Laura Zera

Stories to Connect Cultures

  • Writing
    • Blog
    • Books
    • Portfolio
  • Speaking
  • About
    • Bios
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

Travel: Warsaw, Krakow, Berlin, Oh My!

By Laura Zera 8 Comments

If you go to Europe, you need to see all the attractions that a place is famous for. I don’t disagree with doing “the tourist thing.” But then there are the other things. The daily minutiae that makes a place real. In August, I tried to document some of that in Warsaw, Krakow and Berlin. I took a few pics of their famous, pretty things, too. (Note: the photo layout in this WordPress theme sucks rocks. Sorry.) A special thanks goes to writer Chris James and his better half, Bożena: they made our time in Warsaw extra special. Also, Francis and I did visit Auschwitz and Birkenau when we were in Poland. I’m still processing. It’s not something I can easily put into words or photos, but I hope to try, if only because we must never forget.

There’s nothing else to do but drink in the case of Brexit.
Snail pals on posts in Warsaw
Pretty in pink: The backside of the Barbican, Warsaw
Now that’s what I’m talking about.

 

Warsaw Old Town
Does he know he matches his plastic bag?
We stayed with our friends Chris and Bozena but we didn’t take any photos of them. This is their hamster.
Krakow is pretty.
Inside St. Mary’s Cathedral, Krakow

 

Okay, Rectobar? But hummus and happiness? Yes.
Hello, medieval gate. And McDonald’s.

 

Stuff like this is a punch to the gut. Never forget.
Literally our view at dinner. No photo retouching. Krakow is pretty.

 

A Trabant in action!

 

Karl, Friedrich and I in Berlin, 1989

 

 

 

 

 

Karl, Friedrich and I in Berlin, 2017

 

Das Berliner Dom, y’all

 

Potsdam. This is how you do an entrance to a subway.

 

Alexanderplatz, Berlin. The light was perfect.

 

The apartment lobby, when you have six flights of stairs and no elevator.

 

Our Berlin AirBnb host’s mother, who was a wonderful and spontaneous tour guide and became a friend.

 

My kind of graffiti.

 

But we’ve barely figured out who killed JR!

 

Don’t think I’ll be buying any pet food here.

 

Christburger on a stick.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • Email
  • Tumblr
  • Print
  • Pocket
  • Reddit

Related

Comments

  1. Chris James says

    October 6, 2017 at 12:07 am

    Lovely post, Laura, am so glad you and Francis enjoyed your trip. And funny you should point out the no-photo thing. Before you stayed with us, I’d made a mental note to get a shot with you before you became a world-famous author, but I think we were all chatting so much we just forgot – so next time we must remember!

    Reply
    • Laura Zera says

      October 6, 2017 at 6:42 am

      Haa! Next time. xo

      Reply
  2. Jeri says

    October 6, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    Thanks for sharing photos from your trip. I love this caption, “Literally our view at dinner. No photo retouching. Krakow is pretty.” I’d love to see Krakow someday and Berlin too. If I ever make it to a stint teaching English in Prague I’m sure I’ll make it to both locations.

    Reply
    • Laura Zera says

      October 7, 2017 at 7:34 pm

      What a perfectly great and perfect idea for you — teaching in Prague. I will start looking forward to the Christmas letters now.

      Reply
  3. Kris McCann says

    October 7, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. Your comments add to the pictures! I love the little snails on the fence posts. Also love the pic of you in 1989 and replicating the same pose in 2017!

    Reply
    • Laura Zera says

      October 7, 2017 at 7:35 pm

      It took a bit to find that statue as it had been moved since ’89, but we cycled around with our tireless new friend Heide until she found it for me!

      Reply
  4. Marie Ann Bailey says

    January 25, 2018 at 9:51 am

    Thank goodness I hang onto my emails 😉 What great photos! But that juxtaposition of the medieval gate and McD’s … good grief … at least the yellow arches were relatively small.

    Reply
    • Laura Zera says

      January 28, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      Good grief is right. The old city of Krakow was one big juxtaposition. So many gorgeous buildings, but a couple of the streets have been turned into full-on shopping thoroughfares with chain-store retail locations, which I found odd.

      Glad you enjoyed the post, Marie!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Subscribe To Stay Connected

Search

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

© 2021 Laura Zera. All Rights Reserved · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.