We took this trip a few years ago, and will re-visit some of these sites, locations, and events this coming December. Here is the daily log:
We started thinking about a winter trip to Europe after we
had taken a 4-week trip to China in September 2002. Coupled with this, our four
children decided to do something for us to celebrate our 40th
anniversary, and this started us thinking. At the same time, Audy read about
the Christmas Markets in Europe, especially in Germany, and we agreed this
would be something we would enjoy doing and seeing…thus the idea was born.
Initially we wanted to see these Christmas Markets, but in
looking into them and when and where they were held, we found that for the most
part they were early to mid December, which just would not fit with our
schedule. Then we looked into Tours that would see these various places, and
found that they were, for the most part, bus tours where you traveled to a
different city each day, etc. This did not appeal to us…so we decided to “do
our own trip”. Utilizing United Frequent Flyer miles and Marriott Points for the
hotels….all was left with getting around in Europe and we happened on Eurail
Passes….and our planning started. Our goal included seeing Berlin, where Audy
and I met some 41 years ago while on an exchange type program, and which has
been through a lot of change since the days when we rode our bikes under the
Brandenburg Gate, including the Wall between East and West Germany. Another
goal was to see Leipzig, which had been in East Germany, and which Audy saw in
1988 when she was in Germany with Curt…we wanted to see how the city had
changed in the 12 years since the wall came down. Our third goal was to see
Warsaw, Poland, where neither of us had been. All three goals were met, as you
will see.
Day 1 (of 14) started on December 24th, 2002, as
we left Redding on the United Express commuter to San Francisco (SFO). At SFO
we boarded a United flight to London…where we changed to Lufthansa and on to
Dusseldorf and then to Zurich, Switzerland, arriving at 6 PM on Christmas
night. London Heathrow Airport is one of the older ones in Europe, and still
serves millions annually as it has for 50 years, and it looked just as we
remembered it, with tunnels and roads under buildings and very cluttered with
offices and buildings almost on top of each other. On the other hand,
Dusseldorf is a very, very modern airport serving the industrialized western
part of Germany, and this airport is as open, bright, and light…as Heathrow is
dark. An interesting contrast, but just right for our timing, for Dusseldorf
Airport was very quiet on this Christmas Day so Audy had a good 1 hour nap
while we waited for our flight. Arriving in Zurich, we used the shuttle to get
to the Renaissance Hotel, which was about 10 minutes from the airport…and
obviously it was bedtime, as we had been fling for 24 hours.
Day 2—Zurich, Dec 26: After a fair nights sleep (I was awake
for 2 hrs. due to jet lag), we got up and took the airport shuttle to the
Airport Train Station to catch the train into Zurich. They have arrangements in
all of the cities where you can buy a 1 or 2 day pass that allows for unlimited
riding on the public transport system. We rode the train into the main train
station, which is quite large and quite buys, and after looking around for a
place to eat, of which many were closed due to the day after Christmas closing,
we walked out on the street to the adjacent McDonalds. Suffice it to say that
traditionally we have refused to eat at McDonalds, etc…but, as we found in
China, they have excellent “local foods”, as was the case with the Egg McMuffin
we had. Quite good and with coffee came to about $4.00. We then walked down
their Haufbonstrasse, which is the main shopping pedestrian street in Zurich.
Every possible shop…many very upscale..and a beautiful area, in spite of the
rain that was starting to fall. We walked about 2 hours and got up to the
Lindenhof overlooking the Limmat River and the beginning of Lake Zurich…the
Picture-postcard Lake that you often see when you see Zurich photos. From there
we headed back to the station area, where we were going to catch the “Trolley
tour” of the city, which we did. For 2 hours we got to see the big churches,
including the famous one where artist Marc Chagall has the stained glass
windows. Quite a beautiful city. Following the tour, we caught the train back
to the hotel…a 2 hour rest…and at 5 got up to come back downtown to see “the
lights”. We walked back down to the lake and then back to the station for a
lasagna dinner…and back to the hotel…a good first day in Europe.
