At a meeting of the Student Council, headmistress Jadwiga Ostrowska, wishing to encourage students to participate actively in school life, proposed organising a trip abroad for outstanding students.
We liked the idea very much. The trip was to be a summary of our work throughout the year. Together with our Student Council supervisor, Mrs Anna Rudzik, and our class teachers, we drew up a list of 42 lucky students. For most of us, it was our first trip abroad, for the simple reason that we did not have passports. Their absence was no obstacle, however, as we travelled using our identity cards.
We set off on a rainy Saturday morning. Some of us felt a little sleepy, but the cheerful hubbub in the bus quickly woke them up. Because of the bad weather, we did not admire the landscapes outside the windows; instead, we engaged in lively discussions. We were so absorbed that only the voice of the friendly guide welcoming us to Zgorzelec made us look around and realise that we were in Zgorzelec and that the rain had stopped. The formalities at the border took so little time that we only managed to notice that the customs officer was handsome; without any problems, we entered Goerlitz. The city differed little from Zgorzelec. We associated it only with adults’ stories about the shopping that could be done there. What can I say? All of Bolesławiec and the surrounding area shop here for attractive goods. We, too, had the opportunity to see a German department store and do some small shopping at the beginning of our trip, since shops are open for fewer hours on Saturdays and moving this part of the programme to the end of the trip would have been impossible.
The department store, as could be expected, made a huge impression on us. It was a good thing that we were all able to maintain financial discipline and common sense, because the range of goods could make one’s head spin. Our supervisors had no trouble with us, however. We returned to the bus with full bags. What intrigued us was that at the checkout, instead of the plastic carrier bags popular in Poland, we received large paper bags, which showed that our neighbours were considerably ahead of us in their efforts to protect the environment. In a cheerful mood, we went to the Village Museum. At the picturesquely situated farm, with buildings arranged around a quadrangle, we had the opportunity to see the furnishings of a residential house and farm buildings, together with all the equipment and tools used in the countryside when technology had not yet developed and rural farms were almost self-sufficient. We looked in amazement at the looms on which women wove fabric for clothing, rugs and various tapestries. We saw footwear made from straw using household methods. Such straw shoes would probably be a sensation in our Cepelia shops, but who would know how to make them? The farm was equipped with devices for producing wine from grapes.
In a specially separated section there was a museum containing exceptionally beautifully made vats, goblets, presses, jugs and panels depicting the technology of wine production. We felt as though we had travelled back in time when we entered a small stone building covered with straw, in which, as it turned out, there was a well. The respect shown by the former inhabitants for water was clearly visible. It is impossible to list all the interesting things we saw. Some of us, moreover, were able to recognise farm tools perfectly, because similar items—for example, butter churns and threshing machines—have survived to this day on their farms. We admired a prototype of an automatic washing machine with a built-in hearth for heating water and a crank for turning the rotor. It was better than a washboard, but still very labour-intensive. Yes, it was all very interesting, but we unanimously concluded that we preferred to live in the present day. These farms are interesting today because they earn money from tourists. They organise picnics with bread baking and wine tasting, which are very popular.
Time was pressing, and we had to end our visit to this remarkable museum, where everything was in such condition that it seemed as though the former inhabitants had only stepped out for a moment. We then went to the planetarium; many of us did not know what it was. When we settled comfortably into soft seats in the round hall with a strange device in the centre, the lights went out and above us we saw a magnificent sky strewn with stars. We sat there for an hour, spellbound. The guide explained things to us in Polish, while a planetarium employee told us about the moon, the sun, the planets and other stars. Our necks became stiff from looking upwards, but we left the planetarium having gained a great deal of knowledge about the sky we see every day. We had not expected such interesting attractions to be so close to Bolesławiec. We moved on, as the programme now included a visit to the zoo. Remembering the Wrocław Zoo, we were very surprised to see some animals and birds not shut in cages. The wonderfully friendly goats could be petted. We were delighted by the storks and other birds walking around the meadows. In the cages, we had the opportunity to see unusual animal specimens, such as enormous woolly pigs. The entire zoo was equipped with play facilities. Various wooden, beautifully carved swings, woven moving bridges, mazes and hiding places with puzzles to solve made us romp around the grounds of this small but very charming zoo with great pleasure. Finally, we went to the park. There was a lovely narrow-gauge railway operated by children our age. The colourful carriages looked as though they had been brought from another era, only miniaturised. Travelling slowly, we circled the entire park. We kept the original tickets with illustrations of old locomotives as souvenirs. The final item on our programme was playing in the playground in the park. We behaved there like preschoolers. Even our teachers joined in the fun. The headmistress promised us that in the future there would also be a children’s playground by our school.
Full of impressions, tired but very happy, we returned home. The trip was a great success. There are still many places left to visit in Goerlitz. We hope to go there again. I encourage everyone to visit this city, not only for shopping.
Student Council Chairwoman
Ewelina Stasiak
student, Year 7, Primary School in Bożejowice