… and as someone who would like to return to that wonderful country several more times in the future, I do hope that we remain allies.
Just 3 more years, Poland and other American allies. Can you hold out for three more years, please?
I’m sorta ashamed that I didn’t know this already:
There is a grain of truth in every legend. One of those legends is the story of Nawojka, who is a good example to follow for young girls with academic inclinations. Nawojka is considered to be the first female student and teacher in Poland. It was about 1407 when she, disguised in boy’s clothing, entered the Kraków Academy in violation of all rules, laws, customs and tradition; defying everything that was expected of women at that time. This fact was recorded about 1429 by Martin of Leibitz, an elderly abbot of the Benedictine order in Vienna.
This is the front of the dorm (they have a bar and cafeteria within the same building):
And this is a sign for the cafeteria that’s been there forever (at least since 2007):
The Poland trip this summer, I think, turned out to be relatively fruitful. Of course, how fruitful it was will be … apparent in a month or so, when the products of last two trips to Krakow will be finished. Here’s the abbreviated itinerary and impressions of various places visited during this trip. A fuller version with illustrations might be coming over the weekend (depending on how much free time I get).
The main thing about this trip is that it was scheduled in a series of round trips. Round trip from SFO to FRA. Round trip from FRA to KRK, and finally, round trip from KRK to LED. It was done to get the cheapest tickets available, and although now I think scheduling them in a somewhat different way might have been cheaper and gotten me home earlier (i.e. round trip from FRA to KRK, returning early enough for another round trip from FRA to LED for the UCN conference which was ostensibly the main purpose of this summer’s eastern European trip, I am satisfied with the result, given that it gave me an extra half-day in Krakow, my favorite city in Europe.
The trip to Krakow was mostly uneventful. I didn’t like the layover in Frankfurt as the airport appeared to have been designed specifically to eliminate power outlets that people might use for their laptops, but it was only a few hours. And my week and a half in Krakow was also mostly uneventful. It was productive, and no sight seeing was done at all at least this time around. Then, June 7th came along, and it was time for the UCN conference in St. Petersburg.
I have to say that I am rather surprised by my St. Petersburg experience. I liked the place, and compared to the reputation of, say, Moscow being one of the most expensive and dangerous place to live, St. Petersburg appeared safe—with cheap and good food (if in meager servings, at least compared to what I get in Krakow). There were some quirks, of course (the water smells funny, which I am told is due to the chlorine in the tap water, and the pollution … makes walking around unpleasant, at least in the eastern part of the city where we were staying), but overall, it didn’t look like a communist hell hole. The newspaper I read on the plane (St. Petersburg Times, English version) even had inklings of real free press.
The workshop, which went relatively well, ended in the dawn of June 14th, so I had a full day to explore the city on the Sunday, as I had assumed that we would have a full day of schedule on the 14th and scheduled to leave for Krakow on the 15th. I tried out the colonnade on the St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and then walked around the city following the rivers and channels. I have to say the river Neva (and her many channels) is my favorite thing in the city.
On returning to Krakow on the 15th, I stayed at a place called “Mama’s Hostel”. Again, this was done mostly for reducing travel expense (as hotels are, I think, at least 5 times more expensive), but I also wanted to do it for, well, the experience—if it turns out to be unpleasant or unsafe, at least it’s better done while I’m still young. 
But the place turned out wonderful. It was one of the old buildings in the city square which I liked very much, the bed was clean and the room I was staying in was only half-occupied, and the common area was lovely. Oh, and when I checked in, a very cute girl was staffing the front desk, so that was nice.
I didn’t have much time to do anything on the day I arrived, but on the next day (I had to leave for airport at around 12), I took a walk along the river near Wawel Castle and managed to accomplish my personal objective for these trips since the first time I was in Krakow: to obtain the plastic “expanding ball” toy. And I finally did it this time.
And then I flew to Frankfurt for my final return trip. While this segment of the trip was mostly uneventful, this day (and the morning next) was the most … unpleasant part of the trip and will be detailed in an illustrated entry which I’ve tentatively titled “Frankfurt, the toilet of the Europe”.
And then was my 15-hour journey back to U.S. I was very tired by the end and the little kid crying in the seat behind me was extremely annoying, but at least I was glad to be in the U.S.A. again (oh, and to have bought the T-shirt that says “I love my country; it’s the government I am afraid of” during my 1-hr layover in Washington D.C.).
Anyways. Pictures with fuller story of each segment of the trip will be coming, hopefully over this weekend.
Critics quoted in a Contra Costa Times watchdog column attacked “UC Berkeley’s best-kept secret,” on Sunday, and perhaps for valid reasons. In light of budget cuts, how can our fair university afford to keep a research station in the South Pacific?
You can argue that UC Berkeley affiliates travel to the Richard B. Gump Research Station on the island of Moorea for the love of science. Unfortunately, what may start out as a legitimate research destination always ends up abused by cheap, wanderlusting yuppie students who like nice university subsidies on their globe-trotting lifestyles.
Wawel Castle in 2007
That’s completely false!
I can solemnly swear that I am traveling to Krakow, Poland, entirely to pursue scientific research and scientific research alone. It has absolutely nothing to do with visiting such historical places as Jagiellonian University (Collegium Maius, in particular) and the nearby Auschwitz, or enjoying international cuisine and learning more Polish language and culture, which, in so far as science is concerned, is inconsequential, or wandering around in the historic old city.
Oh, and did I mention that there is this castle, Wawel, about 20 minutes’ walk away from the old city center that looks as if it just popped out of a fairy tale? (see right)
in any case, I solemnly swear that my visit to Poland has absolutely nothing to do with these tangential activities, and, oh, getting the University (through an NSF grant, I think) to pay for my plane ticket.