Still

Still
     by Wislawa Szymborska


 In sealed box cars travel
names across the land,
and how far they will travel so,
and will they ever get out,
don't ask, I won't say, I don't know.


The name Nathan strikes fist against wall,
the name Isaac, demented, sings,
the name Sarah calls out for water for
the name Aaron that's dying of thirst.


Don't jump while it's moving, name David.
You're a name that dooms to defeat,
given to no one, and homeless,
too heavy to bear in this land.


Let your son have a Slavic name,
for here they count hairs on the head,
for here they tell good from evil
by names and by eyelids' shape.


Don't jump while it's moving. Your son will be Lech.
Don't jump while it's moving. Not time yet.
Don't jump. The night echoes like laughter
mocking clatter of wheels upon tracks.


A cloud made of people moved over the land,
a big cloud gives a small rain, one tear,
a small rain—one tear, a dry season.
Tracks lead off into black forest.


Cor-rect, cor-rect clicks the wheel. Gladeless forest.
Cor-rect, cor-rect. Through the forest a convoy of clamors.
Cor-rect, cor-rect. Awakened in the night I hear
cor-rect, cor-rect, crash of silence on silence.

Europe Trip - Day 10

June 24, 2010

We are all ready to get home but are not looking forward to the travelling.

7:20 bus ride to the airport. Prague to Frankfurt; then to Philadelphia; then to Pittsburgh.

Then home. Halelujah!

Check in at Prague was a complete fiasco. We tried to use the kiosks as advised by Elena. BK and I got boarding passes for everything BUT Prague to Frankfurt.

We then all had to get in line and check-in one by one. Many people had to check luggage even though they had not planned to.

It was a long wait but we made the flight. All is well; for now.

The passenger beside me on the flight from Prague to Frankfurt is heading home to Australia. They have 24 more hours of flight ahead of them. Wow.

At Frankfurt we saw the Minnesota group that had toured with us. They left for the Prague airport at 4 a.m. and flew to Frankfurt - their flight from Frankfort to Chicago was delayed three hours and now they will miss their next connection! They will be staying the night in Frankfurt!

Our flight went well except we seemed to take an odd route to Philadelphia and had very little time to make our connection. We heard later that an air traffic contollers strike in France and bad weather on the East coast of the U.S. may have been to blame.

Once we landed in Philadelphia there was a rush to get through customs and try to make our connection to Pittsburgh. After all the rushing our flight was delayed of course.

Brittany and Kelsey blew up in the airport. Tired and stressed.

Kelsey got caught going through security with a snow globe and had to go back through check-in to package it and claim it as luggage. We didn't know our flight was delayed at this point so I ended up heading to our gate to see if they could hold the flight while Brittany and Kelsey dealt with the snow globe issue.

All ended up fine.

This has been a great trip but we are ready for home. And McDonalds. Sweet tea.

We are home. Long drive with very tired passengers but we made it. Thank goodness for St. Clairsville!

And for Mary. I'm so thankful she gave me this opportunity. And for all the family and friends who supported the trip in so many ways! I am blessed.

Europe Trip - Day 9

June 23, 2010

Today we have 6 hours of walking tours planned. We met up with our local guide; a slavik lady - I did not catch her name. We toured the Castle Prague and it was amazing.

We came back across the Charles Bridge to Old Town for lunch. We watched the Clock Tower again. It is amazing with the twelve disciples parading by two windows then a skeleton ringing the bell signifying the end of time and Judgement Day. All this ends with a rooster crowing the start of a new day; defying death. Then a trumpeter plays momenti mori from the top of the church. A big crowd gathers every hour on the hour.

Lunch was at a pizzeria and it was excellent. We ended up there for dinner as well.

We took a walking tour of Jewish Old Town after lunch. The first synagogue was powerful in that it had the names of the 75,000 Jewish people killed at the Terezin concentration camp etched in the walls. The elders in the camp taught the children and kept artwork that the children created while they were in the camp. This artwork was saved and was on display. It was amazing. One of the sections of artwork was labeled "Transport to Terror"...

