Be A Weestock

Or, Bial'ystok more precisely.

Had a nice visit with Maciej, my student from Torun, and his brother who's in the Polish Army, on a month's vacation at home. This Polish Army stuff doesn't sound too bad -- he comes home most weekends (8 hour train ride each way) and gets long vacations, too...

The train this morning filled up quickly with about 50 middle-school students off on a camping trip, so for half or more of the 4 hour trip it was standing room only. Remembrances of Trains Past, when Judy & I stood all night long on the way to Augustow.

I'm recently arrived in Bialystok, probably 20 miles from the Russian border. The Lonely Planet guide pointed me to spartan but clean private rooms ($25/night) in a kind of hostel, run by and right behind, the big Orthodox church. I'm impressed; booked a room for two nights.

Had this idea: I need help getting in touch with the relatives, who likely only speak Polish. So I stopped at the local English-language school and asked if they had a teacher or adept student who could help me either on the phone or actually come with me to the supposed relatives. But they drew a blank, at least for now.

So tomorrow I think I'll take a bus up to Augustow, knock on some doors and maybe they'll know someone speaks English -- or German. In this part of the country Russian is the second language, of course...

I'm at a handy internet cafe just up the street from my digs, so I can keep you up to date on this the last, or next-to-last, leg of my trip. But no pix, I think...actually I don't have many.

The country between Olsztyn & here is SO much like N. Wisconsin, a mix of rolling hills, woods, and fields with holsteins pastured. They do have storks here, though, with their big nests either on chimneys or platforms provided...it's considered good luck to have a stork in the yard.

OK. More, later.