Pawiak and Szucha, a Look at Warsaw's Past

If you've kept up with my travels in Poland so far, you are well aware that no part of the country was untouched by WWII. I've now visited the concentration camps at Majdanek and Auschwitz Birkenau, and I can attest to the atrocities the country witnessed. This weekend I further explored the past of Poland by visiting two of the more horrific sites within Warsaw itself--Pawiak Prison and the former Gestapo Headquarters on Szucha Street.

Peering into the courtyard of the Pawiak Prison Museum

My day started with the trip to Pawiak Prison, which is just about a 20 minute walk from my apartment. For context, my apartment is located in what was the heart of the former Jewish Warsaw, and part of the Jewish Ghetto during WWII. What remains of the Jewish community still lives nearby, and you can find the only synagogue in Warsaw just steps from my complex. The Pawiak Prison was originally built by the Russians in 1835, and was a holding camp for those who were sentenced to Siberia. However, it saw its highest use as a holding space for political prisoners in between interrogations during WWII. In 1944 the Germans blew up the prison, in an attempt to hide the secrets of what had occurred there. What remains is a part of the prison gate, a bronze cast of an Elm tree (the Memorial Tree) that stood in the courtyard until 2004, and a surviving basement which now holds the museum (one half of the Museum of Independence).

The remaining part of the Pawiak gate on the right, the Memorial Elm (now a bronze cast), on the left, and the Pawiak Prison Museum (center)

The Elm tree that stood in this location throughout the history of Pawiak Prison, and until 2004 when it died, is home to memorial plaques to honor some of the hundreds of thousands of patriots who lost their lives at Pawiak. The tree, and now the bronze cast of the Elm, stands, the silent witness. 

A cell at Pawiak Prison. When it was built by the Russians, it was meant to hold maximum 3 people. During Nazi occupation, a cell such as this often held between 10 and 18 people prisoner. 

During the German occupation of Poland, it is estimated that 100,000 men and 200,000 women passed through Pawiak Prison. In the museum on the grounds today, what exists is a small glimpse into their lives, and what everyday in the prison was like. It's a grim picture, but it is amazing to see what the Poles endured, and continued to fight, in order to try and regain their liberty. There are numerous memorials in the courtyard, but, for me, the most moving memorial was the photo wall within the Museum, which puts faces and names to a small number of the many brave souls who risked their lives to fight the Nazi terror.

The photo memorial wall at Pawiak Prison.

The second part of the Museum of Independence, is the Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom. Located at 25 Szucha Avenue, most of the building, which was a former Gestapo Headquarters, is now put to better use as the Ministry of Education, a restoration of its original use as the Ministry of Religious Beliefs and Public Education. However, one corner of the building, in which the worst of interrogations happened, has been preserved so that people will never forget the patriots and resistance fighters and the horrible conditions in which they suffered for their country and their freedom.

When the Nazis overtook Poland during WWII, the Nazis completely closed off Szucha street to Poles (or non-Germans for that matter). In the basement of 25 Szucha, the Nazis set up a system of jail cells. Prisoners there were either freshly caught, or were transferred from the Pawiak Prison. All prisoners, even youth and women, were subject to brutal interrogations in which they were tortured and severely beaten. In an attempt to inform others and preserve their legacy, Polish prisoners often scratched sentences of patriotic, religious, or personal meaning onto the walls, as well as detailed descriptions of the torture they faced. During the 1960s, researchers were able to preserve over 1,000 texts from the walls of the Szucha prison. The most famous being,

It is easy to speak about Poland.
It is harder to work for her.
Even harder to die for her. 
And the hardest to suffer for her.

And suffer the people of Szucha did. Many people who entered the interrogation room did not leave the building alive. The museum today has a series of interactive features allowing you to read about some of the prisoners who passed through Szucha, take a trip through 1940s Warsaw to the prison from Pawiak, and learn about the torture methods which were used by the SS. The museum is a powerful experience, though it is with good reason they suggest a minimum age of 14 to view it. When Warsaw was liberated, the Szucha prison was filled with ashes of Poles from mass murders during the Warsaw Uprising-- 12,298 pounds of ashes to be exact.

Some of the inscriptions left by prisoners of Szucha in one of the preserved cells.

