Music in Warsaw

Chopin grew up in Warsaw and played the organ in a church we passed today. In another church, he had his heart buried. 

(Pictured: church where he played the organ)

(Pictured: Chopin statue)

In Soviet Poland...

During World War II, Poland was invaded by the Nazis who completely destroyed Warsaw. And yet, when you visit the Old Town in Warsaw, it looks like pre-war Warsaw. The silly Pols rebuilt the city to look how it used to!

East Berlin: No One Wanted to Live there

East Berlin and East Germany were not good places to live...as the Wall and the Iron Curtain indicated. But who knew that even East Berlin guards wanted to escape? Some of them climbed through windows in the guard houses...until the windows were blocked up. East Berliners were very clever in their escape scheming. 

History: I'm not the only one who likes it!

When flying, you tend to meet people. When flying internationally, you meet interesting people. 

My seat mate was a woman originally from Persia (10 points to you if you know the modern name of this country). I was unsure of her at first because she got into a bit of an altercation with a very annoyed woman but it all worked out. 

She and I chatted for much of our 7 hour flight. She is an ultrasound technician and works in Virginia. She's in Holland to visit some family and was just in Europe two weeks ago! She loves to travel and one of her favorite trips was a history class trip to Costa Rica! When I told her I was a history major she was impressed and said she loved history. 

What a nice way to start this trip. Good morning from Amsterdam!

Traveling: Not just Fun but a time to Learn

Today I leave the United States and make my way to central Europe. I will be exploring the streets of Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague and Munich. But this is not just a sight seeing trip. This is for a class and we have been studying Nazi and Soviet propaganda. But along with this, I am hoping to learn some history.

Before I started college, I was told that the best way to study history is to go to where it took place. I went to Ireland to learn about the Irish war for independence. I went to Greece to learn about Minoan culture. Now I'm going to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic to learn about the Third Reich and what life was like behind the Iron Curtain.

I'm excited and know that I will have a lot of fun. History is my passion and I love to learn. This blog will chronicle my journey as well as all of the fun history I want to share with you after this trip. 

History is always present.