Warsaw - On My Own For Two Days

I struggled with deciding on the approach that I would follow in documenting my trip through Poland. Following a diary approach would have interspersed site visits with history with food experiences with people and events. Dividing the trip into people, places and things would have disrupted the continuity of what I experienced as I traveled throughout this lovely country. My approach was to weave the beauty of the city/towns/villages with its venerable sites while complementing the latter with personal experiences through the use of pictures. Yes…you will see lovely Cathedrals. Yes…you will see rebuilt cities/towns/villages. Yes…you will accompany me through history as I visit museums. Yes….you will see Poland’s country side and ride down a river on a raft. Yes…you will meet people and see us enjoy numerous Polish delicacies. Yes…you will meet beautiful Poland!!

Warsaw – Poland’s Capital City

Independent Exploration

Our StayPoland tour would only be spending one day and two nights in Warsaw visiting the major tourist attractions in the city. I arrived in Warsaw two days prior to the beginning of the StayPoland tour to visit sites no included in the tour and  visit parts of the city that are not frequently visited b tourist.  wanted to see more of the city so

Rather than staying at an expensive hotel, I found a lovely small apartment located near the city’s subway and bus stations. The apartment had a small living area, kitchenette, bedroom and en-suite bathroom….lovely and inexpensive at $55 per night. Anyone over the age of 60 years can use all public transportation at no cost.

Apartment Pictures

The first thing I did was to book a Viator tour that explored a variety of off-beat sites related to Soviet occupation and World War II history.  Our conveyance for the tours was a Russian made Volkswagen styled van – uncomfortable and with no A/C – what would you expect.

Pictures car and driver

We began by traveling through various residential areas viewing aging historical markers related to Nazi and Soviet occupation. A large residential  area that covers the remains of a Jewish Ghetto,  symbolic markers depicting a bridge that spanned a walkway from one ghetto area to another, street signs depicting Warsaw’s march to freedom, and Stalin’s iconic building which is now surrounded by capitalistic  structures including the Hard Rock Café!

Next we visited Warsaw’s major Jewish cemetery whose history goes back centuries. The ancient grave markers shrouded by a canopy of aged trees provided a serene setting for the thousands of resting souls.

Across the Vistula River is Warsaw’s less attractive high-residence that is home to an unusual small museum; a 1950s-60s Soviet apartment occupied by time period furnishings and a robust gentleman dressed as a Soviet military officer. It was a trip back in time where we watched entertainment videos, read time period newspapers/ magazines translated into English and topped off by a Russian vodka toast - "vashe zdorovie,"

Day 2 allowed me to explore Warsaw on my own. Located near my apartment was the city’s Portrait museum which featured a display of religious items; beautiful paintings on canvas/wood, magnificent carved religious icons, gold and silver relics and vestments. As you can see from the following pictures, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and beauty it is!

Also in residence at the museum was a display of paintings by Josef Brandt, one of Poland’s premiere painters. The man was a prolific painter creating huge paintings that detailed major battle scenes of the Battle of Vienna (1687), exploits of King John Sobieski III against the Turkish Empire and numerous paintings of peasants/soldier/countryside – absolutely stunning.

In order to facilitate my demanding schedule, I needed to fortify by inner furnace with Polish delicacies that included delicious pastries, perogi,  sausages, golumbki, and mushroom soup…..complemented by various Polish liquid refreshments.