Our final afternoon in Krakow began by going to a neighborhood to make pierogis. We took the train to the house and walked up a hill through the neighborhood. Once we arrived at the house, we were greeted by two Polish grandmas. We spent the next two hours making pierogis and enjoying a traditional Polish dinner. The dinner contained many shared dishes, plates full of pierogis, and more.

After dinner we got desserts in Old Town and walked around the beautiful area. Once we got back to the hotel, we hopped on Lime scooters and explored the entire city. We eventually traveled about five miles and saw many medieval squares and Renaissance castles. As we rode alongside the Vistula River, we spotted a green top of a church. We continued to chase it, crossed the bridge, and found the most beautiful church I have ever seen. This became our hidden gem: St. Joseph’s Cathedral.

By: Emily Stratman 

We primarily relied on trains in the four cities we visited, using overground and underground railways in London, Paris, Krakow, and Berlin. Before this trip, my train travel experience was limited to navigating the Cleveland Amtrak system with my family. The European rail systems, however, were a completely new adventure. From the iconic London Underground to the sleek trains of Paris and the extensive networks in Berlin, each city’s rail system provided a unique insight into its culture and daily life.

A side view of the station

We stayed near the Hauptbahnhof Station in Berlin, one of the city’s main hubs. This station is anything but small. With five different levels for trains traveling throughout Berlin and Germany, it felt like a mall. Three levels were filled with clothing, souvenir stores, and places to grab a quick bite. Further toward the back of the station was an entire grocery store and a Rossmann, similar to a CVS or Walgreens. It felt like a one-stop shop for most travelers at the Hauptbahnhof Station.

The Hauptbahnhof station was a stark contrast to the limited offerings of the Cleveland Amtrak. While functional, the Cleveland Amtrak lacks the extensive amenities and modern infrastructure of European rail stations. It has basic facilities and provides essential services, but it doesn’t offer the same variety of shops, dining options, or convenience as stations like the Hauptbahnhof. This trip highlighted how different train travel can be in various parts of the world, with each system reflecting its city’s unique character and priorities.

The lower level of the station

I’ve always wanted to travel the world: see the rolling hills of Ireland, taste authentic pasta in Italy, and wade in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean. Without a doubt I will be able to do these things later in life, but during the turmoil of my early twenties I could have never imagined I would be experiencing some of these things already. The Ohio State University Transnational History of WWII trip has allowed me to travel to four different countries in the span of three weeks which is one thing I never thought I would be able to do. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience for a college student who has never been outside the U.S.

Me holding our Ohio State flag at Omaha Beach in Normandy

First and foremost, as a foodie, the culinary arts of Bayexx, France had to have been my favorite. Not only was it some of the cheapest food I have ever eaten, but I never found myself looking for the salt shaker. Pizza with camembert cheese, locally grown foods at breakfast, and onion soup (that was to die for) gave Bayeux the upper hand with food. One of my favorite things from the trip was the chance to try a diverse array of dishes from each country. 

Pizza with camembert cheese, curried chicken, and tomatoes

Additionally, I am passionate about European architecture and was thrilled at the opportunity to see it in person. Now, I am not talking about Big Ben in London or The Notre Dame in Paris. What I was really interested in seeing was the architecture of the neighborhoods surrounding our hotel. I was astounded by the simplicity of it, and mystified by its ability to create such beauty in a seemingly normal area.

Street view in Bayeux, France

Street view in Berlin, Germany

Street view in London, England

Street view in Krakow, Poland

Finally, the absolute pinnacle of my trip was the people that I got to become amazing friends with. After taking our seminar class together the semester before, I was hesitant about what it would be like to spend three weeks with people I barely knew. I can safely say that I have made friendships that will last a lifetime, and learned that at The Ohio State University students truly are the best of the best. Through learning things about others I learned more about myself than I would have ever done during a normal summer.

