This is certainly in part because of the publicity Poland got in my country after the election of the Polish Pope two years ago. But it is as certainly also because of the reputation of Poland, among other Eastern European countries, as a place to easily trade a pair of stockings with a night of love. Not love, really, just sex.
The most fun part of the night is going back to the hotel in a horse-drawn carriage that looks like it's been taken from a fairy tale.
As we go to sleep, Andrew and I share a room, Ann and Borzena another.
After an early breakfast we meet with our professor Bogdan and Borzena. Bogdan has organized a minivan to take us to the second most important city in Poland. We spend the whole day in the vahicle, a rickety product of Czechoslovakia, I think, but I am not sure. It's got pretty hard shock absorbers and it's pretty slow, not that you could go very fast anyway on the Polish "highways" but it does the job. Reliable and not too noisy.
Short break at Jaskinia Raj to view some pretty impressive caves of stalactites and stalagmites.
Later one lunch break at Kielce, not impressive.
We finally reach Krakow by the late afternoon. The evening starts well with an excellent dinner at the "Cracovia" hotel. Lots of tasty and hearty food, especially meat.
We then decide to try a local disco, but it's a dark and stinky lair and we run away after less than five minutes inside. Much better to take a walk around the old town. The city is full of Italians, you can hear the language everywhere. This is certainly in part because of the publicity Poland got in my country after the election of the Polish Pope two years ago. But it is as certainly also because of the reputation of Poland, among other Eastern European countries, as a place to easily trade a pair of stockings with a night of love. Not love, really, just sex.
The most fun part of the night is going back to the hotel in a horse-drawn carriage that looks like it's been taken from a fairy tale.
As we go to sleep, Andrew and I share a room, Ann and Borzena another.
Location:
Kraków, Poland
09 May 1980
World War II Victory Day celebrations
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Polish Army parading on 9th May 1980 |
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Victoria Hotel behind unknown soldier monument |
These days, of course, it is the fight against Germany that takes center stage. And for sure that is what detonated World War II. And Germany inflicted unspeakable human and economic damage to Poland between 1939 and 1945. More so to Polish Jews. The Soviet attack that immediately followed the German invasion on 1 September 1939, however, gets very short shrift. The official propaganda sings the praise of the heroic Soviet army that resisted German aggression and then moved to counterattack and liberate Poland (and Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, and Romania etc.) from fascism.
Of course, all but the most naive Poles know that is far from the whole truth. But they can't talk about it, not these days in Communist Poland where no one is a Communist but censorship, and self-censorship, are tight.
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
08 May 1980
Foreign policy exam
Morning at home studying, then light lunch (sort of light) with bread and sausages we got from Marian and Ewa.
There is not much meat available in Poland, not expensive choice cuts anyway. But sausages (keilbasa!) have been our best friends for many meals. Cheap and almost always easily available, they go very well with hearty Polish bread and savory butter. And vodka of course, though not today, since we have to write an exam this afternoon. Not that it will make much of a difference, give the kind of exam that awaits us.
In the afternoon, written exam of Polish Foreign Policy. Easy. Too easy, not challenging at all.
There is not much meat available in Poland, not expensive choice cuts anyway. But sausages (keilbasa!) have been our best friends for many meals. Cheap and almost always easily available, they go very well with hearty Polish bread and savory butter. And vodka of course, though not today, since we have to write an exam this afternoon. Not that it will make much of a difference, give the kind of exam that awaits us.
In the afternoon, written exam of Polish Foreign Policy. Easy. Too easy, not challenging at all.
Tags (click on a tag to read posts on same topic):
Poland,
TRAVEL,
university
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
07 May 1980
More studying and eating
In the morning we get a phone call in our collective corridor phone. It's the Orbis travel agent: our Soviet visa has arrived! Or rather the confirmation from Moscow that we are going to get our visa. Good enough, I hope. Apparently we are the first Western group of students in an exchange program with SGPiS to get a Soviet visa, everyone else who tried before us was turned down.
Written exam on CMEA. Nonsense, but easy. All we have to do, really, is to praise the glory of the socialist brotherhood of nations. We also interject some mild criticism to make it more credible. What a joke.
