Author: Katherine Wierzbicki

Bye-Bye Berlin

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May 25th

The 25th wasn’t a very busy day in the sense that we had a seven-hour bus ride from Krakow to Berlin. It was kind of nice to be able to sit down and just relax for a few hours because the entire trip has been so busy and packed with activities. Once we reached Berlin, we were running behind schedule, so we had to rush to make our guided tour of the Bundestag. The tour was interesting because the building itself, the Reichstag, did not entirely relate to WWII history, because the building was never actually used by Hitler during the war. The building was seen as a political symbol, and was captured by the Soviets upon their invasion of Berlin. The most memorable thing about the building was that it still contained the original graffiti left by the Soviet soldiers who captured the building in May 1945. I thought the fact that the German government displayed the graffiti and left it in its original state is an incredible testament to the history of the building and the city as well.

 

May 26th

The German historical museum was teeming with historical artifacts and information from German involvement in both WWI and WWII. It was laid out chronologically, from the era before German involvement in WWI all the way through the end of WWII, and was very thorough in the way it laid out the progression of events. The museum presented the information without much embellishment – they did not attempt to glorify or gloss over any of the things the Germans did during WWI or WWII, and instead presented it as-is in a very matter-of-fact manner. I appreciated this because it felt like the museum was not trying to present a “deeper meaning” behind anything and was there to educate people on what happened and exactly how it happened.

Later, we went to the Topography of Terror Museum, which was extremely reading intensive, seeing as it had no artifacts to view in the museum. It was interesting to see how the Germans presented the rise of the Nazis – they laid out exactly how they came to power, and the lesson behind the entire museum was to educate the public on how to prevent something like this from ever happening again. It was strange to see this shift in how a museum is presented – the countries we had toured prior had been the victors in WWII, and were proud of their accomplishments in WWII to defeat the evil that had arisen in Germany. This museum, however, seemed largely apologetic and placed a large emphasis on the notion that this was a one-time issue and that it would never happen again. The museum made it seem as if the Germans were progressively working towards a future that was the polar opposite of what had happened in the 1930s and 1940s, and this would be a theme that would be carried on throughout other German museums and memorials that we saw in Berlin.

That night, a big group of us decided to experience a true German pastime and visit a traditional bier garten for dinner. We found ourselves at Pratergarten, which is supposedly the oldest bier garten in Berlin. It was a very relaxing, laid-back social atmosphere that was full of good conversation, delicious food and amazing beer. Here, I felt like I was experiencing German culture to its fullest and felt truly absorbed in the moment. I loved it so much that I wanted to return to Prater, and (luckily) I found myself back in the bier garten just a few days later.

 

May 27th

Today was spent walking what seemed like all across Berlin in the scorching heat of the day. We began at St. Mathias church where we listened to a site report and then traveled to the Bendlerbloc and Claus von Stauffenberg memorial. This site was interesting because it was the site where von Stauffenberg and the other anti-Hitler conspirators were executed after the failed Valkyrie plot, the assassination attempt on Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair. Additionally, we toured the museum dedicated to the assassination plot and learned more about its conception, its development, and its execution, and the effect it had on the Nazi political structure once it failed. I could not believe the extent to which it affected the Nazi political structure and the amount of executions that were carried out as a direct result. Once again, it was a very reading-intensive museum, but it was also very informational and gave me much more detail about something that I previously knew very little about.

We later walked to the Soviet War Memorial that was dedicated to the Soviet liberators of Berlin during WWII. It was strange to see such a large monument dedicated to people who then occupied the city under an oppressive regime for so many years after the war. This memorial, as large as it was, paled in comparison to the larger memorial that we would see the next day in the Tiergarten.

 

May 28th

We took the train to Treptower Park to view the Sovet Memorial to the war, and it seemed more like an entire park itself than just a memorial. The Soviet memorial was one of the most beautiful and well-designed parks/memorials that I had seen during the entire trip. It was massive in all aspects, from the mature trees lining the walkways, the large carved walls that depicted Soviet war scenes and quotes from Joseph Stalin, and the immense main statue that towered over the rest of the memorial. Once again, it was strange to see such a glorious memorial to a country that occupied the host country for so long and caused so much social distress and unrest during the Cold War. For people that may not know of the exact tensions between Russia and the other countries after WWII, the memorial may just seem like a magnificent memorial to the army that had liberated an entire city from evil. The memorial made no mention of any Soviet acts after WWII, so if only taken at first glance, it was incredibly awe-inspiring and overwhelming in its intensity and size.

Later, we traveled to the German-Russian Museum in Karlshorst to view the building in which the German-Soviet pact was signed to officially end WWII between Russia and Germany in May 1945. This museum also conveyed the message that Germany was at fault during WWII and that they would be doing their best in the future to right the wrongs that they had committed during this era. This was a common theme in German museums, and not something I was used to seeing after touring museums of the countries that had emerged victorious from WWII.

 

May 29th

This was our last day in Berlin, and it began with a trip out to Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin. Potsdam was beautifully lush and located near a large lake, and provided a much needed change in scenery after being in a city for several days straight. We first stopped at Glienicker Bridge, a short detour from our day of touring. This bridge was featured in the movie Bridge of Spies, and was the division point between east and west Berlin during the Cold War.

The main attraction of the day was the Wannsee House, which was both beautiful and menacing. Set back in a vibrant garden and overlooking the lake, the Wannsee House was the location of the Wannsee Conference, where it is widely believed that the Final Solution to the Jewish Question was decided. After touring the museum dedicated to the conference, I gave my site report on whether the Final Solution was actually decided at the Wannsee Conference or not. It was interesting to compare the actual museum to the book I read – the museum presented the information and evidence in a very different way, and attempted to place the blame on the Nazi party alone. I found that I enjoyed the museum more and got more out of it because I had read about the Wannsee Conference and researched it extensively, so I was able to compare more of my prior knowledge to the knowledge being presented to me in the museum. Overall, it was a great exhibit, but it really pushes the Intentionalist argument and does not really do much to support the Functionalist argument on who is to blame for the Final Solution.

We then stopped by the Olympic Stadium, which was home to the 1939 Olympic games in Berlin. This stop was purely for a fun photo op, and to visit the street dedicated to none other than Jesse Owens, a fellow Buckeye. It was here that I realized that our trip, which had seemed so long from the start, was finally drawing to a close, and I was overcome by a wave of longing and sadness – longing to continue the trip and the adventures, sadness that I would not be able to spend time exploring the world with these people ever again. It was here that it hit me just how fortunate I am to be a Buckeye, and how being a Buckeye presented me with an incredibly opportunity like this in the first place.

