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Days 15 & 16- Warsaw
6 years ago
General
Hi guys. So, yesterday I took the train from Osweicim to Krakow, and then again from Krakow to Warsaw. Not a lot to report there- am mostly glad for the fact I got there well and in good spirits, considering. I hadn't had quite enough sleep the night before. And wouldn't you know it, half the entrances to Osweicim station were blocked off because of construction! But nonetheless, I made my train, and away we went.
I took the EIP Premium Service from Krakow on to Warsaw. I kind of had to switch seats because someone else had already taken mine. But other than that, couldn't have been better. (Incidentally, if you decide to visit Poland, most people under 40 know at least a smattering of English. I managed to tell one of my seatmates about where I'd been, and she got it perfectly!)
Once I got to Warsaw, I took a taxi to the airBNB. Sigh...I would say this is the one check-in that hasn't gone so well. The owner wasn't terribly clear about what sector of the apartment compex he was in, and it took me a while to figure it out. Thankfully, one of the neighbors was able to help me. Very kind of her, too! It was a relief to finally rest my head and relax.
As for today? I visited this thing called the Museum of Communism. If you didn't guess from the name, its basically a memoir of daily life in Communist-era Poland. It wasn't terrible, but man was it annoying! Imagine being lied to about the most perfectly obvious of things every day, coupled with having to queue for hours for basic goods like food or toiletries! But, on a more positive note, I did have a good time seeing communist paraphenelia- including a set of medals from North Korea of all places! That, and a Polish-made fiat! Studebaker it ain't, but it was still pretty nice.
After that, I toured this huuuuuuuge park called the Łazienki Królewskie. (Bigger than Central Park in NYC, I swear!) I believe it must have been a Polish king's estate before the parition in the late 18th century. It was certainly quite lovely to walk through all that forest and lakeside in the middle of the city! The only annoying part was trying to get back. Ugh, the public transit system in Warsaw is as bad as it is in DC back home! The entire time, I kept getting contradictory directions from my phone. Eventually I gave up and walked 4 kilometers.
But, as soon as I got home, I had dinner- pasta, wine, and sauteed olives. That was good. As for tomorrow? Mass, visit the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, and tour what little of Łazienki Królewskie I did not see, and then pack up and go home.
Europe has been very kind to me! But at the same time, I look forward to seeing home again!
I took the EIP Premium Service from Krakow on to Warsaw. I kind of had to switch seats because someone else had already taken mine. But other than that, couldn't have been better. (Incidentally, if you decide to visit Poland, most people under 40 know at least a smattering of English. I managed to tell one of my seatmates about where I'd been, and she got it perfectly!)
Once I got to Warsaw, I took a taxi to the airBNB. Sigh...I would say this is the one check-in that hasn't gone so well. The owner wasn't terribly clear about what sector of the apartment compex he was in, and it took me a while to figure it out. Thankfully, one of the neighbors was able to help me. Very kind of her, too! It was a relief to finally rest my head and relax.
As for today? I visited this thing called the Museum of Communism. If you didn't guess from the name, its basically a memoir of daily life in Communist-era Poland. It wasn't terrible, but man was it annoying! Imagine being lied to about the most perfectly obvious of things every day, coupled with having to queue for hours for basic goods like food or toiletries! But, on a more positive note, I did have a good time seeing communist paraphenelia- including a set of medals from North Korea of all places! That, and a Polish-made fiat! Studebaker it ain't, but it was still pretty nice.
After that, I toured this huuuuuuuge park called the Łazienki Królewskie. (Bigger than Central Park in NYC, I swear!) I believe it must have been a Polish king's estate before the parition in the late 18th century. It was certainly quite lovely to walk through all that forest and lakeside in the middle of the city! The only annoying part was trying to get back. Ugh, the public transit system in Warsaw is as bad as it is in DC back home! The entire time, I kept getting contradictory directions from my phone. Eventually I gave up and walked 4 kilometers.
But, as soon as I got home, I had dinner- pasta, wine, and sauteed olives. That was good. As for tomorrow? Mass, visit the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, and tour what little of Łazienki Królewskie I did not see, and then pack up and go home.
Europe has been very kind to me! But at the same time, I look forward to seeing home again!
