Poland: Warsaw

The Polish countryside is quite beautiful - a mix of farmland and forests.  My train arrived in Warsaw mid-day.   The first thing you see when you leave the train station is the Palace of Culture in Science - a gift for the people of Warsaw from the USSR. When it was built in the 50s, it was then second tallest building in Europe! It's still very controversial, people either love it or hate it.

Palace of Culture and Science

Travel is rapidly becoming easier, what with iPods and phones that can log on to the internet any where and the widespread use of wifi hotspots.  It's kind of depressing, but my first meal in Europe was at a McDonalds because they had free wifi!  Once I got to Warsaw, I found some free internet and located a hostel that had an opening for that night.

I set out to explore the city on foot, which only took a few hours.  The city was devastated during WWII, so much of the beautiful old buildings were destroyed.  The Old Town area, however, was rebuilt, and there is a beautiful town square.  My hostel was right across the street from the Frédéric Chopin Museum.  The Poles love Chopin - he lived most of his life in France I believe, but was born in Poland and used a lot of folk influences in his piano compositions.

The Frédéric Chopin Museum.

I went for a walk down the Krakowskie Przedmiescie - the main street in Warsaw, with many buildings restored after the war.  Lined with churches, palaces, and the beautiful facade of the University of Warsaw, this is quite a lovely street.  

Statue of Nicholas Copernicus, the famous Polish astronomer.

 The main street: Krakowskie Przedmiescie.

One of many churches on the Krakowskie Przedmiescie.

View of Zygmunt's Column, where the Krakowskie Przedmiescie ends at the Plac Zamkowy (plaza).

At the end of the Krakowskie Przedmiescie is the Plac Zamkowy, the plaza in front of the Royal Castle.  The Castle is unusual in that it was once both the home of the Polish Royal Family and the seat of Parliament at the same time.  King Zygmunt's Column stands at the centre of the square, sword in hand, ready to pounce on invaders.

Royal Castle in Plac Zamkowy

Zygmunt's Column at twilight.

From Plac Zamkowy, I wandered along the narrow streets to the Old Town Square.  These seem to be a feature of most old cities and towns, lined with beautiful old townhouses, palaces and churches, and covered with outdoor cafés and restaurants.  It is quite lively into the evening, with live music and beautifully illuminated buildings.

Old Town Square.

Old homes on a narrow street.  This picture is one of my favourites.