We concluded our day as well as the trip with a group dinner at Lindenbrau, a traditional German restaurant not far from our hotel in the Sony Center. Here, we came together as a group one last time to celebrate and reflect on all we had accomplished as a group in the past 23 days. We listened to DS give us an extremely touching “After Action” report of the trip, in which almost all of us made cameo appearances featuring our marvelous misadventures. It made me proud to be included on such an incredible trip with a group of such wonderful people. We enjoyed conversation and company as well as wienerschnitzel and Berliner Pilsner and had one last bonding experience together before we traveled back across the pond to being the next chapter of our college experience. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that this program has presented me, and the memories and friendships that came along with it. The past 23 days was an adventure that taught me much about myself, other people, and the world, and will serve as cherished memories that I will keep with me for years to come.

 

Blue Skies and Tailwinds,

Katie

Exploring My Polish Roots in Kraków

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Dzień dobry, Poland!

Hello Krakow!

 

What an adventure it was to explore my father’s hometown! I was not sure what to expect when it came to Krakow, but I was not disappointed. Poland was my favorite location we have visited so far for several reasons, and I wish we could have spent more than 3 short days in Poland.

 

May 22

Most of Monday was spent traveling form Paris to Krakow, Poland. We began the morning bright and early with a flight from Charles de Gaulle International Airport (which was highlighted by a sighting of an A380 landing and a Concorde proudly on display by the Air France hangar) with a short layover in Brussels, Belgium. Then it was on to Krakow, giving us an arrival time around 3pm by the time we got into town. Our first order of business was a site report about the Bloodlands, which included most of Eastern Europe during WWII, and the atrocities that took place in this region. The day was concluded with a trip into the old town square of Krakow, which absolutely took my breath away.

Old town center in Krakow.

After entering through an old brick arch, I was met by a wide street of shops and restaurants, which then led to the town square. The town square was a bustling center of activities, ranging from breakdancing street performers to horse drawn carriage rides to diners enjoying the views from the various beer gardens. I was immediately struck by the humble beauty of this town, – its historical architecture and lively atmosphere gave it a personality unlike any other city I’ve ever experienced before. Here, it was not hard to imagine my father as a child, running around the town square with a obwarzanki (Polish pretzel) in hand, exploring the market, the church, and everything in between. Beau, Natalie and I decided to dine al fresco in one of the beer gardens in order to experience Krakow in the best way possible. We enjoyed a classic Polish dinner of various pierogis, paired with a large class of Zweicek (SP?) beer.

Better yet, we got to return to the Puro Hotel, which is the crown jewel in the assortment of hotels we’ve stayed at during this trip. The rooms, sparkling clean and refreshingly chic, were controlled by tablet and boasted features such as heated bathroom floors, color changing LED accent lights, a LCD flat screen TV (with English-speaking channels!), fluffy plush beds, touch-control temperature displays, and a toilet that actually flushed. In comparison to the hellhole that was the Ibis hotel, we had found ourselves in an urban Polish oasis, and to this day, we still cannot praise the Puro hotel enough.

That night, a group of us decided to go out and explore the Polish nightlife in downtown Krakow. We ended up at an underground club, where we proceeded to dance the night away with locals and other fellow travelers. As much of a bonding experience as we had in Bayeux chatting and snacking by the pool, I am now a firm believer in the notion that you truly don’t know someone until you’ve seen them dance. That being said, I now have a profound respect for some of the people on this trip that, up until now, had seemed fairly unassuming about their ability to cut a rug.

 

May 23

Our first full day in Krakow began by attempting to navigate the city by way of the tram system. While not as foolproof as the subway systems in previous cities, the tram was reliable and ultimately got us (close enough) to our destination, the Schindler Museum. Having never read the book or watched the movie (Schindler’s List), I had limited information on what the museum would actually be about. I was surprised to see that the museum was not about solely Oscar Schindler’s factory and his covert Jewish rescue operation behind it, but more about the history of Krakow as a whole. It covered the time periods from the formation of Poland, mainly focused on the post-WWI government and diplomacy of Poland, and how the German invasion in September 1939 affected Poland and, more specifically, Krakow. It was a very reading-heavy museum, containing more plaques and signs than it did artifacts and objects. While they were interesting to read, after a while it got very tedious, and I soon found myself either skimming the signs or just skipping some of them altogether. My favorite aspect of the museum was the way it was laid out. Each section of the museum was themed to fit the time period, and showed the progression of events in Krakow’s history. The Nazi Occupation Room featured several massive Nazi flags and banners, multitudes of Nazi propaganda posters, and a floor made entirely of tiles covered in swastikas. The room really gave you an immersive experience, which was all too telling of what it must have felt like to be under Nazi occupation, constantly surrounded by a very omnipotent presence. The Jewish Ghetto room was meant to emulate the feeling of being trapped inside the Krakow ghetto during the Nazi occupation. It featured a gravel floor, barbed wire fences, and a stark white lights, illuminating the bland, off-white walls featuring pictures of the actual ghetto. This atmosphere was meant to represent the bleakness of existence within the ghetto, and it was not hard to see how being trapped in an environment like this would rob people of their hope for a better future.

After the Schindler Museum, we had short break before our next meeting back in the hotel. During this time, Beau, Natalie and I took it upon ourselves to complete the “Bucket List” of destinations in Krakow that my dad had sent me. Such locations included the Wawel Castle, the Wawel Dragon statue, the Sukienice Market, and the Kosciol Mariacki church.

Wawel Castle

Thankfully, we were able to see all of these landmarks because the city is so easy to explore on foot. The architecture was incredible in both the Kosciol Mariacki and the Wawel Castle, and the Sukienice Market was teeming with people hunting for the perfect souvenir from the local vendors.

The dragon!

My personal favorite was the Wawel Dragon because dragons have been a favorite “animal” of mine for as long as I can remember, and I was delighted to discover that not only did the statue breathe fire every few minutes, but the mascot of Krakow was a dragon, making souvenir shopping for myself very easy.

