Our Eastern European Trip September 2011 (a week in Poland, a day in Russia and a moment in Germany)

    Derek focused his doctoral dissertation on one man and the influence this man's theories and scholarship had on 17th century astronomy.  His name is Johannes Jevelius, a Polish astronomer, scholar and (and brewer).  In 2011 Poland celebrated the 300th birthday of Jevelius.  Derek was invited to be a keynote speaker at a conference held in his honor. I was fortunate enough to be able to tag along (thanks to the generosity of my sister Stacey who stayed in Idaho with my children for 9 days!!!).  It was an amazing trip!

                                            


 When I realized that Kaliningrad, (a former part of Poland that was overtaken by Russia that is surrounded by Lithuania, Belarus and Poland AND a part of my mission) was just hours away from where we would be I begged Derek to let us go to Russia for one day.  He didn't realize that he was committing himself to 20+ hours of applying for Russian visas (not to mention the near $300.00 fee) for the few hours we would spend there, as well as several hours on a bus and more hours waiting at the Russian boarder. All of this effort was well worth it!  We had a lovely day in Russia! We went to the Kant museum (located in a beautiful fortress...what may be the only building that outlasted the bombings of WWII), we ate Russian food, walked through the shops and I just absorbed the magic of being in Russia again. Even though I didn't serve in Kaliningrad, I felt like I had gone home to the land I loved so much.

 This photo was taken at the Solidarity museum: So few people know about the significance of these brave Polish dock workers and that the solidarity movement they started was the beginning of the end of communism.

                                        Polish food is amazing!!!!!!!  I couldn't get enough!

 

 

Derek served his mission in Hamburg, Germany.  I have always wanted to see Germany.  I have been on layovers to Germany several times but never left the airport. On our way home we had to take separate routes.  I had a layover in Germany.  I did something totally outside of my comfort zone and left the airport of a foreign land by myself with only 3 hours until my next flight!  Yes, it was crazy, I took a bus to the nearest town from the Munich airport, got out and snapped some photos and then went right back to the airport.  I think I had to do it to prove that I could do it on my own (I always rely on Derek to make the plans when we travel because he is so very good at it:).  This is important why?  Because in a few days our family will embark on a journey where I may have to take the lead sometimes in a land (Russia!!!!) that I love and know well but that my family has much anxiety about visiting.  so over the next 4 months I hope to be able to record some of the most memorable events of our trip. :)