Days 96 to 98 May 21st to 23rd 2017
Photographs from Our Time in Warsaw
Setting out for the train which would take us from Berlin to Warsaw we decided to forget the first piece of the ticket which left from the Hauptbahnhof and head straight to the main train exit Lichtenberg. Expecting to find a buzzing and busy station we were confronted with a simple station with little signage and even less English. Finding any information was difficult and when even the ticketing person looked concerned – we were worried. Eventually Platform 16 we are told. On platform 16 there is an air of a station not used. We wander and find a woman in a booth centre platform with a chain across the door. She reassures us this is the platform.
We later surmise this is East (exampled by Lichtenberg) vs West (the flashy Hauptbahnhof.
On to Warsaw without event till our arrival. Excellent instructions from our host about tram and stop – but which side, and which way. With tooing and froing and heavy packs things get a bit tetchy until Chris notices trams going past in another direction. Success. We make it to our first ever Couchsurfing experience in a lovely suburb of Warsaw.
This began two wonderful nights – our host was an interesting, fun, extensively travelled Polish man. Could not have asked for a better first time experience. While he was at work during the day we targetted the key things we wanted to see armed with instructions of how to get to each from our host.
The first set of instructions we did not follow consequently we did end up a little lost. Along the way we had stopped at a memorial in the middle of a footpath. As we puzzled over it an older man stopped and explained the memorial (to a group of Polish citizens killed by the Gestapo in retaliation). A wonderful extended conversation about our lives ensued and we wandered off reminding ourselves of the joys of travel and hearing the stories of others.
First Stop Warsaw Uprising museum – what a museum. Each stage had small dated pages (like those of a desk calendar) with information of events at that time you could collect and read. Along the way were photographs and memorabilia creating the story of the people. On entering a screened off area you found yourself in a recreated sewer tunnel used to move through Warsaw.
At one point I had to leave and sit outside for a time. I noticed several young people coming out with tear streamed faces. It was powerful.
After this a bit of air and excercise and time to talk about our experience. A wander through the Old town – while looking authentic it had been faithfully rebuilt after the war using old plans, photographs and recollections.
Before the next museum we stopped for Pierogi – a Eastern European dumpling for lunch at a busy, pleasant tourist restaurant in the old town. Followed by a pleasant 1km or so walk to the History of Polish Jews Museum
A relatively new museum stunning in its stark design and display. Over 1000 years of history of the Jewish people presented in inventive interactive ways. Finding ourselves 3 hours in and still barely to the 1900s and we were to meet our host.
Finally we had a wonderful social dinner with our Couchsurfing host at CMA (The Moth) opened by a well known young Chef. The restaurant is in Koszyki a renovated factory building. The building itself has won many awards with its original brick wall and striking metal roof structure. Such a balmy night we could sit outside in the busy courtyard.
Leaving in morning we put our new plan into practice – put all bags in locker go check out platforms. With extra time we also planned a visit to the Palace of Culture and Science – a building looking very like the Stalinist “Seven Sisters Buildings” in Moscow. So much so it is apparently known as the Eighth Sister. This time, unlike the Moscow Uni building we could go to the top. A quick lift ride surrounded by classes of school children and we were at the top under chandeliered domes and great city views.
On our way back to the station we came across a beautiful monument with a name – Janusz Korczak. As one can do in the digital world now a- take a photo and take note of the name. Later looking it up online it becomes a real and in this instance tear-filled story of a man who looked after the children. The photo below is the monument to Janusz Korczak