Later that day, we had a group meeting in the hotel to discuss what we had seen on the trip thus far and what we had taken away and learned from each of the locations we had visited. I was once again impressed with the thoroughness in which my classmates were able to answer extremely thought-provoking questions and the depth in the lessons they took away from each of the locations they visited. It was interesting to see how each person interpreted the museums and cites we visited, and it introduced me to perspectives that I never would have imagined on my own.

The day was concluded by a quest to find the highly coveted Polish delicacy called gołabki for dinner. Being a personal favorite of mine, I was dead set on finding the most authentic gołabki in town. Based on the recommendations of a local waiter from a previous restaurant, a group of us visited Chopin Restaurant, which he claimed to have the best gołabki in Krakow. Upon ordering, we were dismayed to find out that the restaurant was sold out of not only gołabkis, but pierogis as well. I could not believe that a self-proclaimed authentic Polish restaurant was sold out of not one but TWO of the most quintessential Polish dishes. Brokenhearted and dejected, we left and began the quest for another Polish restaurant that served gołabki. Thankfully, good gołabki is not hard to find in Krakow, and we soon found ourselves wandering into an unassuming little restaurant called Polski Smaki.

Found the gołabki – mission accomplished!

I knew we had found the perfect place when I walked in and was immediately hit by a smell that instantly reminded me of my grandparent’s kitchen. I approached the counter and nervously asked if they served traditional gołabki with mushroom sauce, and I was soon presented with a steaming plate of two large, meaty gołabkis smothered in mushroom sauce. One bite and a dash of Maggi sauce later, I was in heaven. I won’t say that they were better than Grandma Stella’s homemade gołabki that my brother and I were basically raised on, but for the equivalent of $4 U.S. dollars, they came pretty darn close.

 

May 24th

Our last day in Poland was a heavy one. We visited the concentration camp of Auschwitz –Birkenau in the afternoon, and for one of the very few times in my life, I found myself absolutely speechless.

Infamous sign to the Auschwitz I entrance – “Work makes you free”

To say that this visit was a powerful experience would be an understatement, and I still feel that the words to describe this place do not exist. We arrived around 3:30pm for a guided tour around Auschwitz I that would then continue on to Auschwitz II – Birkenau later in the day. Auschwitz I, at first glance, did not strike me as the foreboding, evil place that it once was – it was oddly serene there, with the tall trees swaying in the gentle breeze and the birds singing in the wooded backdrop. I was struck by how quiet the camp itself was – there was no outside noise aside from the birds, and it seemed as if the camp itself were a skeleton of a former living entity. We toured some of the reconstructed barracks that had since been turned into exhibits to display various photographs, maps and dialogues. The enormous gravity of the place struck me once I entered the “Evidence” building that housed artifacts of the victims that were recovered from the camp after the liberation. One exhibit chilled me more than any others: the seven tons of human hair that were recovered and on display in a massive case along the length of the room.

Inside Auschwitz I

The guide explained how this hair was removed from the victims to be used in the production of textiles and cloths by the Germans during the war. To see these tangible human remains made it real to me: these were people, and even this massive amount of hair was not even close to representing the total number of people killed at that camp. I was shaken, and found myself walking through the rest of Auschwitz I in a bit of a haze. The trip inside Crematoria I, the only remaining crematoria left intact at Auschwitz, was downright disturbing in every sense imaginable. I wanted to get out as soon as I walked inside, imagining the tiny, dark room filled with living, breathing, people, which would then become suffocating, dying people. Although this experience was disturbing, I think it was necessary for people to experience that atmosphere to truly understand the gravity of the entire Auschwitz I complex and the atrocities that took place there, and how it has affected history ever since. To be standing in the location where so many innocent people lost their lives at the hands of evil leads one to understand why people must prevent any such type of evil from ever arising again.

We then transferred to the Auschwitz II – Birkenau camp, which was built as an addition to the original Auschwitz I camp after the order for the Final Solution was implemented.

Entrance to Auschwitz II – Birkenau

The first thing that caught my eye was the infamous main gate, referred to as the Gate of Death. Surrounding the gate, miles of barbed wire fence, once electrified to deter any possible escapees. Upon entering the camp, I was at first shocked to see that there was not much to see. Most of the wooden buildings had been burned down and the crematoria had been blown up by the Nazis before they abandoned the camp. All that remained were the brick barracks, the guard towers, the train tracks, and the brick chimneys from where the wooden barracks once stood. They ranged as far as my eye could see, and sit was eerie to see their skeletal remains looming in the distance. The entire camp was silent – it was like standing in a vacuum chamber, with nothing to hear but the wind blowing through the old buildings, a sound so lonesome and haunting it chilled me to the bone. Visiting Auschwitz gave me a much better understanding of the operation of the camp and just how much planning the Nazis had put into the systematic extermination of millions of people. Seeing pictures of Auschwitz is terrible enough, but being there, standing on the same ground where 1.1 million people lost their lives, made me truly understand the seriousness of what happened there and connected me to the energy of the location in a way I never imagined possible.

Miles upon miles of barbed wire.

It was as if I could feel the sorrow, pain and hopelessness flowing through the air, much like the way it flowed through the empty, abandoned barracks. It is an experience that was entirely unique, and I still find the feeling it evoked in me hard to put into words. That being said, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have gone to such a location, and can say that it truly made a lasting impact on me in a way that I will remember for years to come. I also think it is important that this place remains open to the public so that others may have the opportunity to have their own powerful experiences at this historic location.

 

Paris

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May 19

Our first day in Paris was one that will certainly be remembered, but not for a good reason, unfortunately. Our hotel, the Ibis, had a promising lobby that filled us with the hope of a fresh Parisian breakfast every morning and a swanky bar and lounge for us to socialize in after a day of touring. However, what we were met with was a 3-hour delay due to only one of our 25 rooms being ready by the time we got there. What followed can only be described as a series of unfortunate events (a la Lemony Snickett): a small room filled with the luggage of 23 travel weary students, room keys that did not work even after 3 trips to the front desk, rude staff, dark, dingy rooms hardly big enough for one person to live comfortably, let alone two, air conditioning that didn’t work, windows that didn’t open, and Wifi that was virtually nonexistent. Not exactly the kind of accommodations you’d expect from a world-class city like Paris.

Despite these setbacks, we were determined to make the most of the day and took a trip to the Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation. This memorial was the Parisian’s way of officially recognizing the role they played in the Holocaust and their collaboration with the Nazis in their deportation of Jewish citizens. Upon entering, this memorial felt more like a crypt than a monument to those lost to the horrors of the Holocaust. It was underground and extremely claustrophobic in nature, with tight tunnels and low ceilings.

