Goldap 2005-2006

Well,
Here I am, December 21, 2005 in Goldap Poland. Things have finally settled down and I have found time to blog. Actually, everything has been very relaxing and it is just now that I have found the motivation to write this blog. First, I would like to dedicate this blog to my dad. I have been trying to find an example that would illustrate the usefullness of a blog. I hope this succeeds and he, as well as everyone else, can find some vicarious enjoyment in this.

The trip started with a flight to JFK. There weren't any problems and the connecting flight was made without any problems. I did find time to watch the Dallas Cowboys get there buts kicked and grab a slice of pizza while Oliwia hit the duty free shop to buy some Johny Walker black for her parents. Then we were off to Paris.

On the way to Paris we watched the first season of The Office which we downloaded from Itunes. It has its moments and I think there were times that the other people on the plane were wondering what we were laughing at. We started to watch the unedited version of 40 year-old virgin but stopped as we felt it was inappropriate on the plane where other people could see it. Therefore we watched half of Madagascar (Thanks Jason and Amy!). We eventually finished it on the crowded and cramped flight from Paris to Warsaw while we were in front of two guys who hadn't showered in a week. Anyway, we landed on time in rainy Paris which is often reffered to as the City Of Lights but perhaps is better known as the worst airport in the modern world! Planes land and take off far enough from the gate that it is a 15 minute shuttle to get to the plane. Even so, it still takes 3 shuttles to get everyone to and from the plane in unorganized chaos. It didn't surprise me at all that our baggage missed the trip and we were without it for a day.

Eventually we landed in Warsaw where Luiza, Filip, Lucyna and Rzyard were waiting to meet us. Customs is a joke for no EU members. The EU line processed 500 people in the time it took to process 10 others. Eventually I got tired of waiting and decided to "play dumb" and try the EU line. No problem and I recommend this method for any other travelers. It is around 33 degrees F but it sure felt good after the plane ride. We drove straight to Goldap (except for Luiza who will come up on Friday) and stopped at the equivelant of a roadside diner for some tradtional Polish food along the way. I had potato pancakes and a Lech beer (mmmmm!) while Filip had a leg of Pig. I then slept the remainder of the trip to Goldap where Oliwia began catching up with her family. We all called it an early night and hit the sack around 10.

I am not going to describe the town except to say that is snow covered and quaint. I'll post pictures so you can get the idea. We are located about 2.5 miles outside of the town center and it makes for a nice run along the snow covered streets in the morning. The house is fantastic. It is in the middle of the forest and I feel as if I am vacationing in a Chalet. I saw a deer outside the window the other morning. It doesn't get light out until around 8 and it gets dark at 3:45 pm. In other words, the days are short. Well, that's enough for now. Here are some pictures.