Many children died in the camps. Just horrible.

We also walked through a Jewish cemetary where bodies were burried 12 graves deep due to land limitations in the Jewish section.

After the tour we returned to Old Town and Brittany and I enjoyed World Cup Soccer with the big crowd while the girls shopped.

After dinner at the pizzeria Brittany and I headed off to find St. Martins Kirche. We knew that Brittany's friend Emily Coleman was going to Europe with her college choir and I had learned they were going to be in Prague our last night there. When Brittany and I got to where we thought the church was (reading a map in Czech can be fairly difficult) we saw flyers advertising Malone College and knew we were in the right place! Almost immediately we saw a large group heading towards the church and Brittany said it's them! And there came Emily. It was a great meeting...Emily was in tears! We got to talk and then watched part of their concert before we had to head back to our main group. The choir was amazing!

When we got back we found out that one of the shop workers (Alexander) had been flirting with Kelsey and gave her a beautiful swan. I should not have left her side! Just kidding.

We spent some time at Starbucks and Alyssa was on a roll. So funny! Brittany and I went out to the square and found David, our tour guide from the ghost tour, and we got pictures of him and Alyssa. Priceless!

Our trip is coming to a rapid end...

Europe Trip - Day 8

June 22, 2010

Robert took me out to a bakery before the bus left Krakow. A wonderful brisk walk and a wonderful bakery. Chocolate croissants! Robert is a fine man and I'm glad to spend time with him on this trip.

Off to Prague.

We stopped at a gas station so that people could get Czech Koruns to pay for lunch. They got ripped off. Getting our currency through AAA was a very smart move.

Ele collected lunch money and the ghost walking tour money in her hat on the bus. Funny.

She told us stories about Bulgaria during the cold war. She talked about her family's loss of land to the Russians, deaths, travel restrictions, no visitors and how houses were bugged. She talked about 20 year waitings lists to buy new cars and Chernobyl impacted her family and friends. Amazing. She has been a great tour guide mainly because she has heart and soul.

Looking out the window, the landscape looks a lot like WV / OH.

We had lunch at a 'medieval' restaurant that will forever be remembered for the bottled water that we had to pay for and that tasted like grossness. The actual lunch of noodle soup, chicken, ham, French fries and gravy was very good. Hannah entertained us with stories about her goat dragging her up the hill, her accidentally trying to drink cleaner, and how she purposefully licked frozen metal to see if her tongue stuck, it did, several times.

We finished Schlinder's List and watched survivor interviews that were recorded and archived as part of the Shoal Foundation that Stephen Spielberg started (www.vhf.org).

Amazing.

Dinner was at the hotel in Prague. A buffet. Horrible. How do you mess up a buffet?

Now we are off to Old Town Prague for a ghost walk. David is our guide. He is quite the character and the ladies think he looks a bit like Justin Timberlake.

It was a wonderful tour through the fabulous Old Town and the underground. No ghosts though, just a lot of history. David was wonderful.

They have a giant screen up in the center of Old Town and the World Cup is being shown. It is fantastic! No matter who is playing or who is winning there is a large and vocal fan base. I will never forget this truly World Cup event.

There is a balcony at our hotel that we can get to by climbing out the window. A beautiful panoramic view of Prague.

Europe Trip - Day 7

June 21, 2010

We stopped and went through a salt mine and had lunch there. It was fascinating. We walked down 54 flights of stairs (378 stairs) to start the tour and then walked down further on our tour. An underground chapel carved from salt along with many other creations. Brittany and sat with the group from Minnesota at lunch and had good conversation with them. The elevator up from the salt mine was about 2 ft by 4 ft and we had at least 10 people in it. That was the absolutely worst part.

Lunch was weiner schnitzel; excellent.

We learned of two games from the Minnesota group - Slam Scrabble and Alibi.

