RUW Foundation and the Rural Sociology Group organized a studytrip to Poland. In a 10 day intensive program different cities and rural areas in Poland were visited, interesting people and organizations met and farm work is done. The theme of the trip is “Glocalise”. Students are asked to prepare themselves well on different themes in groups before leaving and to write a concluding reflexive paper on their impressions and findings, and to write a blog. This third blog is about the logistical side of the trip by:

Darja Tretjakova
Last day in Poland – how exciting! Leaving Opole behind and spending a lovely day in Wroclaw, a charming city on the river Odra, and then finally heading home!

It all began with the bus. Remembering the previous encounter with the minibus (and no, 27 people with backpacks do not fit in one), RUW asked the bus company for a bigger, medium-sized, one. Who could have foreseen that you have to specify that the driver should take the key from the trunk with him? So what do you do when the bus is too small bus for 27 people and all their backpacks, your train is leaving in an hour and the next bus far too late for it? Yup. LET’S GET EVERYBODY IN! We almost all made it inside, but then the locals decided they don’t want us in their bus. Shouting, threats and attempts to call the police – just one usual morning in public transport. Luckily, the driver got the boss of the bus company on the phone, who sent an extra bus for us. OK, EVERYBODY OUT! The driver was more than happy to get rid of us; the locals were pissed and I don’t think they appreciated the last gesture (as Kyra said: SMILE AND WAVE EVERYBODY!). Everyone did.

We were on time for our train to Wroclaw. It is a cozy city, its center full of colorful houses and cobble-paved squares. After a lovely lunch we pretty much headed back to the station to catch the other train to Poznan, and from there to Arnhem. The fact that we had only 20 minutes transfer time was disturbing, but hey what could go wrong? Let’s see: unplanned maintenance works, unannounced stops for the train staff to smoke, and the conductor (a.k.a. the Friendliness himself) rolling eyes at you and not really answering questions… But the culmination of this all was the drunk guy who jumped off the train while it was still moving (he’s alive, don’t think he even noticed). While the conductors decided whether to call the police or not to call the police, the precious 20 minutes of our transfer were ticking away.

Miraculously we made it. We ran across Poznan station like crazy – and we made it to our train sweaty and out of breath, but I was extremely happy we were finally in it. In Arnhem we said goodbyes to each other – everybody went their own way. I liked Poland, a country definitely worth visiting again and again, and I enjoyed the time spent with the group. Thank you guys for the lovely time!

And NEVER complain about NS. Ever.