Europe 2003

Europe 2003
My travel to Europe was occasioned by an
invitation from the International Council of
Archives (ICA) Universities and Research
Institutions Section (SUV) to attend the 2003
Seminar on "Archives and Changing Societies:
Active Strategies for Meeting Public, Institutional,
and Archival Needs." This was held in Warsaw
and Krakow, Poland on September 7-10. It turned
out to be a gathering of mostly European
archivists, since only about a dozen came from
outside Europe, namely: William J. Maher from
the University of Illinois, Fred Honhart from
Michigan, Richard V. Szary from Yale, Conference Chair Don Richan from Canada's Queens University in
Kingston, Megan Sniffin from Harvard, Sonia Black and Sharon Gooding from the University of West Indies
(Barbados and Jamaica), Moshe Somer from the University of Haifa (Israel), Benjamin Haspel from Tel Aviv, and
two delegates from Rice University. I was the only one from Asia. About a hundred of them came from the United
Kingdom (UK National Archives, University of Bath, and Dundee, Scotland), universities from Sweden, Iceland,
Finland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (Dresden, Oldenburg), Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia,
Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, and of course, Poland. President’s Palace

For four days, archivists in multiple national and different
cultural settings met to explore strategies in acquiring
archival materials, to discuss problems of access and user
needs, archival public relations and education, and to
resolve issues in active outreach and international
cooperation. The seminar included a pre-conference
sightseeing tour of the Wilanow Castle (above photo), the
Old Town and the Royal Castle; a reception at the Museum
Old National Library bldg of Marie Sklodowska-
Curie; a Chopin evening;
and, a gala banquet at
the Staszic Palace. I
enjoyed the Sunday afternoon walk around the
Castle Square, King Sigismund’s Column, St.
John’s Cathedral, the Old Town Market Square,
and the Gate of Honor, where the royal entourage
entered, the Barbican (included on UNESCO list
of world heritage) . The Wilanow Castle was the Baroque residence of King John
III Sobieski, the famous conqueror of the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.
The other conference venue was in the medieval Polish capital in Krakow, hosted
by the Association of Polish Archivists in Krakow. We had a tour of the Royal
Castle and the Wawel Cathedral, in addition to a visit to the old original building of
the Jagiellonian University (its library and archives), the oldest in Poland, and
had a sumptuous lunch at the old Archives building, a walking distance from the
old town square in Krakow, where I tasted the best ever clam seafood chowder
soup.

During my five-day sojourn in Poland, I succeeded in establishing
contacts with nineteen or so archivists, having exchanged not only
pleasantries with them, but also the rewarding experiences and
unfortunate travails common to
archivists. I took pictures of them from
my video camera: Sonia Black from the
University of West Indies in Jamaica and
Sharon Gooding in Barbados, who
occupied the adjoining room in the hotel
where we stayed and I shared the kitchen
and toilet/shower facilities with them.
Then there's Conference Chair Don Richan who graciously invited me to join the
seminar and offered complimentary registration and accommodation during the entire period of the conference; co-
chair Renata Arovelius from Sweden who facilitated everything; the speakers who befriended me, such as
Katharina Hoffman from Hamburg and Matthias Lienert from Dresden (who asked for my opinion on their delivery
in English), the couple from the University of Dundee, Scotland, Caroline Brown and Michael Bolik (who lost their
luggage at Heathrow); the shy archivist from Finland who kept asking me what toys to bring to his son, Juha
Hannikainen; Magnus Gudmundsson from Iceland (who danced the whole night at the gala banquet); the two
ladies from Ghent who told me they had archival materials on Edilberto Evangelista, a Filipino hero/freedom
fighter; William Maher, the noted writer on university archives, and Richard Szary from Yale Library. As a
personal gift from the host organizer, Ms. Hanna Krajewska,
Director of the Polish Academy of Sciences (who gave me a most special
Staszic Palace -
treatment, being the only participant from Asia), I received a cd of Conference venue
Chopin's Complete Works (Chopin was Polish-born and educated
and revered in Poland as a nationalist hero, like Madame Curie).

As a country, Poland turned out to be quite a revelation. I never
expected to fall in love with the country and its friendly people so
quickly. From the moment I took a taxi, whose driver charged me
only 36 zloty (9 euros, which, believe me, is cheap when
compared to my taxi fares much later, from the Schipol in
Amsterdam which cost me 55 euros, and in Paris, which was a 10
minute-drive to Charles de Gaulle for 45 euros), I was already
enamored with Warsaw: the wide avenues lined with century-old
trees, the clean metro stations, the friendly passersby who patiently looked into our city guide-maps and gave us
directions despite the language barrier, and the accommodating bus driver who waived our first bus fare because we
only had euro coins (Poland has still a year to adopt the euro currency). Poland has a long history of cruel occupations
from three neighbors, Austria, Germany, and Russia, after suffering from three partitions, which has reduced its size to
a third of what it used to be in ancient maps. So it is no surprise to me to find the people's characteristic traits of
fortitude, strength, resoluteness, fierce pride and nationalistic spirit so pervasive.

