TrishBC

My final European meal this time around: Red pepper soup with "goasts cheese". (at Heathrow Airport)

One in what I think may become a photo essay of ceilings and food in my Europe journey. (at Dohány Street Synagogue)

Beverages to celebrate my last night in Europe. For a girl who doesn't drink much soda, this is pretty hard core. (at Budapest, Hungary)

Afternoon tea and yumminess with the Nesquik Bunny in a Budapest flat. (at Budapest, Hungary)

What does an American girl eat while traveling in Poland on the day her country celebrates independence? The "Burger Polski", of course. Yes, those are beets. One of the best burgers I've ever had, but much too big to finish. (at Burger Ltd)

The light in Warsaw was stunning last night. here are a few of the pics this non-phographer snapped with my iPhone camera. No photo filters, just Warsaw light on an early-July evening.

I was in Russia for six days, and have been in Poland for five days and have yet to sample the vodka. Tonight, is the night. The occasion: I took myself on a date of a self-guided walking tour of Warsaw Old Town. (at Warsaw Old Town)

This sweet family has made it easy to fall in love with Olsztyn and Poland, and visiting them would be reason enough to return.

After my concert at Borussia Center (https://m.facebook.com/Borussia.Olsztyn) on Sunday night, Polish Public Radio journalist Alicja Kulik asked if she could do a feature story about my trip, my music, and my connection to the family that inspired my song "Keep Moving". This afternoon, Alicja and I walked the streets of Bartoszyce, Poland (formerly Bartenstein, East Prussia), which is just south of the Russian border. With her microphone out and the recorder rolling, Alicja approached a few people on the street to ask if they had any connections to the city before the war (unlikely, as those who are here now were brought in to repopulate the area after those who were here before the war were killed or pushed out), or if they knew the history of particular shops in the old city center. A microphone can bring out the best and the worst in people, especially when the topic is one as sensitive as Russian-German-Polish relationships. Curiously, it was the younger generation that were disturbed by and even hostile to the inquiries, whereas those who were older were curious with us and were willing to be in conversation. We didn't uncover exactly what we were looking for, but we did find several old photos of the Bartenstein city marketplace as it stood before the war. Over a traditional Polish lunch of soup and dumplings, Alicja asked me to talk about my music and what it means to me that I'm here. It will take some time to edit and translate the story. I will get to be one of those reduced-volume, foreign voices talking in the background as another voice interprets, just as I so often hear on my local public radio stations. It'll be fun to hear my own words in Polish!

Breakfast in the bunker. Restaurant at Wolf's Lair is in the former garage. (at Wolf's Lair)

Walking through the Dancing Forest near the Baltic Sea coast, approaching the beach on the lagoon side of the Spit.

Baltic Sea lagoon. I walked though the Dancing Forest to sit at the edge of this shore and sing a song in honor of my friend Marianne and her family. In 1945, Marianne, her mother, grandmother, aunt and 10-day old baby sister crossed the partially-frozen Baltic Sea. All but her 10-day old baby sister survived. I thought I would sing "Keep Moving", the song I wrote about their story; instead, I sat on a stump and sang "Where I'm Going."

Baltic coast at the Curonion Spit.

A twisted tree at the Dancing Forest on the Curonion Spit by the Baltic Sea coast.

Baltic Sea

Feeing swans at Gull Lake on the Curonion Spit.

After I came out of the Dancing Forest and had been singing at the shore of the Lagoon, a Russian woman asked me for a song.