cuatro alamos 2015 - the geriatric...

Cuatro Alamos 2015Deutschland-Polska-No fires!

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Part Two

Good time to go: (today’s date: 9/17/2015). The US dollar is currently up and European currency down. AND,

Because the Polish people are so happy to be rid of the Russians(Old Soviet Union), they love us (USA). Polish (Not American) owned

street corner, fast food venders are common and feature Hamburgers, Tacos, and Hot Dogs, Coke, Pepsi, Pizza etc.

American flags are a common sight.

American (USA) celebrities are also a common sight. Here, Gary Cooper ( High Noon ) and Stevie Wonder, associated with Solidarity.

Not only are the Polish people very nice in general, but they rolled out the red carpet to us everywhere! Very puzzling to me at first was the name of so

many Polish towns. As we passed small towns on the train, giant signs appeared: “McDonalds!” It didn’t sound like a Polish word to me. They

may have gone a little overboard (the USA thing) about renaming so many of their towns.

Polish is a Slavic language and completely alien to me. They often name their stores with very American (USA) sounding names as here. Not

affiliated with this:http://goo.gl/xG6PRh

Normally, when traveling in Europe, we get rooms with kitchens, shop at local stores and markets, and cook in our rooms a lot. We still always visit the farmer’s and seafood markets but because the US Dollar is up, we didn’t have to do that…………..unless curious about something special.

And, of course, high fashion is old, beat up, holes all over them, American (USA) blue jeans. Young girls everywhere wore them…………..the more

raggedy, the better.

Polish people everywhere/anywhere, were just very friendly and happy to see us.

And now, here comes the amazing Polish, obsessive compulsive need to be helpful. On trains, buses, in public places etc., we would be looking at

maps etc. and obviously confused/lost. Almost immediately, somebody, not wanting or selling anything, would step up to us and start trying to help us in our dilemma. This young lady had just done this and was happy to see that

she had helped. Almost all of the young generation speaks (some well; some very well) English……… even old people will try to help even if they don’t.

From Opole, we go to Krakow for a few days.

This was one of several very nice, and helpful, young women at our hotel (Siesta) in Krakow. They all spoke good English and understood my idiot

sense of humor………..very important to me wherever I stay. And even when speaking Polish among themselves, they say (English) OK. I’ve lived,

worked and traveled all over the world and there are good folks everywhere……………and a lot of bad ones too. But I’ve never seen this

quasi-universal (in Poland) compulsion to help. I started wondering about it and Polish history. Mostly, it’s just never been a very aggressive

country/culture. It’s never tried to have an empire. All its neighbors have always picked on it e.g. Mongols, Russians, Germans etc. But it always

just took it in stride, tried to make the best of it and rebuild after all the mess the bad guys made.………………their just nice folks.

They produced some of the most influential contributors to human culture e.g. Fredric Chopin…………..I got to sit by one of his pianos.

Marie Curie   - This was her house. And Nicolaus Copernicus.

Thinking about Chopin, I started remembering Polish American friends (musicians) in my life. On the right are John Charney and Frank Lukitsch (both of Polish decent). John’s wife taught me to make pierogi. John, who formed the band (The Maniacs) often, played accordion and drums at the

same time. This was while I was stationed at the 872 nd AC&W , Constantina, Spain.

This is Richard Gardzina (Green the Band) playing Clarinet Polka (we played it often) Frank also played it with the Maniacs and next Beethoven’s

9 th , it’s probably my favorite song.

Ode to JoyMay he who has had the fortune

To gain a true friendAnd he who has won a noble wife

Join in our jubilation!Yes, even if he calls but one soul

His own in all the world.But he who has failed in this

Must steal away alone and in tears.Thinking about all of these people, John and his wife, Frank and Richard, I realized that they all had the Polish character I’m talking about here: Kind, gentle and compulsively helpful. All in all, Poland is a great place for all

my fellow US citizens to visit. Make it you next European trip and say hello to all those nice folks for me.

And we eat lots of Pierogi. Poland might make your feet a little sore but it won’t be from all that walking around. It will be from this.

After Krakow, we moseyed on up to Warsaw, this entire area is very popular with Polish people, many of whom live there.

Part Three