The interrogation room at 25 Szucha. 

Part of the technological display at Szucha shows the long, bloody walk prisoners took to interrogation. A radio sits in the hallway, as it did during the Nazi-era, blaring music, to hide the screams of prisoners being tortured.

The horror of WWII is still very real in places like Pawiak and Szucha. Seeing the history, the terrible things committed by humans, not so long ago, is far from an uplifting experience, but it is certainly a necessary one.

The Beginning of the End: Enjoying my Last Weeks in Warsaw

I cannot believe that it's officially less than two weeks (exactly one week as of tomorrow), until I leave. Matt's last day in the office was Thursday of this last week, and, as we began counting down, it felt very much like the beginning of the end.

Monday started out with another fun activity. This week WEASA, the Warsaw Euro Atlantic Summer Academy, kicked off at the College of Europe Natolin Campus. The GMF, along with College of Europe and the Polish American Freedom Foundation, is hosting the event, so the whole office went out to listen to the opening address and enjoy a beautiful lunch.

WEASA is designed to serve as a "jumping off point" for strengthening democratic values and ideas in the Eastern Partnership, EaP, countries (Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) at a grassroots level. This is the inaugural year for the program, and 45 up and coming policy makers, academics, researchers, think tankers, NGO employees, government officials, economists, and people from various other fields have come to Warsaw to participate in a rigorous two weeks program of lectures, workshops, and study visits, in order to further develop their personal conceptualization of democracy, and understand how they can continue to aid their country's development upon their return. Mr. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, member of European Parliament and Vice-President of the EURONEST Assembly,  gave the keynote address, in which he emphasized idea of partnership, and addressed some of the necessary steps EaP countries must take to continue in partnership with the EU. For more on the opening ceremony, you can read the lovely note my fellow intern Matt prepared for the GMF website (http://www.gmfus.org/archives/warsaw-study-tour-gives-students-opportunity-to-discuss-eu-eastern-european-relations-with-senior-officials/).

Following the keynote address, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch on the Natolin campus grounds. It's truly a gorgeous location, and boasts a palace, where the food for our party was set up. We ate outdoors under tents (it felt very Downton Abbey to me), before heading back to attempt so productivity at the office.

The beautiful tents they set up for our garden party lunch at College of Europe Natolin

My college campus had a lot of things, but it certainly didn't have a palace!

The extensive grounds of the Natolin campus include a nature preserve. Isn't it beautiful?

On a walk around campus after lunch, I discovered some lions, which made for a prime Alpha Delta Pi photo-op. 

After work, we rounded up everyone who was in the office for an ice cream date. Sasha wanted to show Matt and I some wonderful (and rather fancy) Polish ice cream. It was delicious! I had black currant, chocolate, and strawberry sorbet. The availability of cheap, delicious ice cream may be one of my favorite things about Poland in the summertime!

Tuesday was a workday filled with research and attempts to ready ourselves for events we were hosting on Thursday. The highlight was the office surprising Matt and I with a farewell lunch at nearby Aioli. It was fun to take a bit of a break and enjoy the opportunity to talk in an informal setting. Plus, the food was amazing. I had a French burger, which had pieces of brisket rather than a beef patty. That led to discussions about BBQ and Texas, and essentially plans for everyone to come visit (which I very much hope will soon be realistic, if the US Senate bill waiving some of the restrictive visa requirements for Poles soon goes through).

Wednesday was much the same as Tuesday in terms of work. I'd tried to get some of my fellow American interns to do something Wednesday night, but everyone seems to be traveling or busy. I didn't let that stop me from enjoying an evening out, however. I went back to Borpince, a delicious Hungarian restaurant, and had duck with chorizo chutney and a beautiful Hungarian red wine while enjoying my book. It was nice and relaxing, and a very reasonably priced treat compared to home (it's going to be quite the culture shock on my wallet to leave Polish pricing).

