“And no invader has ever conquered the heart of Poland, that spirit which is the inheritance of sons and daughters, the private passion of families and the ancient, unbreakable tie to all those who came before.” -James A. Michener, U.S. novelist
A few weeks ago, we drove North from Prague, across the border into Poland. We had not been before, and wanted to see it–and to visit the small Western Polish town of Boleslawiec. It turns out, the crossing from North Czech Republic into Western Poland is one of the transitions that evokes the word “Wow”.
All around the world, people have heard stories about Poland– about the atrocities suffered there, especially in the last century. For a country that lost 20% of its people in WWII and has the Auschwitz and Treblinka Nazi extermination camps (cite source: here), the heart and courage of Poland has returned with remarkable and awe-inspiring force. (link to my post on Terezin, CZ Nazi concentration camp)
Boleslawiec is a town in the south and west of Poland that is well known for its pottery, better known in the U.S. as Polish Pottery. It’s a beautiful town with castle-like remnants and rich clay resources suitable for their earthenware. It was fun to duck into the pottery outlet stores and see the astounding array of patterns and shapes and uses for their usable art. Of course, I love it!
To be honest, crossing into Poland from Czech Republic showed the wear of its past. But the people we met were friendly, and were happy to speak English and bear with our Czech. And here in Prague, we have many delightful Polish friends. We are so grateful to gain a closer peek into their world and to hope with them for a bright future.
I look forward to returning to Poland again, hopefully to see more of its great treasures like Krakow, the Tatras, and the Baltic Sea.
Have you been to Poland? What is your favorite part / place / city?