Day 3…Zurich to the Alps, 12/27/02: Although Zurich is
impressive as a staid and wealthy old city that was not harmed by the war…what
we were to encounter on this scenic day trip is almost indescribable. We caught
the 9 am shuttle to the train..got on the Lucerne IR, which stands for Inter
Regional, train…also known as the express trains…and headed for Lucerne, which
is south of Zurich along Lake Lucerne…another picture postcard city. This was
the first leg of the scenic trip up into the Alps, so we stopped at the station
long enough to get a close-up look at the Lake and the new museum…and try to
recall when we were there previously. It was starting to clear, so was very
pretty, and in 30 minutes we were on to train #2, bound for Interlaken, which
is the entry point into the Alps from this direction. It was here that we met
the family from Florida that was on the 1 week ski trip…in Gstaad…and
unfortunately for them and thousands of others…no snow, due to the southern
Europe warm weather…(40 degrees was the high that day). At Interlaken we
boarded train #3..and as we started up the weather cleared beautifully…and off
we went to Zweissimen, which is the town for the start of the Golden Pass
Scenic tour, and we got on train #4 for the steep climb, etc…into the middle of
the Alps. This was absolutely spectacular, and the lack of snow allowed us to
clearly see the Alpine villages, the beautiful mountains, and the enchanting
valleys and waterways, from creeks to rivers. Nothing like it. And, the train
goes where the cars can’t go, in that much of the track is literally along the
side of the mountain, making for exciting views. This trip took us 2 hours as
we traveled up and over and down into the french speaking part of Switzerland,
and into the city of Montreux. Unbelievable beauty describes this part of the
trip, as we passed by world famous resorts such as Gstaad…with many people but
no snow. From Montreux we boarded train #5 for the short ride into
Lausanne…then on to #6 for the return fast train to Zurich via Geneva and Bern.
We were back in Zurich by 7 PM, and enjoyed our evening meal of the
train…delicious soup and bread, which was about all we wanted for we had been
sitting and viewing all day…and what a day it had been. Highly recommended for
anyone that goes to Zurich, for this is the real Switzerland that can only be
seen on this kind of a train trip. On the train ride back into Zurich, we were
on the European bullet trains, and they run at speeds up to 120 mph. We had a
number of these…some called IR and some called ICE (InterCityExpress)….and
although the ICE is the new and famous looking bullet trains…all of them can
really move. Inside the trains you do not hear much, for they are all electric
and very quite, but stationary objects that are passed by the trains are
blurs…and cars on the highways look as it they are creeping along, although
they are probably going 60 or 70 mph.
All of the trains are very clean, with very comfortable seats…and they
have plenty of non-smoking areas…, which we always had. Some of the trains are
double decker, but on all of the trains, the windows are big, so you can see
all that you want to see with no problem whatsoever. On the return trip we went
along Lake Neuchatel, another picture lake, but often fog covered due to the
elevation of the lake when it is warn like it was, relatively speaking.
Some observations: Zurich is very expensive and not too
tourist oriented. It is the money city with the famous banks and the large
insurance companies. Zurich Insurance is the largest re-insurer in the world,
attesting to the amount of money in Swiss banks. The area is very clean, and
especially so as you travel out into the country as we did. The farms look
almost unlived in…so neat and clean. As mentioned, the scenic trip was
definitely a highlight.