The delicious duck at Borpince

Thursday was Matt's last day in the office, and we certainly didn't lack work! In the morning, former Florida Congressman and current GMF board member Robert Wexler stopped by. He was in Warsaw to speak at WEASA. Due to the day's schedule, I didn't get to go see him speak, but I heard he was wonderful. Congressman Wexler is a very intelligent man, but I cannot get over the context of him in what is quite possibly my favorite episode of the Colbert Report (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/72021/july-20-2006/better-know-a-district---florida-s-19th---robert-wexler). Don't worry, I resisted the urge to say anything funny yet completely inappropriate.

After the Congressman left the office to head to the Natolin campus, we got busy setting up for a roundtable event. Using Skype and video conferencing, our office brought together experts from Turkey to brief an elite group on the Gezi protests and their potential effects. Though there were a few technological scares before everyone arrived, all went off without a hitch, and it was a very informative briefing and debate on the potential effects of last month's protests. For more on the discussion, you can read my note on the GMF website (http://www.gmfus.org/archives/at-crossroads-how-will-the-gezi-protests-shape-turkey-and-its-foreign-policy/).

Thursday night I was supposed to go to a dinner with Congressman Wexler, but due to low RSVPs, someone from the GMF side had to be nixed (and, as the intern, that someone was me). While I'm sad I missed out on the opportunity to hear Wexler speak, I did enjoy a pre-farewell dinner with Matt in Old Town (I say pre-farewell, because he'll be back for a few days early this week). We went to Molly Malone's, an Irish pub, that, strangely enough, has the best kielbasa I've had in Poland so far. It was a nice evening out, though a bit sad to start to say goodbye.

Friday I was the only remaining intrepid intern in the office. I did some research and started to compile the last of a project Matt and I had been working on. Misha and I went to the Milk Bar for lunch. People started to head off for weekends by the seaside or at the lake district--summer is really kicking in. I took off at 5 and headed home to meet Julie for a night out at the movies. We saw Frances Ha (http://www.franceshamovie.com), which I absolutely adored. It's very captivating and a great story (though, in my opinion, unnecessarily shot in black and white), and made for a fun evening. After the movie, I returned home where I had to joy of attempting to revive my iPhone (which chose my next to last week away to sort of die on me).

The end of my time in Poland is near, even my technological devices know it.

Home Again in Dublin

There's many cities I've been to that I really enjoy, but none I have ever loved quite like Dublin. All last week I anticipated my flight to the emerald isle, and, when I landed, it felt a bit like I was coming home.

Being able to make the trip for a three day weekend in Dublin was exciting for many reasons. Not only did I get to explore my favorite city, I got to do so with my Aunt June during her birthday weekend, and I got to see quite the mix of other family and friends.

I arrived in Dublin city center close to 11:30 P.M. on Thursday, and dropped my luggage at the hotel. Facebook told me June, my Uncle Clay, Aunts Stephanie and Gina, and friends Chris and Margie were at the Oliver St. John Gogarty. The hotel was just across the river from the Temple Bar district (which I knew pretty well after living for a summer in Dublin), so I found them without any problem. It was a heavy start to the weekend for certain, and a great one. The group had discovered Baby Guinness shots, which were in high supply for our table. They hadn't liked their Jameson as much, so I was charged with finishing off the remaining glasses, along with my Bulmers (my favorite Irish cider). It was loud and boisterous and wonderful. It felt like I'd never left Dublin at all!

A bottle of Bulmer's at the Gogarty kicked off my weekend in Dublin. The summer I live there, I very clearly remember a boy from Tennessee (interning there with the rest of us) remarking, "Those Aggie girls sure love their Bulmers." It's the truth!

After such a solid Thursday, I certainly enjoyed sleeping in on Friday. Plus, the hotel had a real bed and AC--two things my Warsaw apartment is seriously lacking! We couldn't have asked for better weather. June and I started off our day about noon, by going to grab some much needed lunch at Lemon, a crepe cafe. I opted for an omelette, which I figured would help me back to feeling 100%. Unfortunately, en route to Lemon, someone pickpocketed my Aunt and stole her iPhone. It was a tragic loss, though something that could very much happen to anyone, anywhere.