Warsaw, the most devastated city after the last war (it was leveled to the ground
Novy Swiat
before the Nazis left), survived centuries of pillage, destruction, and
annihilation. Yet the city structures, all rebuilt only fifty years ago and fully
restored to its original design, proudly mirror the people's resiliency. The Royal
Road, Novy Swiat, and the many architectural masterpieces (wonders of
postwar reconstruction) making this city memorable, has captured my camera's
fascination, from the Staszic Palace (the conference venue) to the Royal Castle,
down to the old town square on the bank of the mighty Vistula River. On the

modern side, nothing can compare with the awesome Warsaw University Library, its glass and steel roof, all chrome
and steel structures and furnishings, roof gardens, and four million holdings.
In contrast, it is so easy to fall in love with Krakow, the old
capital, because the city has retained its medieval character. We
climbed Wawel hill to visit the Royal Castle, for centuries the
residence of Polish Kings, the Piast, Jagiellon and Vasa
dynasties, to admire its unique collection of tapestries owned by
king Sigismund August and marveled at the Envoy Hall, also
known as the “Heads Hall’ (unique in Europe, and included in
the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage). We also toured the
Wawel Cathedral, home of Pope John Paul who was a native of

Krakow, and St. Mary's Church (above), where he first served.

Down from Wawel Hill, we sighted the apartment building where
Schindler (of the famous movie "Schindler's List") lived. Then we were
taken to the old market square, where one can enjoy a drink (at 2 zloty)
and a pizza (5 zloty) at the many pleasant streetside cafes, or buy a
bouquet from flower vendors, and small trinkets from the thousands of
souvenir shops (my friend from Jamaica bought amber earrings for only
65 zloty). A visit to the 14th century old building of the Jagiellonian
University, the oldest institution in Poland, and a tour of its museum and
Archives, highlighted our one-day trip to Krakow. However, I missed a
trip to Auschwitz Birkenau – the largest Nazi concentration camp of
World War II (with its gas chamber, crematory, cells of death).

Jagiellonian museum-archives

There is so much to say about Poland and this trip. So, in any
future trip to Europe, I have resolved to take a second look at
Poland, and include its neighboring countries, like the Czech

Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Russia, with their post-communist perspectives.

Day 1 of my European travel, I left Poland and
headed for Amsterdam, arriving in the evening at
NH Leevenhorst hotel, far from the city airport.
The next morning, our tour took us on a canal
cruise to see the town at water level. Then, on to
a diamond center to watch the cutting and

polishing of precious stones. After lunch, I walked around
the town and found the Van Gogh museum with the world’s finest collection of his paintings. In the afternoon,
we traveled southward to the Rhineland area for an overnight stay at Bingen.

Day 3 was spent cruising the Rhineland with vistas of the Lorelei Rock, hilltop
castles, half-timbered wine villages, and
terraced
vineyards.
In the
afternoon,
we took the
comfortable
autobahn
for a long
scenic drive
to Austria, for an overnight stop at Innsbruck. On the way, I took a photo
of the Pfussen river and the Austrian Alps secret lake, before we stopped at an inn.

It was a chilly evening when we arrived at our
hotel in Innsbruck. After supper, I tried to take
a stroll around, but the chilly winds stopped me.
Alone in my room, I took photos of my bedroom,
bath and then read myself to sleep.

The next morning after a sumptuous Austrian breakfast, we motored on the fast highway towards
Venice, arriving there before noon. I had lunch under the Bridge of Sighs, watching the gondolas
pass by.

Rialto Bridge In the afternoon, our tour took us to factory to
watch Venetian glass blowers fashion their
delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Then

we were taken on a gondola trip, gliding along
the picturesque canals with a local troubadour
serenading “O Sole Mio.” We had the rest of
the afternoon visiting St. Mark’s Basilica.

We stayed overnight at a nice hotel in Lugano. In
the early morning, we had an interesting drive
southward, cutting across the Po Delta and
crossing the Apennines. We stopped at Assisi,
where St. Francis was born in 1182, and toured
the Basilica. There was a small wedding in a
nearby church (San Pietro), and several
souvenir shops lined the basilica area. In one of
these shops, I bought some crucifixes and
rosaries. I got lost on the way back to the
parking area where our coach waited for me for
more than 30 minutes. I almost thought the bus
left me to walk all the way to Rome.

We arrived in the evening at Hotel Ibis in
Rome. After a good dinner, we had a short
sight-seeing trip around the town. The
following morning, we toured the Vatican,
strolled around St. Peter’s Square, visited the
Roman Forum and the mighty Colosseum. I
also took photos (below) of the Victor
Emmanuel Palace, the Arch of
Constantine, the Pieta, and the Sistine
Chapel ceiling.

