We had a lot of long weekends and were encouraged to travel. We were more than happy to take advantage of the opportunity and usually did it in small groups. The trips I remember the most were the ones to Zurich, Paris, and, my favorite, Holland for the tulip festival.
Then there was the two-week spring break. A lot of the kids went south to enjoy warmer weather, but one of my roommates organized a trip to behind the Iron Curtain: to Warsaw, Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev (now Kyiv), and Prague.
There were a lot of soldiers around, of course, but they were mostly friendly.
The thing that impressed me the most was that even though most of Warsaw was still in ruins 15 years after the war, the young people we met were enthusiastic and free to make jokes about the government. They said it was humor that kept them going.
I don’t have any good pictures of Prague and the countryside, but it was beautiful and the people were affluent. But our guide said they were afraid to talk, they had to be guarded. Even he was careful about what he said.
What a contrast.
February 6, 2022
I just now caught up with your posts! What an exciting history you have had.
Thanks. 🙂
Amazing adventures you had! And then, Los Alamos!
🙂
How blessed you were to be able to travel to these countries. All the police around would sure have made me uneasy’ especially in a new country. What sad pics of Warsaw, their people must be so strong!
Warsaw made me sad too. 🙁
” They said it was humor that kept them going. ” can you imagine?
and all they’d been through… and seeing their country still much in ruin…
wow. they showed courage and friendliness. these are truly wonderful pictures of an exciting time for you. thank you for sharing them with all of us! XO
I’m glad you liked them. 🙂
What an amazing experience this must have been.
I could hardly believe my luck.
I am very much enjoying your photos, life was so different back then but somehow the same. I like seeing you and your friends and remember the clothing from my own past. of course mine was worn in my home town now around the world behind the Iron curtain. each photo tells its own story.
Styles have changed a lot! I suppose. In fact I don’t follow fashions. 😀
I, too am really enjoying your visit to the days of your youth.
Thanks. 🙂
What amazing times! And how fortunate, too, y’all were young and able-bodied to fully enjoy your visits. My father always claimed travel was just as important to one’s education as classroom studies. Too often in their travels they witnessed the elderly, unable to much more than watch from inside the tour bus.
Fortunately now we old folks can explore via the internet. 😀
Fascinating. I’m enjoying your trip down Memory Lane.
Thanks. 🙂
5 week Scandinavia – Russia. Yes another camping tour that I took at some point, bound to have visa stamps in that passport when I locate it. Countries visited Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, East Germany, West German, Poland and Russia. According to my paper, some cities were not visited but I definitely was in Moscow at some point.
Actually a big news issue that actually reached my Mother in NZ, because it was about a New Zealander (on a similar camping tour) who got into trouble at the border. And Mother was sure it was me, never mind the fact it was the month before!
(there were many camping tours on offer to lots of people on the “great OE” and it was a profitable business…)
Wow! I’m so glad you had a chance to do that. 🙂