Hoping she had left it at the hotel (which we found out was not the case), June and I split up for awhile. I took advantage of the weather to enjoy Grafton Street and St. Stephen's Green. I also made my first of two trips to Avoca to lust after some beautiful wool blankets and winter wear (all I bought was a cute tote, though I'm always tempted to get a beautiful blanket). All of Dublin was out soaking up the rare rays and warmth (they've had close to a month of 75 degree highs, which is almost unprecedented in Irish memory). It was quite a sight to see teens, families, and business folk all spread out on the grass and stripped down as much as was socially acceptable. Even more amusing was hearing all of the Irish complain about this "heat" and how long its lasted. Many people even apologized to me for the hot weather during my stay...if only they knew.

All of the Dubliners enjoy some Friday sun at St. Stephen's Green

Beautiful day on the Green

Upon meeting back up with June (who remained phone-less) we walked down to Merrion Square Park, where we caught part of the Street Performers' World Championships. It was interesting for sure, though questionable with regards to how entertaining some acts actually were.

Some inspiring words in Merrion Square Park

Georgian door down on Merrion Square

Views from my Friday in Dublin

We headed back Friday afternoon to meet up with everyone at the hotel. On the way we made a mandatory stop at Murphy's ice cream. It moved from the location it had been in during my last two trips to Dublin, so I was initially afraid it was shut down. However, as we happened upon it while walking, it was necessary to enjoy some. I had sea salt and chocolate, and June had black currant and raspberry sorbet--I'd call it a win by all means. Murphy's is homemade in Dingle, and ranks in my favorite ice creams alongside Movenpick, Blue Bell, and Amy's.

Murphy's ice cream (now on Wicklow Street in Dublin)

Back at the hotel, I got to see my Uncle Todd and his three kids, and we visited for awhile before the extended group (about 16 of us) headed over to the Arlington Hotel for dinner and some traditional Irish dancing and music. Though some of the group complained it was too warm in the venue (they haven't been living without AC for as long as I have), it was a great meal and a great show. A few of us rallied together for the rest of the evening and enjoyed some Fruli at the Porterhouse (it's a strawberry beer, and drinking it at the Porterhouse has become a staple of my trips to Dublin). It was fun to visit with June, Todd, and Clay all together and in such an exciting setting, as it's rare for everyone to be able to take a break and enjoy one another's company. It was a rare privilege, especially considering that we were all pretty much phone free (since no one had data access).

Saturday we slept in a little less than Friday, but still enjoyed a lazy morning on June's birthday. We grabbed breakfast down from our hotel at a place called Lemon Jelly. After eating and working out plans for the day, part of our group went down to the artisan market on Cow's Lane. It has a cute combination of handmade arts and crafts type items, and there are several cute stores in the area as well. After our shopping, June and I decided to head over to Dublin Castle, as she hadn't seen it when she'd visited me the summer I lived in Dublin. My cousins Zac and Allie tagged along. It was a fun tour, as always, and afterwards we had drinks on the back patio, overlooking the Dublin Gardens (which aren't much in the way of gardens as they are manicured lawns, but they're pretty). We had a late lunch at Queen of Tarts, which is one of my favorite restaurants in all the world. My cousin Zac and I split a turkey and stuffing sandwich, on a caramelized onion focaccia, with a salad. The highlight however was the dessert. The four of us split 2 desserts, even though I was tempted to get my very own. As its name suggests, the Queen of Tarts makes the most amazing desserts. My choice was the special, a strawberry rhubarb crumble which was to die for!

Some of the family after shopping on Cow's Lane (btw, the suggestion for the photo was funny faces, which apparently only my 3 cousins and I took to heart)

Waterford crystal is only part of the beautiful detailing at Dublin Castle

Queen of Tarts on Cow's Lane, a must on any trip to Dublin

The rest of the afternoon was spent just wandering and enjoying the sunshine (and trying to walk off a few of the calories we'd consumed). We went over by an old castle, and discovered a beautiful wild garden in front of a church. We slowly made our way back to the Liffey, and finally back to the hotel. We tried to eat at Elephant and Castle for dinner, but they couldn't fit our big group in until 10 PM. We actually ended up eating at the Morrison Hotel restaurant, listed in many guidebooks and well reviewed for its quality Irish beef. It was delicious (and reasonably priced for a hotel restaurant, especially a hotel as nice as The Morrison). I had steamed mussels in bloody mary sauce (which were to die for) and then a beautiful filet.