Day 4—Zurich to Salzburg, 12/ 28/02: We set our alarm for 6
AM..got up and packed and left the hotel on the 7:40 am shuttle to the train
station..carrying our luggage for the first time. A lot of thought, and some
input from Carrie, had gone into our planning as to what we would take, and we
ended up with one large pull-on suitcase, Audy’s green pull-on, and my black
shoulder bag, which is used in China and it holds quite a lot. This worked
well, for the only real weight was in the large pull on…and with its handles where
they are, it is easy to move around. This morning was our first test…and it
went well, as we got into the station to look for the Salzburg train. We got
there a little early, so went into the mall area of the train station to their
“Safeway”, which is called Micros, and got some bread, sandwiches, and drinks
to be prepared for the long trip to Salzburg. These shopping areas are very
clean and open, as my photos illustrate…and very easy to shop in, although
Switzerland does not participate in the Eurodollar system, yet. We then went on up to the gate area, and
encountered our first crowds, for this was the Saturday of the Christmas week,
and a lot of travelers. We were hoping to get onto the Panorama car…but so were
many others…and we decided on the regular first class car…which worked out
best. The only difference in the cars is that the panorama cars have the higher
windows…but it was crowded and loud…so we were happy 4 cars way in our “private
area”. I say private, for the way the seats are configured, we usually had 4
seats for the 2 of us..and sometimes we had the additional 2 seats across the
aisle…which gave us plenty of room to move about and go from side to side to
see the sights…and make pictures…(I totaled out about 400 digital photos…so I
was constantly moving from window to window), so the open areas served us well.
At 9:50 AM, we left…and the train was late leaving, which is very unusual for
these trains. Off we went heading for Innsbruck and Salzburg…and it was
raining, which continued for the entire day. Still the trip east into the
Austrian Alps was spectacular, and we did have periodic clearing along with
rain and an occasional light snow. We were on an IR train, so once again, fast
on most of the flat and straight areas…and slowing down as we went up into and
along the mountainside. Again, spectacular. Along the way we passed through
farmlands, rich and green valleys surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Alps.
Something to see! We went through the
small country of Liechtenstein, which is kind of 2 big mountains with 2 cities
in the valley…and took us about 15 minutes to go the length of the country with
1 stop. From there we went into Innsbruck….known for the Olympics, of which
some of the areas are still used. Reminded me of Aspen, CO, for the mountains
surround the valley where the city is…ideal for the Olympics, but not terribly
scenic at this time of the year with no snow. From Innsbruck, went up and over
the Alps through the Ardhem Tunnel, and it was in this area as we went along
the side of the mountain that we saw this bad accident on the road below..and
as it turned out about a 15-mile back up in each direction..for there was a lot
of traffic on this holiday weekend. Again, thankful that we were on the train.
The track usually will go along the valley and follow the rivers, etc..but from
time to time has to go along the sides of the mountains, and on a couple of
occasions we were looking down about 1500 feet to the valley directly below.
Quite exciting. As we came out of the Alps, the train would pick up speed, for
we were still about 30 minutes behind…and a couple of times, it seemed like we
were exceeding 120…we were “crankin”….but we made it to Salzburg at 4 PM…on
schedule. We got directions to the Renaissance Hotel…and being 2 blocks from
the train station, we walked over in the rain…and checked into this 5 star
hotel. We walked around the area for awhile as we had been sitting all day…then
had our first schnitzel at the hotel restaurant…and got to see our first
Turkish wedding. About 1000 Turks in the hotel ballroom…all smoking, etc., but
interesting. Got to bed at 10 PM after another full and interesting day.
Day 5, Salzburg, 12/29/02: Some of our best memories are of
Salzburg. When Audy and I were together in 1961, we met Dr. Maurice and Sue
Faulkner, my music professor at UCSB, there, when they met Audy for the first
time. We then went back when we were stationed in England…and then one time
later on. It is a city that has not changed, and still has the charm that it
had 40 years ago…so we were pleased to be there. We left the hotel at 8:45 am,
after having a full breakfast buffet at the hotel which was included in the
room plan (the European breakfast buffet, as it was in China…is everything you
want from eggs to french toast to meats and cheeses to cereals and
pastries)…walking over to the station where we caught a bus to the downtown
area, for we wanted to go to the Dome (Cathedral) for the 10 am mass service.
We got there a little early, so walked to the church and then around the area,
which is all just below the massive castle on the hill overlooking the city…and
which you see in all of the photographs of the city. We walked over to the St.
