Word for the Travel Wise (11/14/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Okay, hmm… I went to check out the Poland tourism site to see if there was any kind of cool event to tie into the word piece tonight and the first thing that pops out at me is the emergency hotline for travelers. What’s that all about Poland? Is something going on over there the curious vagabond needs to know about? For those who get stuck or in a bind while in Poland, this word is for you…

Today’s word is a Polish word used in Poland:

pomoc! – help!

Interested parties can further their skills by visiting this Skwierzyna site for an Adobe PDF filled with excellent info and dictionary of Polish facts. Additional sites include Anglik for very basic info, Skwierzyna.net for additional links, and Angielski to learn Polish in Poland. Recommended pocket guides can be purchased at Lonely Planet. Download the word above and more at BBC languages quick fix.

Past Polish words: doswiadczenie, witamy, do widzenia

Central Europe in Trouble?

by Iva Skoch on

If you missed 1989, now is a good opportunity to sample the “revolutionary, yet peaceful” spirit of Central Europe once again. Head over to Budapest.

Hungarian students have been protesting the new socialist government of the Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány for a week now. Last weekend, he admitted to the nation, that his party lied about the real state of the Hungarian economy in order to win the election. Apparently, everyone lies, so he didn’t see anything wrong with admitting to it. Since then, students have been demonstrating in the streets of Budapest, demanding his resignation. Sure, you have some radical nuts and soccer hooligans joining the crowds, but that is the way things in Central Europe have been — ranging from the extreme left to the extreme right.

Some say this is the first indication that Central Europe is in trouble: Hungary is wrapped up in protest, Poland is on the verge of a government crises and Czech Republic has a “puppet” government in place before preliminary elections are called. I think being in the good old revolutionary days is pretty cool. It’s good to see students in the streets again, rather than only in their bedrooms playing computer games. You know people care. The spirit is contagious.

Maybe Neil was right in his post, suggesting that Budapest is stealing some of Prague’s spotlight.

Red Corner: Going to the Salt Mines

by Neil Woodburn on

As a youngster growing up during the Cold War in America, I naturally assumed that any Warsaw Pact communist who did not toe the party line received a one-way ticket to either Siberia or the salt mines. Having now visited both locales, I’m inclined to think that dissidents had it rather nice during communism.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, just 13 kilometers outside of Krakow, Poland, was not at all the horrific, underground chamber of brackish hell I had imagined it to be. Instead, the mine is a protected UNESCO site. Since the 14th century, Polish miners have carved enormous churches and chapels directly into the shaft. Artists have also decorated the mine with alters, pulpits, bass-reliefs, statuary, busts, gnomes, and even a replication of the Last Supper-all hewn magnificently out of salt. Unbelievable.

I had no idea what to expect when first visiting the mine. I imagined an underground world made out of Morton’s Salt where everything was stark, blinding white. This was not the case at all. Instead, the tunnels, caverns and artwork of the Wieliczka Salt Mine are all black and green and sparkly. The mine’s official website offers a nice virtual tour but fails to capture the eerie feeling of descending 600 feet into the salty air of one of the strangest and most unique art galleries I have ever visited.

Word for the Travel Wise (07/11/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

The closest I’ve ever been in my education on the Holocaust at a museum was in the Smithsonian, but I often wonder what the museums must be like in the countries where this dreadful atrocity occurred. Places like Germany and Poland… Auschwitz is most certainly one of those places that I’d like to go to get the full on effect of the experience while in a museum. I just can’t imagine sometimes.

Today’s word is a Polish word used in Poland:

do widzenia – goodbye

Interested parties can further their skills by visiting this Skwierzyna site for an Adobe PDF filled with excellent info and dictionary of Polish facts. Additional sites include Anglik for very basic info, Skwierzyna.net for additional links, and Angielski to learn Polish in Poland. Recommended pocket guides can be purchased at Lonely Planet. Download the word above and more at BBC languages quick fix.

Past Polish words: doswiadczenie, witamy

Red Corner: Is L�dz� the New Krakow?

by Neil Woodburn on

Although I’ve never heard of Lódz´ Poland before, I was sucked into Travel & Leisure’s exposé of the town with the first sentence; “Imagine Kraków 20 years ago-and you’ve got Lódz´.” Well, I sure liked what I saw of Kraków 15 years ago, so Lódz´ certainly has my attention today.

Unfortunately, the article is far too short, but it does inform us that Lódz´ is just two hours from Warsaw and populated with “retro-kitschy restaurants and cool nightlife.” In addition, journalist Marie Hennechart gives us a few recommendations on where to find the best mushroom soup, cabbage and dumplings in the city.

Lódz´ also boasts the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe as well as the film school from where Roman Polanski graduated. But not much else is mentioned regarding tourist sites.

Hmmm. I want to learn more. Has anyone out there visited Lódz´ and can kick down some independent verification that it is indeed the new, up-and-coming Krakow? Do tell, please.