Saint Patty's Day

I did not make it to Ireland for Saint Patrick’s Day, but I still had a great day. I wore my shirt that says “Everybody Loves an Irish Girl” all day but it was so cold that nobody got to see it. I purchased my train ticket to Krakow—a small language snafu and 30 zloty penalty later and I walked out of the train station.

I then went to SS Peter and Paul Cathedral via the tram. The church was beautiful and quiet—not a single tourist when I went in. It was very peaceful to walk around and look at the ornate statues, art, and memorials. I practiced using my digital camera—I am learning a little more each time I use it. I caught the tram back home and relaxed for a bit. I tried to plan some of my upcoming adventures in France, Ireland, and England and I started packing two bags—one for the short trip to Krakow and one for my long trip. I was able to fit the short trip into my backpack—including my laptop!

Emma my new Irish friend stopped by and we went out to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. We had a nice visit and a very brisk walk. It was time to start toward the train station for my night train. I arrived plenty early and still almost missed my train. I asked multiple conductors/rail staff which carriage was mine. One waived me down and started rambling in Polish. I walked a ways and asked another guy who looked official. He said this was not my train. I assured him that it was!! He had to ask a gal in the little office and then he motioned me on down the tracks. I am running now because I do not want to miss this train. I stopped at a carriage that had the door shut but the guy opened the door for me. Out of breath, I gave him my ticket and after a few seconds he motioned me up! I found my compartment and tried to open the door—it was locked. (Great, I think!) The train started moving and I had to catch my balance. I could hear someone inside rustling to unlock the door. It was pitch black when I shut the door behind my and tried to look for my bunk…not finding it where I thought it should be. I am a little flustered but keeping quiet. I finally realize that my bed is the rally high bunk that required a ladder. I got settled and fell asleep.

No news in good news??

Sorry I have not posted is a long time...I have been so busy having fun and dealing with travel foes and bad internet connections. In the past two weeks, I have been to Krakow, Poland to see Auschwitz and the Salt Mine and then to Paris, Lyon and Tours, France and then flew to Ireland. I am in Dublin right now and take the bus to Galway in the morning. I will not make it to Northern Ireland this trip, but I will still get to see quite a bit of great Ireland countryside!! I will post when I have more time...so much to say and pictures to show you, but I am enjoying the sightseeing too much to take time out to post. Be ready because the next few posts will be massive catch-ups!! Cheers and Love to All! MJ

Purpose Driven Life--Take One

Tonight we had a group study discussing the first seven days of reading the Purpose Driven Life. There were nine of us and everyone contributed, sharing parts of their life and where they are. One of the questions was "What image or metaphor has been described your life?"

I would have to say that the first thing that came to mind was one of those Thermometers that measures fundraising. You know the one with marks going up each side for milestones leading up to the final goal. I am good at working on the individual milestones and checking off goals as I reach them, but what is the major goal at the top...what am I working so hard for?

It was really a great discussion and I look forward to the next meeting I can attend!

Goodnight All!!

Welcome to Poland

I woke up on the train when the night watchman said we were a half hour outside of Warsaw. I looked out the window and saw the picture above. First Impression: It is cold here! The train stopped at a station before the main Warsaw station. The other person in my couchette said we had one more stop. After being stopped for a minute or two I looked out and saw the word "Zachodinia"--NO! THIS was MY Stop and I only had four minutes to get to my next train! I got off the train and asked the conductor which track was mine, but he did not know. I ran down the stairs with all my bags and asked another conductor. He told me where to go and I got on the train that was there but when I showed my timetable to someone on the train, they said I was on the wrong train so I got off. I ran down the stairs again to where this guy told me to go and the train was going in the wrong direction. Needless to say, I missed my connection and went to the ticket window to see what I could do. After about 5 minutes I had new tickets with an extra connection and arriving an hour later. The train from Warsaw Central to Poznan was packed and my bags barely fit! I was sitting next to a guy and when the beverage service came (after being on the train for an hour) he started speaking to me in English--who knew? He helped me order a coffee and then we began to talk. He is a photographer from New York and was coming to Poland to a Fashion show in which one of his photos was being displayed. We looked at some of my photos and he showed me a few things about reading my exposure meter....something Peter tried to tell me over a year ago. Anyway, I made it to the train station and met up with Maria and Ev...super excited that I actually was here! They took me to the center and my apartment. My apartment is decorated so cute...more than I could have ever done and way more than I was expecting!!




I had a few days to settle in and unpack before I had to start working. We took a trip to the grocery store so I could get more food and see what it was like--different and I find myself looking at pictures a lot! I had time to do laundry and found out that clothes dryers are not common here. I have a few drying racks and place them near the radiators (the heat source for my apartment).

