Revisiting places you've used in your writing, by Elizabeth Kay
My first ever visit abroad was to Poland for Christmas 1964, in the middle of the Cold War. I went with my much-loved Polish father, and it was his first trip back there for twenty-five years. It was highly emotional reunion between him and his elderly brothers and sisters, and an education for a British schoolgirl who had never seen a gun in real life, let alone the submachine guns slung over the shoulders of soldiers on every platform and street corner. It was a country full of contrasts; the snow and the horses and sleighs were magical, the shortages and the overcrowded apartments bewildering. I could only speak a few words of Polish, but the whole experience created a love of travel that has never since left me. I’ve been back many times, but never for Christmas, so this winter was rather special. There is something wonderful about revisiting places with powerful memories, and Wawel Castle hasn’t changed much. The...