We had a great day together touring the beautiful city of Warsaw! The highlight was the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sadly, the entire area was flattened in World War II and everything we saw was beautifully restored. The Royal Castle is interesting because there is no royal family in Poland. Aristocrats voted on the successor when a king died. The guide told us Sigismund III Vasa, the King of Poland and Lithuania from 1587 to 1632, moved the capital from Krakow to Warsaw. He was Swedish and wanted to be closer to Sweden and away from the borders. He was a fervent Catholic and wise leader who expanded Poland to its zenith regarding land and power. His statue is on top of the center column of the plaza behind the castle.
We walked around the old city, seeing the Marie Skłodowska-Curie museum and memorials to the war heroes. I realized the horrors of war must have scarred the Polish national psyche. To have your city destroyed, millions of Poles murdered or deported as “sub-human slaves” by the Nazis, and then to top it off, territory lost, over 40 years of occupation by the Soviets, it must affect Poles. I hope the new generations can recover and I am happy that Poland is a free nation after being subjugated for so many years. The Austro-Hungarians, Prussians, Nazis, and the USSR ruled over the Poles for centuries.
I had a delicious sour soup Źurek for lunch. It is made with a fermented rye starter and served with boiled eggs and white kiełbasa sausage. I definitely want to have a bowl of that today, my last in Warsaw.
On Saturday night we had a light dinner and drinks at the Panorama Sky Bar on the 40th floor of the Marriot Hotel. The views of Stalin’s Palace of Culture and Science were spectacular. Completed in 1955 in an Art Deco / “Seven Sister” Stalinist Tower architectural style, it is a distinctive landmark in downtown Warsaw. I read some critics want to demolish it as it was built by the Soviets and serves as a huge reminder to that horrible oppression, but I think it would be a shame. I would love to tour inside and I see where there is a university, theatres, concert hall, shops, swimming pool, convention hall, etc.
The best part of the trip was my time with my CEESA friends. Being a director in an international school can be lonely at times and it is so important for me to connect with colleagues. We face similar challenges and the collaboration in the group is invaluable for me.
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