War(saw): What's it good for?
I've been whining and complaining a lot lately about feeling lonely on the road, but yesterday reminded me that I don't mind having days to myself as long as I have someone to hang out with at night. I spent a day alone in Warsaw and had a blast. Not a bit of loneliness or unhappiness because I knew I had plans that evening and the evening before. Fair enough.
A's stepfather drove me to the city center in the late morning and I saw just about everything I could without going inside anywhere. All the museums were closed for Monday (who knew?) so I couldn't go inside the castle, or the National Museum or the Chopin Museum. Which I guess was fine...because I got to see the statue honoring Copernicus (one of my favorite historical figures -- what a great idea!)
It seems that Warsaw was completely flattened in 1944 when the Germans put down the Polish uprising so all of the historical buildings are actually reconstructions. The people of Warsaw seem also preoccupied (understandably) with the fact that their city was reduced to rubbish and rebuilt all within the last 60 years. Whenever you ask about a place, the answer recieved amounts to "well, you know, this was totally destroyed by the Germans, but now..."
I went to a mall so as to find the "big" American bookstore" and was surprised at how nice it was. Nicer than most malls I know in the U.S. (especially the ones in Durham.) Unfortunately, when I tried to take a few pictures of it, a security guard ran up to me and me stop. I guess indoor photography is prohibited inside malls. Why? I have no idea.
For dinner, I met up with Alice and I ate a big piece of pork on a bone (supposedly the Polish "macho" food analogous to a steak in America) with potatoes, cabbage and horseradish. We walked around town trying to find something social to do, but on Monday everything was closed or barely occupied. Bars and museums not happening on Monday?
A's stepfather drove me to the city center in the late morning and I saw just about everything I could without going inside anywhere. All the museums were closed for Monday (who knew?) so I couldn't go inside the castle, or the National Museum or the Chopin Museum. Which I guess was fine...because I got to see the statue honoring Copernicus (one of my favorite historical figures -- what a great idea!)
It seems that Warsaw was completely flattened in 1944 when the Germans put down the Polish uprising so all of the historical buildings are actually reconstructions. The people of Warsaw seem also preoccupied (understandably) with the fact that their city was reduced to rubbish and rebuilt all within the last 60 years. Whenever you ask about a place, the answer recieved amounts to "well, you know, this was totally destroyed by the Germans, but now..."
I went to a mall so as to find the "big" American bookstore" and was surprised at how nice it was. Nicer than most malls I know in the U.S. (especially the ones in Durham.) Unfortunately, when I tried to take a few pictures of it, a security guard ran up to me and me stop. I guess indoor photography is prohibited inside malls. Why? I have no idea.
For dinner, I met up with Alice and I ate a big piece of pork on a bone (supposedly the Polish "macho" food analogous to a steak in America) with potatoes, cabbage and horseradish. We walked around town trying to find something social to do, but on Monday everything was closed or barely occupied. Bars and museums not happening on Monday?
posted by Jed at 6:17 AM
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