As we wind up our two week whirl through eastern and Central Europe, here are more observations on the cities and countries we've visited during our Tauck tour:
--Considering everything it's been through, Poland remains a remarkably resilient country. This year, it celebrates the centennial of its own distinction as a separate nation as it emerged from World War I. Since that time, of course, Poland has been invaded by both the Nazis and the Communists and his lived under Communist rule (as part of the Soviet bloc) for decades until the end of the Soviet Union in 1989. --Today, Poland is a strong thriving, vibrant nation with its own well-earned sense of independence and national pride. This is really a sot of modern miracle especially when you consider how it was basically emaciated curing World War II. Warsaw was nearly totally destroyed. But by 1956 the Poles has rebuilt the old city of Warsaw, recreating it down to the smallest detail. Today it is a marvel and will surely be one of the highlights of your visit should you be fortunate enough to tour this great nation. --The Poles are an exceptionally industrious and hard-working lot. The mammoth rebuilding of their country, their society and their economy is a testament to their strong work ethic, the quiet pride they take in everything they do and their deep and abiding faith both in their country and in Catholicism which remains the predominant religion and a still powerful social force throughout the nation. This is, after all, the nation that gave the world one of its most recent and most revered saints -- John Paul II. --Krakow is one of the most beautiful and distinctive places you could ever hope to visit. Its grand market square is a sight to behold. The area spreads out before you like a wondrous landscape with a peek into an era thousands or years old. Though it is incredibly spacious (with monuments, cafes, horse-drawn carriages and a varied facade) it retains a surprising and appealing intimacy. You'll want to linger there and savor it and you will remember it long after you've departed. This is the place where John Paul II served as a priest and bishop and where he began to define the path that would lead to Poland's liberation from Communism. --Entering Hungary you seem to pass through a door to a a more restless and untamed territory complete with a history of empire, conquest and ultimately division and diminution. In terms of area, today's Hungary is but a fraction of its former self. So, prideful as it may be, Hungary has a bit of a chip on its shoulder. But the nation retains a richness and almost theatrical flair that gives it a distinctive appeal. --You will find gypsies throughout eastern and central Europe and particularly in Hungary where they live in small, temporary, moveable colonies. They are by nature nomads and trace their origins to northern India. They are known to survive by their wits, to be insular and secretive and often to engage in unscrupulous activities. Caution is more often than not the byword when encountering gypsies although we were serenaded by several of them on a lovely cruise along the Danube. --Budapest is two cities in one -- like Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Buda is the older, more genteel, hillier city towering above on one side of the Danube. Here you will find quieter neighborhoods, a more settled crowd, cozy side streets and perhaps more of a sense of history. Pest (on the other side of the wide river) is younger, louder, more commercial, more cosmopolitan and more like Western Europe. Pest is throbbing with vitality with numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, theaters and other attractions. No matter your desire or your mood, there is a place to satisfy you on one side of the Danube or the other. --Vienna is Old World through and through. Here, in another part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, you are surrounded by history, elegance, music and decorum. This is a city of wide boulevards, rich pastries, decadent chocolates and memorable meals. The Wiener schnitzel is absolutely unforgettable!--All of the countries we visited boasted clean streets and sidewalks and modern, efficient transportation systems, especially in the cities. But Austrians seem to have an exceptional fondness for orderliness. You'd be well-advised to be careful as even crossing against a red light may get you smacked with a fine.
--The final, definitive word for Vienna is Classic. From the Strauss waltzes to the church spires that dot the skyline, Vienna is a classic gem! --The Czech Republic is a hybrid -- a mixture of old and new where a robust form of showy capitalism seems to rule the day. When you cross the border into this country you are immediately greeted by billboards, travel plazas, "gentlemen's clubs," casinos and souvenir emporiums. It's a veritable hodgepodge. It's funny, frolicsome and dare we say, familiar? --Prague is teeming with tourists and tour groups large and small and is dotted with a bit of everything: an old, medieval city; a castle high on a hill; grand cathedrals; wandering alleyways and arcades; wide avenues and plazas; shopping malls; an opera house; beer halls; a pedestrian bridge lined with statues of saints; boutique hotels; a shrine to the original Infant of Prague; crystal; carved wooden toys, marionettes, garnets and thick, freshly made, cinnamon and sugar cones filled with cream, fruit and custard. You almost don't know where to turn first. Here you find your final gateway to Western Europe -- the Europe that most of us are familiar with.
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