Poland

It's now the weekend so it seems like a good time to update. I returned from my two week adventure this past Sunday evening. It was a fine trip indeed. So...

I stayed in Warsaw, Poland from Oct 22-24 and from Oct. 30-Nov.4. I must have walked around the city for more miles because by the end of each day, my feet were sore. The only buses I took were from the airport to my hostel and back, and from the city center to the south. While there, I saw everything I wanted to with the exception of a few museums. The Katyn Museum was on my list, but when I got there the man at the gate said it was closed and when I asked him why, accordingly that was the end of his English. Haha. I found that, with the exception of some restaurants, cafes, airport, some cops, and information services (a vast minority of places and people in the city), few people spoke English. But I got by with three phrases: hello/good day; thank you; do you speak English? Along with a decent map, that's what I worked with for 6 days in Warsaw.

One of the best places I visited was the Jewish Historical Institute where I watched a 30 minute film (played exclusively for me in English!) on the Jewish Ghetto of the 1940s in Warsaw. (Briefly: German troops invaded the motherland in September of 1939, bombing and killing, and eventually set up the ghetto for Jews). The film chronicles the lives of Jews before the ghetto and then what happened during it. The film was sad to watch, having to see starved, naked, dead bodies being thrown into mass graves among other cruelties of the era. Displays throughout the museum show the daily life of the ghetto. Truthfully, I don't remember too much from the Institute but the film. But that's important enough I would say.

Another museum I enjoyed was the Historical Museum of Warsaw. In the Old Town part of Warsaw, I could see pictures from the city as it developed over the years. When I think about old cities, I oftentimes imagine myself if I grew up in one of them and what it would be like. How cool would it have been to grow up in old Warsaw. Living in the city, hanging out with the family, going to Mass on Sundays, life in the public squares!, carefree! I'm sure I could think of more, but now the brain isn't thinking so creatively. So, yes, the Historical Museum was nice and they also had an exhibit about the children who suffered from war. They displayed letters written from children to parents or friends as well as photos of them. I think their voices often get lost in a conflict or war, so understand some of their pain is necessary.

The Museum of the Warsaw Uprising is newer than the others (2004 I think). It of course showed the uprising which began a few years after the occupation started. Resilience among the Poles was at times strong, but they had limited forces. It was difficult especially competing against the German (and later Soviet troops). But possibly faced with the imminent threat of death, what would you do?

Other than museums, I walked and explored the city. By now, I have a good understanding of where things are in the city and I know how to get around. I consider that a success. Before I traveled there, I read that the city is not that conducive to walking, but I didn't find it too bad. Sure I walked a lot, but why not since I don't know the bus system and the metro is limited to where it can take me. Along the way, I found newsstands, liqour stores, small grocery stores, gift shops, cafes, bakeries, etc. etc. My favorite place in Warsaw was a small bookstore/coffee house called "Czuly Barbarzynea" (the l is a Polish l with a line through the middle). It is named after a book by the same name by an author which now I cannot recall. And I don't remember what the title means. Haha. But the point is it was a nice place to do when it was dark and cold and I wanted to relax. It was small, cozy, and the Americanos were terrific. My second favorite place to go was a small cafe/bar on Nowy Strait (a big shopping/eating street) where they had pierogies!! The best ones were filled with cabbage, but the potato ones were good too. They were sooo good! A plate of pierogies for less than $3, how can you go wrong? I ate a lot of pierogies when I could because they were cheap. Other than that, I ate sandwiches, pizza, pasta, whatever I could find that wasn't too expensive. The Polish beer Zywiec (pronoucned shiv-yetz) tasted good too.

I went into a lot of Churches since Warsaw is littered with them. None of them really "wowed" me but then again I'm not too keen on understanding what is impressive architecture, design, etc. I just liked going in them to see the stained glass, the various paintings, or to go in and think about things. I went to a Polish Mass on All Saints Day (a holiday which proved to be a bane since most stores were closed and all Museums). I understood mostly where I was in the Mass, but of course I didn't follow the language. And with the readings and homily, I had no idea what was going on. Haha. But it was a good experience I suppose. I think the church was dedicated to JPII, or maybe just because it was All Saints Day that there was a picture of him on a wall in the church. I don't know.

The greatest thing about Warsaw was that walking and seeing the people there made me think of home. I could see my mother's side of the family in these people. In their faces, I saw my mother, aunts and uncles, distant cousins, and so on. In essence, I felt that I could transport my whole family to this country and they would fit right in, with each person performing his/her perspective role in Warsaw. It is quite fascinating to me and I hope I am conveying what I mean to say here. I guess when I now look at my family, I will be able to see the Polish in them more definitively.

I have seen Warsaw. Now to Krakow and beyond...family, when are we going?