Chinese New Year is a time of travel headaches. All my neighbours and those across the border seem to want to squeeze into Japan, Korea, and Taiwan even if it meant sleeping the street. Perhaps they didn't realize flying long-haul to Europe would cost about the same as a short haul of 4 hours.
I decided to go for something different, interesting, yet value for money. Poland was the answer. Finnair was a bit perplexed why I booked this trip just a few days before departure. Do I look like a black market labourer?
A new train line takes arriving tourists to the city in less than 20 minutes at the wonderful cost of about 1 euro. Great start!
I was not expecting so many infrastructure improvements. There were new trams, a new subway line, and getting around was quite easy.
The old Warsaw is slowly being transformed and brought into the 21st century. There are new glassy skyscrapers going up but big empty lots and short residentials still fill the gaps in between. It is not the typical commercial city centre as I've seen elsewhere in Europe.
Although it was still the heart of winter, temperatures were not too bad and it was a comfortable stroll with hat and gloves on.
Krakowskie is the beautiful shopping street that leads out of the Old Town. With big sidewalks and a wide variety of shops, cafes, and restaurants, it is a comfortable stroll to enjoy the architecture on both sides of the street. I was only interested in the supermarket ...
... and this place. The guidebook recommended donuts. With orange bits on top and rose cream jelly inside, it was a heavenly and worthwhile consumption of about 1 euro.
your ride into town reminded me of mine on the shiny new-ish brt that takes you to and from the airport in mexico city. it was just me and a guy with a machine gun.
Lazienki Palace - the palace on the isle has been renovated. Arriving early in the morning shortly after opening, I had most of the rooms all to myself.
Zachodnia (West) station has been renovated and looks quite good. The waiting room is small but they need to improve the track areas as well and bring them up to the 21st century.
Milk bars are a great place to get cheap food designed to nourish the masses. The decor is simple and the food is sufficient to fill up.
Across the river in run-down Praga, there is a small museum in a factory building that showcases life under communism.
Stalin gave this giant 231m landmark to Warsaw after World War II. Thanks to the work of 3500 Soviet workmen, it stood in contrast to the ruin left by the Nazis.
thanks for the update. i was kvetching this week about how i miss regularly going to Poland, and not just because everyone pronounces my name correctly there
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"The vapors! The fainting couch! Those heartless elitists are burning down the plantation with their logic and arithmetic!"
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