Group picture at Gold Beach

Group picture at Omaha Beach

OHIO with the Eiffel Tower

On April 28, just eight days before leaving for the World War II study abroad program, I ran the Glass City Marathon as my second marathon ever. When I left I knew that it would take me a week or two for my body to recover from the Glass City Marathon, but I also knew I wanted to try and run at least once in every country we visited in the free time we had on our itinerary. At the time it felt like a tragedy when I realized I had left my AirPods in my mom’s car when she dropped me off at Detroit International Airport. Adjusting to the five hour time difference and still dealing with incredibly sore feet prevented me from going on my first run until our last day in London, but it was still an unforgettable experience. Only a quarter mile run from our hotel was Kensington Park containing Kensington Palace, the former residence of Princess Diana. The park had small dirt running trails, which are much softer to run on, that accompanied all of the concrete walk ways and even veered off on their own at points which created an amazing experience, especially for my legs that were still a little torn up.

Photo of Kensington Palace I took on my run through Kensington Park.

After London, we went to Bayeux, which in comparison to the other four cities on our itinerary is an incredibly small town with 12,000 residents, which reminded me of small hometown. At home, I frequently run the same four and half mile loop around my entire town running on a bike path and the sidewalks I was able to do the same in Bayeux, which really speaks to the small size of the town. I woke up at 6:30am permitting experience the city entirely to myself, except for a duo of trash workers, in a way that felt much more personal than any of the other cities. I took pictures of the towns stunning Bayeux Cathedral to share with my mom without having to worry about someone else getting into my picture. From Bayeux we bussed to Paris; my least favorite of the five cities to run in because we were some distance from any of park that I could run in. What made up for the lack of greenery, was the amazing architecture that existed everywhere. It seemed like I ran by breathtaking buildings, especially churches, everywhere I went. I was also stunned by the amount of extremely well done and creative street art that dotted what seemed to be everywhere. Paris might be the city of love, but for me it is the city of art, especially street art.

Graffiti I found that caught my eye while on a run since it is physically popping out from the wall.

Right next to our hotel was the Old Town Center which is entirely circled by Planty Park. The park was only around 2.5 miles around and not very wide, but was an experience I wish I could experience again in the States. During entire route I was stunned by the beauty of the park, and was able to see dozens of buildings with stunning architecture, and even unexpectingly took me by the beautiful Wawel Castle. We again coached to Berlin, where I searched on Apple Maps trying to find landmarks near our hotel and I saw the May 10, 1933 Nazi Book Burning Memorial was within running distance. This memorial was very impactful for me and since I ran there on my own I was able to stop and have a personal moment of reflection.

Nearby a plaque reads “Where they burn books, they eventually burn people.”
– Heinrich Heine 1820-21
In memory of where Nazi university students burned 20,000 books by Jewish authors including Heinrich Heine’s works.

On the way back I experienced beautiful views of the Berlin Cathedral, the Berlin TV Tower, and the river Spree. Overall, I am eternally grateful that I left my AirPods in my mom’s car at the Detroit Airport because it allowed me to experience these cities without the distraction of a podcast spewing out information or music blasting in my ears, allowing me to take in the noise of the environment around me and feel grounded. The opportunity to run in these five cities has allowed me to just experience the city better and gave me a deeper appreciation for what it is like to actually live my life abroad, not just visit.

By: Mat Jackson

As much as I may complain about it, I truly love my job working the back of house in a restaurant. I have had many opportunities to try new foods and learn about proper culinary techniques. While traveling in Europe, the new food is what I had been most excited about aside from the various sights. What follows is what were my top dishes in every city we visited while abroad.

Pasta at Pizza Express

London food was, personally, similar to what I can find in the states. While Prince Alfred’s may have been superior in terms of the menu, the pasta I had at Pizza Express lives in my mind. The sauce was slightly spicy like a vodka sauce, which is my favorite, and the pasta itself was small rectangles folded over. In the middle of it was a ricotta mix, and my empty stomach was extremely grateful such amazing food.

Calamari from Arromanches-les-Bains

I did not have much energy to walk around Bayeux after our adventures, so I sadly missed the phenomenal food that was in the town itself. However, we did stay in Arromanches for lunch while visiting Gold Beach, and the restaurant I visited with Jess and Cleo had some of the best calamari I have ever had. The fries were easily my favorite of the whole trip, and the calamari itself worked exceptionally well with the remoulade.

Gnocchi from Paris

Leading up to the trip, I had been planning on going somewhere nicer in Paris to try a proper French meal but, just like most of the rest of Paris, reality does not live up to the myths. Instead, my top dish had been gnocchi from a restaurant from near our hotel. Again, the sauce was reminiscent of vodka sauce with the spice, and the cheese on top made it more smooth.