June and I in the beautiful garden we happened upon on her birthday

Dinner was ended with a beautiful cake that my cousin Allie picked out for my Aunt June. It was white cake with layers of strawberry and chocolate filling, topped with strawberries, and surrounded by pieces of chocolate.

We ended the night at O'Neill's pub, with June and myself joined by family friends Margie and Kathy. Kathy's husband Joel even managed to rally and join us after about an hour out. I had my mandatory pint of Guinness for the trip, and many more Baby Guinness shots were enjoyed by the group. I'd say it was a solid birthday weekend for my Aunt!

Sunday came too quickly, and my family got ready to leave or head on their cruise. We enjoyed the last part of my day walking around the city. We made another stop at Avoca, and visited the foodie shop Fallon & Byrne. They had a beautiful cheese selection, and their cheesemonger introduced me to Coolattin cheddar, which I enjoyed with a few Fruli's at the Porterhouse before I headed to the airport. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my last weekend out of Warsaw before I head home--perfect city, beautiful weather, and great company.

Coolattin cheddar, my new fave, at Fallon & Byrne

Fruli beer at The Porterhouse

Staff retreat, Coltrane, and the Pope's Cake: A Four Day Week in Warsaw

Last week was a short, but fun week in the office. We kicked off the week with an amazing Monday staff retreat. Everyone had been so kind in working out the schedule so that Matt and I could be a part of it, and I'm very glad we were. I'm not sure how much I added to the retreat, but I feel like I got quite a lot out of the experience. We went to the Narvil Hotel, which was about a 45 minute cab ride from our office, and spent the day enjoying the sunshine and talking about the future of the GMF Warsaw office. *Side note, we were almost the only people at the giant Narvil Hotel complex (which I don't understand, but it was kind of cool to have it all to ourselves). It's absolutely gorgeous, a very modern design, and sits on a beautiful lake. It has everything you could every possibly need for entertainment, and a great menu to boot. It was way better than meeting in the office or a conference room!* For much of my time here we focus on the question of "What?". As in "what do we have to do?" "what needs to be done?" "what is on the agenda?", so, for me, it was really interesting to really focus on the "why" behind all of that. I feel like the discussion gave me a better perspective on GMF and what its mission really is. After a day of discussion and a beautiful lunch, we ended our retreat with bowling (the resort we were at literally has everything). It was quite a fun bonding experience. I started out strong with several spares and even two strikes, but unfortunately my bowling game fell apart before I could claim the victory--it was still a blast!

Tuesday we were back in the office and a bit slow after such a fun Monday. It turns out it's a bit hard to recover after a Monday out of the office! However, we managed, begrudgingly. Tuesday night I finally made it over to a cute bar/music venue behind my apartment, Pardon, To Tu. I've passed it regularly since I arrived, and I'd kept meaning to check it out. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It's in serious need of some AC, but otherwise it's a really great venue. Magda, Matt, and I went, and Julie and Jacob joined us later in the evening. We watched a Polish guitarist, Raphael Rogiński, play John Coltrane. I think the switch from sax to guitar made Coltrane's music sound more blue-sy than usual, but it was interesting to hear this interpretation. My favorite part of the venue may have been the wall behind the main stage. It was the work of the bar's owner, and he spent the better part of six months painting the names of his favorite bands. I was quite intrigued to see some artists who I had just heard for the first time at SXSW this year alongside big names and additionally a large number of groups who I'd never heard of. I think I have an excellent start to begin finding some new artists. 

Raphael Rogiński at Pardon, To Tu

Wednesday and Thursday seemed to drag on just a bit, despite my exciting new research project. I was just too excited about a three day weekend in Dublin to be of much use in the office! However, as a fun end to my four day week, we celebrate Jacob's birthday with cake in the office on Thursday evening. I had a piece of Kremowka Papieska (the Pope's cake--it was JP II's favorite), which was quite delicious. Then I took the bus straight over to the airport to catch a flight to the fair city of Dublin!

