Destination: Poland

Kraków: The Auschwitz Experience, Proof of Evil

Sat, 16 Jan 2016 | By paganmaven | Views [503]

Whilst I was anticipating my upcoming trip to Poland with much relish, and to Eastern Europe as a whole, the prospect of visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau site wasn't one I was looking forward to. I wasn't at all keen on visiting the former Nazi ... Read more >

Tags: historic site, wartime concentration camp

Photos: Apodysophilia

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 | By paganmaven | Photo Gallery

Kraków: Enamel Factory of Memory and a Survivors' Arc

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 | By paganmaven | Views [307]

From the street it still looks like what it was in 1945, a small factory in an out-of-the-way industrial part of South Kraków. Inside Oskar Schlinder's "Factory of Enamelled Vessels" ( Fabryka Schindlera ), it is more than a tribute to the heroic ... Read more >

Tags: jewish life under occupation

Photos: Agastopia

Wed, 6 Jan 2016 | By paganmaven | Photo Gallery

Kraków: Charming Old Town, Massive Square

Wed, 6 Jan 2016 | By paganmaven | Views [470]

The road that goes south from St Florian's Gate ( Brama Floriańska ) to the main plaza and then east through Ul. Grodzka to Wawel Palace bisects the historic centre of Kraców. In monarchical times in Poland this was the "Royal Road" ( Via Regia ... Read more >

Tags: cloth hall, old town, palace

Częstochowa: Noir Lady Madonna & a Drove of Pilgrims

Fri, 1 Jan 2016 | By paganmaven | Views [392]

The town of Częstochowa is situated in southern Poland, in the Silesian region. Jasnogórski (Pol = "Bright Hill" or "Bright Mount") is a Pauline monastery, a shrine to the Virgin Mary which Catholic pilgrims flock to (the collective noun for ... Read more >

Tags: religious tourism

Warsaw: Where Everything Old gets Recycled, even Old 1970s Rock and Roll Bands

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 | By paganmaven | Views [329]

Rynek  Starego Miasta, the Old Town Market Place, is the historic hub of the city. The square is over 700 years old, dating from more or less when Warsaw was first founded. It's a great spot to eat at the many restaurants in the open square (or ... Read more >

Tags: city wall, entertainment and youth culture

Photos: Gymnogynomania

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 | By paganmaven | Photo Gallery

Warsaw: Exploring Jerusalem, the New World and the King's Muzeum

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 | By paganmaven | Views [406]

If  you walk east from Warsawa Centralna on Al. Jerozolimskie you will eventually reach Rondo Charles De Gaulle (monument to De Gaulle). The rondo is easy to spot, in the middle is the only (artificial) palm tree in the city! Turn left here and ... Read more >

Tags: city tour, museums

Warsaw: Pounding the Tourist Beat with Pse

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 | By paganmaven | Views [410]

If you take a walking tour of Warsaw with friendly local legend Pse, it's just like being there ... and feeling like  you are a local, such is the insight into the city he energetically imparts! More than a vicarious experience! I did three 'Psexceptional' ... Read more >

Tags: jewish quarter, new town, old town

The molecular biologist who climbed Mount Kinabalu

Tue, 8 Sep 2015 | By kinabalu | Views [290] | Video | Scholarship Entry

My name is Marta and I’m a biology PhD student specializing in entomology at Gdansk University. I got involved in filmmaking nearly two years ago. A known filmmaker was searching for a field assistant. After an interview I got the job. When I left my ... Read more >

Tags: 2015 Film Scholarship to Colombia

Photos: Festival pictures and Tarnow, Poland

Thu, 3 Sep 2015 | By rafellarayne | Photo Gallery

Krakow to Tarnow to Vienna

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 | By rafellarayne | Views [464]

We woke in Krakow on Friday and went about putting our lives back together in our packs. We knew we were leaving Saturday for Tarnow and since we had big plans for Friday we didn't want to deal with too much come morning. We ate the last of the food ... Read more >

Photos: Krakow Aug 16-20

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 | By rafellarayne | Photo Gallery

Krakow Aug 16-20

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 | By rafellarayne | Views [275]

Feeling a little ambivalent (and hungover from our last night with all the counselors we just made friends with at Angloville) we woke up in Wroclaw pretty unexcited to have to check out of our hostel and get moving. That being said, when duty calls ... Read more >