Pierogis alongside other homemade sides

Krakow had, undoubtedly, the best food of the entire trip. From pizza to pierogis, none of the food I had there was anything less than amazing. Making food myself, however, makes it all taste just a bit better. Thanks to Grace, a group of us participated at a pierogi making class. Everything there had been homemade, and we even got to help in folding and making the pierogis. Supper that night was one of the best I have ever had.

Currywurst with fries

Lastly, the Currywurst I had while in Berlin has made me rethink whether I like sausages or not. I grew up a picky eater, and sausages had always been a food I refused to eat. Despite this, I had tried Currywurst while in Berlin since my grandfather grew up in Berlin. I had been surprised how much I truly enjoyed it. The fries at this restaurant specifically had worked well with it, and it was also fun to people watch while eating.

In Berlin, there wasn’t a single part of the city that wasn’t touched by the massive bombing campaign that occurred in the city during the final years of World War II. As a result, it is rare to be able to visit somewhere in a city that is from before the war. Schloss Charlottenburg is an exception, as the palace originates from the 17th century and was home to Prussian royalty, starting with Frederick the 1st. My visit to this palace ended up as the highlight of my time in Berlin. What endeared me to this palace was not just the beautiful rooms or wonderful gardens; rather, it was also the surroundings of the palace, which gave off a very different feeling from the rest of the city. Located in the aptly named, somewhat sleepy neighborhood of Charlottenburg, the area feels completely different from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Berlin. It has many small cafes, restaurants, and neighborhood parks. Emphasizing this, when I visited, I was surprised to find what seemed to be a small children’s fair going on in the courtyard outside the palace. It almost reminded me of the fair that my hometown puts on every summer. It made me glad that a happy scene like this is able to occur in a city that has gone through so much turmoil in the not-too-far past.

It just needed a couple amusement park rides that failed all their safety checks and I would have felt at home

The Palace itself has an interesting story, as even though the palace dates back to the late 17th century, the history of the palace does connect to World War II and what our group has learned about all throughout this program. While certain rooms look untouched from the 1700s, Schloss Charlottenburg was not an exception to being affected by the bombing of the city during the war, as it did take heavy damage during the war. Parts of the palace were reconstructed from their original states, which is helpfully explained through the tour of the palace. This was something I did not know about before I visited the site, although it really should not be surprising. This fact only goes to emphasize that it’s nearly impossible to escape the war, no matter where a person is in the city.

This room that was unaffected by the bombing was filled from floor to celling with expensive china

Moreover, there is another connection between Schloss Charlottenburg and the war, specifically with the most famous resident of the palace, Fredrick the Great. Fredrick the Great was a person that Adolf Hitler had a great appreciation for, and he even kept a picture of him in his personal war headquarters. He particularly idolized him during the Battle of Berlin, as he hoped to outsmart the Soviets surrounding Berlin to save the city, similar to how Fredrick once performed a similar action during the Seven Year’s War. However, ironically, Hitler only idolized the superficial aspects of Fredrick’s story. In reality, Fredrick was an accomplished non-conformist musician and a homosexual, someone Hitler would’ve hated. Frederick is a celebrated figure even in modern Germany, which is wholly evident at this palace. The celebration of Frederick the Great and other points of Prussian history at this palace was an interesting breath of fresh air from most of the historical sites in Berlin that I visited as a part of this program which portrayed history in an apologetic manner rather than celebratory.

He’s so beloved that they even turned him into a marketable figure (which I of course bought)

Altogether, my experience at Schloss Charlottenburg was a change of pace compared to the rest of my visit to Berlin, that also provided evidence that the war still touches all parts of the city.

Enjoying the Krakow’s square

For my final blog, I want to focus on cultural shock when it comes to visiting countries outside of the United States. To start, the times I felt cultural shock. One prime example of this is the apparent lack of air conditioning. As one of the professors pointed out in Germany, many of the buildings are old and because of their age, the centralized air conditioning that we as Americans are used to have not and perhaps will not be put into the buildings. Another cultural shock that I felt within these countries was the public transportation. Because we had nearly unlimited access to public transport in London, Paris, and Berlin, exploring the city was a breeze. Though it can become crowded, especially the Metro trains in Paris, a crowded train ride beats having to walk miles to get to a destination. Our tickets even got us places on buses and trams, which I enjoyed more than the underground trains because we were able to see more of the cities.