The afternoon was all Auschwitz and Birkenau. Just overwhelming. We walked through both camps and then stopped at the memorial to the victims. We had a short service and a Freshman in the Minnesota group read the following, which he wrote:

"Auschwits, for me, was the most anticipated part of this trip. Countless school days were spent studying and and reading about it. However, it was not until I arrived in Europe that I realized we didn't come for Auschwitz. We came for those who suffered there. Here they are the lost, but not the least. Auschwitz is the blank page, and those who suffered are the ink that portrays the awful story that is the Holocaust. And for that reason all who came here shall remember those who perished where we stand. For who could pass up the chance to remember those who should never be forgotten."

Kelsey was crying hard as we left Auschwitz. She stayed behind as we moved towards the bus so I went back in after her. We stood under the main entrance way and cried hard. I told her that it was up to each individual and the goodness in each heart to prevent this type of evil from ever occurring again. No sooner than I had said that, a lady from the many people entering Auschwitz reached out to Kelsey and comforted her in her own language. Poignant.

Every person should walk through and experience the history of these horrors.

Elena mentioned a book, The Lucifer Effect, that she suggested all read. It helps to understand how a righteous person can be put in a position to do evil.

We went back to the Old Town for dinner. Even though dinners at the hotels were included in our tour costs, they were just too bland or awful.

Hannah told us about her pet rooster Pablo over a wonderful pierogie dinner at Old Town in Krakow.

Europe Trip - Day 6

June 20, 2010

Today we are on our way by bus to Krakow. Warsaw was amazing!

On the way Elena is telling us about recent weeks in Poland. She says "shit the President died. Shit the flood is coming." Everyone has been very concerned.

We then discussed the election and that we had not seen much advertising. She said this had been a very subdued election due to the plain crash and deaths involved but that Poland also has a "silence day" the day before and day of election. Interesting.

We are listening to Chopin on the bus. He was born in Poland.

We stopped by Schindler's factory on the way to Krakow. They have recently opened a museum there. We were not able to go in but took five minutes to get pictures. We have started watching Schindler's List on our travels.

We are touring synagogues and churches on our way through.

After we arrived in Krakow we walked through the Krakow Ghetto. It is amazing to thinkhow devastating this all was and is. We visited a square where all the Jewish people were gathered. The older people brought chairs with them. After the Nazis took everyone away, only the chairs remained. The square included a memorial of many empty chairs. All turned in the same direction except one; it faced an ally where several Jewish people were executed. Very powerful memorial.

We visited a synagogue and I learned of a poet, Wislawa Szymboeska, that wrote several poems about to concentration camps, death camps and the Holocaust. One she wrote told of her dreaming of a wagon taking away all of the Jewish family names during the night, never to return.

Brittany looked at a book, "Auschwitz: The Residence of Death" and we will have to look in to purchasing it at a later date.

We then took a long walk through Krakow, visiting three synagogues and two churches. Beautiful. So much history.

We had dinner at a Jewish restaurant that Ele suggested. It may have been the best part of the trip. Dinner was excellent and included beef, dumplings and a coleslaw like side. An authentic Jewish band entertained us. The band included piano, guitar, accordion, percussion and upright bass. The group was very talented and very playful. Elena sat at our table (Brittany and I) and it was much fun. Elena was happy to sit by the bass player. She said he was good AND good looking. As we were leaving she was talking to him in another language then came outside and said "bloody Hell"! I asked her what was up and she said "he's already married, and to a Hungarian!" Funny stuff.

Back at the Hotel Regina showed us a picture she took at Schlinder's factory of an old man leaning out his window. She said she is going to use it as her facebook profile pic. She's a funny lady.

Day 6 is in the books.

Europe Trip - Day 5

June 19, 2010

We started day 5, our second day in Warsaw, by meeting up with a local tour guide, Ulah. She took us through the Warsaw Ghetto and also discussed the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

She showed us where the movie "The Piano" was filmed.

She also talked about horrible flooding experienced by Poland in the past few weeks.

When we traveled through the Ghetto she talked about how it was only 80 hectars for the entire Jewish population.

She also told us about Lazienki Krololeskie and Erena Sindler. Sindler helped save over 2,500 Jewish children.