A Walk through Łazienki

Last Sunday I finally made it over to Łazienki Park, which is one of the few things I still had unchecked on my Warsaw to-do list. The park is gigantic, about 188 acres of Warsaw, and formerly were the summer palace-park complex of the King of Poland. Though the park and its complexes suffered some damage during the Warsaw Uprising, several parts were preserved, and the grounds are absolutely gorgeous. If you're in Warsaw, I highly recommend taking several hours of your schedule to enjoy the beauty of this natural gem. 


Since the park is so large, it's difficult to find everything hidden within it, though, during my afternoon there, I went and saw the Chopin Monument and Palace on the Isle. 


The Chopin Monument is an interesting artistic piece.  It was designed in 1907 byWacław Szymanowski for planned erection on the centenary of Chopin's birth in 1910, but its execution was delayed by controversy about the design, then by the outbreak of World War I. The statue was finally cast and erected in 1926, and stands in the middle of beautiful gardens today. On summer Sundays you can also enjoy Chopin music by the statue. While I didn't stay for it this time around, it's on my to do list for my last Sunday in Warsaw. 

The Chopin Monument Łazienki Park

Julie and I on our Sunday in Łazienki

From the Chopin statue, I went downhill, past the Orangery and the White House, to the Palace on the Isle. The Palace was originally built in the 17th century by architect Tylman van Gameren for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski as a bath house. Between 1772 and 1793 it was remodeled by Domenico Merlini for King Stanisław August Poniatowski, who made it his summer residence. During the Russian Rule of Warsaw, the Palace was home to the Romanov's who also did some renovations. The Palace on the Water was burned after the 1944 Warsaw Uprising by the Germans, but German plans to blow up the palace were never carried out. It was rebuilt after World War II and remains a beautiful eclectic display of the history of Warsaw. 

Beautiful sculpture in Łazienki Park

The Palace on the Isle at Łazienki Park

An example of the beautiful artwork in the Palace on the Isle

original Dutch tile work from when Palace was a bath house

It was truly a lovely Sunday in the park. For a finale, Julie and I went to the Blikle Cafe for lunch and pączek (a delicious Polish jelly doughnut). The Blikle is the oldest cafe in Warsaw, dating back to 1869. It's a beautiful old cafe (and absolutely delicious). 

I enjoyed the rather lazy Sunday, especially after the busy week(end) with the AMMFs. I still am completely in awe that my time in Warsaw is almost over--two weeks today until I fly home! I hope the weather keeps up, as I have lots of sightseeing planned these last two weekends. 

Contemporary Art and The Week the Marshall Fellows Came to Warsaw

Last week was crazy and amazing, and things haven't seem to slow down since, and I doubt they will up to the second I leave (which is part of the reason I'm trying to squeeze this post in before I forget some of the wonderful details)!

Monday night I finally had the chance to visit Zachęta art gallery where Julie and Lara have been interning. They had a new exhibit opening, so I had the opportunity to experience it. Now, don't get me wrong, I love art, and I fully support everyone's right to pursue their form of creativity and expression, however, some "modern/contemporary" art I just don't quite understand. This exhibit was one of such example. The artist (a Polish woman, who is known worldwide) found a way to capture sound waves in empty space and then broadcast them over a speaker system, so you can hear the "rise and fall of air." It was described to me as "experiencing the sound of empty space." When I arrived at the museum, I walked up the staircase to the room where the exhibit was. This was my impression of the art: essentially it was a large grey room, with a lot of white noise. Apparently when it debuted two years ago in Venice, you could put your ear up to the wall and hear it/feel the vibrations from the sound waves (which sounds like it would be kind of cool). That wasn't the case in the room at this gallery, as that technology wasn't available for this space, so it was pretty much all lost on me. Fortunately I wore all black with a blazer and some red lipstick, and said things like "It's a shame they had to compromise some of the original concept in order for it to be displayed here," so I don't think anyone could tell I did not even remotely "get it." Props to this artist for making money and winning acclaim off of what is essentially a giant white noise machine!

While the art wasn't quite my "thing," it was a great space. This photo of the exhibit is from the official photographer for the Zachęta Gallery, posted on Facebook. 

After the art, the full depression of Monday hit, because it was the last chance for me to see/hang out with Lara before she headed back home to North Carolina. When people start leaving, the "end" of your time abroad seems unfortunately real--I knew this was the start of a slow goodbye to Warsaw.

