Travelling in the East
Thursday morning I woke up at six in the morning to do some packing for my travels to Gliwice. At ten my flight from Amsterdam left to Budapest, a great city which is in the middle of some nice cities in the East. My good old friend Mariann picked me up from the airport. Before we would left Budapest, we went shopping and eating a good lunch, since we had a long travel in front of us, from Budapest to Gliwice to join the European Boards Meeting.
Finally at three o’clock we left Budapest on our way to Gliwice. The first thing we needed to do were to by passes to drive on the highway in Slovakia and Czech at petrol station, but we bought them in end at the border between Hungary and Slovakia. The first part was very easy, since we had driven this way already once together, it was more tricky when we had to go through Bratislava, from one highway to another, but we managed easily.
Then the nice way through Slovakia began in darkness and rain, it was quit easy till we were reached the border with Czech, somehow we had to drive though this country just for 32 km :) The real struggle started in Poland. They have really small boards to show the way and also if you missed it once, then suddenly the road is splitting… and when it’s raining like hell and dark, those once upon in a lifetime small signs can be missed easily ;) As we also did twice and then you just have to make an educated guess, left or right :D
The toughest although was the city before Gliwice, Rubnick. When you enter that city you see the plan of the roads, and also nr. 78 to Gliwice…But then… we searched for 40 minutes to find the damn road and if we didn’t asked an old Polish man in his very small car: “Do you know the road to Gliwice” and he answered something back in Polish, we both had the idea he would bring us to the right direction, and he did. Seven hours from departure we arrived at our nice Hotel. After we refreshed ourselves, we went out to the first party of the EBM. The place was a little bit to big, but still nice.
Friday the plenary started early, but I arranged to be exact on time when they needed me for the first meeting I had to lead; a two hours meeting about the strategy, the part of the diversity programme. It was a nice meeting with quit some people. After the lunch the first workshop round started, I was helping the “Culture in Motion” workshop from Nadine Karbach and Veronica Dumitrescu. I was there just for the first part to help Vero out. We had some cool energizers. After the coffee break, I took my own break another two hours of workshop would have been to much for me. I went to the computer lab, to spend some time behind the internet and work even for my boss ;) Also Judith from Utrecht asked Mariann and me to help her with her workshop. We agreed to give the second part of her workshop.
The second party was the European Night, it was close to our Hotel, so we went late since we wanted to take some rest before partying, the people had a lot of fun, since they have been drinking a lot of Alcohol already. I drunk some nice Riga Balsam and another drink. Since the music was not that good I went back to my hotel to get my mp3 player, for some good stuff since the laptop had mainly Polish music. So, there again me playing the DJ :D
Now the party could start, I found later on Mariann dancing with the main organiser, and I danced with Iryna from Kiev whom I met at the opening conference of Education Unlimited in Stuttgart. In the end there were just two people dancing… Mariann and me :)
We could stay till the last persons since we knew that our programme would start at 12.30 with lunch :) After that Mariann and me went to the computer lab to find info we needed for our workshop about CST Migration. We worked already for many years on the Case Study Trip Migration together and finally in the end we gave a workshop together.
At four in the afternoon, when we finally found our place, we gave the workshop together; first we talked about the project and then I divided the group in two to have one discussion about Migration (Mariann leading) and the other about Integration. After the two separate discussions we had a group discussion to end up our workshop.
After this workshop ended at six, the day was not ended yet for me. Network Affairs, Theijs and me would lead a discussion about – Quo Vadis AEGEE “Statutory reforms”. It was a huge group, and we discussed several issue’s concerning the agora, attendancy of the plenary, reducing nr. of participants, one fun agora one real one, extension working hours, starting at Thursday, etc. Another 1,5 hour discussion the future of our dear association. We stopped after nine in the evening… real diehards at work.
Then the most interesting party of all. Since we worked till late, and the party place was in the same street of our hotel, we went late, when we walked to the party place we saw already some blood… so interesting place we said.. after one hour we were all asked to leave the place, since one of the members of Gliwice was beaten up into the hospital, and Gliwice were not sure anymore about our safety. So, we all left to the gym, where Gliwice made a party place… we had a lot of fun, except the ones whom were trying to sleep… no more sleep till 3 at night. The best party of the event it was!