Peters Church, and a service was going on…so we looked in the back, in probably
was one of the prettiest churches we have ever seen. It was completely
decorated with candles and ornaments…and it was just glorious. They were
concluding their service, which was, again, part of the Christmas week
services…thus the extensive decoration, and the final song was “Praise to the
Lord, the Almighty…” with the full filled church singing. Very touching and
beautiful. We then walked back over to the Dome, and the service was going and
this massive church was filled. We walked to the front and got a seat on the
side…and enjoyed very much the service with the full organ, 2 oboes, and a
bassoon accompanying the soloist and the small adult choir. Although they were
using the smaller and newer organ, of which there are 4 in the church, the
music was beautiful and carried so well in the big dome….we stayed for the
entire service. A blessing!
We left and took the funicular (cable car) up the hill to
the castle-fortress, which we both remembered, as we walked to the top back in
1961. At the castle we walked around to
see the sights and the views of the city from the top…had a coffee at the
little restaurant…saw the Marionette Museum..and enjoyed the clear weather,
although colder. This is a true fortress, in that it guarded the city, and
today it has been preserved and is still a landmark to behold. We walked down
into the town…went to the Mirabelle Castle, where I got one of my best photos
of Audy in ’61…and walked over to the Mozart Museum. This is very well done and
goes through the real history of Mozart…what he did…where he did it… and some
of the family history. This is a must for anyone that appreciates Mozart, for
it clearly demonstrates with videos and photos the incredible life of this
genius. The Mozart birth place is nearby, and most of Salzburg has been turned
into these pedestrian shopping areas, including the old market square, the
street where Mozart’s home was, etc. We got a feeling for this on Sunday, but
then on Monday it was a huge crowd of people. On Sunday we found a great little
Italian restaurant in one of these pedestrian areas and had a great lasagna
meal…served by an Austrian that had lived for 2 years in LA. We went on over to
the Marionette Theater in hopes of seeing the 4 PM show…but couldn’t get it so
got tickets for the evening Marriage of Figaro by Mozart…by the Marionettes.
Although we had hoped to see the earlier show of The Nutcracker at 4, it turned
out better that we got to see the “Marriage” that evening. This is really an
incredible performance, for these Marionettes are about 4 feet tall, and from
the distance that we were at, after a few minutes you forget that they are on
strings and look like real opera performers. They are so good, that they make
hand motions with the music changes, etc. Just makes you think they are real in
every respect. Very well done and very worthwhile to see. The music, of course,
is great, for it comes out on some form of large Bose type speakers, so you
think there is a live orchestra playing…a great show! We tried to find out a
little more about the “puppeteers”…for they are true professionals, and all we
could find was that this is what they do after years of preparation and
rehearsal…true artists. The theater itself is a regular theater, seating about
300, and we were towards the back, for it was almost sold out…and so well done
that you forget that you are not seeing a real opera by real actors and
singers. Well worth it!
We left the theater about 9:45 PM…walked to take some night
photos, etc..and back to the hotel at 10:30 PM. A great day in Salzburg. Unfortunately,
Audy’s back is starting to act up, and this is when we decided that when we get
back, we are going to get on a regular exercise program to help strengthen her
back muscles. But we had a good night…and Audy slept in the next morning…as we
had a slow day planned.
Day 6- Salzburg to Munich,12/30/02: Audy slept in so I
walked across the street to get a digital battery…cost $15.99…and then went on
into the Bahnhof to check on the schedules…we went back into Salzburg to look
around some more to try and find a Marionette doll, and then caught the 3 PM
train to Munich…about a 90 minute ride.
The train was the IC, which is InterCity, and like the other
fast trains, are really fast. We went through the country and out of the
mountains as we headed for Munich, arriving about 5 PM. I had forgotten how big
Munich was, and this was very obvious at the train station…and we caught a taxi
for $15 dollars to the Renaissance, driven by a Ghanaian driver. We were given
an upgraded room on the first floor, so had a delicious soup in the restaurant,
and got to the room early. I walked down
to the nearby Marriott, as well as the nearby Metro station…and then came back
as Audy had gone to bed due to her back, etc. The area of the hotel is an
upscale apartment area surrounded by some big business…Siemens is across the
street, etc. The Marriott is quite big and nice, but no signs outside..which we
felt were probably area zoning requirements.
