So after a bit of playing, I headed into Cabot Circus to spend my lunch with Rebecca and admire her new shop. Once I was back home, I bashed out a quick write-up for my time in Poland for the Twin Town newsletter. I'll post it below actually in case anyone is interested in having a read:
It turns
out, I didn't know very much about Poland before going to visit last
Sumner with the Youth for Europe crowd. I had played the immensely
popular Witcher 3 and
seen a handful of Polish films, but going there I still expected to
find a place where the vodka flowed like water, the people dressed in
Communist era clothing and where the cold would chill you to the
bone. After spending just over a week in Zamosc however, I didn't
experience any of that.
Well,
maybe the vodka bit was a little true.
My first
impressions of the actual town was based on a very lofty looking
brochure I was given a few years ago which depicted the market square
as Poland's version of Bruges. When I physically arrived in the old
town of Zamosc, it was pretty hard to not be impressed by the
medieval style buildings and vast town hall. Cafes lined the main
square, beckoning with their affordable beer and even cheaper
ice-cream. The town itself exists within an old fortress, remnants of
its walls and bastions were beautifully overgrown and made exploring
an inviting task. Within the old town we got a chance to do a
scavenger hunt, organised by the youths, visit an arsenal museum of
old weapons and we even got the offer to attend Sunday Mass in their
church.
 |
| Group shot of the gang after a hearty hike |
We
collectively stayed in dormitories inside small school a few minutes
walk from the town centre. Every meal was catered for inside the
school's canteen and its safe to say that most of discovered a
new-found appreciation for soup and dumplings. Most nights were spent
here too, sometimes there would be quiet evenings were different
countries would show off new card games to other, while more merry
evening consisted of party music and hilarious group dancing. It was
worth staying up late every night just to see what would happen.
Everyday
we went out to do an activity and there was an impressive variety to
them. Paint balling and a high ropes course were perfect for those
who wanted to do something really active. On other days we simply
went for a walk in the countryside or went kayaking along a
surprisingly chill river. Truly, there was something for everyone to
enjoy.
 |
| Ropes Course in Zamosc |
Perhaps
the most memorable part of our visit was the Majdanek Concentration
Camp. It was genuinely harrowing to see the gas chambers and the
prisoner's bunk beds, and the exhibits themselves were tastefully
presented and encourage personal reflection. Amidst all of it
however, I was extremely humbled by the thought that even though I
went around with people from several other countries and cultures, we
were all deeply moved and shared the same experience while walking
through the camp.
The day
before we left Zamosc, we were brought into a large hotel kitchen and
told to cook a dish that represented your country as a farewell
celebration meal. Naturally our English team went in strong with a
sheppards pie and a healthy smattering of scones with tea. And while
our pie looked a bit bland and measly compared to the Spain's spicey
tapas, or Italy's carbonara, I couldn't believe how many positive
comments our dish got.
Final
evenings are always bitter-sweet affairs and we danced the night away
to mark the occasion as shots of vodka were passed round. Walking
back to the accommodation, several people vowed to not sleep that
night so they could spend just a little more time with one-another.
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| One of my favourite snaps of all of us |
It was
strange to think that two years prior, none of us knew about Zamosc
until a handful of young people came along to Feltre in 2014. Now
they are an indispensable part of the Youth for Europe family and a
group I very much hope to see more of in the future.
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