Entrance to the memorial for the Deported Jews during WWII.

It contained very little information in terms of signs and plaques to explain why the memorial was designed the way it was – its beauty was in its simplicity. It was also haunting to be in a memorial that presents you with so little information other than the names of the death camps where millions of people would go to die. The names of the camps, scrawled on the wall in dark red paint, force you to confront the amount of gravity those names carry within them. This memorial felt like a place for penance rather than for remembrance, and left me feeling chilled and slightly uneasy, a much different sensation that other memorials have made me feel.

 

May 20

Our free day in Paris was one for the books. Instead of trying to cram in as many touristy activities as I could in one day, I decided to take it slow and enjoy my time there by doing whatever I wanted to do, sans agenda. Charlie, Natalie, Rachel and I began our day with a trip to the shopping district to explore the smaller boutiques and the larger high-end designer stores, such as Hermes, Chanel and Coach.

When in Paris, you buy the bag.

We stopped into Longchamp, where I treated myself to a nice purse as a lasting souvenir of my trip to Paris. We picked up some traditional macaroons from Laduree, the most picturesque little bakery I’ve ever seen.

Girls day out in Paris – quick stop for macaroons at Laduree!

We then dined at an outdoor café for lunch, enjoying our day in true Parisian fashion. Brunch was followed up by exploring the streets along the Seine, and visiting the little bookseller kiosks to find unique and unusual treasures to bring home as souvenirs. The day was concluded in the most perfect way – meeting up with more people from our trip to enjoy cheap bottles of champagne and wine beneath the Eiffel tower at night. It was then that I realized that Paris wasn’t as bad as I originally thought it was, and it struck me that I had truly enjoyed every part of my day.

Saw the Eiffel Tower at night – take that, Thomas Rhett.

I was sitting under one of the most famous buildings in the world, surrounded by friends, sharing stories and laughing and just enjoying living in the moment. If the Parisian lifestyle has taught me anything, it is that sometimes, slowing down and living in the moment is necessary to appreciate the simple joy of just being alive to witness something as magical as the Eiffel Tower at night.

 

May 21

The 21st was a busy day for us in terms of learning. We began the day with a trip to the Musee de L’Armee, or the French Army Museum. The exhibit began with French military artifacts that dated back long before the WWII era, and while these artifacts were compelling, this era of history does not interest me as much, so I skipped ahead to the WWI/WWII exhibits. The French did a good job of telling the story of French involvement in WWII, but the thing that struck me was their massive emphasis on the French Resistance movement during the Nazi occupation in WWII.

Napoleon’s Tomb at Musee de L’Armee

We learned about the French Resistance movement and talked about it extensively in class, but ultimately agreed that, while it was good for morale, it was never organized and unified enough to make a significant impact on the outcome of the war. This museum made it seem like the Resistance played a much bigger, more important role in WWII than it actually did. My reasoning behind this is, considering France fell to the Nazis in only 6 weeks, they needed something to rally behind and to take pride in, and the Resistance movement is the only thing that really resonates with the people during this time. While the Resistance did carry out a large number of active and passive forms of resistance acts, it did not make nearly as big of an impact on the war as the museum made it seem like.

Furthermore, another form of historical embellishment was experienced when we entered the Charles de Gaulle wing of the museum. As you can imagine, this wing immortalized “The General” as a man who could do no wrong. The exhibit itself was shoddy, with a low-quality audio device that either 1) did not have the proper English translations 2) would not read the proper audio file to the corresponding exhibit or 3) would simply cut out in the middle of an audio presentation. Thankfully, most of the signs and plaques were translated into English, making the story slightly easier to follow. The exhibit glorified de Gaulle as the man who singlehandedly unified a broken nation and freed them from the clutch of Nazi terror. The already cheesy exhibit was followed up by a 20 minute movie about de Gaulle and his achievements in life. Such achievements include, but are not limited to: attempting (and failing) to escape from prison 5 times, “solving the human condition”, and liberating France after the invasion of Normandy, despite being excluded from all prior D-Day invasion plans. This movie was so blatantly Gaullist that it was hard to take it seriously and to take anything valuable away from it.

Shakespeare & Co. in Paris

We concluded the day with a visit to the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, an English bookstore located in the heart of Paris, which became a prime target for Nazi censorship during the occupation. I never realized how much importance was placed on the censorship of books and literature during the Nazi occupation, but Patrick’s site report was certainly eye-opening and gave me a much better understanding of the historical significance behind this otherwise unassuming little book shop, tucked away in the Latin Quarter of Paris.

 

Honestly speaking, Paris was probably my least favorite location of the trip so far. It struck me as dirty and crowded and very unfriendly to foreigners. It was amazing to see the world-famous historical landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, and I appreciate the fact that I got the opportunity to see them in person, but I am also extremely grateful that we only had to spend two and a half days in Paris. Onward to Kraków!

Navigating Normandy

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Bonjour from Bayeux, France!

 

The last few days have been an absolute whirlwind. I’m currently writing this on the three hour bus ride between Bayeux and Paris, so hopefully I’m able to recall the majority of what I did in Bayeux the past few days.

 

May 14th

Our first stop of the day was the Caen Memorial Museum. This museum was interesting because it was split down the middle to denote two eras in 20th century conflict: the WWII era in the Normandy region, and post-WWII history in the Normandy region. My analysis of the museum will not be very thorough, because I never made it to the post-WWII side of the museum. One of my biggest challenges on this trip has been learning time allocation in museums – I just get too absorbed in the reading and the exhibits and completely lose all track of time.

The Caen Memorial Museum

That being said, I only had time to view the WWII and D-Day exhibits at the Caen museum. The WWII exhibit was extremely informative, thanks to a bounty of informational signs and posters that were arranged chronologically to allow people to follow the flow of WWII more easily. The artifacts were not as plentiful as they were at the Imperial War Museum in London, but the artifacts that were there helped tell the story of WWII just as well. The museum separated D-Day into its own exhibit – the operation was so large that it only made sense for there to be a separate exhibit for it in order to explore all of the intricacies of the planning and execution of Operation Overlord. As much as I enjoyed the parts of the museum that I did see, I regret not having allocated enough time to see the other side of the museum, which would have allowed me to have a more thorough interpretation of the museum as a whole.