I explored the neighborhood a little on my own and found a few places where I could get groceries and mail a letter, get cash, eat out, etc. On my first Saturday here, I got to meet some of people that go to church here--dinner and games at someone else's house. It was a great evening and some good chili! Sunday we had brunch with the people that are most involved in Poznan. It was nice to meet them, most are about my age so it is nice! We also discussed the goals of the church in the next year--some exciting things are in the plans!

Monday was the first day of work and we hit it hard and I tried to get the basics and see all the information that needs to be done and the general process that has been followed. I continue to look at things the next few days and we decide to pay bills on Wednesday, met with the Polish Accountant on Thursday and prepared for Ladies Night/Bookclub on Friday! I read the first part of the book, got filled in about the middle, and then finished the book. The twist at the end was really sad and touching! I made a cake for the evening and I thought it was actually going to be my first major flop! No joke, I had bought what I thought was frosting at the store, but it was way too thin and would not stay on the side of the cake. I tried to thicken it with powdered sugar, but it did not work!!
I took my first tram and went to the only grocery store I know about and buy more powdered sugar and those wafer sticks that are usually filled with chocolate. I stacked them around the whole outside of the cake and it turned out to look great! The night went better than any of us thought--we had English speaking girls and Polish speaking girls and everyone had a great time.

Saturday morning Maria (the one standing beside me in the picture above, a Polish girl that helps us with translating) was going to show me where a gym was. When we got to it, the doors were not open so I decided to go back later and Maria was going to look it up online. Maria had some shopping to do and so I tagged along. It was an amazing adventure. We went to about seven stores for groceries that all fit into Maria's backpack and one cloth bag. We got a loaf of bread at one backery, lunchmeat at another place, potatoes and mushrooms at the open market, something at the pharmacy, chicken at a butcher, white eggs at another place...I could compare it to one of my days of Christmas shopping, but I drive to the different places which are quite a distance from my home and I come home with a trunk load of stuff!! We were home within two hours, but had spend a few hundred Zloty (pronounced zwotee)

Saturday night we went to an outdoor production of the Passion of the Christ. There were thousands of people all standing in the dark waiting for it to begin. It was all in Polish but the acting I could understand. It was a nice production and was a reminder of how Christ suffered for us!I about froze to death and we were far enough away that pictures are blurry because I cannot hold my hand still while the picture is being taken.
It was interesting to hear it in another language. In general the language barrier here has been very hard to overcome.


So now, once again I am caught up on my blogging. It has taken all day for these two posts so I hope you all enjoy! I am having a great time here in Poland. I have finished my work for this month and have made plans to fly to Paris on Thursday. Not St. Patty's day in Ireland but I saw an Irish pub a few blocks away from where I live. I hope to take the night train on Monday night to Krakow to see nearby Auschwitz and the Salt Mine and then come back in time for my flight!!

Until the next post take care!!

Vienna, Austria Palace...Palace...Church...Palace

I spent three days in Vienna and saw some beautiful palaces and churches, ate some local food, and spent a lot of money! My first adventure in Vienna was finding the hostel. I got directs from the hostel on how to get there but when I got off the bus I was lost. I asked a few locals and they sent me in all directions. I eventually went back to the train station and asked the info desk. He gave me the same directions as the hostel, but went one step further and said go back a half block and turn left... I was within 100 yards of the hostel and spent two hours looking for it!!...with all of my bags! The first night in Vienna I decided to take the tram around the old city circle. I got off the eat dinner and look around a few times and then headed back to the hostel.
I got going early the next morning and headed to Schloss Shonbrunn. I did the Grand Tour and got the English audio guide.I spent a few hours walking aroung the palace and looking at art and then toured the outside of the palace. In the distance from the palace you can see Gloriette...a lot farther than it looks!I walked up there and took a look back on the palace--being up on a hill I could see a lot of Vienna from this point. I got back on the subway and went back to the city center, found a late lunch in a local restaurant and then went to see the Hofburg Palace and the Treasury. The palace was huge and sprawled out. I took a tour of the Treasury--crown jewels and coronation attire. There were so many beautiful crowns, necklaces, coronation robes and statues from hundreds of years ago.
The city is beautiful at night and the buildings are all lit up. I wish I could take a helicopter tour of the city just for the pictures. I came upon a festival at the Rathaus (Town Hall).They had multiple ice skating rinks and a curling type event. The Rathaus was lit up with spotlights that changed colors and music (American) played over the loud speaker.



The last place on my list for the day was to see Karlskirche at night. It was lit up so beautifully. I admired it from the outside for a few minutes and got my share of pictures...trying to get the light just right! I got back on the subway and headed for home. I met my roommate when I returned. Her boyfriend Max and his roommate were going for pizza and asked me if I wanted to come along. The four of us headed for the streets in search of an open restaurant. It was 9:30pm and nothing was looking open.
I noticed a pizzeria with its lights on so we headed down the block toward it. When we were about 20 feet away the lights went out. We got to the place as the owers were locking the doors.
Max could speak a little German so he told them our situation and the couple decided to open up for us to get a few pizza to take back to the hostel. Wow! You do not see that very often...and all for 10 Euros. We got our pizzas and walked back to the hostel to eat and visit.
Last Day in Vienna:
I was taking the night train to Poland so I had the whole day to spend seeing more of Vienna. My two goals for the day were Belvedere Palace and Haus der Music. I was in the Museum Quarter in the morning and decided to visit Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). The building itself was a work of art that pictures cannot do justice.