Day 7, Munich, 12/31/02: I woke up early and went for a walk
around the area…a very nice area with many Mercedes and BMW’s parked on the
street. This would be a nice residential area in any city…very expensive. We
went back down to the Marriott for their breakfast, as the Renaissance served
only a buffet. The Marriott was great, where we got a small breakfast for about
$5.00..Audy had muesli cereal. We then headed for the BMW Museum in the area of
the Olympic Stadium. We got there at 11 and it was closed….many places were
closed for New Years Eve Day…so we got the Metro back down town..to the center
of Munich…the area known as Marienplatz, where the famous Glockenspiel is
surrounded by the big downtown churches, and we both remembered this area. Very
pretty, and very, very crowded this morning, with the stores closing at 2 PM.
We found that the G’spiel would go off at 5 PM…so walked down to the Galeria
Kasthof…a huge 5 story department store. We went up to the 5th floor
and had lunch…then Audy walked around and we found the Formula 1 Calendar. We
left at 2 and found that there would be a Mass at 5…so walked down the
Kaiserstrasse,to the main station to take a day tour for an hour, which was
very interesting. Munich has grown into a big city, with not too many
“impressive buildings” like other parts of Germany. We were impressed by the pedestrian
areas and the big stores, for it is a very cosmopolitan and international area.
On Kaiserstrasse, you can find every imaginable shop, from Gucci to the tourist
souvenir shops. Big and small, and huge crowds to go with it.
We got back to Marienplatz by 5…and for the first time,
ever, we imagined…the glock did not go off. Bummer. We waited for a few minutes
and then went over to the Mass…a full church, but a good service with massive
organ and trumpet. The overall effect of these big churches when the organ and
congregation are singing is almost overwhelming. You can almost feel the music
and vibrations in the foundation of the building. Really meaningful, especially
for musicians. We tried to find another service that we had read about…but no
luck…so headed back to the hotel area for dinner. We stopped at a neighborhood
restaurant and as we entered they asked if we had a reservation, which we
didn’t. As it turns out, New Year Eve, known as Sylvester, is a big night…and
the thing to do is to go out for dinner…then stay up and shoot off fireworks at
midnight. After going to bed at 10…we were awakened at midnight with a huge
fireworks show right outside the hotel. What happens is that people come out
from the apartments to shoot …and it is a big deal. I got up and looked out,
and there were probably 200 people right outside our window…all shooting off
fireworks, and these are not just sparklers. This is a big night! The next
morning I went out and the streets were littered with fireworks debris…almost a
mess, as you had to watch where you worked. Overall evaluation of Munich is
that it is a big well off city….good to visit…but we had been there before, and
probably would not go back until we see everything else there is to see.
Day 8, Wednesday, 1/1/03, New Years Day: We went down to the
Marriott for breakfast and the placed was packed. Apparently, the hotels put
together a special package for these holiday, and the place was full. We
ordered from the menu…and got much more than we could eat. We walked back to
the hotel…and left at 12 to catch the train to Leipzig. We were a little late
in leaving, so had to rush to the station, using the U-bahn, but made it with
about 5 minutes to spare. We went on to the first car that we saw was first
class non-smoking, and as it turned out it was the end car with the engineer,
except that the train was going in the opposite direction. This was the new ICE
train, and the engineers compartment is like a cockpit, in that he sits at a
console with computer screens “wrapped” around him. He is in a highback chair
that is adjustable and on air, so that in the event of a bumpy ride his seat
does not move. Right behind him is a glass wall, with a door, and then 6 seats,
where we sat…then a wall into the next compartment. Within a few minutes we
were off, headed towards Augsburg. It was at this time that the train changed
directions, and the engineer came up to our car…so we in essence were in the
first car…the drivers car, if you will. Pretty exciting, for again, these
trains really move, and to watch the engineer control the speeds, etc…very
interesting. He used both a cell phone and a console mounted phone, and was
continually watching and checking the computer screens. We tried to monitor the
speed, but it was hard to see through the glass, but knew we were going fast.