After we left the Caen Memorial Museum, we took a trip out to the countryside to see the Pegasus Bridge. The capture of this bridge was of vital importance to the Allies. It allowed them to control a critical chokepoint in the road network that made it possible for the Allies to get vehicles, troops, and supplies further into France after the D-Day invasion. The way this operation was carried out was incredible – four Horsa gliders were dispatched to land on a narrow grass strip in between the river and a swamp, just south of the bridge.

The landing site of the Horsa Gliders, near the Pegasus Bridge.

The town near the bridge was controlled and inhabited by German troops, making it extremely risky. The operation went so smoothly that the Allies were able to capture the town and the bridge without a single shot being fired from either side. Seeing this bridge in person really gave me a greater appreciation for just how important this mission was to Allied success in the D-Day invasions. Additionally, as an aviator, I also had a greater appreciation for the skill of the Horsa glider pilots after seeing the “landing strip” on which they were forced to land. To land on such a narrow, short grass strip in the dead of night is extremely daunting and dangerous, and these pilots pulled it off almost perfectly. Reading about these missions in books or listening to lectures about them is one thing, but the significance and magnitude of a mission didn’t really hit me until I was actually there, on the actual ground where the history was made.

 

 

May 15th

Coincidentally, the longest and busiest day we had yet also happened to be my favorite day yet in terms of historical sites visited. We began the day with a trip to Utah Beach. Utah Beach looked exactly how I had pictured it in my mind: rolling dunes, dark blue waters muddied by the churn of the sand, a large expanse of beach between the waves and the dunes, and a somber gray sky coupled with a brisk sea breeze to complete the scene.

View of Utah Beach from the dunes.

Seeing Utah Beach like this made it easy to imagine what it would have been like on the day that the Americans stormed the beach, but the feelings that those men must have felt can never truly be recreated. It was an extremely humbling experience to stand on the same beach that was the last thing that many men ever saw. It was hard to not get choked up thinking about the amount of young life lost on that beach, making it ever easier to imagine the waves running red and the beach littered with bodies. As beautiful and peaceful as the beach is now, it is hard to forget the dark history that occurred on those sands.

After visiting the beach, we toured the Utah Beach Memorial Museum just behind the dunes. This museum was surprisingly well planned and full of artifacts from the beach. Artifacts are my favorite part of museums because they are tangible evidence that D-Day actually happened, and each artifact has its own unique story behind it to explain why it ended up in the museum. This museum was not nationality-centric in any way, but was more aimed at education as a whole, making the inclusion of both sides of the fight significant. I did not feel as if the museum was trying to teach a lesson or send a message, but rather that the museum was there simply to show people what happened at that location and to present it in as unbiased of a way as possible. It was nice to tour a museum like this and enjoy it for what it was without trying to find some deeper meaning behind it.

Our next stop of the day was the town of St. Mere Eglise, the first town captured by the 101st Airborne Division on the night prior to the D-Day invasions. The first thing that caught my eye in the town was the massive ancient church and, more surprisingly, a mannequin, dressed as a U.S. soldier, dangling from a parachute at the top of the church.

The church at St. Mere Eglise – note the paratrooper mannequin at the top left of the church.

Naturally, this piqued my curiosity, and I read the various signs to find out more information. Turns out that a man named John Steel, a paratrooper for the 101st Airborne Division, got snagged on the church when his parachute became entangled on the church steeple upon landing in the village. The mannequin was placed there to recreate the scene and to attract tourists to the spot for a good photo op. After a quick lunch in town at a tiny café that played Elvis songs on a loop, we ventured over to the 101st Airborne Museum. Despite the small size, I was taken aback by the abundant number of WWII military uniforms on display, hung proudly on a wide assortment of mannequins, ranging from garish to realistic to downright creepy, and everything in between.

D-Day artifacts recovered from Utah Beach.

The museum also boasted a large number of D-Day artifacts recovered from the beaches and donated by family members of those directly involved with the D-Day invasion. This museum was decisively in favor of the Allies based on the way in which the German artifacts were on display. While the Allied artifacts were on display in eye-catching locations, hung proudly for all to see, the German artifacts were often laid out in cases, as to not attract as much attention as the Allied artifacts. For such a tiny museum, they had a wonderful variety of displays and exhibits and did a fantastic job with making it as immersive and as hands-on as possible.

We once again boarded the bus for a short journey further into the French countryside to visit the Angoville au Plain church and cemetery. It was used as a hospital for both Allied and German soldiers during WWII, making it an extremely unique location, as both sides agreed not to attack this building. One exception to this was when a mortar crashed through the ceiling of the church, but thankfully, the mortar was a dud and did not explode.

The hole in the ceiling from the mortar.

The hole in the ceiling and crack on the tile floor from this mortar are still visible even today. This church was strangely peaceful and relaxing, despite the turbulent history of its location some 70 years ago.

The crack in the floor from where the mortar landed.

The church has been dedicated as a monument and is open to the public so they can view its history for themselves firsthand.

The last location of the day was a quick stop by the German Cemetery at La Cambe. The first thing that drew my attention was the massive line of uniformly spaced trees that lined the outer perimeter of the cemetery. Upon closer investigation, each tree had a plaque placed under it in memoriam to a German soldier who had perished in the Normandy region of WWII. The cemetery itself was extremely imposing, in line with classic German architecture of the time. There were several blocks of graves, denoted by a series of 5 dark black stone crosses, followed by hundreds of smaller, flat gravestones for the multitudes of soldiers buried there.

German cemetery at La Cambe.

In the middle of the cemetery was a massive mound containing the remains of hundreds of unidentified German soldiers. It was topped by a massive black stone monument of a cross, looking down ominously over the rest of the cemetery. This cemetery seemed to send the ominous, foreboding message that war is a terrible thing and should be avoided at all costs. The massive number of graves and dark stones made this message resonate with chilling intensity.

 

May 16th

This was another marathon day for us, cramming in several important locations into one day. The first stop of the day was Pointe du Hoc, the strategic location that the U.S. Army Rangers were tasked with conquering on D-Day. This location was hands-down my favorite location that we had visited yet for several reasons. Not only was the location extremely scenic, with wide, sweeping views of the English Channel and sheer, vertical cliffs, but because the scene was virtually intact from its D-Day condition. The craters, created by naval artillery shells and mortars, were abundant and scattered throughout the battlefield.

