Category Archives: Poland

Journey to the Center of Europe

Zur deutschen Fassung. It is July 15th, 2022. The early hours of the day are still morning-pleasantly fresh, although it will turn into a very hot day. There is even a bit of a drizzle in between. The kind of … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Travel, Ukraine | Tagged | 9 Comments

One Hundred Years Ago, Germany and Russia laid the Foundation for World War II – April 1922: Rapallo

Zur deutschen Fassung. Did you ever notice that the term “discovery” is only used when a white guy first steps onto some territory, where non-white folks have been living for a long time? And that fake explorer fame is even … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, History, Italy, Military, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, World War I, World War II | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Smuggling Cigars into Poland

Zur deutschen Fassung. At the German-Polish border, there is plenty of police right now. What are they looking for, I wonder and ask. Cigarette smugglers, says the female officer, while her two male colleagues are ostentatiously of the opinion that … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, Photography, Poland, Travel | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Situation on the German-Polish Border

Zur deutschen Fassung. As you know, I consider timeliness to be overrated, which is why my report from Guben will be written sometime in the next few weeks or months. But I do not want to withhold the current dramatic … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, Military, Photography, Poland, Politics | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Guben 2021

Zur deutschen Fassung. Dark, fog-shrouded streets. Police cars driving by every minute. Autumn leaves shimmering in the glow of the street lights. Only a few cars are sneaking through the streets, turning off their engines and lights as soon as … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, Photography, Poland | Tagged | 10 Comments

“Sovietistan” and “The Border” by Erika Fatland

Hier gibt es diese Rezension auf Deutsch. Do you also have so many travel guides at home for countries you never made it to? I still got a Lonely Planet guidebook for Central Asia, which I bought in 2007. Apparently, … Continue reading

Posted in Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Books, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Ukraine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Two Night Trains to the East

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. I am calling them night trains on purpose, not sleeper trains, because when I booked the tickets, I couldn’t discern if there would be a bed, maybe even a shower, or with how many people … Continue reading

Posted in Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Travel, Ukraine | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Armenian Patriotism

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. This summer, during the Football World Cup, I was in Kraków, where I met an Armenian friend studying in Poland. When she said she needed to go home to watch the World Cup, I naturally … Continue reading

Posted in Armenia, Colombia, Poland, Sports | Tagged | 8 Comments

Next trip: Krakow

Apparently, studying at a distance-education university does not only mean that I can study from anywhere, but also that they are taking me on trips. As part of my studies in history, I’ll be going on a field trip to Poland, starting … Continue reading

Posted in History, Holocaust, Poland, Travel, World War II | Tagged , | 22 Comments

Random Thoughts (16)

Finland has some weird sports competitions.  Each time I return to Europe, rents have doubled. Tweets cannot change laws, regulations or rules. Each time Donald Trump tries to do so, he should be laughed at. Why can’t Microsoft Windows move … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Czech Republic, Finland, Language, Military, North Korea, Philosophy, Poland, Politics, Religion, Sports, Technology, USA, World War II | Tagged , , | 5 Comments