Poland: Warsaw

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Saturday 17th June

Had a latish night last night playing cards with the friends we've spent the past 10 days or so with. consequently getting up early for our bus back to Krakow and then the train up to Warsaw, was a difficult feat this morning. It was necessary to leave by 8am as the journey up could take most of the day. Fortunately we found some well timed bus/train connections and were in Warsaw before 3pm. A pretty much uneventful day actually except for the fact that when boarding the train we were told we were in other peoples reserved seats. We moved to another compartment and again were told we were in reserved seats! On asking someone where we were 'allowed' to sit, it turned out that we also had reserved seats but didn't know it. Normally we can sit anywhere. As we'd chosen what turned out to be an express inter-city train, all seats bought are automatically reserved. When we bought the tickets we were unaware of all this as they just assume you know. Anyway, after the 2nd time being told 'to move on', we found the correct seats and were sharaing a compartment with a young Polish couple going to a wedding. The guy was so helpful with info regarding cheaper train tickets and even hauled out his fancy PDA to search for something on the internet for us! The joys of technology and WIFI!!

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Sunday 18th June

We'd heard so many conflicting reports about Warsaw: "you must go", or "give it a total miss, nothing to see". Well, we'd decided to go, not only to find out for ourselves, but after all it is the capital city of Poland. Our first walk around met with pleasant surprises all round. The old town square and surrounding alleywasy and streets are really beautiful. It's clean, colourful and vibrant. People who disn't go missed out. Granted, one can't spend too long here but it's worth more than one day, so we booked an extra day here. Apart from just meandering around, we visited the Historical Museum as it's free on Sundays. We spend 2hrs inside as it's spread out on 5 floors of an old 17th century building overlooking the main old town square. A very interesting account of Polands war torn history over the centuries, right up to the WW2 Jewish story and Warsaw Uprising. A complicated history for us tourist types but fascinating non-the-less. Afterwards we visited the Royal Castle [also free on Sunday] and now fully restored, as it had been totally flattened dur the 2nd WW. An excellent reproduction, plus it houses a large percentage of original artwork, artifacts and furniture that were dug out of the smouldering and crumbling ruins of the original castle. We walked back via the Royal Way, passed by the Radziwill Palance - official residence of the Polish president - and who should we see leaving, under full body guarded protection, but the President himself!!! Altho' he was behind darkened glass in his car it was a chance sighting none-the-less. By 4pm we were all "old-towned" and "castled" out but still popped into the Cathedral and other churches for a look-see. Back at the hostel we collapsed our weary feet and enjoyed a glass of wine - a pleasant change from all the pivo [beer] we've been drinking lately. Then we made a great tasty pasta!!

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Monday 19th June

We must have flattened about 10km of pavements today if our feet are anything to go by! We were trying to find Europes biggest shopping complex [!] and the place just illuded us. After 2hrs or so we found it and the biggest shopping centre was only about the size of Cavendish Square and looked like a mini Century City!! Places like this in Europe are not the norm, hence this place being such a big deal!! The upside was that we got to walk through the more modern part of Warsaw including some very interesting glass and stainless stell office blocks. Also en route, was the montrous Stalinist towerblock that is now the Palace of Culture and Science. It was apparently "a gift of friendship" from the old Soviet Union to the Polish nation. Not a very attractive building but claims to be the tallest in Poland at 234m!