The cliffs at Pointe du Hoc.

The bunkers, created and used by the Nazis, were (mostly) still standing in the condition they had been left in after the fighting had stopped on D-Day. Some bunkers were completely destroyed, reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble, while others were still intact and able to be navigated by the adventurous soul wishing to gain a firsthand glimpse at history. The main gun battery, on the tip of Pointe du Hoc, still had the charred wooden ceilings in place from where the Americans had flamed out all of its Nazi inhabitants, killing everyone inside. Here, history was tangible, palpable, and real.

Ruins of Nazi fortifications at Pointe du Hoc.

Being in the actual location of such a significant battle gives you a much greater appreciation for its significance than learning about it in a classroom ever could. The visit was perfected by not only the beautiful, sunny weather, but by a high-speed low pass performed by a French Air Force fighter jet, clearly showing off for all the visitors. I left Pointe du Hoc feeling refreshed and invigorated by the sea breeze and sunshine, but also with a greater appreciation of the challenges faced by the Army rangers who scaled the cliffs, defeated the Nazis, and helped liberate France.

Our visit to Pointe du Hoc was followed up by a trip to the most infamous beach in the D-Day invasions, Bloody Omaha Beach. Surprisingly, my visit to Omaha beach was in stark contrast to my visit to Utah Beach, and not necessarily in a good way either. The weather at Omaha Beach that day was hot and full of brilliant sunshine, which did not fit the weather conditions of the D-Day invasions in the slightest bit, already ruining the mental picture I had.

Omaha Beach D-Day memorial.

The image was further ruined by the incessant swarms of gnats and flies, which proved to be an unavoidable nuisance for the entire extent of our stay on Omaha Beach. Perhaps the most disturbing part of the visit was the juxtaposition of the beach, the deathbed of thousands of young men, to the multimillion dollar vacation homes, just on the other side of the street, coupled by the screaming French schoolchildren who were using the D-Day memorial monument as their jungle gym. This was extremely upsetting to me for several reasons. One being that I always envisioned the atmosphere at Omaha Beach to be one of heavy sincerity and reverence to the sacrifices made there, when in reality the return to complete normality had taken over in the form of noisy, inconsiderate schoolchildren and commercial development of beach homes and burger shacks. To me, it seemed that the French had attempted to cover up the history of this location in order to make money, completely disregarding the significance of the location aside from the two monuments dedicated to the forces that took the beach back from the hands of evil that day. Try as I might to see Omaha Beach as it was on June 6th, 1944, I cannot. My mind is forever clouded by the image of beach homes and a carefree lifestyle taking precedence over perhaps the most historic moment of WWII that ultimately changed the course of the war, and liberated the country that was taking advantage of its monetarily profitable location.

Feeling sunburned, annoyed, and disappointed, we left Omaha Beach for our final stop of the day, the American Cemetery. Before entering the cemetery, we went through the memorial museum that displayed the story of WWII on exhibit plaques, as well as personal accounts from soldiers in the war. We viewed a short video about the cemetery, during which I felt myself get choked up several times, realizing just how intense this experience was about to be. Upon entering the cemetery, I was immediately overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of uniform, white marble crosses that were staring me right in the face.

U.S. WWII memorial in Normandy.

The museum said over 9,000 soldiers were buried at the cemetery, but a number that large does not truly resonate with you until you’re standing face to face with row up on row upon never ending row of crosses, beneath which a proud American soldier was buried after giving the ultimate sacrifice. Even thinking about it now, it is hard to not get choked up thinking about these men and the sacrifice they made for their country in a time of need, and it is not hard to see why these people are commonly referred to as The Greatest Generation. This location was the most emotional that I had visited, and after planting the Ohio State flag at the grave of my fellow aviator and Buckeye, Roger Dyer, I found myself wandering the rows of graves, trying to imagine the name on the grave as young man, full of promise for a better future, and not just a name on a grave. It was an extremely humbling experience to be surrounded by so many true American heroes.

Rows upon rows of fallen soldiers.

The American cemetery evoked an entirely difference message than that of the German cemetery. Instead of feeling apologetic, this cemetery exuded resounding American pride and excellence. It was much brighter in color than the German cemetery, and the actual size of the cemetery was much larger, making the cemetery seem like it was making a bolder statement: these headstones should be held in proud regard and seen as honorable sacrifices, rather than as a ominous lesson that war is hell, such as in the German cemetery.

 

May 17th

This was the “lightest” of the days we were in Bayeux in terms of sites visited and historical lessons learned. We began the day with a break from WWII history to travel back in time to the medieval era of 1077, when the famous Bayeux Tapestry was created. This tapestry, over 230 feet long, was created to tell the story of the Norman conquest of England. While not directly related to WWII history, it was still incredible to see a historical relic that has survived nearly a thousand years in near perfect conditions, despite switching ownership several times and nearly being burned several times. The entire time, I could not shake the feeling that Monty Python and the Holy Grail was based off of this tapestry, and I could almost hear the theme music playing in the background as I toured the museum.

We then boarded our bus and drove out to Arromanches, or Gold Beach, one of the British D-Day invasion beaches.

Arromanches, or Gold Beach. In the distance, you can still see the ruins of the Mulberry Harbor in the water.

Here, we took part in the Arromanches 360 experience, in which we stood in a 360-degree movie theatre room, where scenes from WWII and D-Day were projected in high-definition on 9 different screens and supported by surround sound speaker systems. This experience, while only 20 minutes long, was incredible because it was as close as we could get to living in the moment of WWII era events. I got chills when Hitler’s “Triumph of the Will” speech was projected, his voice booming around us, and thousands upon thousands of German civilians cheering him on were projected on the surrounding screens. It was surreal to be immersed in an experience like that, and truly chilling to experience an extent of what they experienced for only a few moments. The D-Day scenes were even more intense, with explosions and gunfire erupting from all angles. As devastating as WWII was to the world, I would love to be able to travel back in time to experience the world as it was during that extremely pivotal time in history.

 

May 18th

This day was relatively short in the fact that we only went to one location, Mont Sain Michel, which isn’t really related to WWII history in any way. The island was remarkable to see, and something that was high up on my bucket list after my parents said that it was the one location they missed on their honeymoon to France almost 23 long years ago.

Mont Saint Michel looming in the distance, shrouded by the dense fog.

