Author: Greg

This was by far the most enjoyable day so far. This morning, we visited the Royal Lazienki Park gardens and it was an absolute wonderful break from the city scene. We didn’t spend much time here but great none the less.

It quickly became clear how essential green spaces are to the character of the city. Amid the bustle of urban life, these parks offer a peaceful retreat, carefully landscaped, yet natural enough to feel like you’ve stepped into a quiet sanctuary. The trees, ponds, and well-kept paths created an atmosphere of calm that felt almost surreal against the backdrop of Warsaw’s modernity and history. Exploring this park didn’t just give me a break from sightseeing, it deepened my appreciation of the city itself. It showed a different side of Warsaw. I think these parks are vital to understanding the rhythm of life here, and they added a layer of beauty and peace to my visit that I hadn’t expected but truly enjoyed.

Today is also our last day here in Warsaw and tomorrow, we are off to Krakow.

Until then…

Today, we got an opportunity to visit the main museum in reference to Jewish history, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.  This place was gigantic, extraordinary, and very detailed.

This was a time for reflection and remembering that the Jewish people have had it bad long before 1939 as they were never able to fully assimilate into the local society.

Instead of explaining, here’s a gallery…

After lunch, we had some time to ourselves, so I did what I enjoy most… Explore.  I walked through various local parks, finding myself further in the city. After a quick tram ride, I was back in the old town to see the sun set on the day.

I look forward to what tomorrow will bring…

Today was our first busy day of learning. We started off by doing a Jewish focused walking tour in the morning where we walked through what used to be the Jewish Ghetto here in Warsaw.  We then followed that up with an afternoon walk of the old town.  Sadly, most of the city was destroyed and many of what looks to be old buildings are for recreations, however, they did do a good job at it.

The contrast I am seeing between the old town which depicts what the city looked like before the war and the rest of the urban and modernized city is day and night.  Around Warsaw, you’ll see what’s typical in any major city; skyscrapers, malls and a very active transportation system, but in the old town, there’s cobblestone streets, small shops and restaurants and buildings that barely reach 3 stories tall.

This is what I love about these places…

That was quite the trip! Left for the airport shortly after 10am yesterday (Sunday, 5/18) and landing in Warsaw, Poland closer to 1pm today (Monday, 5/19). This included a short layover in Munich. There was very little sleep that was happening so saying I’m tired would be an understatement.

As it is already late, I’ll be brief with this one. I just have to explain what I’m seeing here.

For the most part, it seems like many other European cities I have been to but as I walked around, I didn’t realize the amount of greenery there was here. They also seem to have a decent tram system.  The hotel we’re staying at is also well-centralized making it very convenient to get around.

We also enjoyed our first meal here, which was incredible.  Along with the steak I ordered, I was able to try dumplings and some sort of beetroot soup, which was very good.

Tomorrow, we have big plans for seeing more of this city.

Until next time…

I have traveled a lot, a good portion of my life, actually. This will be my first of hopefully many daily posts to come.  I have started this for my school’s study abroad project but with additional trips planned soon, I hope this becomes a long-term thing. I have been wanting to start a full blog like this for years but always failed to do so… Well, here’s my chance.

Destination: Poland

We will be visiting three cities while we’re there: Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw.  I am so excited as I have never been to Poland or even Eastern Europe for that matter. We have quite a booked itinerary with the occasional downtime.  Now, its only a matter of preparation but what exactly to pack.

Over the years, I have attempted to fine tune what I take on trips and this one will be no different. As part of my 2-week study abroad consisting of a photography course, what tech I bring in key.  Let’s see here:

• Supported camera bag
• Sony a7 IV
• Sony 24-70 f/2.8 GM lens
• Razer 16-inch laptop
• Extra SD cards (2-3 should work)
• Spare camera battery + charger
• PeakDesign Travel tripod

When it comes to other parts of packing, I have it down well. Now, all I need to deal with are the pets which will be with my parents, well taken care of.

Leading up to this trip, we were also assigned a student counterpart from a local university in Poland. We have been speaking back and forth for the last week and will continue through the duration of this trip. We are expected to meet them one of our last days in country.

That will be it for now.

Until next time…