Tuesday I had a little bit of downtime to recover from my weekend away, before the complete chaos that was the American Memorial Marshall Fellowship (AMMF), began at my office. The AMMFs are an amazing group of up and coming Americans, in fields ranging from industrial engineering to government and policy work. This cohort of 19 was on the tail end of a month-long journey through Europe, where they participated in a variety of social, political, and culture activities, in order to further develop their own skill set and expand their frame of thinking. They came Wednesday night, and my GMF life revolved around this amazing group until Saturday night. 

*Disclaimer: I became completely obsessed with this amazing group of Fellows, and I very much aspire to be as accomplished (and fun) as they are. Also, I can now add "becoming an American Marshall Fellow" to my future goals and dreams list.*

Wednesday (July 3) night we hosted an American Independence Day-themed reception to celebrate their arrival. The U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Stephen Mull came and spoke. I had high expectations of his address, and he surpassed them. He is very put together and very relate-able--I think U.S.-Polish relations are in the best possible hands. It was a great introduction to Poland for the Fellows, and a great way to mingle and meet them. 

Even interns get to celebrate Independence Day at GMF Warsaw!

I was quite glad we were able to celebrate Independence Day on the 3rd, because the 4th was a full day of meetings around Warsaw. My personal highlight was a trip to the headquarters of Polityka, a weekly news publication. There, we had the opportunity to hear from Wawrzyniec Smoczynski, a Marshall Fellow himself (who went on the program to the U.S.), who is the Editor for the foreign news desk, in addition to serving as the managing director of a new project, Politylka Insight, which is a daily publication aimed at presenting unbiased news information on politics in Poland. That evening, we also heard from the Director of the Warsaw Uprising Museum before going on a guided tour. Unfortunately, we lost the "best tour guide" to the Prime Minister of Thailand, who simultaneously toured the museum with her delegation. 

Friday was more meetings, but it was well worth it. Though everything presented was interesting (the entire program consisted of top level experts), the unanimous favorite event of the trip was lunch with Dr. Janusz Onyskiewicz, Former Minister of National Defense, a key leader of the Solidarity Movement, and all around badass. He gave us a very clear discussion of the current state of Polish-NATO relations, along with tales from his personal history. The entire room was enthralled through the two hours of his discussion and storytelling, which were over all too quickly.

From the lunch with Dr. Onyskiewicz. It was great food at a beautiful venue, but the speaker overshadowed it all. 

The pace changed substantially from business to fun Friday night, as we had the opportunity to take the Fellows for "a night out in Warsaw." As I hadn't yet had a real "night out in Warsaw," I looked forward to it as much as (if not more than) the Fellows did. They were a fun group, and we had a great time. My personal highlight was Eve Club, where they played a great list of "old school" American rap, hip hop, and R&B. I'm pretty sure our group was the main entertainment for everyone else who decided to come to the club that evening!

Saturday was another busy day for the Fellows, who had a debriefing in the morning, followed by a tour of Warsaw. I tagged along, as I had only been on a guided tour of Old Town. It was informative, but exhausting. I think everyone lost their energy about halfway through! 

It was beautiful weather for the walking tour. We literally walked all over Warsaw, from Parliament and Three Crosses Square, through Old Town, past Saxon Park, to the Little Ghetto (which fortunately the end point, and is conveniently where my apartment is located). 

As tempting as it was to take a nap after several hours of touring, I instead went to dinner with them at Zapiecek. It was a farewell dinner, and, even though I'd only known them a few days, I found it rather sad. Maybe having that many Americans around provided a taste of home, and maybe it was just the long hours together, but I was certainly upset to see them go, though I know they were all happy to return home and rest after an intense month of travelling together. It's been quite a long time since I'd felt that exhausted after just a weekend, but it was a blast. I'm torn between wanting the Fellows to be back, and enjoying the opportunity to really catch up on some sleep!

Lovely Lublin

Four weekends in Poland since my arrival in 4 different Polish cities. It's been an absolute blast. My trip to Lublin lived up to all of my expectations, and more.