The history of the island and the abbey itself was incredible, and it looked like something that was straight out of a fairy tale. The weather was absolutely miserable that day, with the fog and rain distracting from the splendor of the location, but the architecture and the history of the buildings made up for the unfortunate meteorological conditions.

Later that day, we had a group dinner at the Duke of Normandy restaurant, courtesy of the generous benefactors of the History of WWII Study Abroad program group. Here we had traditional French food for dinner, the perfect sendoff before our trek to Paris early the next morning.

 

Overall, Bayeux was a whirlwind of experiences, both of the historical nature and those made in present times. I will never forget the sensation of feeling the cool sand of Utah Beach between my toes, the brisk waters of Omaha beach wash over my feet, and the invigorating sea breeze of Point du Hoc whip through my hair. I will also remember Bayeux as the place where our group of 23 travelers came together as a cohesive unit, bonding over Carrefour baguettes by the pool and enjoying the simple pleasure of watching a French countryside sunset together.

Making friends and memories in Bayeux.

*Posts are obviously a few days behind schedule.

Onto the Beaches of Normandy

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Ahoy from the high seas of the English Channel!*

Since the last time I checked in, I have completed a significant number of items on my touristy bucket list. For the sake of organization, I will try to keep the recaps as chronological as possible.

 

Lancaster heavy bomber, a vital component to Allied air superiority.

On Wednesday, May 10th, we had a free day to explore London on our own terms. Sarah, Natalie and I made the hour-long journey out to the suburb of Colindale to see the Royal Air Force Museum. The rail service was surprisingly easy to figure out and we were pleasantly surprised to discover that admission to the airport was free. Being an avid aviation nerd, I made it a priority to search out the closest aviation attraction in London, and I was not disappointed with what I found. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by a multitude of vintage aircraft. The hangars mainly included aircraft from WWI and WWII, as well as several aircraft from pre-WWI era and Vietnam era. The highlight of the afternoon was when we happened to meet a WWII veteran who was a pilot for the Halifax aircraft. It was amazing to see how accurately he recalled all of

The Supermarine Spitfire, a very successful British fighter plane.

the information about the aircraft, which had fallen into disrepair since its glory days, so many years ago. The museum caught me off guard at first because I was expecting to see American WWII aircraft, but then realized that it was a British museum, and I would be seeing mainly British-built aircraft. It was hard for me to get into the frame of mind that everything would be British focused rather than American focused, just because most of the historical museums I have seen have been based on American history. This museum did an exceptional job of displaying the progressions in British aeronautical engineering throughout the past 100 years as well as the significance that aviation plays in British warfare throughout the ages. Airpower has been and will remain a key component in both British warfare and industry for ages to come.

Afterward, we concluded our day with a trip down to The Swan, the local pub that quickly became the favored watering hole for us thirsty and famished Buckeyes abroad. After a classic meal of fish and chips and a pint of beer, it was time to get ready for the next day.

 

The Mansion at Bletchley Park, home of ULTRA intelligence operations.

Thursday, May 11th was our class trip out to the English countryside to visit the famed Bletchley Park. This beautiful and historic location was home to the British ULTRA operation, which was in charge of codebreaking during WWII. This is where the infamous German Enigma machine was finally decoded, allowing the Allies to translate intercepted Axis communications. Additionally, mathematician Alan Turing’s famous decoding invention, called the Bombe, was demonstrated to show how the rate of decryption was increased. Although the mansion and the landscape were beautiful, the “museum” itself did not have much to offer in the way of sights to see. The “huts” were largely reconstructed and only had a few interactive stations set up by projectors. This was slightly disappointing to me, because it felt like there wasn’t really much to see despite all the time we had allotted to tour the grounds that day. The museum certainly interpreted the war as an extremely pressing issue on the people of Great Britain, and they also did an exceptional job of tying in the activities that were occurring at Bletchley Park to the other current events during the wartime era. It was obvious that they took great pride in the fact that the British ULTRA system played a major role in the success of the Allies during WWII, and this is demonstrated through the restoration and preservation efforts that have gone into turning Bletchley Park into a museum for the public and a learning place for curious minds.

Later that day, we found ourselves back at The Swan for another bite to eat. This time, it was the chicken tikka masala that was calling my name, and I was not disappointed. Although the food was wonderful, it was the company of those around me who made the dining experiences at The Swan truly memorable.

 

Allied casualties marked on a German airplane tail.

Friday, May 12th brought about our most extensive tour yet: The Imperial War Museum in South London. This museum was BY FAR my favorite museum in all of London. I spent two and a half hours in the WWI exhibit, along with a handful of other hardcore history nerds. By that point, most of our group had already been through the entire museum, but the few of us who stuck around continued through the museum and viewed the WWII and Holocaust exhibits afterwards. All in all, we spent about 5 hours in the IWM, but it was completely worth it. The amount of time and effort that went into the WWI exhibit alone was astonishing, it was clear that the curators of that museum and exhibit wanted to convey to the public just how much WWI meant to the Brits and just how much they sacrificed to the war effort in order to emerge victorious. There were hundreds of WWI artifacts, all labeled with detailed descriptions of the item, as well as an occasional personal story behind the item, making it seem more human than just an object. The posters and personal artifacts documented just how involved the British people were with the war effort, from rationing food to buying war bonds to support their troops. The WWII exhibit was interesting as well, but definitely not nearly as in depth as the WWI exhibit, which was surprising to me considering the Brits had been involved in WWII since the start.

Captured Nazi statue from the top of the Reichstag building in Berlin.

The objects on display were bigger and more extreme in the sense that they were harder to acquire, but the WWII exhibit seemed sparse in comparison to the WWI exhibit, which made it seem that the Brits were more actively involved and emotionally invested in WWI than they were in WWII, which we all know is not the case. All together, the IWM did a splendid job of showcasing British involvement in foreign conflicts throughout the years, but the intensity of certain exhibits contrasted dramatically with the somewhat weaker effort of others. All in all, this museum has been my favorite stop yet, and having spent 5 hours inside reading almost every single information bubble, I can say that I left feeling satisfied and full of newfound knowledge.
Our adventure through the museum was followed by lunch at an Italian restaurant in South London, which had one of the most energetic Abba playlists that I have ever experienced. Many laughs were shared, and I think it goes without saying that the meals shared with my friends are quickly becoming my favorite part of this adventure across Europe.

