14 April 2010 – We are In Przemysl

Our first hosts – aunt Dzidka and uncle Andrzej – were so hospitable that we felt like home. Thanks to the auntie, memorized flavors of Polish cuisine will travel with us for a long time. The uncle was an amazing guide and proved that Przemysl has really lots of attractions to offer. We were in Krasiczyn yesterday. There is an old Renaissance castle built in XVI century with its four impressive towers, a beautiful park, and a pond. Today we were able to admit that Przemysl is a really town of churches. The town has approximately 30 thousand of citizens and a place of two metropolis: Roman-Catholic and Byzantine-Ukrainian. We learnt that between Sep 1939 and Jun 1941 Przemysl was situated in two countries at the same time – its right-bank part was in USSR, and its left-bank part was in Germany. On the way to Salis-Soglio Fort in Siedliska – the biggest and best maintained fort near the Ukrainian border we found a deserted  cemetery with Polish and Ukrainian graves from the beginning of twentieth century. 

One of some interesting facts about the town is that Old Town is sloping and does not have a town hall so typical in most of the Polish cities. In the film of Andrzej Wajda entitled: “Chronicle of love cases” Przemysl played … Wilno

Legends about the town:

Jan Dlugosz reported that the founder of the town was knight Przemyslaw which is the source of the city name.

One of the knights went for a hunting and in the place where he founded a settlement with a bear in its emblem.

12 April 2010 - Time to go!

Despite the fact we knew we were going to set off that day Monday  morning was surprisingly calm. We decided to focus on one stage of our trip at the same time which will make our life easier.  This time is just the train to Przemysl. Than we will take care about Ukraine, after that on Trans-Siberian railway.

On the railway station in Poznan our friends were waiting for us. It was a great feeling filled with last talks, hugs and making photos on a platform. 

Perhaps we were not completely aware what was going on. On the train we realized that if our friends would not had been there with us we might had had a kind of ‘emotional hunger’. Thank you all for being with us.

Emotions connected with saying goodbye to our friends were with us almost for the entire trip to Przemysl and came back during our talks. Maybe that is why 11 hours journey to  Przemysl passed surprisingly fast. Through the windows we were admiring how beautiful Polish landscape is. There is a Polish old adage saying that one is amazed by foreign countries but does not know his own one. Hopefully there will be time for us to know our country better. Camping in Cambodia when we are old might not be the best idea.    

Przemytsl caught our attention to its amazing railway station. Than uncle Andrzej  and aunt Dzitka treated us with Ukrainian vodka at the supper. Cheers for the beginning of our journey!!!