Warsaw

After a night drinking coffee at the train station, we arrived at the B&B to be met by Jarek, a laid back character who showed us to our (beautiful) room and invited us for some breakfast. We were so tired, but the idea of breakfast was too tempting, so we headed to the dining room. A couple of people were sat around a huge dining table, chatting, drinking fresh coffee, and enjoying the delicious spread. We spoke to a couple of Polish Americans, who had a lot to say about the economy, politics, air travel etc. I hadn’t expected breakfast to be so full on. I was in my pajamas! After eating even more quickly than usual, we went to bed and slept until midday (or 3). We walked around the neighborhood, but the lack of sleep the night before had really taken its toll, so we got some wine and spent the night relaxing in the room.

The next morning we were up bright and early, ready to explore the city. After another politically charged discussion at breakfast; this time about Cuba (in which the Cuban woman sat at the table started to cry), the cost of clothes in the US, and the upcoming US election, we were more than ready to get out and about. They say no politics in the bar. I’m extending that rule to the B&B breakfast table. Those topics are just too heavy first thing in the morning. What’s wrong with just talking about the weather?

We started by walking up Szlak Krolewski (Royal Way). This is a 4km road that connects the Old Town with the modern city centre. Along this road are some amazing churches, statues, and buildings. It was an excellent way to start the day. The Old Town was completely destroyed during WWII. All of the buildings were rebuilt after the war. Apparently, it took about 20 years to rebuild everything. It’s absolutely beautiful. After walking around the streets and exploring the Royal Castle, we had some lunch and decided to jump on a tram and go to the Warsaw Rising Museum. I’m so glad we decided to go there; it is the best museum I have ever been to. It commemorates Warsaw’s insurrection against the Nazi occupiers in WWII. It has interactive displays, photographs, and film clips. It’s really informative. I’d definitely recommend it.

We spent the night packing and organizing what we were going to do when we got to our next destination, Krakow.