Justine Shapiro begins her journey in Prague,
the capital of the Czech Republic and a great starting
point for a journey through Eastern Europe. Since the
collapse of Communism in 1989,  Prague has become an
incredibly popular destination for travellers.
Justine visits the castle, the most famous landmark
in Prague and the seat of power since the 9th century.
It's been home to medieval royalty, the Hapsburgs, the
Nazis and the Communists. She also hangs out in the
Globe Bookshop Café, which holds its regular
literary events and readings. After spending the night
in a convent that was taken over by the Communists and
turned onto a secret police headquarters where political
prisoners were interrogated, Justine visits a local
spiritual cleanser who is concerned about bad energy
which he believes is caused by 'tourist pollution'.
Justine leaves Prague in a Skoda to go to a rave in Teplice in Northern Bohemia. Outdoor
raves have become very popular in the Czech Republic,
which is not surprising considering parties and gatherings
were not allowed under Communism.
Next morning, Justine goes to nearby Karlovy
Vary, a beautiful spa town that has been visited
for the last 500 years by nobility and commoners alike.
There are 12 natural springs. Each one has a different
mineral content and temperature and certain waters are
prescribed for particular ailments.
Justine travels on a coach to Cesky Krumlov in south Bohemia. It's one of the most picturesque medieval
towns in Europe and the best place to stay is in a medieval
tower. Justine  decides to canoe down the Vltava
River to her next destination, Ceske
Budejovice. From here she catches a train that
will take her over the border into Poland.
Despite being officially atheist for more than 40 years
of Communist rule, 90% of Poland's population are devout
Catholics. Justine's first stop in Poland is Czestochowa,
the home of Poland's most important religious icon -
the Black Madonna - on display in a monastery called Jasna Gora. For the past 6 centuries
people have travelled from all over Poland to pay homage
to the Madonna, a symbol of Polish
identity and resistance.
From Czestochowa, Justine travels on to Krakow,
Poland's ancient Royal capital and the cultural centre
of Poland today. Krakow is one of the few places in
Poland where you can still find Milk Bars - state subsidised
restaurants left over from Communist days. Until the
middle of the 20th century, Krakow was one of the great
Jewish centres of Europe. World War II changed all that
and Oswiecim is better known by its German name Auschwitz.
As a Jewish-American, visiting the site of the concentration
camp at Auschwitz is a very personal experience for
Justine. Many of her relatives died here.
Finally Justine heads south into the Tatra
Mountain Range, which form the border between
Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Zakopane,
situated in the foothills, it is possible to get a glimpse
of the traditional, rural way of life. The Tatras are
the location for the annual Mountain Folklore
Festival, which celebrates the traditional
culture of the Podhales - the mountain
people who live in the area. Justine is caught up in a wedding
procession and is invited to the wedding party where
she joins in with the dancing and vodka sampling. |
