USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

More .....

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  old commie HQ
  
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  neighbor
  
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  another neighbor
  
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  street in the neighborhood
  

News / Famous Pickup Artist in Poland now [75]

I agree! Any more you can share?

USA, Canada / Where to buy Polish food in New Jersey? [157]

You're right Izadora! I go there for my flaczki fix (among many other) :)

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I came upon ul Kasprowicza and started walking in the direction of my old apartment. The neighborhood had changed. It appeared cleaner and greener than I remember.......I have to add, that by this time the ever-present grafitti was starting to really bug me. Why these punks had to desecrate as they did all over town was beyond me!

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  I love this kiosk!
  
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  one of the clinics I trained in
  
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  karlowice_sign.jpg
  
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  ul Kasprowicza; Luv the bike lanes all over town!
  

USA, Canada / Where to buy Polish food in New Jersey? [157]

go to Piast in Garfield! you won't be disappointed.

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Upon seeing the river I breathed a little sigh of relief because I new I was close. But, I still hadn't the foggiest where I was exactly. Everything looked a little different. Bridges have been painted; road surfaces have been renewed; sound barriers have been installed. All these additions had changed things just enough to make it look almost unrecognizable!

On my way down the bridge I ask a Wroclawianka coming the other way where Karłowice was. She stopped and thought for a moment and answered with a gesture [pointing to my left] saying "it's over in that direction". Dziękuje, I replied, thinking "I hope I can get more dokładny (precise) instructions from someone else". I asked another pedestrian, who luckily, gave me what I needed to get there. I was excited! The thought of walking around my old neighborhood got me very psyched.

I crossed the highway, went through the "hole-in-the-wall" as we called it and came upon the grandest landmark in all of Karłowice, which showed me the way home.

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  what is this?
  
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  the hole-in-the wall
  
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  getting closer!
  
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  Isn't it beautiful! The greatest landmark in Karlowice
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Seeing the browar didn't allay my fears regarding my being lost. I kept walking past the graffiti-sprayed buildings hoping I would come to the river soon. After what seemed like a long time I came upon this:

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  wroclaw_bridge_near_.jpg
  
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  one of many forks in the river
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

After a lot of walking and pain(plantar faciitis in my right foot) I came to an intersection and I hadn't a clue where I was. Nothing looked familiar. All I knew was that Karłowice is on the river and the river was somewhere to the right of where I was. So, I went right.

This section of Wrocław was very different form the city center. It was grittier, dirtier and exactly how I remember my Wrocław. It was blue-collar town. I felt very much at home. On the way I came across the abandoned Piast brewery. The purveyor of the worst god-awful swill that I had ever tasted!

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  The old Piast brewey
  
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  browar2.jpg
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I kept walking for another 30 minutes recognizing nothing passing these:

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  great idea!
  
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  I couldn't resist
  
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  So much fruit; so many vegetables!!
  
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  a relic from my day
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I decided to go look for my old dzielnica of Karłowice where I had lived for 5 years. I had long forgotten how to get there. Calling a cab to take me there was not an attractive option, seeing as I wanted to get a more personal feel for how my town had changed. Seeing it from a car window was not my idea of personal. So, off I went in search of my old neighborhood. Here are some of the sights I passed along the way:

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  The National Museum
  
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  buildings on the Oder river
  
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  cathedral1_ostrow_4.jpg
  
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  my favorite bridge taken from its neighboring bridge
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I, for the very first time since arriving in Wroław, had no idea where I was going. Neither left nor right seemed correct. Do I go straight? So many roadway changes: underpasses, overpasses, new signs. I was totally disoriented! With a little luck and the help of some passersby I found it but it wasn't the hotel Panorama of my past. It was big and modern-looking situated immediately next to yet another mall - the Galeria Dominikańska. I went inside, bought a bottle of water and a roll of floss(you'd think I was buying gold for what "Rosman"(sp) was charging! And went back outside to contemplate my next move.

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  dominikanska.jpg
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Tak jest! (yup)

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Back into daylight....

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  ontheway_to_panorama.jpg
  
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  so much building going on
  
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  polit_ad.jpg
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Onward in search of my old Hotel Panorama and the Panorama Racławiska. Not far from the Grunwaldski Bridge is new roadways I wasn't familiar with. I stayed on the sidewalk which took me to a fork. I chose to keep to the left out of instict. It brought me to this

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  does not look inviting but....
  
