Polish, Russian history come alive during tour
In 2013 I toured Eastern Europe for two weeks before visiting friends in Wroclaw, Poland.
Our tour began in Warsaw. After being destroyed in WWII, Warsaw was rebuilt into a modern city. Lazienki Park, graced by a statue of Chopin, hosts concerts in summer. We visited the Ghetto Uprising Monument, Marie Curie Museum and the 17th century Wilanow Palace.
We rode the bus to Vilnius, Lithuania. We saw churches and the Trakai Island Castle. Visiting the KGB museum was depressing. In Riga, Latvia, we saw some beautiful old churches. In Tallinn, Estonia, I enjoyed standing in the Baltic sea. The Baltic states, once part of the USSR, are now independent countries and members of the European Union.
From Tallinn we went to St. Petersburg, Russia. A cruise on the Neva River showcased numerous palaces and bridges. We visited the Hermitage, Spilled Blood Church and Peter the Great’s summer palace with its massive gardens. I visited Nevsky Prospect, the Catherine Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress and tombs of Russian rulers, including Catherine the Great and Tsar Nicholas. In the Yusupov Palace, we saw where Rasputin was killed. Statues or remembrances of great musicians, writers and poets were everywhere. We enjoyed wonderful performances of "Swan Lake" and Russian folk dances.
We rode a train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Our hotel was close to the Moscow River and Parliament. We saw Novodevichy Convent and Red Square at night, glowing with lights. Riding the Moscow Metro was a memorable experience. The stations were “people's palaces” (as per Stalin), with paintings and sculptures. We saw from afar the Bolshoi Theatre, Yuri Gagarin memorial and Karl Marx statue. It was awesome to visit St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin. We visited the Sergeev/Zagorsk Monastery before leaving Moscow.
I flew to Wroclaw to visit friends. Wroclaw is a lovely city with a river, universities, churches and museums. I saw the Panorama Raclawicka, a 15- by 114meter cycloramic painting depicting the Battle of Raclawicka between Poland and Russia.
My friends drove me to Krakow. I visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and concentration camps. It was a gutwrenching experience. I saw Old Town, Kazimierz and the 14th century Wawel Castle near the Vistula River. For the Wieliczka Salt Mine tour, we walked 800 steps down and saw life-size sculptures, a church and chandeliers, all made of salt.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this history-filled trip.
The writer lives in Phoenix.