Ireland

This post has little to do with history (well...it does have to do with family history - my Mom was born here), and everything to do with a wonderful honeymoon/vacation. The Irish language is coming back, I wonder how strong it'll be in the next generation....


The Cliffs of Moher:

Morocco

One of my favorite trips - ever. Such a unique place with a fascinating mix of cultures...French, Arabic, Berber & Spanish.

Tatras

In the south of Poland there is a beautiful area that is part of the Carpathian mountains known as the Tatras. What a great surprise to come to Poland & learn that there are incredibly beautiful hiking & camping opportunities. We took a bunch of students for an "Outdoor Club" trip:

Khaliningrad

I was really fortunate to have a former student's father get me a visa so I could visit Khaliningrad - the Russian enclave that borders Poland. Formally known as the Prussian city of Koningsburg, Khaliningrad was a trip - figuratively & literally. This pic is of "The Monster". In the city center the Soviets decided to tear down the German castle (you can see some of the ruins in the foreground)& replace it with this "Social Realist" monstrosity:

Prague

We had a basketball tournament in Prague. I highly recommend the Museum of Communism in that great city. I dragged the team to the museum & I think they actually liked it....

Student Trip to Germany

One of the most meaningful trips I have taken was with German language students to a school just outside of Stuttgard, Germany. Seeing Polish & German kids discuss WW II, having German kids ask me, "Why do people think all Germans are Nazi's?" and learning about my own heritage (there was a schaffner on the train) were amazing experiences. My students thought it was pretty funny that the school's initials were the "FAG" school...

Our group of mostly Polish kids were honored at the local town Mayor's office

and I was even able to get a 'taste' of Volksfest, Stuttgart's less-crowded
version of Oktoberfest

Museum of Communism in St. Petersburg

We took a Model UN trip to St. Petersburg, USSR...I mean Russia ;)
The tour guide at the Museum was straight from the Cold War. I took this brief video....

Hey....

I thought it might be interesting to write a blog that combines my love of history with my love of travel. Many times in class I want to show my students pictures or tales of places I've traveled, but due to time restraints I'm unable to do so....