Sunday was an early day, already at ten in the morning I had to be present to lead another meeting about the strategy plan, to draft the action plan. There was now a smaller group, but I didn’t mind, we had some good brains together to make the draft action plan, and after the second round of one hour we had time left to do some work on some other parts of the strategy, then we found out that some people were sleeping, since this couldn’t be the strategy, there were actions in the strategy… So a huge discussion, we had with the CD, Chair and some people whom knew they were talking about. Due to stress and Laure didn’t listened to me, she made a bad presentation of the action plan… but in the end all will go right.
In the evening we went with a big group to have a nice dinner in a Polish restaurant. After this wonderful dinner, we went to the dorms to have a small after party.
Monday morning we checked out our hotel at eleven, and we left at twelve Gliwice on our way to Auswitz. We were now not alone in the car, we had also Alexianne from Malta and Juha from Finland, so we had all four wind directions in the car, since Mariann is from the East and me from the west :) When we got to Auswitz it was windy and also raining. We took the tour, which was a good decision. It was very impressive this place, full of history. It was good that we didn’t went directly to Krakow, but first visited this place. After the four hour tour we went on with our journey to Krakow.
It was a nice ride to Krakow and the Hostel Giraffe was easy to find. If you ever go to Krakow sleep in this hostel you will feel home. We all stayed there and when we were settled we went to the centre hunting down some dinner. Marcin from Krakow joined us at the dinner place and gave us after dinner and after discussing the second world war, a nice 1,5 hour city walk in the dark. At midnight the tour was ended and we went home.
Tuesday morning we got up normal time, Juha left early since he had to catch an early train to Warsawa, since I don’t need breakfast, the two ladies made one for them self. In the meantime I could sit behind the free internet…. And they talked a lot… we left at 13.15 finally the Hostet...
We went for a short walk and also for a nice lunch in Nikita Bar, a Russian Bar. That was really a nice place. After this we went to the Hostel, since Mariann and me had a nice ride home, 6 hours :)
We left Krakow at quarter past five finally, a bit later then I wanted, since now we will see again the nice landscape in dark. Just before midnight we arrived in Budapest, where we ate a nice soup together before arriving home.
The next day I was very sick, Mariann took care of me. Somehow I managed to get on the plane, and got home late in the evening back in Rotterdam.
Finally at three o’clock we left Budapest on our way to Gliwice. The first thing we needed to do were to by passes to drive on the highway in Slovakia and Czech at petrol station, but we bought them in end at the border between Hungary and Slovakia. The first part was very easy, since we had driven this way already once together, it was more tricky when we had to go through Bratislava, from one highway to another, but we managed easily.
Then the nice way through Slovakia began in darkness and rain, it was quit easy till we were reached the border with Czech, somehow we had to drive though this country just for 32 km :) The real struggle started in Poland. They have really small boards to show the way and also if you missed it once, then suddenly the road is splitting… and when it’s raining like hell and dark, those once upon in a lifetime small signs can be missed easily ;) As we also did twice and then you just have to make an educated guess, left or right :D
The toughest although was the city before Gliwice, Rubnick. When you enter that city you see the plan of the roads, and also nr. 78 to Gliwice…But then… we searched for 40 minutes to find the damn road and if we didn’t asked an old Polish man in his very small car: “Do you know the road to Gliwice” and he answered something back in Polish, we both had the idea he would bring us to the right direction, and he did. Seven hours from departure we arrived at our nice Hotel. After we refreshed ourselves, we went out to the first party of the EBM. The place was a little bit to big, but still nice.
Friday the plenary started early, but I arranged to be exact on time when they needed me for the first meeting I had to lead; a two hours meeting about the strategy, the part of the diversity programme. It was a nice meeting with quit some people. After the lunch the first workshop round started, I was helping the “Culture in Motion” workshop from Nadine Karbach and Veronica Dumitrescu. I was there just for the first part to help Vero out. We had some cool energizers. After the coffee break, I took my own break another two hours of workshop would have been to much for me. I went to the computer lab, to spend some time behind the internet and work even for my boss ;) Also Judith from Utrecht asked Mariann and me to help her with her workshop. We agreed to give the second part of her workshop.
