May 23, 2012

My oh my it has been a busy time for me!

My parents were here not too long ago, I went to see my home roots in Poland, and then the beauty of Sweden!

I can't even tell you how thankful I am to be experiencing all of this and seeing so much. I never imagined that my exchange year in Finland would allow me to explore so much of Europe at the same time.

So anywhoodle-doodle, despite my busy schedule and the goodbye tears, I am here to tell you all about my trip to Poland.

Jaana and Matti Markkula (my first host parents) and I left to Poland the weekend after my parents left. So you can imagine how fast time is going for me now. Here's a diagram to help you better understand the "swiftness" of my last month as an exchange student:

Parnets > Poland > Sweden > Goodbyes > HOME.

It's like I have all these checkpoints to cross before I will the race. And I am runnin' fast!

But never mind that analogy, I'm not sure it even made sense...

So as I said, we left for Gdansk, Poland (to be specific) the weekend after my parents left. And it was a very nice plane ride, only about an hour and ten minutes. I am not looking forward to my plane trip home, however, if you compare those two. Good thing I bought a nice big pastry and baking text book to read on the way!

But to get on the point again, we landed in Poland with the sun shining and a rainbow lighting our path to the hotel. We stayed in in a hotel about a five minute walk from the Old Town, something like in Tallin, and there is where we spent most of our time. We only had the weekend, Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday day, to spend in Gdansk, and it was all spent in the Old Town. But it was very nice. We visited a museum telling all about amber, and saw things like 1 MILLION year old bugs trapped in the amber sap/stuff, and all kinds of jewelry and old relics made of amber from millenniums ago. We also went to a WWII museum dedicated the havoc caused in Gdansk during the war. So other than those two museums, we spent our days walking about the town, enjoying the architecture and SUN. Since Poland is South of Finland it was there... And also eating and shopping.

But here's the sad part. You see, my host dad has a very nice camera. And I, well I have a dinky digital box, I like to call it. So, naturally, as any smart exchange student would, I stole his camera. Not literally, settle down. Rather I borrowed it. And, naturally, he took it back home with him. So, most of the pictures and ALL of the good pictures are on his camera. But do not fear! I still have some from my dinky digital box too!

So, until I go over to their house and copy and paste all the pictures to my computer, you are stuck with what I've got. Enjoy!

There's Poland! From above.

And finally, Gdansk. In the evening...

And after our flight and 5 mile walk to the hotel, we stopped here for dinner. A traditional Polish restaurant.

We made it! Jaana and I awaiting our food.

There it came. Can you believe it though, this was my STARTER! I have never seen such a big starter before. Usually they are only bite size. This was the size of a main course plate! Anyways, it was beef pate with apples and mushrooms. It was, edible. 

But here is the shining star! Roasted duck leg with potatoes, pears, and sweet-ish red sauerkraut. 

And for dessert, creme brulee! Mmmm how I love creme brulee. Maybe I should start a food blog, this is getting a little out of control. He-he.

So we spent our first evening wining and dining in a very Polish restaurant. We went to bed that night with VERY full tummies (as you very well could have guessed) and woke up the next day to tour the Old Town and all the museums and churches it had to share.

And if you're into all that architecture kind of stuff, the following pictures show very well what  Gdansk had to offer. However, none of these buildings are original. Well they are, but they were all rebuilt after WWII. So they aren't as old as they "could" have been. But, regardless they are very handsome to look at.

 I would have to say that this Old Town looks a little bit like the Old Town in Tallin. Don't you think? This town wasn't as old as the one in Tallin, but it contained much more history. Considering it was a very large part of WWII.

Here, you see pictures of the ceiling in the town hall. Extravagant much? There are better pictures on my host father's camera, so I will have to show you them later.

Here is one of many pictures taken of the, now, Old Town of Gdansk, after the war. The link below takes you to my lovely friend Wikipedia who can explain everything there is to know about Gdanks and WWII.
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Gda%C5%84sk#World_War_II_.281939.E2.80.931945.29

To livin' things up a bit! We headed to a large ship to get a tour through the river of Gdansk.

And here you see the Best Host Parents In the Whole Wide World whom I will miss BEYOND what I can describe with words. Buh. (sad face)

 And because all the best host parents in the world know the basics of exchange students, we ate more food! Here's the thing. Exchange students eat A LOT. And, if we're talking about this exchange student right here, they eat everything. And they eat often. Basically like every three or so hours. I've calculated it. Our stomachs are mechanical pieces of art which work in a very timely and sophisticated fashion. It's no wonder that we come back 10 pounds heavier, but its only because we use so much energy to take in the new and amazing things around us. Makes sense doesn't it? I know. So here you see us eating, or, um, me eating... potato pancakes and something like Polish borscht soup! Nomm!

So after we ate, or, um, I ate, we enjoyed the boat ride and the sights to go with it.

And one "sight" which we saw from the boat, was this GIANT cargo-lifter-thing. I think I am having a "lack of a better word" moment. Either that or its a, "I have forgotten English since on exchange and can only understand and speak in very simple, baby-like sentences" moment. 

