Marta S
Marta Stypulkowski Joined: October 16th 2006
Logged in: January 25th 2008
Logged in: January 25th 2008
Travel Blog Posts
The Gates of Dawn
This city was steeped in steeples, literally! From the moment we walked through the gates of Historic Vilnius I was overwhelmed by the sight of churches…Medieval, and Gothic, and Renaissance, OH MY! 15 out of the 20 churches in the old town were actually closed down or turned into warehouses during the Soviet period, resulting in the disappearance of much of the valuable pieces of art, but the facades remain beautiful. Despite this, the old town in Vilnius is one of the largest in Eastern Europe. In 1994, it was declared an internationally significant site and was included on the World Cultural Heritage. We roamed around the windy streets checking off each significant site as we went along…there really was quite a bit to see. Later, we stopped to sample some traditional Lithuanian cuisine at a ... read more
First Day in Riga
First day in Riga got off to a rough start. We got off the train and onto the platform to discover that it was not only MUCH colder than it had been in Minsk (didn’t think that was possible), but that we were in fact in the middle of a blizzard. Foolishly, I tried to quicken my step in an effort to escape the sheets of falling snow, which resulted in me slipping on the top step of the downward-leading stairs and taking a “quick” ride down about a handful of them. Ouch!! And Ohhh…how embarrassing!! I collected myself and totally played it off like nothing had happened…my ankle was throbbing quite painfully, though. That pain was immediately overshadowed by the numbing-cold from the increasingly falling snow. I had my snow cap pulled down and my ... read more
Communism Lives
I must admit, when the idea of going to Belarus first cropped up my initial thoughts were; “umm…no way…it’s too dangerous…it’s too communistic.” Strangely enough, the longer I mulled it over, the more excited I became and decided that this was just too good of an adventure to pass up. Well, fast forward two weeks later… train tickets purchased and visas freshly stamped we were off to Minsk. I found the Russian night train to be surprisingly well appointed. The beds were soft, the linens were clean and the pre-war Soviet music which was blaring throughout our compartment was actually quite pleasant. We shared a four-person sleeper with two other Russian women who very generously offered us their aid with translating the Russian customs forms. So, I tucked myself into my bunk, popped two Unisoms and ... read more
First snow of the season
I woke up in the morning to a very unfamiliar sight…snow!! It was the first of the season and it was beautiful. Of course, I probably had that opinion when I was admiring it from the comfort and warmth of my flat…I’m sure it will be quite a different story when I am freezing at the tram stations in the middle of a snow storm. Anyway…so I decided to hang out my window to snap a few pics. It doesn't look like much...but its there.... read more
St. Michael
We arrived in Bratislava in the early afternoon and immediately headed towards the oldtown. I must say, this city kind of surprised me…it manages to integrate the old-word with chic modernity. Right in the heart, I saw some of the coolest/swankiest bars and lounges outside of Miami. Our mission was to slow our pace and just stroll the streets. The city felt a bit sleepy, so our main source of entertainment was a scavenger hunt for the famous Bratislava statutes and then, much more importantly, the hunt for the perfect dinner location. It really was the perfect way to wind-down the trip. We settled on a spot that served traditional Slovakian cuisine, meaning, the national dish of Bryndzove…a creamy curd made of potato dough and sheep cheese sauce…hmmm hmm hm! Another bonus is the fact that ... read more
Austrian Parliament
9:30PM we boarded our night train to Vienna and took our seats in good spirits and excitement. That, in and of itself, was quite an accomplishment considering we were stuck in a steamy-hot compartment along with four other grumpy Polish people with no hope (really) of getting a single wink of comfortable sleep. Emily, periodically throughout the 8-hour ordeal, stepped out into the corridor for a breath of fresh air. Where as I, sat in my fully-up right seat sweating in the sauna…or so it felt. 5:30AM the train comes to a stop. We arrived to Vienna nearly an hour ahead of schedule (a slight miracle in Europe). Of course, by the time we realized that fun-fact the train had stood empty (aside from us) at the station for a solid 15-minutes. SO we hurriedly scurried ... read more
Itinerary
Let the traveling BEGIN! In the next few months, I, along with my travel-mate and flat-mate Emily, will be making our way around Eastern Europe. We have a very ambitious travel plan/itinerary in the works, but I am convinced that it’s do-able. We have very carefully researched and selected some of the most beautiful, infamous, remote, interesting, awe-inspiring places on this side of the European continent. I will hold-off on itemizing all the locations…you will have to check back in to follow the journey. First Destination: Vienna, Austria - This is the perfect jumping off point: Vienna has always been the easternmost city of the West. It has even been dubbed the “gateway to the East.” How perfect is that? This Friday (27th) we are taking a night train out of Warsaw heading straight to Vienna. ... read more
Look at all the food!
To sum it up, Polish food is hearty, tasty and PLENTY of it. It is the star and centerpiece at every gathering, be it big or small. Not mention its prominence as favorite pastime. Sure, this has me a little worried, seeing how it’s impossible to deny yourself of any of it…but, hey, you only live once! One of the most familiar and delicious is the Polish Pierogi. These ravioli-like dumplings come with various fillings. The most traditional are minced meat, sauerkraut, mushroom, cheese and potato…but many restaurants experiment with more exotic fillings. Its very possible that I might return home looking like a Pierogi! I absolutely must mention the excellent pastries, deserts and ice cream! All the confections you could possible want can all be found in the cukiernia (pastry shops) that are conveniently located ... read more
University Gate
I enjoyed a week of down-time before the Warsaw University semester began. Admittedly, I was enjoying my vaca so much that the thought of actually going to school (putting the study in study-abroad) didn’t seem right. Turns out, the university is not only ascetically stimulating, but the lectures, professors are wonderful. Not to the mention the hundreds of international students from all corners of the globe that have seemed to converge in this very spot. The days and weeks that followed my arrival have been spent not only at school…but enjoying the after-school hours as well. For example, taking in the Warsaw Film fest, get-togethers, evening outings etc. Hmm…who am I fooling…everyone came de-code that clever language. ... read more
