The Centennial Hall, Wroclaw, Poland
We make a point of visiting all Unesco World Heritage sites that are within easy reach of where we are. So, we took a bus from our central Wroclaw hotel…
Visiting the Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi Death Camps
The gate where we entered the Auschwitz concentration camp bears the overarching black iron legend, “Arbeit Macht Frei” – Work Will Set You Free.
Rumbula Massacre Holocaust Memorial, Latvia
We had never heard of the Rumbula Massacre until we visited the Latvian Museum of the Occupation in Riga. The museum itself is an eye opener to the terror the…
Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Wroclaw, Poland
In Wroclaw, there's an island of churches which has, among others, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. But just a short…
St. Mary's Basilica, Krakow, Poland
Every so often, you walk into a church, expecting nothing special. And then you get something like this. St. Mary's Basilica on the Main Square of Krakow is simply, one…
Altar Portrait of John Paul II, Basilica, Krakow, Poland
In Krakow, there is no more popular figure than Pope John Paul II. He, along with Lech Walesa, deservedly get a lot of the credit for Poland's independence from Moscow….
Saints Peter and Paul Church, Vilnius, Lithuania
We were warned that when we came to Vilnius, Lithuania that we should be prepared for Baroque overload. Well this is it. Saints Peter and Paul are, of course, probably…
Art Nouveau Facades, Riga, Latvia
The art nouveau streets of Riga, Latvia are perhaps the city's most charming facet. We went into a couple of churches, and they aren't much to look at. I think…
Struve Geodetic Arc, Tartu University, Estonia
The Struve Geodetic Arc is a series of triangulations done by Tartu University astronomer and geographer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve between 1816 and 1855. The measurement of the meridian used the observatory at Tartu University in Estonia as its base point.