Warsaw

August 22, 2013

When we were planning our trip to Poland, we tried to include people and places that would interest each of us and enrich the experience for everyone.   Father Symeon was most interested in visiting his large extended family, I hoped to venture to religious pilgrimage sites, and the kids were interested in touring castles, World War II sites, and thriving university towns.

This was a wonderful way to see the country and we saw a rich cross section of Poland as a result.  We began by flying into Warsaw where we stayed two nights in the iconic Hotel Bristol adjacent to the picturesque Old Town which was completely rebuilt following the war.   We ate pierogis, which are goodie-filled dumplings both steamed and fried, drank "bread juice" tea and sampled the local beer on our first day in town.  And we feasted on sumptuous breakfasts of cold cuts, hard cheeses, crispy bacon, local breads, eggs prepared in various ways, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, juices, and coffee.   It seems impossible to believe, but we didn't seem to gain any weight while we were there, and that is not a reflection of our liking of the food, but rather a tribute to the walking that we did all day and everyday our whole trip through!

We found the city to be sunny and hot by day and dreamy by night as the streets filled with people taking strolls in the cool evening air, enjoying a little outside time before going to bed.  We walked past huge old churches like St. Anne's which had been spared from damage during the war, past musical benches playing tunes by Chopin, along sidewalk containers of colorful flowers spilling over the sides, toward palaces and monuments and many restaurants with seating outside.  

And we were able to get around without too much difficulty as the city is well marked and clean and safe.  To our surprise, many people spoke English if asked, especially the twenty-somethings who learned it school.  Of course it didn't hurt to have a native Polish speaker with us, but I don't think it is necessary and anyone would find the people helpful and happy to have visitors from the U.S. in their midst.  In fact we often heard, "Tell all whom you know that Poland is a wonderful place to visit!"  (And granted, this could have been Father Symeon saying it over and over again...and indeed it was! But I think we heard it from his large family and from others too.)  And truly, we all agree!

For more information, visit their official website:  http://www.um.warszawa.pl/en