Some thoughts and pictures from this past week in Poland

The smart, kind, and hard-working people of Poland have touched my heart. This Catholic country of 38 million has endured waves of invasions by the Germans, Russians, Czechs and others in its long and checkered history. This people are resilient, savvy, educated, and glad to be free of Communism. Many of the men and women here are beautiful, inside and out. Having traveled to over 60 countries, I am totally taken by Poland -- for its rich history, many sites, good food, optimistic spirit, relative lack of American tourists, cheap prices, and pleasant climate.

Young Polish people are traveling and working all over the world, and returning home with their own ideas about gay people. The LGBT movement here is about 15-20 years behind the U.S. but younger people, with more progressive social attitudes, are challenging the Catholic Church's teachings on abortion and homosexuality. Yesterday, we saw something unusual: an out gay couple walking hand-in-hand through the center of Wroclaw, a big college town. We also met with the head of the LGBT movement here in Poland, drank many vodka shots with him and his friends, and have a good sense of the challenges for Polish gays.

This building was a gift from the Soviets in the 1950's and is called the Palace of Culture.

Here we are drinking and noshing with gay and straight friends in the kitschy Soviet-era bar at the Palace of Culture.

Poland is very modern with new construction projects all over the country. I see more construction cranes in Poland than in the U.S.

This is from the Baltic Sea city of Gdansk, in the old quarter.

This is the shipyard in Gdansk where the Solidarity movement was formed, beginning in 1980.