Five hours later we arrived in Leipzig after this exciting time for both of us
on the ICE. When we got off, the station at Leipzig was almost
overwhelming…new, modern, and huge. The largest in Europe, with a full mall
below the main station. Wow!. We walked 1 block to the Marriott, and although
it was cold, we knew we were going to enjoy Leipzig. We were upgraded to the
Executive Level, so had dinner right there…fried zucchini, etc…then went out
for a walk in the sludge, as it had snowed and was much colder than in Munich.
Back to the room and in bed by 9. A fun day on the train for a kid like me.
Day 9, 1/2/03, Thursday in Leipzig: Our day in Leipzig
started with a big breakfast in the Executive Lounge and we left the hotel
about 10…riding the tram to the church where we heard there would be a noon
concert. We got there early and walked through some back streets to get to the
church, and for the first time, got to see the remnants of the East German
Russian rule. Pretty sad. Some buildings have been completely redone, and they
will be right next to a building that looks as if it will fall down. In the
area as we walked to this Lutheran Church (all up to now had been Catholic
churches), the remnants of the fireworks were very evident, and in fact, the
trashcans at the church were blown up, etc.
The concert itself was at a noon vesper, and the artist was a Korean
student studying here in Leipzig. It was good, but nothing special, and over at
12:30PM, so we walked out in the area looking for a bathing suit for Audy so
that she could go in the sauna at the hotel. We had scheduled a message for her
at 5 PM….we could not find a decent bathing suit, so stopped and had some
pastries instead…then headed back to the Centrum for our own walking tour of
the old city. The first place that we went into was the St. Thomas Church, the
church where JS Bach worked as organist for 27 years. As we entered we heard
the organ and we were going in during an organ lesson. We sat and listened for
30 minutes, then found that this artist would be giving a concert on Friday
night. The lesson itself was interesting, for the teacher would play and then
the student, etc…and they were doing some “ wild stuff”. Well, we could tell by
the rehearsal that this would be something we did not want to miss…so planned
accordingly, but we continued on the tour. The Bach Museum is just outside,
along with the statue…Leipzig is also the home of Felix Mendelsohn…so very
culturally alive. We continued into the Old Market Square, which is now the New
Market Square, with the Baroque buildings next to the modern shops featuring
the latest in fashion…etc. A lot of evidence of change since 1989, as Leipzig
has been going through massive rebuilding to catch up with the rest of Germany.
We walked through one of the many “passages”, that go between the various
buildings and feature small shops, restaurants, etc….all out of the weather,
etc. Very impressive and attractive, including the bar where Goethe wrote Faust
in, etc…a lot of history in our presence. These areas are so attractive that
you can spend all day here just looking, but as it was raining harder, we
headed back to the tram to go back to the hotel for the massage at 5 PM. After
the massage , we had some “dinner” in the klounge, thenb went back kto the
Kauphof Galeria still looking for a bathing suit, and no luck. Very expensive
to start with, and really nothing that Audy would wear…so we gave it up. We did
see all of the stores at night, then went over into the Train Station Mall,
which is just like a regular mall, with Gap, Body Shop, etc…and many
restaurants. This mall is quite nice, and very new, and a model for other train
stations. Actually a lot of fun to walk through, for it is the social center
for the entire city. We took time at the Formula 1 display sponsored by Intel
and I got into the car but couldn’t handle the pedals since I had my big boots
on…but it was fun trying. The photos will illustrate the mall, and the station,
which is the latest in design, etc. We got to bed at 9:30 PM….another great day
in this beautiful restored city.