The tram system in Berlin

However, there were certain points in the trips that I thought I would experience the sensation of cultural shock, but it did not occur. The largest example that would apply to the study abroad is the feeling that I would not be able to communicate with others.  In the cities that we visited, it felt as if nearly everyone’s second language was English. The city I feared that I would experience the most language barrier was Krakow, Poland; however, this was the city where I found it the easiest to communicate with the locals and workers! It made me realize how much a second language is so powerful and how grateful I am to be learning American Sign Language as a second language at Ohio State!

The Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus

Overall, my time abroad was unlike something I have experienced before. As one of the professors pointed out at the final group dinner, the entire cohort grew not only as individuals but as a group as well. Even though I have only been apart from them for a few hours, I already miss being in their presence.

The group on a Normandy beach

By: Grace Nussle

My goofiest selfie.

Throughout the duration of this trip, I have taken over 700 photos and videos. A vast majority of these photos consist of museum displays, captions to historical photos, or the important sites we visited, but the photos were only able to capture some of the beauty and power held in these places. Along the way, I got tired of taking photos of what I was looking at. I wanted to get myself in the photo, too! I started to take selfies almost everywhere I went. I think it’s fun to see the smile on your own face when you are traveling to beautiful new places. It is my way of capturing only a bit of what I was feeling while in these new experiences. I’m more than certain my friends could tell you what I would say at any given moment while walking down the street or across the golden sands: “Now this…this would be a great place for a selfie.”

Some people might think that selfies are cringy or self-centered, but I think that they’re a great way to capture new experiences. It’s one thing to take a photo of the busy metro in Paris, but it’s another to capture the look of pure defeat on my face after getting on the wrong the train and going five stops in the opposite direction. A few of my favorite selfies that I took along the trip are the ones at the top of the Arc de Triumph with the Eiffel Tower in the background and the selfie taken

My favorite selfie with a view.

on the back of the ferry crossing the English Channel with nothing but blue waters and a French flag in the background. My goofiest selfie was of me crossing Tower Bridge in London, for my face is centered in the frame with no shoulders showing. It looks like a floating head smack dab in the middle of the bridge. But the selfies that mean the most to me are the ones with my new friends. I have been able to capture our ear-to-ear smiles, our laughs, our tired eyes on buses and trains, our fresh eyes on early mornings, and our worldwide adventures. I have never appreciated the selfie more than I do at the end of this trip. So, next time you come across the view of a lifetime, don’t be afraid to take a selfie.

A selfie can capture moments of joy and happiness shared with friends.

After a two-hour flight over Europe, we finally touched down in sunny Kraków, tucked in the southwestern corner of Poland. I remember sitting on the plane, waiting to disembark, thinking, “well, here goes nothing.” Having just left France, where I knew about ten words of the dominant language (bonjour, monsieur), I was about to step foot somewhere where I was totally unfamiliar with the language, the culture as a whole, and the people. I was walking in completely blind, in a sense.

The first thing I noticed was the familiarity of the scenery. Looking out the window on the twenty minute bus ride from the airport to our hotel, I was shocked at how much rural Poland reminded me of… home? Hailing from SE Ohio, the rolling hills, dense forests and thick ground vegetation of the Polish countryside held within them a noticeable resemblance to my stomping grounds.

I was charmed by the Old Town area of the city, as the narrow pedestrian streets were lined with shops and cafés, and the main square was bustling with activity. Restaurants offered outdoor seating all around the square, and St. Mary’s basilica towered overhead. The atmosphere here was so welcoming and exciting, and the sunset combined with the glow from the lights of town made this stop one of my favorites from our journey.

Another highlight of Kraków was the pierogi-making class I took with a handful of our cohort members. I got to try my hand at making the dough, and we each learned how to stuff and bake our own pierogies! It was a great and unique experience, and one I surely will not forget anytime soon.

I wish I was able to spend more time in Kraków, but the time spent here with our group made the city my favorite stop on our trek through Europe. Kraków is truly a beautiful city, both big enough to explore for a week and quaint enough to not feel overwhelming to travelers, new or experienced.