As I said earlier, Gdanks was full, and I mean FULL of amber. Amber shops here, amber shops there. You can buy amber this and amber that. Or drink coffee in an amber themed cafe. Ugh. There was so much amber you couldn't even decide what to take home! I had this problem myself and ended up bringing home a coffee cup! But it wasn't no ordinary coffee cup, mind you. It was, number one; homemade, or what do you say, handcrafted? and number two; there is a mouse inside of it. Yes, a tiny-tiny mouse stuck to the bottom of the cup looking up at me with its cute little beady eyes saying, "Good morning Karlee! I hope that cup of Joe was just divine! Can't wait to see you again tomorrow morning! Or maybe for dessert!". See, no ordinary coffee cup.

Enough about that. I'm sure you'd rather hear about largest brick church in the whole wide world, wouldn't you? I understand, coffee cups with  mouses on the bottom who wish you a good morning (in your head) every morning aren't your thing. So therefore we can talk about this church. Which IS in fact the WORLD'S largest brick church. Properly named, Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Bazylika Mariacka in Polish. Started construction in the year 1379, St. Mary's has room to seat 25,000 people. It was severely damaged in WWII, but was patched up and made new just in time for Pope Paul VI to elevate the church to the "dignity of the basilica". If you'd like to know more, my friend Wiki is always handy. Otherwise Google does a pretty good job too.

First view as I walked in the church. Made me smile.

Looking towards the front of the church. High ceilings and many, many benches are the most prominent features of the church. Along with very tall and brightly colored stained-glass windows.

 The organ in the back also shouts "magnificent" when in view. I wish we could have heard what it sounded like. Who knows what kind of effect such a large church can have on the sound of an organ!

So, after oo-ing and aw-ing at the interior of the church, we headed up the 450 steps to see a view of Gdansk from above.

And after a long, tiring day of walking, eating, and touring museums and old churches with 450 steps, its nice to sit back and enjoy some live music. So that's exactly what we did. Our last night in Gdansk brought fine wine, live jazz/blues-y music, and dancing! 

Matti and Jaana just'a groovin' on the dance floor!

And Janna got the lucky opportunity to dance with a very drunk man from Belgium. A very nice, and funny man, and one who finds much joy in being too drunk while listening to live music. 

We went to bed that night with sore feet from all the walking and church-steps-climbing, and woke to find a beautifully sunny day awaiting us for our last day in Poland.

And since I love baking and sweets and all things sugar, I got myself a coffee and some Polish delights for breakfast!

And after that delicious and sugar-spike of a breakfast, we walked over to the amber museum to get our eyes and ears full of everything to do with amber.

I don't know if amber originates from Gdansk, or near it, or if the Polish just have some infatuation with it, but it was everywhere. For sale, used as decorations, in the architecture, on the ceilings, everywhere. But here in this museum we got to see amber from, at the oldest, one million years ago. Or that is my guess. Could be older, but I forgot. 

It was actually very interesting to see all the little creatures and plants stuck in the amber like that. For so long! I wonder if they're actually still alive you know?! Just frozen in time and waiting for something like the Ice Age to melt them into escape! Okay sorry.

There was a poor little butterfly stuck in this one. Poor thing was probably just'a pollinatin' all the flowers and fields and expectantly flew into some tree sap. Or whatever kind of sap makes amber. Poor little guy. But to continue, there was everything amber. A religious idol of some sort as you see above, and the pictures below are just other random things. All out of amber. Enjoy.

 Jewelry box?

Because everyone needs amber tobacco pipes and giant amber beer mugs!

Even Elton John was no stranger to the beauty and craftiness of amber.

Amber sailboat. 

Amber fruit.

Amber mini band set.

Too much amber! 

So like I said, I didn't buy anything amber. But for an awesome mouse coffee cup instead. Clearly a better decision. I will leave you now, knowing that after this amber-mania museum we ate pizza to fill our tummies before our flight home. And we made it home safe and sound. It was an amazing time in Poland and I would definitely like to go back some day. I hope you're inspired to visit there too!

As to my life right now, well, I'm just trying to breathe really. I have been very busy this week and its hard to find time to make peace with my leaving this country. Tomorrow I'm off to sit by the river with my dear Emma and some other exchange student friends. The weather has been absolutely perfect for my last, now, eight days here. It's so hard to believe I'm leaving so soon! I'm all sad and excited and nervous and happy! All at the same time! In the states we call that an emotional wreck. So yes, that's me. I'm an emotional wreck right now. But a happy one. If that's possible. Haha! 

So anyways, maybe tomorrow, or the day after, or sometime, I will post something on my trip to Sweden. That was lovely also. But SO many people in Stockholm! Anyways, until then, I will be enjoying my last days of exchange with friends, family, good food, and good weather. I hope you're doing the same! Making memories is the best isn't it?

Talk soon!

Karlee