The end of a wonderful year

I am not quite sure that I am ready to write this post, because I am not ready to accept that my year in Berlin is over, but the reality is that I have been back home for 5 days already and well, this post needs to be written.

The year I spent in Berlin was, by far, the best year of my life. It was not just the fact that I got to spend one year living in the amazing city of Berlin. It was also the fact that the work I did was very rewarding (granted I did little of it) and that it helped confirm the fact that I want to be an English teacher. But that's not all- this was the best year of my life because I grew so much; because I discovered myself in a way that I would not have been able to do if I had stayed here in Montreal; because I experienced things and met people that have helped to change and mold my life. But most of all, this year was the best of my life because I was lucky enough to meet someone that makes me so happy, someone that I love ridiculously, someone that I can see myself spending, happily, the rest of my life with. Love is hard to find (I had to go all the way to Germany to find mine!) and it takes time to find the right person, but once you do, the happiness you experience will make you forget all those moments when you were lonely.

Of course, this year would not have been what it was without all of you, my friends, family- my readers. I treated this blog as a kind of open diary and I am very happy that so many of you chose to join me on my adventures. Thank you for dropping by so often! I hope that you enjoyed my year as much as I did!!!

I suppose this will be the last post I write on this blog. This chapter of my life has now ended, but that just means that a new one has started! As one door closes, another opens.

So I bid you farewell!
Until my next adventure, where ever that might be!
Tchüss und alles Liebe,
Pearl

Igelchen

When my sister and I were younger, one of our dreams was to be the proud owner of a small hedgehog. The idea came to us after watching a television show where we learned that these small, sweet and cute little animals could become one's pet for a mere 50$. We heckled our parents endlessly, but to no avail.
I still haven't given up on that dream.......

For the love of bread

If you love bread, and who doesn't, than Krakow is your city! At every street corner, one can find a bread vendor, selling a variety of tasty bread treats. These thin bagel-like snacks are always fresh and extremely cheap, and a good way to quiet that small hunger!

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Auschwitz I

Auschwitz II- Birkenau

The entrance, seen from the inside, to Birkenau.

The kitchen barrack. That wooden carriage was used to bring in the day's ration in the morning (stale bread) and to carry the bodies of dead prisoners to the crematoriums in the evening. It was of course inmates that pulled the carriage.

"Verhalte Dich ruhig"- Keep calm or Keep quiet
Written on the walls of barracks

"Eine Laus ist dein Tod"- A lice is your death
Written on the walls of barracks

The women's barracks (left of the ramp)

The ramp

The men's barracks (right of the ramp)


I meant to write this post sooner, but I could not find the right words for it, and although I am not sure that I have found them yet, I will try to describe, as best as I can, my experience visiting the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau.

I have to say that visiting these two concentration camps was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. I knew it would be hard for me to be there, but I had no idea how hard the horror of these two places would hit me. Of course, the weather (it rained all day) and the fact that I was there alone did not help to make it easier for me to be there.

Auschwitz I has been turned into a free museum: one can visit this concentration camp alone or join a guided tour, which is what I did. Exhibitions have been set up in the buildings (all original) that still remain to this day. Auschwitz I was a relatively small place, most of the inmates being sent to Auschwitz II (Birkenau) instead. At Auschwitz I, one could find the offices of the SS officers, the mansions of the people in charge, the "hospital", where experiments were done on inmates, and other bureaucratic buildings. There was also a gas chamber and a crematorium, but these were destroyed by the Nazis when the War came to an end. They were, however, reconstructed for the benefit of the visitors of Auschwitz. I walked through the gas chamber (rebuilt on the grounds where the original previously stood) and saw the ovens used to burn the bodies of the thousands of people who died there, and it was absolutely sickening.

I, like almost everyone, had obviously heard a lot about Auschwitz before going there. I had seen documentaries and read books and heard stories, but nothing compares to being there and to seeing everything with your own two eyes.

Auschwitz II, also called Birkenau, is situated 3km away from Auschwitz I. This is where most of the inmates where sent to work and, ultimately, to die. I was shocked by the size of Birkenau- once you cross the main gate, all that you see is a sea of barracks, some still standing and some destroyed. My pictures do not do justice to the size of this place. This place was extremely well thought out- the railway goes directly into the camp, to make the transportation of prisoners as simple as possible. Birkenau is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Going to Auschwitz and Birkenau is certainly not a walk in the park, but I think that everybody owes it to himself, as well as to the victims of the Second World War, to visit these concentration camps so as to never forget this horrible tragedy and to ensure that nothing like this ever, ever happens again.

Pouring rain!

I had mostly terrible weather in Poland. It rained every day, and sometimes, it was a complete downpour that fell from the skies, the kind of downpour that completely soaks you, even if you are taking cover!

Krakow street art

Ryneck Glowny

Krakow is truly a beautiful city. I did not write much about the city of Warsaw in my previous posts. That's because I don't want to influence your opinion about that city, but if I have to be honest, I would not recommend going there, or if one absolutely wanted to visit it, then I would suggest staying no more than two days. Warsaw, almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, has lost most of its charm, even if it was reconstructed almost exactly as it was before the war. Krakow, on the other hand, is absolutely beautiful. I have seen my share of Old Towns throughout my travels, and Krakow's Ryneck Glowny is one of the nicest I have seen. Krakow, even under the rain, is well worth a visit!

Kazimierz

It is in the district of Kazimierz, known today as Krakow's Jewish neighborhood, that Jews lived from the 14th Century until the Second World War. Although Kazimierz was severely destroyed during the Nazi occupation, many buildings, a couple of synagogues and some cemeteries still remain to this day. I very much enjoyed walking through all the small streets that make up this neighborhood- you could really feel how old it was and how full of history it is.

Wawel Castle

The seat of kings for over 500 years, Wawel Castle is perched on the top of a 50 meter high hill, which gives you a more or less interesting view of the city. This 10th Century castle is a mixed of Medieval, Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque styles- a bit of everything really! I thought the grounds would be bigger than they were and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when I got up on the top of the hill. But the cathedral was beautiful and the sun was shinning (a rarity during my time in Poland), so I sat down on a bench and wrote a few postcards, enjoying the views.

Kielbasa guys

These are the Kielbasa Guys (although when I saw them, one of the guys had been replaced by a gal!). Every night, from 9pm to 3am, the Kielbasa Guys set up shop on the sidewalk next to Hala Targowa and grill their homemade kielbasa, which they serve on paper plates, with a bun and some mustard. They grill the sausages, as can be seen in the second picture, over a wood-fed BBQ, which gives the already very flavorful sausages a nice woody taste. I got there a little after 9pm on a Thursday night and a queue had already formed. Instead of beer, which cannot be drank on streets, you can get sparkling lemonade. Definitely a must if you find yourself in Krakow!

Don't make me run, I am full of pirogies!

These were the best pirogies I had while in Poland.... and now that I think about it, maybe the best ones I have ever had. I ate them in a very small little cafe/restaurant. They were obviously freshly made, as they were tender and soft, and one had to wait quite a little while to be served. They were served with broth, and not with sour cream, which is how I have always ate pirogies before. And yes, that's apple mint juice- very tasty and very refreshing!

Warsaw