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Travel Pictures - Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary - 1992
All images © Ron Miller
of the Soviet Union - a fascinating time when the region exuded a charming innocence
as a result of years of isolation behind the iron curtain. Also, as a result of the weak
currencies, travelers could eat in the finest restaurants at a mere fraction of the price
paid back home. And lastly, because of the struggling economies, travelers were usually
greeted at train and bus stations by elderly women offering a room in their home for
only six or eight dollars a night.
the Nazis in response to the Warsaw uprising (as well as the previous Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Jewish resistance). It is estimated
that 85% of Warsaw's buildings were completely destroyed - first by aerial bombing during WW II and, finally, Nazi demolition crews
with flame throwers and explosives. SS chief Heinrich Himmler was quoted as saying, "The city must completely disappear from the
surface of the earth and serve only as a transport station for the Wehrmacht. No stone can remain standing. Every building must
be razed to its foundation." However, the Old Town was meticulously rebuilt by referencing architectural drawings and,
when possible, utilizing the original bricks and decorative elements -
Warsaw, Poland
Krakow, Poland
Zamosc, Poland
Tatra Mountains, near Zakopane, Poland
Tatra Mountains, near Zakopane, Poland
Tatra Mountains, near Zakopane, Poland
These wonderful sisters, Halina and Mirella, put me up
for several days while I prepared for my return to Ukraine. The sisters
taught me a
valuable lesson about women when I politely asked them if they could help
me to shop for gifts/essentials to take to my Ukrainian relatives.
To me, the exercise was pure drudgery, so I was somewhat surprised to
witness the zeal and enjoyment with which the sisters entered
each shop. I did not realize that it was every Polish woman's dream to be
set loose in the department store with gift money -
Warsaw, Poland
My favorite Kiwi, Annie, posing on the Charles Bridge,
which was completed in the early 1400's and later
closed to vehicular traffic in 1978. In 1991, Prague had beautiful
architecture, unhurried streets,
and a charming innocence resulting from decades of isolation behind the
iron curtain -
Prague, Czechoslovakia
The Town Square of what many believe to be Europe's most
charming city -
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Vista of the Hungarian capital including the Buda Castle
and the Danube River. It was in the Budapest train station where I met a
very intelligent,
young Chinese lady. She was standing alone, frightened, and unable to pay
for accommodations in spite of the fact she was on a government assignment
to find some Chinese chefs with visa problems. Although she was troubled by
her country's communist regime, her education and
work ethic clearly represented her country's future. She even had a bullet
wound received during the terrible incident at Tiananmen Square!
It is one thing to read about history and quite another to experience
historical events through those who lived through it -
Budapest, Hungary
View across the Danube River to the "Inner
City" - the historical old town of Pest. The city was founded by the Celtics
and did not
officially acquire the name of Budapest until the merger of the towns of
Buda and Pest located on opposite sides of the Danube -
Budapest, Hungary
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For authorized use of these photos, please contact Ron Miller at TheHappyCannibal@gmail.com