Day 10, Friday in Leipzig, 1/3/03: This day we had planned
to go to Dresden and Meissen, so we set the alarm to get up at 6 AM…the alarm
is actually in the TV set, which is the latest in tech and they were in all of
the hotels. They are on when you come in and “welcome you” by name…then they
had complete menus for not only the TV, but for events in town, radio, etc…and
an alarm clock that actually speaks to you when it goes off. We constantly
asked ourselves why it is that we do not have these higher tech amenities in
the US…good question. In any case, we had hoped to catch the 7:52 AM train to
Dresden, but when we got to the station I looked at the board to see that we
could catch a later one and still get there when we wanted…so looked around the
station some more, had coffee, etc.. then caught the 8:39AM train, which was
the ICE for the 1 hour ride. We got off in Dresden, where Audy was with Curt in
1989…and Dresden is rebuilding. This city was leveled in WW II….and is slowly
coming back. We transferred to a train to Meissen..and 45 minutes later we got
off near the Meissen Porcelain factory. As we walked to the factory, the
evidence of the communist rule until 1990 was obvious, as many, many buildings
have never been repaired. Very sad. You can only feel sorry for these people,
for they had it so bad…and yet the West Germans were rebuilding and doing so
well at the same time. The Meissen factory tour was great, in that we got to
see the process and heard of the history of the porcelain. Very impressive and
well worth it. We walked for awhile in the old areas, then boarded the train
back to Dresden…all the while seeing the evidence of the Communist rule and the
damage of WW II. Apparently Dresden was quite an industrial area, and towards
the end of the war the Allied bombers decided to wipe out what was left of the
Third Reich…and they did at Dresden. We got off the train at Dresden and walked
around a bit, but the station is not near the castle, so all we could do was
see it from the train, for it is on the Elbe River…and is being rebuilt, so we
were encouraged. Dresden has not seen the money poured in like in Leipzig, and
no doubt it will as it returns to a position of industrial power, for it is a
big city. We got the train back and for the first time went through a lot of
“flooded” area. We had been seeing this on TV, but hadn’t seen it where we had
been until now. Too much warm weather and rain, for this area usually has heavy
snow at this time of the year. We got
back to Leipzig at 3:30PM..back to the hotel for a nap..and off to the concert
at St Thomas Church at 5 PM. We walked out of the hotel and up by St. Nicholas
Church which was having a candlelight vigil against the possible war in Iraq…we
went in to look at the church, and this is one that is in the process of being
restored. Here, as with the St Peters Church we were in yesterday, a lot of the
stained glass has not been replaced, along with the new organ, etc. St. Thomas
Church has been getting the attention, which is where we were headed. We got a
center church seat and the concert began, first on the smaller organ and then
this artist, Joanna Stark, moved to the big organ. What a concert, for neither
of us has ever heard anything like this. She literally attacked the organ, with
an assistant that not only turned pages but went from side to side pulling and
adjusting the stops, as well as moving the foot board-foot pedals. Amazing, and
what a sound. This was a huge pipe organ, and you could just imagine that this
was similar to what Bach played, for these churches were built for these big
organs. It was a great concert, and then the organist was joined by a
30-year-old trumpeter for 2 numbers. He played both his trumpet and a flugal
horn, and the two of them made beautiful music. What a great evening of music.
After the concert we walked back through the old town and back to the hotel…had
some dinner, then Audy wanted to go back to this big book store we saw…and
eventually got back to the hotel at 8, as the stores close at 8…and everyone is
gone shortly thereafter. Another great day…..
Day 11, Saturday, 1/4/03…in Leipzig going to Warsaw via
Berlin: We got up at 6AM…got packed and left the hotel to walk to the station…a
light snow was falling…and got to the station to wait for the ICE in Berlin. We
got into Berlin 90 minutes later and got off at the Zoo Station…walked around a
bit, but it was very crowded and dirty, and didn’t have a very good feel…so
headed for our gate for the Warsaw train. All we could see from the station was
the Memorial Church and the downtown area, which when we returned to was only 4
blocks from our hotel.
