Warsaw, I am leaving!

For a place I didn't intend to visit, I have spent a lot of time in Warsaw. The sightseeing was mostly accidental but I was really there for the hugs and vodka. Here are some pics from another wild weekend in the city.

Love the vodka. This time I drank like a Pole – 10 shots down and I danced the whole night away, and managed to walk home in a (more or less) straight line. And Paulina managed not to break another bone!

Seems we weren't the only ones who had a big Friday night. At 5am the metro was packed with people on their way home from a party.

On a walkabout through the streets, we watched how candy is made, and joined hundreds of people on a brassy hill to watch the (slightly disappointing) evening light and fountain show.


A few of us went climbing somewhere in the countryside. I have no idea how to say the name of the place and very little idea of where we were, but the climbing was as it should be: a little scary, fulfilling and hot in the sun.




And since Paulina can't climb with her broken arm, we had a hooping extravaganza at the base of the rocks too!

It was wonderful having an easy weekend with the lovely Paulina and her friends. But Warsaw is bad for me and my rush to get to the beach so being the loyal Polskibus customer I have become I booked the 99zl (about R200) ticket to Prague, said my goodbyes and drove off into the night. I'll probably be back, but hopefully not too soon!

Angloville

I've just spent the last week in the Polish countryside near the Belarus border at Angloville, a language immersion course for Polish people to improve their English. The idea is that the participants come together with English first language speakers and spend five days speaking only English. The programme is intensive and there is a lot of talking, but it was an interesting way to get to know people – locals and a bunch of foreigners. People really do have interesting stories to tell.

Days were tightly organised and we had about five one-to-one sessions each day where Polish participants and native speakers spent an hour chatting. There were also group activities and a games evening organised by some of the native speakers. My roommate, Sarah from Cambridge, and I organised one entertainment evening and we played a letter game and a charades-type game. It was funny to play kiddie games with adults, but we all got into it and there were many laughs.


The resort we stayed at was along the river and provided huge buffet meals.

Campfire and much beer local on the last night.



Pretty Polish countryside.

A month or so of couches

I've been on the road for just over a month now and haven't yet paid for a place to sleep. Between visiting friends and couchsurfing I've always found a place to sleep with good company to boot! Here are some of the places I've laid my weary head at night…

Bed 2 in Budapest, Hungary was a wide and comfortable couch owed by Joacim, a Swedish guy living in the city.

This couch in Krakow, Poland was in a cluttered apartment that smelt of cat. That, and the rain, made me move on quickly.

Paulina's couch became my home a few times on my accidental weekends in Warsaw, Poalnd. Thew view of the leafy treetop was a pleasure to see each sunny morning (or afternoon after all that partying).

In Prague, Czech Republic I slept in the kitchen of a student apartment. I was usually the first one up so it was no hassle.

My bed in Vienna, Austria was a welcome sight after each long day, and the view over the park towards the ridge in the north of the city was beautiful.

Warsaw wanderings

A mermaid bearing a sword and a shield is the symbol of Warsaw. The story goes that two mermaids tired of life in the ocean and swam up the river. One mermaid headed for Denmark and the other swam up the Vistula River. Soon fisherman noticed that someone was letting the fish out of their nets and decided to catch the culprit. They didn't expect to find a beautiful mermaid.

 However, a merchant imprisoned her to show her off at fairs for his profit. Luckily, the mermaid was rescued by a handsome fisherman's son and since then vowed to protect the city and its citizens. Read here for a fuller version of the story.
This statue stands in the Old Town square, but other versions decorate bridges, walls and parks around the city. Special statues have also been erected for the Euro championship.

The Old Town is what remains of historical Warsaw and is tourist attraction, full of cafes, quirky bars and restaurants and shops.

Marie Curie was also born in a house in this quarter. I like the wall art immortalising her work.

The Old Town is also home to a large number of beautiful churches, and their pious inhabitants.

At night there is a light show at these fountains below the Old Town. I didn't see the show, but did enjoy the spatter from the spurting jets after a cycle around the city.

Spot the tourist!

Euro 2012 adds another dimension to being a visitor to Poland, and Varsovians and fans alike are in the full swing of football fever. This fan zone is beneath the Cultural Centre in central Warsaw. The Abba cover band were awful though!


Even the city's statues are rooting for their team!


The best thing about being in Poland now is strawberry season. They are juicy and sweet and delicious and cheap. Paulina bought 1kg for 8 zolt (R16).

They're a perfect end to a Polish breakfast: a selection of breads, cheeses, meats, lettuce, radish, mustard and strong, dark tea.

My last stop in Warsaw was the Copernicus Science Center – proof that science is fun. What a museum! We all ran from exhibit to exhibit enjoying the interactive and playful show and tells.

Deconstructed Christmas tree

This weekend I was burdened with one of my least favorite tasks ever: taking down the Christmas tree. So to make three hours of sitting on the floor wrapping ornaments in tissue paper a little more bearable, I had an iPhone photo shoot with my little friends while I put them away until next year.