We concluded the day by traveling to the East End of London to go on a Jack the Ripper tour, starting at approximately 7:30pm. However, we first had to make a very important stop – a local chocolate café called the Urban Chocolatier. Here, in a dark, seedy alleyway, lay a hidden gem that many would not give a second thought once viewing its unassuming exterior. Upon entering, we were met with a much different atmosphere – funky lighting fixtures, purple leather booths, and a splatter painted accent wall that dredged up memories of the ever-popular 90’s Dixie Cup pattern. Cautiously optimistic, we placed our orders – one crepe (my order), one waffle, and one donut milkshake. Once our selections were placed on our table, any shred of existing doubt we had harbored against the place vanished almost as quickly as the food on our plates. My only lament about this establishment is the lack of a franchise in the States – if I am ever to have a severe chocoholic craving for a fresh, fluffy crepe drenched in gooey melted Cadbury chocolate, it seems that I will be sorely disappointed and will have to settle for the pathetic excuse for chocolate that we Americans refer to as Hershey’s chocolate.

Best crepes ever. Hands down.

This out-of-body foodie experience was then followed up by our previously mentioned Jack the Ripper tour, which, despite the 12.50 price tag (in pounds, mind you) was worth every penny. Our guide Jamie was a local and full to the brim of personality, wit, and historical knowledge.

Ten Bells Pub, where Jack the Ripper preyed on his victims.

The tour lasted approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, and showed us all of the murder sites of Jack’s 5 victims, as well as some other local historical landmarks, such as the Ten Bells pub and “Diagon Alley”, made popular by the one and only Harry Potter franchise. For a tour that I was initially concerned would be a tourist trap, I was extremely impressed with the information presented to us as well as the quality of the tour itself.

 

All in all, London was an incredible experience that I will never forget. To be in a country that speaks the same language but having the culture be so different was a dynamic that I never expected, but quite enjoyed once I was in London. It was also interesting to see historical buildings and locations that far exceed the age of any historical location in America. My first stop on my European adventure was certainly one to remember, and I can not wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store for me.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds,

Katie

 

*DISCLAIMER: This post was written a few days ago, but just recently published due to editing limitations.

London Calling

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‘Ello from London!

The past 48 hours have been a complete whirlwind of planes, trains, and automobiles, periodically interspersed by approximately 5 hours of sleep in the past two days. To say I am jet-lagged is an understatement, but thankfully my thirst for adventure is alive and well.

A jet-setter’s life is the life for me.

I began my journey at Newark International Airport (EWR) on United Flight 77, direct to London Heathrow (LHR). We departed at approximately 10:00pm local time aboard a Boeing 767-300 (facts that actually matter to any aviation geek such as myself) and landed around 9:50am local time in London. From there, Natalie and I navigated our way through the Tube network, miraculously avoiding any mishaps or the much-anticipated Tube Strike. We arrived at the Lancaster Gate Hotel and from there met up with the rest of the HIST3670 group.

After a quick crash course on Tube Orientation, the rest of the day was ours to do as we wanted. We saw Big Ben, explored Westminster Abbey, and Trafalgar Square, stopping for the ever necessary touristy pictures along the way. Eventually we found ourselves in a classic London pub called the Silver Cross, where we had a delicious lunch, a few beers and lots of laughs. Afterwards, we met up with the rest of the group at the pub outside of the hotel for one more drink before bedtime.

Embracing the tourist lifestyle!

Unfortunately, sleep did not come easy for this jet-lagged traveler, making today’s excursion feel exceptionally lengthy. However, the intrigue and history of the Churchill War Rooms perked me right up. Here, it was interesting to see how the Brits interpreted their past Prime Minister and his contributions to the Allied victory in WWII. It is easy to see that he is an extremely prominent figurehead in England, and gave many Brits a person to rally behind during the extremely trying times in WWII. One of the things that struck me most about the war rooms was that Churchill himself was extremely against the idea of being forced to move his wartime operations underground because he viewed it as a sign of weakness and giving in to the enemy. Churchill truly was a larger-than-life person, and is immortalized as such in the war rooms. Although he was not supported by everybody, his presence and persistence in the war gave the Brits a general sense of unity and made it easier for them to believe that someone who truly cared and was extremely qualified was in charge of handling a very volatile situation. Past workers themselves even explained that although working in the war rooms was not an easy job, they felt it was extremely fulfilling and considered it to be an honor.  It’s truly a special feeling to know that you are standing in the same spot where world-changing history was made, not even a century ago.

Couldn’t get more picturesque than this.

After the tour, a group of us traveled to Tower Bridge to catch a glimpse of both London Bridge and the Tower of London. We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the patio of Coppa Club, which might just be the most picturesque restaurant I have ever visited. Situated on the Thames with views of both the Tower of London and London Bridge, it finally sunk in that I was really here, in Europe, enjoying a fantastic meal with people who had become fast friends. This is it, the European Adventure I had dreamed about for so long, and now I’m living it. Additionally, I also learned that European dining is significantly different than American dining – nobody is ever in a hurry, EVER. It took us over two hours from the point we sat down to the point we walked out. Although it was extremely frustrating for me, a scheduling enthusiast and someone who can be “too Type-A to function”, it also taught me the important lesson that sometimes, there is a simple beauty in being forced to slow down. It allows you to truly take things in – the scenery, the food, the friendship, the fact that I’m IN EUROPE – and appreciate them on a level that may not always be apparent when you’re constantly in a rush. So thank you, London, for (gently) forcing me to do what my friends have been telling me to do for ages – slow down, relax, and enjoy the now, because there’s only one now, and I might as well enjoy it.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds,

Katie

Introductory Post

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Hello all!

I write this to you all from the “lovely” state of New Jersey. I look forward to joining everyone in London on Monday morning – I’ve had my fill of Taylor Ham (or Pork Roll, if you’re more accepting of the South/Central Jersey vernacular) and look forward to raising a celebratory pint in honor of the beginning of our journey together.

A quick word about myself – I am a rising Senior majoring in Air Transportation at Ohio State. I am originally from Barrington, Illinois, but have spent my high school years in Chester, New Jersey. I am also a self-proclaimed history nerd, so this trip serves to satisfy all of my nerdy dreams.

Hopefully my following blogs will contain photographic documentation so that you all can live vicariously through my travels in Europe.
I’m excited to get this show on the road! … By means of planes, trains and automobiles.

Blue Skies,

Katie Wierzbicki