I manage to make it to Warsaw for 10.30. I was slightly less euphoric than I was on the train from Warsaw to Poznan, but a cabin to myself and a few DVD's get me through the morning crabbitness
I arrive in Warsaw and Kurwa!!!! Meaning "It's hot"
It is well over 30 degrees. It was like this yesterday too - it doesn;t seem like the best weather to complete my plans of speed walking round the city. Theres already sweat dripping off my back. But I continue on quite bouncily. I've chosen Dark side of the moon as my soundtrack. I don't really know why - I must have been in a contemplative mood, It let's me zone out and put the brain somewhere else for a little while.
The first sight I see is the palace of Culture and Science. This was a "Gift" to Warsaw from the Soviet Union. It is hated, and as a result has several nicknames; Stalin's Palace, The elephant in Lacy Underwear, Russian wedding cake:
It dominates the landscape in an area which is made up of skyscrapers and building sites. The country seems to be building everywhere - which I suppose is a good sign:
I walk along Swietokryska - a modern shopping street. I'm aiming for something called Ostrogski Palace, which houses the Chopin museum and is home to the Polish Chopin Society:
It's a kind of baroque palace, built upon red brick fortifications. Maybe next time I'll have the time to visit. I notice that at the bottom of the fortifications is a small dingey(i.e. Authentic) Irish Pub; Morgan's Iralandski Bar. I can't help thinking that Chopin would approve:
From here it's a straight climb up some stairs to the old city. Everyone is stiting basking in the sun, wondering why a pasty white scotsman is marching through the city with a sweaty shuch. I'm starting to get a bit fed up with uphill climbs, 30 degree heat, and financial buildings, when I get to add another famous Pole to my list:
Copernicus - how could I forget Copernicus. He's sitting waiting for me outside the Warsaw Science Society. For those who don't know, Copernicus was the first person to seriously postulate mathematically that the earth orbited the sun. The myth of Columbus discovering that earth was round is untrue. Intelligent people had known for years that the earth couldn't be round. The Poles say that Coprnicus stopped the sun and moved the Earth.
Copernicus was a priest and as a result knew that the idea that Earth was not the centre of God''s universe would not go down too well, so he kept his book De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium under wraps for most of his life
The Statue, which ironically I can't see for the sun, was removed by the Nazis and only put back when someone found it on a rubbish dump in Silesia.
Pink Floyd has finished now, and I fish out "August and everything after"(Counting Crows debut) for some relaxation:
I'm now fast approaching the Old town as I strut along to the funky bit in "Round here". It's important to realise that very little of the city was left standing in 1945.(Around 10%) Hitler ordered that no building should be left standing and all the inhabitants should be killed. So every "old" building is actually a recreation. I've never seen anything like it. There are gothic churches, old town houses, castles, the lot:
Life Sucks! You're carrying a heavy cross, wearing a crown of thorns, you have the burden of being the creator's son, and still you've got to stop and give tourists directions.
By the time I get to Radziwill Palace, I am in the heart of the old town - almost every building I can see looks older than 1945. Why couldn't other cities have done this. Rotterdam could have had a tourist industry! I'm not sure what difference it would have made to Clydebank and Coventry though.
Further down we have another statue of Adam Mickiewicz - without who Polish 19th century poetry just wouldn't do it for me:
You then round a corner and catch a vista of castle square at the new town - this is really amazing, completely recreated but looks so authentic:
The colours are similar to those in Poznan, I expected the recreations to look like and american theme park, but the little winding streets are completely genuine. Helping it look the part are little old nuns walking around everywhere.
On this Square is the castle:
The castle was restored by volunteers using money from Polish expats from all over the world. You get a real sense of respect for Polish national pride for banding together recreating everything as a gerridupye.
Outside the castle is a statue similar to nelson's column in London, except this is King Sigmund the third's column. The original shrapnel scarred column lies beside the castle as a reminder. I find this as fascinating as the recreations. I have this black and white picture in my head of the column crashing down amidst smoke and rubble and terror.
The most impressive restorations are in the town square:
A great town square; sunny, lots of people, terraces, restaurants. It's very like Poznan's Stary Rynek, or Brussels' Grand Place. At the north side is the piece of wall that's pre 1945:
On past the old square, I wander through little meandering streets and wonder if the deterioration is 60 years worth, or if it was built in.
Then I take a small detour to see Marie Curie's house.
Once out of the old town, I get to the Warsaw uprising Memorial:
In an attempt to establish Polish rule in Warsaw before Stalin's troops moved in, the Poles tried to liberate Warsaw ;themselves with an uprising against the Nazis in 1944. They expected, that despite the fact they were unarmed, that they could make it a week against the nazis and this would be enough time for the allied troops to come to their assistance. Using paving slabs as barricades and sewers as communication lines(See Monument) they took the centre.
The allies never arrived and Stalin halted his troops in Prague to ensure as little Polish resistance would be left when he moved in. After 63 days of fighting, they were beaten. Hitler out of fury ordered that no building or person should be left standing in Warsaw which was why the destruction of Warsaw was so widespread.
Maybe it's partly the romantic view of Scotland as the underdog that does it, but I have a tear in my eye as I read of the courage of these people fighting for their country and getting no support from anywhere.
By now I'm walking through the area that used to be the Jewish Ghetto, and I'm listening to Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden. I needed a pretty strong soundtrack to make it through the memories and scars of terror and atrocities:
I'm starting to feel really foot weary - the early start and the heat has knocked me for 6 - but I'm so glad I took the opportunity. I've managed to run through most of the major tourist attractions and get a reasonable feel for Warsaw.
I pass an Irish bar which offers homely warmth and a cold pint. I have to stand outside in the 30 degree heat for 5 minutes contemplating reasons for a pint being a good idea, but I know that if I do it could be a disaster as my flight is soon. I soldier on. How I can feel hard down to in Warsaw I don't know.
The four pillars at the top were all that was left of the royal palace in 1945. The tomb is constantly manned and the flame is constantly burning. It's quite sombre, and I feel a little bad taking a photo.
I decide I have time for one last adventure before I'm off to the international waters of air travel. I get a lift to the top of the Palace of Culture and science where I get a view all around Warsaw:
So I make it to the airport and realise how remote I am. There is no tourist shops. No fluffy Polish Cliches to buy. No equivalent of a Loch Ness Monster T-Shirt. I am determined not to go home empty handed, so despite not likeing vodka, I buy a very cheap bootle of Sobieski, before heading off:
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