Few things make experiencing a city so enjoyable, as visiting with someone who has fallen in love with it. For my friend Lara, Lublin was where she learned to speak the Polish language, made her best friends, and had amazing memories. Though she'd spent less than two months of her life there, she was completely enchanted. From the first moment she mentioned a trip there, I was fully committed. We initially thought our plans may be spoiled by lack of free hostel rooms (which is a bit bizarre, considering we looked a month in advance, and Lublin is by no means a tourist town), but we were able to put together a plan for a weekend away there. Last Friday, Julie, Lara, and I hopped on a PolskiBus (which is much more efficient/clean/comfortable/modern than the Polish train system), and headed to Lublin to stay with Lara's friend Maria.

We got in late Friday evening, but we rallied our strength and headed into old town for our first glimpse of the city. While Lublin is still in need of some repairs, it is in the process of grand renovations, which are fully revitalizing the beautiful historic districts. After an initial walk, we got some not so traditional kebabs at Kebab Habiby. If you aren't aware, kebabs are quite fashionable street food in Europe, especially from Germany on East. I've had some delicious kebabs during my time abroad, but Kebab Habiby's are likely my favorite. There that kind of truly amazing food that you dream about afterwards. If you're in Lublin, before you get pierogi or nalesniki, I suggest you first get a lamb kebab with mixed garlic and hot sauces at Kebab Habiby (my mouth is watering just thinking about them).

After a walk and dinner, we even managed to muster up enough energy for a drink out (working long weeks really kills your affinity for "going out" on the weekends) at Club Opium. Luckily, it turned out it was a pretty chill night at the bar, and we enjoyed beers in a lounge area, before heading back for some much needed rest.

Saturday morning I got to sleep in a little. Maria kindly squeezed all of us into her very functional apartment, and fed us some delicious breakfast, before serving as our chauffeur and tour guide of the area. Most of Saturday was spent touring nearby Majdanek. After our trip there, we had a late lunch at an Irish pub (it was by no means a traditional weekend in terms of food), before exploring more of Old Town Lublin. It was fun to walk around and hear Lara's stories about her time there. She actually participated in an intensive language course in Lublin, where she spent 8 hours a day in courses, and any free time out exploring the town and nearby areas. It obviously payed off, as Lara is one of the few Americans I've ever met who is fluent in Polish (I can barely say hello and excuse me).

Old Town Lublin

Archway in Old Town Lublin

Julie, Lara, and I in Old Town Lublin

Saturday night we squeezed another person into the apartment, one of Maria's friends who was visiting from Warsaw. After some brief rest, we headed back to Old Town for a night out at Dom Kultury. Lublin is a large university town, hosting thousands of students at its six universities. As a result, it has a wonderfully eclectic nightlife. The club we went to is newer, and it is absolutely amazing. I had a really great time. Lara had really wanted to go out in Lublin, both to relive her glory days of summers there, and to celebrate her friend Maria's upcoming wedding. Maria's getting married to an American in September, so this was the only opportunity Lara had to go out with her before the big day. As a result, we threw her an unofficial bachelorette/girl's night out, which I think was quite a success. The DJ was excellent, and we had a blast dancing and getting to know one another.

The weekend went by too quickly, as it was Sunday before I knew it. Maria dropped us and our luggage off in Old Town so we could spend the last hours of our time in Lublin there, before catching our bus back to Warsaw. We spent most of the day at Lublin Castle. It's one of the highlights of visiting the town. Though the facade is a little underwhelming, it hosts a very interesting folk art museum, and the absolutely breathtaking Holy Trinity Chapel. If ever in Lublin, it's a must-see. The Chapel was originally completed in 1418, and is decorated with paintings displaying a mix of Western and Eastern Orthodox styles. Most of the castle was completely renovated when Russia took over the area in the 1800s, and from 1831-1954, the castle served as a prison (under the Tsars of Russia, free Poland, Nazi occupation, and Soviet rule), but the Chapel was spared.

Holy Trinity Chapel at Lublin Castle

Panorama of Holy Trinity Chapel

View of Old Town Lublin from Lublin Castle

The trip back to Warsaw was restless. I was sad to leave Lublin, but also ready to be "home" and relax. It was a great way to mark my halfway point for my trip, and to say goodbye to Lara before she headed back to the United States. It seems the constant question for the last week has been, where is the summer going?