Then another lunch at Borzena's home. Her hospitality is really incredible. Yes she obviously has much to gain from her friendship with us, but still, she goes far beyond what would be expected or even hoped for. It is difficult to think of reciprocating. Her mother almost moves us to tears every time for her efforts in the kitchen. But that is not the point.
After another pantagruelian lunch back home to pseudostudy Polish foreign policy with Ann. We then go for a cosy dinner at the Canaletto restaurant of the Victoria hotel.
Written exam on CMEA. Nonsense, but easy. All we have to do, really, is to praise the glory of the socialist brotherhood of nations. We also interject some mild criticism to make it more credible. What a joke.
Then another lunch at Borzena's home. Her hospitality is really incredible. Yes she obviously has much to gain from her friendship with us, but still, she goes far beyond what would be expected or even hoped for. It is difficult to think of reciprocating. Her mother almost moves us to tears every time for her efforts in the kitchen. But that is not the point.
After another pantagruelian lunch back home to pseudostudy Polish foreign policy with Ann. We then go for a cosy dinner at the Canaletto restaurant of the Victoria hotel.
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
06 May 1980
Exams and study
In the morning we go for our Political Systems exam, very easy.
Afternoon to study the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, or Comecon. This was once believed to be the USSR's response to the Western European Common Market. But it's always been anything but. Anyway, relations are mostly regulated bilaterally.
Moreover, many countries wanted to join the Common Market, there was a waiting list and no country ever left once they joined. While no other European country I was aware of wanted to join the CMEA, while more than one member state would have likely left already if they had had a chance to do so. Albania actually did.
Never seen so much nonsense concentrated in so few pages like in our course material.
Afternoon to study the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, or Comecon. This was once believed to be the USSR's response to the Western European Common Market. But it's always been anything but. Anyway, relations are mostly regulated bilaterally.
Moreover, many countries wanted to join the Common Market, there was a waiting list and no country ever left once they joined. While no other European country I was aware of wanted to join the CMEA, while more than one member state would have likely left already if they had had a chance to do so. Albania actually did.
Never seen so much nonsense concentrated in so few pages like in our course material.
Tags (click on a tag to read posts on same topic):
communism,
economy,
Poland,
TRAVEL,
university
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
05 May 1980
Informal lecture on the real political system of Poland
In the morning we have our history exam. The question is "Communist takeover in Eastern European Communist countries". The wording is a bit convoluted, even recursive.
In the evening I am in my room studying for the next exam on "Political Systems" when Stefan pops in and tells me not to waste any time with this nonsense. Things are not like what they teach us. He sits down and goes on for a long time with a most interesting monologue on "real politics" in Poland, ie on how the HQ of the Communist party decides everything and sends orders down the chain of "democratic centralism", all the way to the lowliest head of a small party cell in the countryside.
Most interesting indeed, even if I won't be able to use this material in the exam tomorrow. But who cares? I learned more tonight about Poland's political system than in all of our classes put together.
In the evening I am in my room studying for the next exam on "Political Systems" when Stefan pops in and tells me not to waste any time with this nonsense. Things are not like what they teach us. He sits down and goes on for a long time with a most interesting monologue on "real politics" in Poland, ie on how the HQ of the Communist party decides everything and sends orders down the chain of "democratic centralism", all the way to the lowliest head of a small party cell in the countryside.
Most interesting indeed, even if I won't be able to use this material in the exam tomorrow. But who cares? I learned more tonight about Poland's political system than in all of our classes put together.
Tags (click on a tag to read posts on same topic):
Poland,
TRAVEL,
university
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
04 May 1980
End of an era in Yugoslavia
Full day at home studying for our exams.
Except for a longish lunch break at Borzena's. As usual, we are treated to a wide array of hard to find animal proteins, tasty bread and veggies though I try to be careful with the alcohol so as not to endanger the prosecution of my reviewing later in the afternoon.
We hear some news which is very relevant to our studies: Jozif Broz Tito, the long-time ruler of Communist Yugoslavia, has died today. Things will never be the same in Yugoslavia, and are likely to change between Yugoslavia and the rest of the Socialist camp, not necessarily for the better. I wonder whether the USSR, strong of its initial success in Afghanistan, might be tempted to reassert its control in neutral, but nominally Communist, Yugoslavia.