The train came shortly and was an older EC (European City) Train…older and not
as clean…but we had our own 6-seat compartment, so plenty of room…and off we
went. Pretty much everything was covered with snow, so as we left Berlin we
headed towards open farmlands and lots of trees, much like our upper midwest of
the US. At times the trees are like level forests…. very beautiful but very
cold looking at this time. And, from time to time Audy would see deer in the
fields, etc. We passed through a few towns…all pretty desolate looking, for
this was East Germany not too long ago. We crossed over into Poland at
Frankfurt on the Oder River…and both soldiers and custom officers came aboard
to check passports, etc…. then the ticket takers. The train folks took quite
awhile to figure out our ticket, for the tickets are written in English, and
here we are expecting the Poles to read them. Even though the train was old, we
moved at 100 + mph through the flat countryside…passing small towns, villages,
and little run down stations…and arrived in Warsaw at 6:30PM. Nothing was in
English or German, so we just started
looking and asking, and we had called ahead to see where the Marriott was and
was told it was very near the station…so we spotted it and out we went into the
20 degree cold, and it was cold. We walked the 2 blocks and got there in 10
minutes. The Marriott was 5 star and very nice…and they upgraded us to the
Executive Level, so we went in and had sandwiches, etc. I stepped outside for a
minute…the cold hit me and I was back inside. We were on the 37th
floor and overlooked the Old Town and the Palace of Culture, a huge building
that was a gift from Stalin…..the photos from the hotel will tell its size. The
city really looks big and modern, with the Galeria Centrum about 2 blocks away.
We started planning our day and decided to go to the Russian Market early
Sunday AM…come back to the Cathedral for the 11 AM Catholic mass. We also
planned to get a 1 day ticket on the tram, which we did….so after a good nights
sleep, we were ready for Warsaw.
Day 12, Warsaw, Sunday, 1/5/03: We walked across the street
to catch the Tram to go to the Russian Market, warned by the hotel folks to
leave all valuables, etc at the hotel, which we did and off we went. One of the
sights we saw for the first time was the way the men dress…..long parkas with
the black pull down over the ears ski caps. Fortunately I had one, and wore
it…and all of the men look alike. In addition, many of the people are dark
complectioned, from the Armenian and Jewish heritage, etc. Anyway, the men look
just like the pictures that you see of Poland and Lech Walesa leading a
demonstration. Kind of scary, but just the way they dress, etc. Well, 15
minutes later we got to the Russian Market…got off the Tram and followed the
crowd in the cold and snow covered ground. The Market is held at what they call
the Olympic Stadium, which is a bowl like stadium used for European football.
The entry is a 2 lane alley that leads up to about a 3 lane area where you
would normally find the concessions, etc. Except that here, almost from the
time you get off of the Tram, booths and stalls line the area, and there are
vendors selling everything from shoes and boots to furs and glasswares, and
everything in between. Reportedly a 100,000 people selling and no doubt another
100,000 shoppers, including the 2 of us. We walked around for about 90
minutes…Audy got the dolls and some other little items from the woman from
BellaRusse…and then we headed back, as we were cold. What we just saw was the
largest “Flea Market” in Europe, although they call it the largest “Open Air
Market”….It has come into recent fame because it is filled with a lot of
black-market stuff, from liquor to cigarettes to CD’s, of which there were
probably 50 different tables all selling CD’s. The problem is that there is not
way to control this, so no tax comes in, etc. The overall market is run by a
Damis Company…and they pay the city to use the facility…and they are a very
powerful company….but still many tax dollars are lost. In one area a vendor was
selling guns, and masks, and ammunition….and we wonder why we have terrorists
with guns. I could have bought any number with no questions asked…just pay in
cash. Quite an experience, and one that I would encourage anyone that goes to
Warsaw to see and shop. Just be careful. The word is is that the government is
trying to close down the market at this sight and then relocate the
Market. Our thoughts are that it will
never happen…for the people of Warsaw love it. Well, we got back to the tram,
and rode to where we were to get a bus to go to the Old Town…
