Parting Thoughts on Warsaw and Poland

Bryan

It has been an incredible and at times unbelievable nine months here in Warsaw, partly due to our travels around Europe, but mostly due to the abundant hospitality of Poles and the impressive quality of life offered in Warsaw. We have seen so many amazing things, met so many wonderful people, and had innumerable experiences that will continue to shape us for the rest of our lives.

It was so fascinating to live in a place where so so often the cultural norms could be so different, but in the end it was the idiosyncrasies of Poland that made the biggest impact on us - the attention to detail, the reluctance to rush, the formulaic politeness, the enthusiastic friendliness hiding just beneath the stoic surface, and the passionate faith (how nice not running into contempt for God around every corner). These elements of our daily life will be sorely missed.

We've had to say goodbye to a lot of wonderful people - Fulbright colleagues, fellow Dantiscus-ophiles at the University of Warsaw, Parish friends, Polish friends, and generally some of the nicest people we've ever met. It has been sad but we're comforted by the knowledge that we will be trying especially hard to reunite with many of them in the future, perhaps even back here in Warsaw someday!

Warsaw was a wonderful, stimulating, and comforting home during the first nine months of our marriage, and we wouldn't trade this experience for anything. We're happy to be returning to the US, but sad to be leaving our briefly-adopted home in Poland, where we've learned so much and have been forever changed for the better.

Do zobaczenia, Polsko! Cię kochamy a będziemy wracali, kiedy najpierw to możliwość!
(Until we meet again, Poland! We love you and we will be returning, when first we can!)

Emily
Looking back, we've come a long way since arriving here last September - freshly married (both), freshly Catholic (one), and clueless about what to expect of life in Poland (both). Navigating the city and the language started out as a scary thing but has become second nature and even comfortable. We made our first house (well, Polish mieskanie) here. We took our first trips as a married couple (and second and third and fourth and...) and learned how we travel best (and selfie best). We entered fully into the "Polish spirituality", made pilgrimages, went to Mass in seven different languages, adopted new traditions. We got ourselves into impossible situations in non-native tongues and got ourselves out again. We tried to open Poland to our friends and family and share the goodness! We've seen much and learned more, from our interactions with friends and surprises with strangers. And through it all, most of all, we have changed our landscape here and been changed ourselves. A little bit of our individual selves and our couple self will always be from this time in our life, and for that we are grateful.

Do Zobaczenia, Warszawa! / See you later, Warsaw!

During the past few weeks we've been trying to revisit all of our favorite haunts in Warsaw, as well as to visit several of the many intriguing museums, restaurants, clubs, and neighborhoods that we still had not seen. We also took the time to enjoy the weather in other parts of Poland, even as the sun set on our time in his diverse and beautiful country. We spent a week in Olsztyn, a small city in the Northeast, which was a wonderfully relaxing time for us. We got to see a slower speed of life in Poland, but also experienced how much pride, passion, and joy is displayed by Poles in smaller cities. A quick side trip via country bus brought us to Lidzbark Warmiński, Dantiscus' capital and castle during his time as a bishop, one of the coolest (at least by Bryan's estimation) 4 hours we've spent here. We made a second trip up to Gdańsk and Sopot on the Baltic coast, taking in as much of these vibrant cities as we could in 2 days and enjoying the seaside one last time. Then, this past Saturday, we accompanied Zach and Agata to Swiebodzin, a small city in western Poland outside of which Agata's grandfather lives. We briefly got to experience life in a 100-person village and have a real Polish home-cooked obiad (luncheon), before heading back to Warsaw.

When you move from a great city in which you've lived, you mourn it in many ways - sights, smells, tastes, people. We've tried to fill our final days in our adopted home city with each of those things to make leaving easier, most notably...

1. St. Paul's English Speaking Parish of Warsaw - A deceptively unassuming but much beloved Father Wiesław ties together this multinational community with his humor, bigheartedness, and persistent pastoral care. We also found out at the Parish End-of-the-Year Picnic that he can really rock out. We loved this Catholic community that we found with friends from Poland, Brazil, India, the UK, Ireland, and the Philippines, and had a few get-togethers to say goodbye to all.

2. Fun summer events - Warsaw has come alive as the summer weather has set in, with almost every restaurant offering outdoor seating, the beaches and barge-bars along the river opening up, and the city's summer festivals occupying almost every weekend. Poles' countenances seem to follow the weather, and the summer weather has truly demonstrated how lively, passionate, and fun-loving Poles are, from high school students all the way to senior citizens. We've loved checking out the hoppin' outdoor patios and food stands to free concerts in the parks and impromptu gatherings (for open drinking) next to the Wisła. Thanks to Poland's s (so far) success in the Euro Cup and Poles' corresponding enthusiasm for their national team - we've attended several large viewing parties and have cheered right along with the national cheer "Polska, biało-czerwoni!!" (Poland, white and red!).

