http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Poland , Lower Silesian , Wroclaw en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:59:15 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:59:15 +0000 During the summer of 2009 I spent almost two months in Poland visiting family as well as some interesting places. I travelled by bus train and car between Lower Silesia and the Baltic Sea. Before leaving Poland I visited the Czech Republic and Germany as well but no family there.Take a look at to see some short videos of my travels. I try to provide some helpful info as well as some interest http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-447583.html So I am sure most of you know that for the past two summers I've worked in the Outer Banks NC at the beach.. A lot of Eastern and Central Europeans go there for work during the touristy season to make money go to the States and travel.. So I met a lot of Russians and Polish kids which has been a lot of fun We take turns having parties they cook polishrussian food for us they make us drink http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-442380.html We went to Legnica Wroc322aw and Krakw.3rd September 2009.We went to Legnica part of Dolnoslaskie. This city is my husband home town and it takes about 1hour from Wroc322aw by car. 5th September 2009.I tried to make polish traditional food 'Pierogi' with my husband family. Even though I have eaten pierogi quite often in Poland and Englnad but I have never made it myself It was my fanta http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-435276.html I spent the first week at my grandmotherrsquos house in my village reconnecting with the streets mountains family and friends. Leisure strolling through the forest fixing up a mountain bike jogging mowing my grandmotherrsquos 8 hectares of lawn biking from one grandmotherrsquos house to the other. I didnrsquot talk to anyone my age until the weekend when I called Damian an old c http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-430479.html Cz281stochowa Wroc322aw Karpacz Kamiena Gra Poland July 20th30th 2009 After leaving Krakow we began our journey to my hometown of Wroclaw. We stopped along the way in the pilgrimage town of Czestochowa for a brief two night stay. Czestochowa is one of many major pilgrimage sites for Christians around the world. This particular place is a pilgrimage site because of the painting of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-424094.html Woke up before the alarm this morning mostly because I didn't really sleep. I kept checking the time every hour or so until just before 4am when I decided to give up and just get up. Got my stuff left the hostel and took a cab in the pouring rain to the night bus to Prestwick airport. The cab driver had me a little worried when he asked if I'd already gotten my bus ticket and I'd said no. H http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-418571.html It was early morning but the traffic was already rushing. Me and Edita met at the hitchhiking point in one end of Warsaw. She said she hasn't slept all night Erasmus party. Have you hitchhiked before I asked her. No. Have you couchsurfed before No she smiled. So it was going to be a double adventure for her. It was not my first time hitchhiking nor couchsurfing but still I had an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-400822.html Decided I'd go ahead and turn 24 this year. I had a wonderful birthday week with lots of emails from friends and family special outings with friends here in Poland and a great birthday party at a local pub Salvador on Saturday. A birthday to remember. And no I didn't follow the Polish tradition of buying everyone else drinks on MY birthday. I supplied the cake and awesome dance moves whi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-387950.html Again I arrived in the evening at the train station. I'm getting pretty sick of long train journeys especially since I can't do anything but sleep on them. I thought I could update my journal or something but all I get is a headache. Bleh. My host met me at the station but he didn't expect me to arrive so late it was like 8pm and had plans to see a movie with a friend. I'm not too into movies a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-373808.html Merry Christmas from Poland On Wednesday Dec. 24th I took the train from Wroclaw to Kostrzyn Nad Odra to meet Rick and Jakub 2 of Bri's college friends. Jakub is Polish went to high school and college in the US now works in DC and his family still lives in Poland. Jakub's family was very welcoming and I enjoyed my few days in their home.The train was quite full on the journey to Kostrzyn http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-357420.html Tis the season for some parties and snowy getaways. I attended my first Polish birthday party early in the month. Michal Meehow turned 23 and hosted a great party. For a Polish birthday the bday boygirl is responsible for paying for everyone else's drinks at a bar. They also supply snacks and are to ensure all guests have a lovely time. So I announced that I would NOT be hosting a Polish http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-354388.html Happy belated Thanksgiving I spent my Thanksgiving day at work... but I did enjoy some cheese pierogi and gelato in honor of the day. It has gotten cold in Poland We've had a few snowfalls but nothing sticks. The sun sets at about 4 pm which isn't exactly uplifting.The aerial pictures of Wroclaw were taken from the top of a church bell tower on a very windy Polish Independence day Nov. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-350924.html Due to harassment from someone who will remain nameless Bri Keeney here is the much anticipated Polish Halloweenelection installment of my travel blog.To answer a few questionsNO the Poles don't celebrate Halloween. The Poles celebrate All Saints' Day on Nov. 1. The vast majority of Poles spend the day with family traveling to the cemeteries where relatives are buried. This also meant tha http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-342964.html Today is my last day in Poland. It rained alot and a penetrating cold mist filled the air feels like November. I enjoyed the day hunting gnomes and doing the last organization for flight tomorrow. I bought a scarf to keep warm while I wandered the streets. Time has gone back an hour and darkness seems to begin at four. Perhaps it is even more fun to hunt gnomes in the dark. ha ha Before my http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-339349.html Wroclaw home of 'the Red Baron' and lately over fifty gnomes are waiting for you to find them. This is my last stop in Poland. I'm in the German part of Poland and very few people speak English here. In fact the international ticket agent at train station didn't speak English. Luckily a young customer understood that I was looking for day passes for trams and pointed me in direction of kiosk http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-339001.html One of the questions in the Callan book I teach out of asks the students Are there any castles in the town where you live The students ALWAYS answer no. Oh really I think these pictures tell a different story...And the much anticipated pictures of my castle I live on the 3rd floor of a 5floor block of flats. I live right off the Rynek behind the Diesel store. Most of the tenants in m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-336223.html While the sun still shines in Wroclaw pronouncd VraSwaf or VraSwav I have been taking long walks around the city snapping pics. Rumor has it that when the winter sets in the sun won't be seen for months.... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-334073.html I finally have internet connection in my flat After many frantic gestures and phrases in broken English and Polish I managed to get the wireless password from my neighbors. So welcome to my travel blog.After only a few days in Wroclaw my employer Speed School of English whisked me away to teacher training in Gliwice Poland about 3 hours away from Wroclaw by train. The other new teache http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-332841.html While in Prague we noticed that the weather had become slightly chilly. After reaching Wroc322aw we realized that this chill was not leaving Eastern Europe anytime soon.Minutes after arriving in Wroc322aw from Dresden Germany by train 4 hours we started searching for a way to get to the Olympic Stadium to pickup my packet for the marathon. We took a cab and during the 20 minute r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-324725.html After our few days in beautiful cesky krumlov we had a full day of travelling to reach our next destination Wroclaw in South West Poland. We were met from the train by my old friend and colleague Piotr who has recently moved home back to Wroclaw. A further reunion with Alex his wife and also Kat who managed to fly over for the weekend of festivities.Wroclaw is a beautiful town which was previously http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lower-Silesian/Wroclaw/blog-317520.html