Do widzenia!

Looking back, those last few weeks in Poland went by so fast that I didn't have time to do anything, let alone try to keep this going! I can now reveal that .... after getting home safely to Krakow and our little apartment, we had, ooooh, no time before we were off for Sylwester! That's right. We got back to Krakow on the 29th and left on the 30th!

We had 2 missions. First to head up to Warszawa to put boxes into store - we had rented out the place and these were our things that weren't to be left. Then we drove west towards Lodz, but stopped in a little town, staying at the Chopin Hotel! Now, it was very pleasant but the restaurant was pretty empty and the food not particularly memorable. It wasn't that it was bad...but we weren't exactly impressed.

The next morning, we had a bit of a wander round and found a museum that was open...it was interesting as it was a museum about the battles that took place in that area. But ... it was the 31st, and we had to get going to my cousin's house west of Lodz. We had been invited to spend Sylwester with them and they don't speak English! Ya-hoo!

What a night. They'd invited 2 other couples form the village and as ever the food was just fantastic, the wodka was plentiful and all-in-all, we had a great time. Then at midnight we all went out into the village to see fireworks - our own and other people's, and we walked round the village. It was quite cold!

And so January 1st 2009 dawned and we had a wonderfully lazy day with them. We were all tired, lived on left-overs and generally were a tad couch potato.

Next day we went to see another cousin and stayed overnight with her. But we also went across to yet another lot for kolacja. We both had a lovely afternoon and were very sorry to have to leave. And even more sorry the next day to have to go back to Krakow to return the hire car and think about a) work and b) the fact we were leaving in 12 days time!

We spun out the journey by visiting Czestochowa again, and as ever we enjoyed the atmosphere as well as seeing the Black Madonna again. It's a place that symbolises Poland and as such should not be missed - if you can make the time to visit.

We did 8 day's work - and it felt strange and silly to have to do it - I was glad to see the back of the school - NOT the teachers or office staff, just the boss actually! I knew I'd miss the students as I'd had a such a great time teaching there...but we've now got friends in Krakow and feel we have a strong tie to the place, as well as to Poland.

So, skipping the boring stuff like cleaning the apartment, doing a mege-throwout, trying to say bye to everyone..... we finally left Krakow on January 16th 2009.

And as I sit here in hot sweaty Brisbane, I wonder if it was all a dream - then I look around and see my little wooden picture of the Black Madonna - and know it was very real. We went to a country that was and is amazing. Communism failed to subdue it, so it is vibrant and fast changing. More importantly, I got to know my family, whom I was denied the pleasure of meeting during that time . I understand why they react the way they do, why sometimes they can be reticent... but most amazing is that we now know each other and accept each other and every time we meet is special. These family ties are the most important thing I gained from living in my father's country - and now mine! My only sorrow is that he didn't live to see Poland a free country - or to see me living there! I now have very strong roots in Poland -and can't wait to go back! Koniec!