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  urban art?
  
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  graffiti_2.jpg
  
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  my favorite
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Thw weather was beautiful. just look at that blue sky!

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  odra_ostrow.jpg
  
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  most_grun1_copy.jpg
  
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  An accident waiting to happen.
  
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  this used to be, I beleive, the commie HQ. Now it's a EU bldg?
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

more Pasaż Grunwaldski then outside. There was still more ground to cover. I walked over "Most Grunwaldski" searching for the Hotel Panorama where I used to eat many a lunch and dinner. Along the way there was a lot to see

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  pasaz_atrium.jpg
  
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  outside
  
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  pasaz_grunwaldski_in.jpg
  
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  one of my favorite Wroclaw bridges!
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

The only time during my trip I had my mind blown was when I approached the Place and realized there's a mall on it! I needed a few minutes to compose myself then I went inside.

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  pasaz_entrance_550x.jpg
  
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  pasaz_underground_2.jpg
  
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  pasaz_underground.jp.jpg
  
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  pasaz_underground_en.jpg
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

During my student years these apartments were the height of apartment construction. They were simply the example of modern architecture in their day.

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  czworak_3_431x575..jpg
  
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  czworak_4copy.jpg
  
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  czworak_5.jpg
  
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  not there before!
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

The Hala was nice but I had much more ground to cover. Back over the pretty gold bridge, down Skłodowska and onto the place that really threw my orientation for a loop. It blew me away! Plac Grundwalski had been so transfigured I was literally totally disoriented for several minutes. I was turning around and around like a whirling Dervish trying to find a reference point I recognized!! It was very disconcerting to say the least. Back in the day, I had crossed this place at least once-a-day for 6 years. I knew this spot inside and out. At least I once did. Finally, after what seemed like an painful eternity, I saw the "czworaki". I immediately felt my pulse slowing. Whew!

I know where I am now.

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  the "quadruplets"
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]


You're right, it does kinda! :)

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

more.......

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  registration tent
  
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  hala_wing_bldg_copy..jpg
  
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  hala_needle_columns_.jpg
  
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  now this is what I remember
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I found the Hala without any difficulty The place, that I recalled as staid and quiet was a bustle of activity. It appeared that the Cardiologists were in town for a convention. Physicians from all over Poland and beyond were walking with their giveaways, looking at the schedule deciding on which presentation to attend. That's why it was so hard to get a hotel room!! The Hala and the surrounding area looked great! I saw Suzie Quatro here!

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  the cardiologists are in town
  
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  they need to get rid of the ivy
  
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  full_columns.jpg
  
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  has the needle always been there?
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Staying on Skłodowska I began walking towards the bridge over which I had never walked. I hoped I was going in the desired direction: towards the Hala Ludowa-Hala Stulecia.

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  bad
  
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  love the peaks!
  
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  a beautiful bridge. It's a different color. In my day it was____ (guess)
  
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  pretty
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

My trip down med-school memory lane had come to an end. I did an about-face and headed towards ul Skłodowska. There I saw some good and some bad things.

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  good thing
  
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  beautiful
  
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  good
  
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  not so good
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Guess in front of which clinic these expensive cars were parked?

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  Hint: it's not Internal Medicine
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Had my fill of anatomy,got outside, walked past the Microbiology Department onto ul Chałubinskiego. I was amazed at how congested with parked cars this street was! Everywhere you looked there were cars. Cars parked on the sidewalk and cars parked right next to them!

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  look how many cars!
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Really?! I love the names - Kredka, Ołówek. It's so Polish! :) Thanks

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

........and up the stairs. It's all much smaller than I remember it being. Back then these halls, door and windows seemed so big. I wonder why that is?

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  anatomy_stairs.jpg
  
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  anatomy_stairs_down..jpg
  
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  at the top of the stairs
  
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  lecture hall "quiet"
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I spent some time wandering the halls of the Anatomy building. A lot of my and other's sweat and tears have stained those floors. It was without a doubt one of the hardest years of my life!

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  points to the building
  
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  once inside these doors greet you
  
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  to the left the gablotka where test questions and results were posted
  
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  once through the French doors this long corridor takes you to the disection sala
  

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

I kept walking

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  Anatomy-where it all began
  
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  zaklad_anatomii_600.jpg
  
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  med_sch_facade_413x.jpg
  
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  I wish we had this!!!