Warsaw

Here's me in my posh hotel - The Sheraton! Might as well enjoy the tour cos I could never afford to stay here normally!


Had a bit of an easy day today. I chose not to go on two of the optional extras, but we did have an orientation tour of the town which was good.

Charles De Gualle Roundabout and the Palm Tree

So the day started about 10.30am. We had a different bus and a different driver today, because our normal driver Alex, must have a day off. The regulations are very strict about all that sort of stuff. He is only allowed to drive a certain amount of hours, and must have prescribed rest breaks. There is some sort of computer built into the bus which even tells how fast he was driving, so the police can check on him for lots of things.

Statue of Copernicus

Our first stop was Lazienki Park where there is a massive statue of Chopin. He apparently was born here, but later had to move and his music was banned during the German Occupation because it was seen to be rebellious and nationalistic. Obviously the Poles love him. He could not return to Poland for political reasons, but when he died, they buried his heart in one of the pillars in one of the Churches here (there is a Church on every street corner.... bit like the pubs in Ireland!)

Staue devoted to Chopin in park

We had our tour photo taken in that park - beautiful place.

Our local was telling guide was telling us about the history of Poland. It is a country that has continually been divided up to the surrounding powers - in particular Germany and Russia. It's hard for us in Australia to realise the impact of the many wars over here. For a long time, Poland just didn't exist. It finally was reclaimed as a country after WW1, but then the Nazis invaded Poland in WWII and once again it became occupied. Warsaw was almost totally destroyed during WWII, but it was patiently rebuilt after the war, in the same style as it was before it was destroyed.


Our guide told us about the Polish uprising in August 1944, during which the Polish people tried to reclaim their land. Inevitably they lost the battle (and 200,000 lives in the process), but Hitler was so annoyed that before he retreated from Poland he virtually blew up every building in sight.

Restored buildings

We also went to see where the Warsaw Ghetto once stood - the place into which the Polish Jews were herded to keep them away from the general population. There was a very big funeral on there today - apparently the last of the survivors of the Ghetto died this week, and there was a massive Public funeral.

Memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto

Later on we went to the Old Town Square which had been reconstructed after the War. As in Krakow it was a charming cobblestone square surrounded by cafes and little shops. I've discovered one of the traditional Polish dishes here, Pierogi. I'm not sure that i'Ve ever seen them in Australia, but the Americans on the tour are very familiar with them. They are like a pastry dumpling with a variety of fillings. I had some filled with meat today, and they were lovely, but filled tthe stomach right up!

Warsaw Old Town Square

Then I walked back to the hotel ( about 2km) along the main street and it was good just to feel the life of the city. Like everywhere else there were statues and Churches and Presidential Palaces. It's good just to see them as you pass.

So it was a nice easy day for me. Going down now to have a beer before dinner. The Internet access has been great so far. It's free in the lobby of each hotel so far, so I hope that keeps up. Otherwise these blog posts might not be quite so frequent. Thanks to the people who respond with comments and emails. Love to hear from you all.