The second party was the European Night, it was close to our Hotel, so we went late since we wanted to take some rest before partying, the people had a lot of fun, since they have been drinking a lot of Alcohol already. I drunk some nice Riga Balsam and another drink. Since the music was not that good I went back to my hotel to get my mp3 player, for some good stuff since the laptop had mainly Polish music. So, there again me playing the DJ :D
Now the party could start, I found later on Mariann dancing with the main organiser, and I danced with Iryna from Kiev whom I met at the opening conference of Education Unlimited in Stuttgart. In the end there were just two people dancing… Mariann and me :)
We could stay till the last persons since we knew that our programme would start at 12.30 with lunch :) After that Mariann and me went to the computer lab to find info we needed for our workshop about CST Migration. We worked already for many years on the Case Study Trip Migration together and finally in the end we gave a workshop together.
At four in the afternoon, when we finally found our place, we gave the workshop together; first we talked about the project and then I divided the group in two to have one discussion about Migration (Mariann leading) and the other about Integration. After the two separate discussions we had a group discussion to end up our workshop.
After this workshop ended at six, the day was not ended yet for me. Network Affairs, Theijs and me would lead a discussion about – Quo Vadis AEGEE “Statutory reforms”. It was a huge group, and we discussed several issue’s concerning the agora, attendancy of the plenary, reducing nr. of participants, one fun agora one real one, extension working hours, starting at Thursday, etc. Another 1,5 hour discussion the future of our dear association. We stopped after nine in the evening… real diehards at work.
Then the most interesting party of all. Since we worked till late, and the party place was in the same street of our hotel, we went late, when we walked to the party place we saw already some blood… so interesting place we said.. after one hour we were all asked to leave the place, since one of the members of Gliwice was beaten up into the hospital, and Gliwice were not sure anymore about our safety. So, we all left to the gym, where Gliwice made a party place… we had a lot of fun, except the ones whom were trying to sleep… no more sleep till 3 at night. The best party of the event it was!
Sunday was an early day, already at ten in the morning I had to be present to lead another meeting about the strategy plan, to draft the action plan. There was now a smaller group, but I didn’t mind, we had some good brains together to make the draft action plan, and after the second round of one hour we had time left to do some work on some other parts of the strategy, then we found out that some people were sleeping, since this couldn’t be the strategy, there were actions in the strategy… So a huge discussion, we had with the CD, Chair and some people whom knew they were talking about. Due to stress and Laure didn’t listened to me, she made a bad presentation of the action plan… but in the end all will go right.
In the evening we went with a big group to have a nice dinner in a Polish restaurant. After this wonderful dinner, we went to the dorms to have a small after party.
Monday morning we checked out our hotel at eleven, and we left at twelve Gliwice on our way to Auswitz. We were now not alone in the car, we had also Alexianne from Malta and Juha from Finland, so we had all four wind directions in the car, since Mariann is from the East and me from the west :) When we got to Auswitz it was windy and also raining. We took the tour, which was a good decision. It was very impressive this place, full of history. It was good that we didn’t went directly to Krakow, but first visited this place. After the four hour tour we went on with our journey to Krakow.
It was a nice ride to Krakow and the Hostel Giraffe was easy to find. If you ever go to Krakow sleep in this hostel you will feel home. We all stayed there and when we were settled we went to the centre hunting down some dinner. Marcin from Krakow joined us at the dinner place and gave us after dinner and after discussing the second world war, a nice 1,5 hour city walk in the dark. At midnight the tour was ended and we went home.
Tuesday morning we got up normal time, Juha left early since he had to catch an early train to Warsawa, since I don’t need breakfast, the two ladies made one for them self. In the meantime I could sit behind the free internet…. And they talked a lot… we left at 13.15 finally the Hostet...
We went for a short walk and also for a nice lunch in Nikita Bar, a Russian Bar. That was really a nice place. After this we went to the Hostel, since Mariann and me had a nice ride home, 6 hours :)
We left Krakow at quarter past five finally, a bit later then I wanted, since now we will see again the nice landscape in dark. Just before midnight we arrived in Budapest, where we ate a nice soup together before arriving home.
The next day I was very sick, Mariann took care of me. Somehow I managed to get on the plane, and got home late in the evening back in Rotterdam.
posted by René Keijzer | 7:47 AM
1 Comments:
Such a long entry, full just of positive things, looks like another of your crazy, wonderful trips!!!!!!!
To see 3 citys in one week is not a bad way at all to live, not at all !!!
Until I'll read the next one.... ;)
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