Warsaw was impressive, stunning soviet Palace of Culture

Palace of Culture, soviet monolith
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Warsaw was impressive and hot ! Bright sunshine took daytime temperatures into 40 degrees and in the sun you felt your skin cooking.  Every trip we took sapped energy so we tried to set out early and avoid the worst of the sun. We enjoyed our time here not so much for the city but more for the luxurious hotel which offered a refuge from the heat.

The most imposing building we saw was the Palace of Culture. This huge soviet monolith was visible from just about any where in the city.  It housed some art collections and had an exhibition aimed at children with interactive science experiments.

The most imposing building we saw was the Palace of Culture

Dreamy Disney features
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Our hotel was fantastic, it was an impressive building and thoroughly modern inside. Fast internet access, superb air conditioning and luxurious rooms.  The bar had a pianist playing every night, you know the soft jazz you get in hotel bars.  Breakfast was a real treat, every nations food was represented from eggs and bacon to sushi. There was a small bee hive with perspex window on the buffet table dispensing fresh honey from the comb. This hotel was so good we found it a struggle face the outdoors at all, what with the heat and everything.

Statues remembering the war
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Set out we did to the old town; this was a picture perfect strangely new looking area of the city. We found out later that the original building were largely destroyed in the war and these were recently built replicas.  This area was pretty and diverted us for a morning.  There was not really that much to do apart from take a few photos, hang out and drink in the bars and restaurants.

The next outing was to the centrum park which offered welcome shade from the sun.  A pleasant stroll with some nicely laid out flower beds and a fountain or two.  The moving part was the eternal flame guarded by two completely motionless soldiers.  We could not read any of the inscriptions however it seem obvious this was in memory of those lost in the second world war.

We enjoyed our time in Warsaw and I am not sure why.  It may have been the enormous soviet building, the sumptuous hotel or the pretty (new) old town. My guess is Warsaw is unconcerned with tourists, at worst they are a minor irritation at best they go unnoticed.  This allows for some excellent people watching.  The serious business people on their way to important meetings, the merry girls holding each other up after a big night out and the prostitutes scuttling off down alley ways. A living breathing city with all the energy that brings.