Except for a longish lunch break at Borzena's. As usual, we are treated to a wide array of hard to find animal proteins, tasty bread and veggies though I try to be careful with the alcohol so as not to endanger the prosecution of my reviewing later in the afternoon.
We hear some news which is very relevant to our studies: Jozif Broz Tito, the long-time ruler of Communist Yugoslavia, has died today. Things will never be the same in Yugoslavia, and are likely to change between Yugoslavia and the rest of the Socialist camp, not necessarily for the better. I wonder whether the USSR, strong of its initial success in Afghanistan, might be tempted to reassert its control in neutral, but nominally Communist, Yugoslavia.
Tags (click on a tag to read posts on same topic):
Poland,
TRAVEL,
Yugoslavia
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
03 May 1980
Telephone in the dorm house
Full day at home studying with Ann for our upcoming exams. Easy stuff.
The afternoon is interrupted by Ewa's call: they need the apartment's keys back for the landlord. Oh well, too bad but I could see it coming. But we already got quite a few free days. Apparently Marian had come by the apartment in the afternoon, but we were not there. We should have been there!
We don't have a private phone in our dorm rooms of course, only a common telephone in the corridor. When we receive a call someone of goodwill must pick up and alert the person being called. Or take a message. We never pick up the phone because we hardly ever receive a call, and anyway it would be difficult to understand unless the calling party speaks English. So in a way we are phone free riders. But most colleagues seems happy to do us this favor, and guessing the content of calls makes for some good gossip among the students.
Andrew and I deliver the keys in the evening. Always a good opportunity to have a chat with Marian and Ewa and catch up on their vision of the world.
The afternoon is interrupted by Ewa's call: they need the apartment's keys back for the landlord. Oh well, too bad but I could see it coming. But we already got quite a few free days. Apparently Marian had come by the apartment in the afternoon, but we were not there. We should have been there!
We don't have a private phone in our dorm rooms of course, only a common telephone in the corridor. When we receive a call someone of goodwill must pick up and alert the person being called. Or take a message. We never pick up the phone because we hardly ever receive a call, and anyway it would be difficult to understand unless the calling party speaks English. So in a way we are phone free riders. But most colleagues seems happy to do us this favor, and guessing the content of calls makes for some good gossip among the students.
Andrew and I deliver the keys in the evening. Always a good opportunity to have a chat with Marian and Ewa and catch up on their vision of the world.
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
01 May 1980
1 may: International Workers' Day celebration
Unfortunately today my folks have to fly home. So they will miss the great celebrations of international workers' day, especially important in a socialist country. Preparations have been underway for several days and the city is full of fancy decorations, ideological banners, red flags and big stars.
After taking them to the airport I return to school and join the SGPiS students for a long walk to downtown. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life converge to the Marszalkowska avenue and parade in front of a grand stand with General Secretary Gierek, the Politburo of the communist party, the government, foreign diplomats etc. Stefan is with them, as representative of the students!
Warsaw is red today.
I take lots of pictures. At one point I want to take a picture of Andrew with his arms raised up in a parody of surrender in front of the headquarters of the communist party. It looks a bit ironic, we have been mocking the party aloud and maybe they heard and understood us? Anyway the zealous officer wants the roll of my camera. I am a bit upset and start arguing when Borzena comes along and persuades him to let us go. Phewww...
In the evening back to the parents flat to study for exams with Ann. At 11pm I prepare some spaghetti arrabbiata to appropriately see off a very red day! And a hot evening...
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Andrew at the HQ of the Communist Party |
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Marco with the school's flag |
After taking them to the airport I return to school and join the SGPiS students for a long walk to downtown. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life converge to the Marszalkowska avenue and parade in front of a grand stand with General Secretary Gierek, the Politburo of the communist party, the government, foreign diplomats etc. Stefan is with them, as representative of the students!
Warsaw is red today.
I take lots of pictures. At one point I want to take a picture of Andrew with his arms raised up in a parody of surrender in front of the headquarters of the communist party. It looks a bit ironic, we have been mocking the party aloud and maybe they heard and understood us? Anyway the zealous officer wants the roll of my camera. I am a bit upset and start arguing when Borzena comes along and persuades him to let us go. Phewww...
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Romek |
Location:
Warsaw, Poland
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