Photo below shows the preserved tomb of Pope John XXIII, and another one, the statue of St. Peter with
me. I also was able to take a picture of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, maski na bawal.

The next day was an easy early morning drive on the
Highway of the Sun to Florence, a Renaissance gem
of a city. Traffic is banned in the historic center, so we had to take a long
stroll from the bus parking lot

to the piazza Santa Croce,
the beautiful Piazza Signoria, and the Palazzo Vecchio, and to top it all, the
Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral, with the Giotto Campanille, and
the magnificent East Door of the Baptistry, known as the “Gate To
Paradise.” I took Michaelangelo’s David at Michaelangelo’s
Piazza, a towering replica, and we had a group photo overlooking the city of
Florence. We stayed overnight at Delta Florence at Calenzano, a nice hotel.

We started the morning driving to Pisa,
passing by Tuscany (see photo of a Tuscan
castle, and a Ravenna vineyard).

The Leaning Tower was under
renovation, so we could not climb it
to the top. But I enjoyed the
morning stroll, and took photos
everywhere around the Square of
Miracles.

After lunch, we journeyed
northwards thru Tuscan hills
across the River Po into the
Lombardy plains crossing into
Switzerland. We had a brief
stop over in lovely Lakeside
Lugano. We arrived in Lucerne, after traveling through
some of the most spectacular Alpine sceneries.

Lucerne, one of Europe’s finest cities, is nestled amid snow
capped alps, surrounded by its lake, and embellished by
the clear mountain waters
of River Reuss. The hotel
where we stayed was
Seehof at Fluelen, which
has a postcard view of
what I have just described.
We had a very good
dinner, complete with their famous apple streusel.

After a great Swiss breakfast, we headed for our morning sightseeing around
the impressive city walls, the cobblestone streets, and a photo stop at the Lion monument, a masterful stone
sculpture in honor of the heroic Swiss Guard of Louis XVI. I crossed
the famous wooden bridge twice to make sure I did not miss any
of the paintings on the ceiling. Then I took a walk to the St. Leger
Cathedral, took pics of the church graveyard, and then, entered a
small shop to buy a cuckoo clock.

Next to Interlaken for a
stop. Here, some of my
tour members took the
Stanserhornbahn for a
train ride all the way up.
But I preferred to stroll
around, went inside the
Cathedral at Stans, and

took photos of the
countryside. Then

we boarded the coach again for a stop
over at the hillside village of Gruyere,

famous for cheese, where we took an
uphill walk to the famous castle. A few
more miles later, we arrived in Lausanne
overlooking Lake Geneva, staying
overnight at De Famille Hotel at Vevey.

The next morning, we travelled to France,
passing by the delightful Beaune, amid
vistas of vineyards. This is a famous
Burgundian medieval town, known for its wine production and

Photos show the Cathedral of Notre
Dame in Beaune, its winding streets,
and the Hospice (built in 1440).
colorful roofs.
We arrived in Paris in time for dinner and an optional cabaret show.
Instead of going to the Cabaret, I took the subway from our hotel
Campanille, with the Italian couple in our group, to view the Eiffel tower,
stroll around the Place de la Concorde, and Champs Elyssees.

We stayed two nights in Paris. The following morning was spent on
a sightseeing trip exploring the city’s highlights, which included an
inside visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, photo stops at Arc de
Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Opera House, Madeleine Church, the
Louvre, , the Invalides, and Champs Elyssees.

Our lunch meeting
point was at the
Rue de Rivoli
where I had a
photo taken near
the Joan of Arc
atthe Pyramides.
After lunch at a
fast food self-
service restaurant,
in front of the
Jardin de Tuileries,
I went on my own
tour of the Louvre
Museum, the Bibliotheque Nacional, took
photos of its reading room, visited the Palais
Royale, its interiors and gardens, and the
Place Vendome
(see next page
photo).

Paris City Hall

The next day was a morning trip to Versailles to
Place Vendome explore its Palace and Gardens.

The 800- acres garden
Palace monument of Louis

Chapel ceiling

Façade of King’s apts

Queen Marie Antoinette’s
family portrait, and view of
the fountain in the garden

The lovely evening was
capped with a farewell
dinner at Montmarte,
after a stroll around the
Sacre Coeur Basilica,
and a souvenir hunting
spree at Place du Tertre.
I took photos of the
beautiful Basilica at dusk,
even the mystifying altar
ceiling. Diner included
Escargot, beef steak, and
of course red wine. We
were entertained by a
French chanteuse.

The next day, Sept 22, I
took a taxi to Charles de
Gaulle for 60 euros, and
flew back via Air France
to Manila.

Place du Tertre

Europe 2003

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