The narritive...

For you (kelly), by popular demand! :)

The bus drive to Krakow was long. LONG. 17 hours on a night bus, watching an odd polish-dubbed movie. Kat and I understood nothing! We go along by just guessing what was happening. haha

We arrived in the morning, found our way around town relatively easily, and we were very excited. Our hostel was RIGHT on the main square. It was amazing to be so centrally located. Here we are, walking down the King's Way (Florianski Street), which opens up to this HUGE main square and continues down to the palace. We walked, enjoyed the sights of vendors, shops, locals and tourists alike looking happy!

Exiting Florianski street, we were greeted by the open-air market of the main square. flowers to the right, fruit to the left, crafts straight-ahead! The church stood impressively at the back of the square, while the main textiles guild building stands right in the middle of the square - effectively dividing it into two squares. As we entered the square, it was nearing the hour. This is important in Krakow because the trumpeter plays his tribute from the top of the church tower every hour on the hour.

The trumpeter commemorates (according to legend) the fact that a guard at the top of the tower warned the city of an incoming invasion of the Mongols by blowing his horn. The Mongols, being fantastic marksmen, shot and killed the trumpeter in the middle of his warning. To honor this, the player plays, but the tune is cut short quite suddenly. It was so cool! Kat laughed at me for always being excited about this. You can hear it all over the city, and every time we did, I would stop and listen. haha good times.

Next, we went to the Wawal Castle, which is striking. Perched on top of a hill overlooking the nearby river, it's a lovely lovely place. The cathedral is situated right inside the castle grounds, and it unique due to each dome that specific kings attached to the building. Usually, each dome has something to honor God at the tippy top. Well, one king allowed the artisan of his dome to put his own (the artist's) name at the top - honoring the work of art, as God is the ultimate artist. How cheeky!! haha

Jewish district was definitely a ghetto. Many a run-down building. some of my favorite pictures came from this part of town. It was interesting to walk through. We stumbled on an exhibit honoring those who died in the holocaust. It was striking to look at pictures of people who lived, worked, and loved. And then they were taken away to death camps.

Kat and I had so much fun looking at all the things vendors had to offer, and trying delicious food. The döner kebabs are spicier in Poland than in Germany, and they are still delicious! Perogi is amazing, and I crave it! We ate a lot of perogi! The tea cup I decided to buy was of polish pottery - a little more earth than your typical pottery, but still very lovely, and I fell in love at first sight of my cup. (Today I mailed a package home, and I had to include the cup... I was so sad to pack her up!)

Kat and I also had fun playing the missionary to people in our hostel who asked us (frequently) why we don't drink. I was happy to talk to them, and it was fun to be around people who don't believe the same thing as me! BYU lulls me into a false sense of security sometimes, and I'm so glad I got out to remember what it's like on the outside.

Poland = love. I was so sad to leave that place of relaxation, art, happiness, and fun.

Next post - Auschwitz.

Krakow!

It seems so long ago... I have to pull out my journal and remember what I wrote!

Krakow was an adventure for two reasons. I have heard a lot about eastern Europe. People go, and always have complimentary things to say... but they never truly describe what it's actually like! Now I know why... because there are no words to describe the love that is Poland.

Krakow just has this different FEELING to it. I knew I wasn't in western Europe anymore. And I loved the feeling! It's a combination or relaxation, contentment, take-it-easy, and still have fun-ness.

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever... but hopefully you will go there someday and know what I am talking about.

I knew that before I went the places I would see would be beautiful. They did not disappoint. The castle that overlooks the river, the largest main square in europe, the gorgeous chruch, Auschwitz, and so much more. We

had fun checking out the street performers, the flower markets, the souvenirs, the kebabs (YUM!!), and so much more.

Krakow was also an interesting missionary experience. We stayed at this awesome, fun, hoppin' hostel. We met people from all over, and it's so much fun to learn about their stories. Also, hostels are the source of all knowledge on travel. Seriously, you get the people that have been where you're going, and done what you're doing.

Anyway, Kat (the girl I went with) and I had interesting experiences. The hostel hosted a "Polish Vodka Tasting" night, and needless to say, the liquor flowed. Don't worry, nothing untoward

happened. We just sat and talked with the people as they drank. We got many questions about our own beliefs, and lots of offers for every type of drink imaginable. One of the guys, Jasper, said (in response to my religion), "You're the first Mormon I've ever met! Cheers to that luv!" Then he downs a shot of 40% vodka. Priceless.

Also, I had 2 people tel me that they became fans of Mormons on Facebook. Also priceless. Yay missionary experiences!

I could tell you more, show more pictures, but that's all narrative stuff. Try to imagine just what it feels like.

That's the best part of Krakow,and one thing I will always remember. It just felt so

different - in a marvelous, fantastic, amazing way.

Also, when you go, eat pirogi. You'll crave them for the rest of your life.

Gosh, I miss the Planty Gardens. I could sit in them and watch the world go by for the rest of my life.

(Gardens [which surround the city] are above)

(Funny, cute old ladies outside the church on Sunday, to the left. I want this to be me!)

Prologue

Ok, it's been quiet on here for the last little while. Don't think I've forgotten. So much has happened, in fact, that I am quite overwhelmed at thinking about all I've got to update!

I've decided to do this in stages. Since my next three weeks are going to be kind of slow...and I didn't want all of you to read a novel...and I didn't want to write a novel...we'll take this sloooowly.

First, all about Krakow, then all about Paris! It will probably come in stages and spurts. Don't be surprised.

But get this: Prague got 15 pages in my journal, Krakow got 21, and Paris got 33. Really, there's a lot to talk about.

Get ready.

Mayschoss!