As we visited part of the Ghetto wall that was still standing I saw two children playing ball in a courtyard. I got to play with them and helped them pick up when their Mom called. The ball they played with was covered to look like a globe.

We visited a memorial to the Warsaw Holocaust victims and those who lived in the Jewish Ghetto their. It is hard to imagine the depravity that man is capable of. Ulah and I were discussing this and she told me that she has had tours that would not get off the bus at Holocaust sites because they believed the entire Holocaust story to be a hoax. Unbelievable.

Ulah took us through an old city park that was absolutely georgeous. It had previously been used for those of privilege and was full of many incredible buildings, statues and gardens. It also had many peacocks.

Ulah left us and after lunch we drove towards Old Town Warsaw. We went by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Old Town is the center of commerce of Warsaw and was always busy. It also includes many government buildings including the Presidential Palace. Poland's President was killed in a plane crash in April and a special election is to occur tomorrow to elect a President. His wife also died in that crash and they are entombed in Krakow.

We were able to visit a memorial at the Presidential Palace and there were many news companies setting up for coverage.

We also had a bit of drama today as my girls were getting tired...

Meanwhile back at the towncenter...many musicians and dancers were performing for the crowds (and money). The breakdancers were amazing!

Travis warned us that the mead was very strong (and good).

My small group all walked to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and took it in. A group of guys asked Emily to take their picture then asked if they could get a picture with her. Oy. Emily started acting and walking like she was disabled so the guys would leave her alone. Very funny.

At the end of the day I watched the Polish election results roll in. Very interesting. No candidate is getting over 50% so a run-off will have to be scheduled.

Goodnight.

Europe Trip - Day 4

June 18, 2010

This was a wonderful day of fun with this crew of wonderful young ladies.

The group had been out until after midnight the night before and Day 4 started with a long train trip. We woke up at 4:45...the hotel gave us a pack breakfast and we have no set plans for lunch.

We had a great train ride with great stories and significant laughter. BKAEH and I were in one compartment. Emily said each great story should be put in the Story Basket for future use.

Here are some phrases / summaries that I'll record to remember later. To tell the entire story here would take much too long...

- in a room dark

- walking a cow on a leash

- puke / banana peel in the hallway

- timmy timmy come and play

- tit's up (a phrase Hannah used for 'dead')

- the goat Hannah bought at an auction, injected with Penicillen the found him dead the next morning in a dog box

- an ogre named Beauford

Beautiful girls I am travelling with. Beautiful souls and full of laughter.

A guy pushing a refreshment cart came by our compartment but before ge could open our glass door he had to let someone by... So he pressed himself (his butt) up against the glass. He was therafter referred to as butt boy. He seemed to have a liking for Emily and kept checking in on us / her. We got a picture with him and Emily at the end of the trip.

After all the fun we also got some sleep on the train.

I am moved by the good nature of the ladies. They are travelling very well and enjoying each other.

This is the first time I've mat Hannah. She has a soft name and soft voice and spirit. She has been a joy with her stories. I've joked with her that there is always a silent 'dammit' at the end of each sentence she says.

Emily was in a very giggly mood this morning and I haven't seen that from her in a long time. So tired. When she laughs like that it is infectious. All this laughing has helped wipe away my concerns.

We have arrived in Warsaw. Warsaw is a beautiful city but a confused one. Lots of new buildings, lots of old buildings that are newly reconstructed.

The Jewish Historical Museum was wonderful. They held it open for us. At one point we were allowed to enter a room containing collections of Jewish synagogue items. Beautiful and so old and amazing. A Torah cover from 1700!!!

Our guide for the tour was Michael and he was perfect for the part.

We were all so tired though and many of us nodded off during the movie.

We then went to the Old Town which was rebuilt after WWII. We greatly enjoyed the European style markets and shops. The Old Town was beautiful with a mermaid in the center of the fountain.

Dinner back at the hotel was interesting. Soup was 'sour' broth with eggs and ham in it. Then we had pork, mashed potatoes and carrots. Very tasty.