Sangria Fest (at Aioli)

Street Fashion Show

Outdoor Viewing of EuroCup 2016 match

 3. Food - very close to our hearts (and stomachs). We could never get enough.

Freshly baked pączki

Naleśniki with beza (meringue)

4. Drinks - kiedy w Polsce / when in Poland

The "Last Night in Warsaw" Challenge

5. Views 

Taras Widokowy (Viewing Terrace) over Stare Miasto (Old Town)

"Kocham Warszawę / I love Warsaw" on the Samsung Building

Bonus - Emily's cousin, Alix, arrived on a business trip from Amsterdam. So glad to show her the city yesterday (and that her trip was not next week!!)

W Górach / In the mountains

We were thrilled to have friends from D.C. spend several days with us as they wrapped up a short summer trip in Europe. We met Sarah and Willi in Kraków on Tuesday night, and the four of us set out by bus on Wednesday morning for new ground for all - Zakopane.

Zakopane is a popular town in southern Poland that is located at the foot of the Tatras Mountains, very close to the Slovakian border. With a funicular, a ferris wheel, a hundred market stalls, two chair lifts, and ski slopes, Zakopane is a bit of a zoo. But its Polish mountain charm and usefulness as a jumping off point for hiking in the Tatras National Park lured us in, and we really did enjoy our time there and would recommend it to others!

The highlights:

1/ Hiking to beautiful Morskie Oko (the largest of the Tatras lakes)

2/ Tasting the regional cheese oscypek (smoked, salty sheep cheese) which is a protected specialty item under EU law... and pairs very well with cranberry jam when grilled!

 Yummm!

3/ Riding one of the chair lifts (in the rain, no less!) down from the viewpoint over the city

 

4/ Bartering for goods at the market stalls downtown. The haul included: natural sheepskin (for Willi), wooden gnome "Pan Las" (for Bryan), felt laptop kitty bag (for Emily), and postcards (Sarah). No photos so here's a nice stock photo of the pedestrian street:

5/ And finally, celebrating a return to Warsaw at the boat bars by the river :)

It was a week to remember, and we hope that Sarah & Willi found Poland to their liking :) The countdown continues, and as it does we feel sadder and sadder about our imminent departure from this country we've enjoyed calling our home away from home. More soon! Goodnight from Olszytn ;)

One month to go...

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend - and we are so grateful for our country's armed forces and those who have been lost in conflicts past and present. Our current country of residence (and the continent it sits on!) would look very differently today if it weren't for brave men and women in the U.S. and around the world who gave their lives in service. 

Today marks the first of our last 30 days in Poland, which is hard to believe. May was a whirlwind! We have been busy criss-crossing the continent, squeezing in a few more trips with some of our favorite people. Here's a quick look at where we've been:

Norway, with Em's brother (and fresh college graduate!), Jack

  
 

Edinburgh, Scotland, with Chelsea

 

Croatia (with a side trip into Bosnia!) for Memorial Day weekend

 

Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

30 days... but we're not done yet! Tonight we head down to ye olde Krakow to meet our friends from DC - Sarah and Willi - for some hiking in the Tatras Mountains near Zakopane. And next week - we head up to Olsztyn in the north for some research (Bryan) and rays (Em, kidding). 

We will squeeze out another post or two yet! Thanks for reading and have a great week :)

Guest Post from the Maynard Koziks! (Part Two)

Back in Warszawa, visiting museums, Palaces and Cathedrals, we had the most amazing, knowledgeable, and patient tour guide in Bryan. Constantly astounded by his command of the Polish language in the short time he’s been there, the amount of historical information stored in his brain, and his ability to make it all so interesting, we heard more Polish history (and especially how it related to Dantiscus) than we can ever possibly remember. Dziękuję Bryan!! It was on this day that the “international incident” almost occurred. At our request, Bryan took us to an authentic Milk Bar restaurant for some home-cooked Polish delicacies. When Pat asked for sour cream on her meat pierogi (which evidently is never done) Bryan had to use all the Polish he knew, along with hand gestures and apologies for his mother, to calm down the babci in the kitchen!

Next up, the truly fun and tasty Vodka Tour! Walking around the city to different restaurants with a personable and very knowledgeable guide, we ate and drank shots as we learned which bottles to smuggle home in our suitcases…hahaha! Did anyone say Apple Pie?? It needs to be said at this point that even Pam did shots!! Na zdrowie!!

On Friday, headaches and all, we headed to Gdansk on the train for the day. We had a great seafood lunch looking out over the Wisła, and had so much fun on our search for amber. Then we were on a mission!! Thanks to the timely calculations of our hosts, we took a train to the resort area and put our feet in the Baltic Sea!!!

Friday night found us back in Warszawa, eating another wonderful Polish meal at Folk Gospoda. Dave finally got to eat his Golonka (pig knuckle) and we had many shots and cocktails to dull the pain of thinking about leaving the next day.