Last week the PSF group at MPIA went on an amazing retreat. The point of the excursion was to see all the research done at the institute, and forge friendships. It was a fantastic thing for me - I got the best networking experience since I came, and the people here are so interesting and fun.

We stayed in a hamlet called Mayschoss - about 30 miles away from the big radio telescope in Effelsberg. This telescope is massive - the size of a football field. It was so cool. At one point, they took us up onto the platform right beneath the dish. The cool thing about this scope is that it can move 90 deg. (downwards) and they have a system that rotates the scope 480deg. around. So cool. At one point, when we were on the deck, the scope was moving down, the base was rotating, and I was walking. I felt like I was in some sort of bizarre Einstein Paradox (which reference frame am I in?!?!?). But it was still cool.
The town of Mayschoss is absolutley beautiful. It's really really really really really tiny. It's right in the heart of wine country - as evidenced in the pictures. The hills that surround the town are quite steep, so the farmers made terraces all the way up the sides. They grow grapes and make wine the traditional way - feet stomping fun-ness!! (Ever seen that "I Love Lucy" episode?) Our first day there we hiked around the hills and through the vineyards. It was quite lovely. I met a lot of people as we walked around, talked with the farmers, flirted with the farmboys, hijacked grapes when the farmers weren't looking, and generally had a great time.
On the retreat we had our meals at a very fancy restaurant. I felt like I should have dressed up for the meals. I had venison, salmon, and eggplant all for the first time - and I really enjoyed it. The tables all had real candles - and, as I sat at the only table full of theorists, we discussed the luminosity function of said candles. I was grateful for Nana's instruction in my early early years on how to 1) eat properly with two untensils and 2) know which utensil to use when. It seemed like everyone else knew exactly what to do, and I (luckily) wasn't too far behind. bam.

You and Me

This music video really does something for me. Watch it, love it!

PRAGUE

K, so a few posts ago I excused you all from commenting. I meant for that one post, not the rest of my blog! Please continue to comment now. You know I need external validation that I'm still loved. Without further ado: "Now for the cream..."

Holy cow. Why don't I live in Prague?

Just kidding people, I love HD. But I had the most fantastic experience in prag-oo. I love architecture, and that city is the most perfect blend of all styles since 800AD. Walking to the city every day was an awesome experience. Getting lost in the windy street, finding the most random buildings, stopping and having my breath taken away every 50 feet - literally - gosh, it was just too awesome.

I'm going to let my pictures do the talking, because I'm no good at words. Suffice it to say, you must all go to Prague. It's a magical city of wonder and beauty. Also, amazing flea market.

This is where THE defenestration of Prague happened!! The Catholics were thrown out of that "middle" second story window. Holycow all that amazing history.

ST. VITUS CATHEDRAL. Guys, my first honest-to-goodness cathedral. ooooo it was stunning. breath taking. reverence-inducing. beautiful. and HUGE!

Inside the cathedral. You must go at either sunset or sunrise, so that you get this amazing sun hitting the stained glass windows just right. I was tempted to hug the pillars, it's true.

The front of St. Vitus. it's the most amazing example of gothic architechture... EVER.

TYCHO BRAEHE'S HOUSE. his HOUSE guys. ohmygoodness, i felt like i met a celebrity. a real life astronomer that did AMAZING things!!!

That's the castle district in the back. You can see the spires of the cathedral! And the Vltava river. :)

This is in the Jewish quarter. 1st: the brown roofed building is the oldest still running synagogue in the world. in use since the 1200's. 2nd: the building with the clocks is their town hall. The two clocks are fun - one is like ours, and the other is the jewish version - it reads counter-clockwise!! haha

this building was SO. COOL. it's a CUBIST building. Prague was the only place in the world where cubism branched out into architecture. It's really a feeling you get when you see the building. I felt like it was breathing. that's the only way i know how to describe it. You'll just have to go see it for yourself!

ohohohohohoh! the powder gat and the opera house! The powder gate is one of the few parts remaining of the big wall that used to surround the city. it was one of the few areas you could get into the city. it's called the powder gate because that's where they stored the gun powder. Also a good example of gothic architecture.

that plaque says: In memory of W.A. Mozart's "Don Giovonni" which was first performed in this theather, 29.10.1798. For those who have seen DG, you'll know what this statue is of.

This is the opera house where DG premiered. it's one of the few building that still stands where Mozart actually conducted. It's really really pretty too!

The ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK. i almost fainted from happiness. Notice the fun statues on the side of the upper clock. they represent vices: vanity, greed, and the infidel. They are a little un-PC. they are made to look like a noble (vanity), a jew holding a money bag (greed) and a turk (infidel). On the hour, the apostles pass by through door at the top, and the statue of death nods his head as if to say, "you're all going to hell!" and they shake their heads - "no, we're not!!"

The Lesser Town main square. it was full of vendors, tour groups, delicious smells, gypsy bands, and other fun things.

This is a statue of Jan Hus, and the main church of the Hussites. It's like their Temple Square. Jan Hus was really the first protestant, in case you're wondering. :) The church has the most stunning chandelier made of Bohemian Crystal, which Prague is famous for.

wait, what?

I should be writing about prague. Really, it was an AMAZING experience.

But who can write about that city when both of my brothers are ENGAGED?!?!?!?!??????????!?!!!?!?!?

Seriously, so awesome.

My brothers decided that they simply could not live without the most amazing girls ever. And they get each other for - EVER! I love the gospel. Because you know what that means? I get more sisters! Score. Since I love/adore/idolize the sisters I already have, how can I not be thrilled to get more? Gosh, I'm so excited.

How do people make it through life without a sister? ~Sara Corpening

Welcome to the fam.