I had an experience with a Greek store/cafe owner before entering the Belvedere Palace; I got a free Cafe Latte and some local guidance on Vienna. The Palace had amazing art and a view of the Gardens that must be gorgeous in the summers.

After a walk around the grounds I headed for the Haus der Musik and had no clue how awesome it would be.


There were multiple floors with different themes. You could learn about sound waves, making music, the parts of the ear, play interactive games, etc. There was a floor dedicated to musician including Mozart, Beethoven, Mohler, Strauss, Hayden and more! Lots of pictures, memorabilia, and history. The free audio tour was a must! I left the museum and it was dark outside. I decided to find some dinner before heading back to the hostel to retrieve my luggage. I walked into this little store to look at something I had seen through the window and noticed there was a cafeteria downstairs. I ended up having a great meal here--bratwurst, kraut, potatoes, carrots, tiramisu and soda.

I made it to the train station a few hours early but relaxed in a little coffeeshop and then boarded the train early! I got all settled into my couchette. Luckily there was only one other person sharing it with me.

He was a Polish guy, living in Vienna who knew English which was extremely helpful! I actually got a good night sleep and woke up in Poland. I know that not all night trains are this simplistic but it was a great way to travel.

The Sound of Music...

I took a SOM tour in a small van with seven other people about my age or a little younger. Five of them were architect students from California that were in Italy studying the different structures---they made the tour a laugh a minute experience. They all knew the words to every song and recognized every place we went. We went to a bunch of places where they filmed the movies and a few places wher the Von Trapps actually lived. We went into the lake district about the time that a serious storm was starting. All of a sudden, the van was getting wet as wind was picking water up off the lake and trees were being blown over...quite a sight to be in!
We stopped of at the church where the wedding took place in the movie and ate strudel and hot chocolate in a little cafe that had lost its power. We ate by candle light! We did not know if we were going to make it back to Salzburg or have to stay where we were...luckily the storm let up and we got on the road. We ran into more weather but eventually made it back to town! I spent the rest of the afternoon with the architect students and toured the Festival Halls and other parts of Salzburg.


I made a reservation to go to a Mozart dinner concert...I know, not my usual kind of concert, but I thought since I was in Salzburg.
The concert was amazing and the 3 course meal was excellent as well. There were two opera singers and 6 musicians that played marvelous Mozart music. They were very entertaining and all dressed clothes of the time. Dinner did not end until almost 11pm and I still had to catch my bus. Late night but well worth the money!!

Salzburg, Austria..buckets of rain!

I arrived in Salzburg around lunchtime and made my way on the busses to my bed & breakfast. I got off at the wrong bus station and thought I would just walk...it was raining lightly and got worse with each block! I finally got back on the bus when I realized I had walked about a mile and still had a ways to go. I had been carrying a paper bag and it decided it was too wet to stay together and things started falling out. I managed to keep everything together and got to my B&B. I was supposed to go on a Sound of Music tour, but they called to say they could not pick me up ...and I never would have made it to their station because I wasted time walking in the rain! We rescheduled for the next day. I got settled into my room which was an absolute luxury in comparison to where I had been staying. I had a queen bed, tv, table, and bathroom all to my self. I was able to let things dry out and I headed back to town to do some sightseeing in the rain.
Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and the locals are willing to take tourists money for souvenirs with Mozart on them. They raise the price so high that I did not even think about buying anything.
I went up to the castle and even took the guided tour to the top of the tower for a great 360 degree view of Salzburg.
I found some dinner at a trendy restaurant and had a great piece of chicken stuffed with things I could not interpret on the menu and a side of sauteed vegetables and potatoes.
I spent the rest of the night walking around town and then in my room...so nice to have a room to myself and time to plan the next few days. The town was so much better than I had expected!! I would definitely go back to Salzburg!

Sometimes you just feel like home!

My last day in Munich, I went to one of the palaces and looked around a bit. They were working on the exterior and the ponds were mostly drained. I did get to see some pretty swans though.


I made my way into the city center in search of Hard Rock Cafe which I had seen the previous day on my tour. I was just going to get a glass but decided on lunch as well. I was very surprised to find that everyone spoke English---almost like I was in the States again. It was a nice change and I talked to a guy that was from Minnesota and his wife was an Opera singer who does most of her singing in Europe.


I found a Starbucks and sat down to relax for a time. I called some people from home and enjoyed the music as if I was home!