As we were leaving, Bryan and Emily asked us our favorite parts of the trip and what we were surprised about. Although impossible to narrow down what we liked best to one or two or even three things, we can say we came away from this once-in-a-lifetime experience with a great appreciation of the Polish people and their pride in their history, culture, and strength. We were thrilled to interact with different nationalities, and felt woefully inadequate in only being able to speak English, as everywhere we went people were welcoming and helpful.

These are a few of our favorite things….

Seeing Bryan and Emily. Watching with amazement how, in such a short time, they have navigated the language and culture. Meeting the wonderful friends they have made since living in Polska. Feeling pride at the smart, talented, and wonderful couple they are and watching their beautiful relationship full of love and faith.

Dziekuje! Dziekuje! Dziekuje to our remarkable hosts, Bryan and Emily, for all you did to make our trip to Poland so perfect! From finding us lovely and perfectly located Airbnb accommodations, making reservations, purchasing train tickets, getting us Złoty, choosing fabulous restaurants, and organizing a schedule that included every wonderful Polish experience they could possibly fit in! We feel blessed to have shared this amazing trip you! You gave us one-of-a-kind insight into this special place you have called home since September 2015. Our trip that began with pride ended exponentially with more. You are superb ambassadors! Well done Bryan and Emily!!

Guest Post from the Maynard Koziks! (Part One)

As fun as it has been sharing out adventures with you all, we're sure you are interested in what other visitors' impressions of Poland have been. So here is a guest post from the Maynard Koziks - Pat and Dave - about their recent trip with Pam to visit us in Warsaw:

Our Polska adventure officially began as Bryan was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, prompting us to get our first passports! Time passed, tickets were purchased, and our trip became a reality. Bryan and Emily demonstrated immeasurable patience with all of our questions and concerns, and began sending us daily emails with a “Polish word of the day” and a Polish history lesson. We began to practice our “jen-KOO-ye” and “jeen-DOH-brih” and especially our “g-JAY yest TOH-uh-let”!  Many jokes were made about us forgetting something, getting lost, being “too friendly” on the tram, or causing an “international incident.” Truth be told, that assessment was pretty accurate!  Dave left his jacket at home, Pam and/or Pat set off an alarm at the airport, and Dave chatted with a nice gent from Glasgow who seemed to follow us around the airport with a glass of wine. And that was before we left Boston!

Following our schedule (Emily color-coded it by city, put unalterable events in bold type, gave us our addresses, put links to special events on it, and emphasized the flexibility built into the week! WOW! I really think she could make a career out of this!!) we proceeded to fly to Munich and missed our connecting flight (NOT OUR FAULT!). Knowing that Bry and Em would be waiting for us at the airport in Warszawa (probably saying “we told you so”), Pat attempted to navigate a computer in German to send an email. During our wait at the airport we met a lovely family name Kozic, and shared our knowledge of Polish by singing “ah ah ah kotki dwa” with their children. Who told us not to talk to strangers??

What a joyous feeling to see Bryan and Emily waiting for us at Chopin Airport!!! Although they are so wonderful about skyping with us every week, to get real hugs and kisses and see how great they are was very emotional for me!  They took us to our beautiful Airbnb where they had stocked our kitchen and had flowers, vodka, and wine awaiting us. We spent the rest of the day exploring Old Town, shopping, and eating great Polish food at Kameralna. The special welcome they planned for us that night included hundreds of in-line skaters in a parade, the Changing of the Guard walking with us to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and a fireworks display over the city. Quite an introduction to Poland!

On Sunday we went to Mass at their church, St. Paul’s. Obviously they are well known in their Parish, where we met their very nice Pastor and they were asked to assist in the service. We followed church with being treated to a wonderful meal prepared by Emily (fabulous soup and cake) and Bryan (homemade gołąbki) at their apartment. Then it was off to the ballet!! The Tempest, a new modern ballet performed at the Opera House, was one of the highlights of my trip. The vision of dancers undulating onto the stage symbolizing waves still brings me joy! (Pat) 

The week that followed is almost a blur. Looking back, we can’t believe we packed in so many fun activities. The Adventure Warsaw Tour, with the most adorable and enthusiastic guide, gave us a complete overview of Warszawa along with interesting tidbits of history and culture. The train ride to Krakow allowed us to enjoy the beautiful countryside before we checked-in to our 6 bedroom (no kidding….full kitchen, fireplace, 3 bathrooms!) apartment on the Old Town square. Horse-drawn carriages, cathedrals, castles, hourly trumpet players, Salt Mines, flowers, cafes, delicious food, and all the beauty and culture of Krakow unfolded over 2 memorable days.

One very special memory I will always treasure. There was no one happier than I, walking, arms around each other in the pouring rain sharing one umbrella, with my daughter-in-law. Seeking out the special shops Emily had researched for our day shopping together, she used her wonderful Polish language skills to get us around Krakow. I loved our conversations, learned even more why Bryan loves her so much, and can honestly say, one of my best days ever! Certainly, best daughter-in-law ever!! (Pat)