Warsaw, Poland – 9-12 August 2012

When trying to decide where to go for this trip I had a really hard time – Poland definitely wasn't my first, or even second choice, but here I am in the first class (yes that’s right first class) lounge in Singapore waiting for my flight to London where I have two hours before flying to Warsaw. I thankfully got upgraded to business class (my points) which is going to make the flight to London so much better. Qantas decided to kick start my holiday nice and early by sending me a text at 12.20am on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 a good 23 hours before my flight.

So yes I'm off to Poland - Warsaw and Krakow.

I’ve had interesting reactions when telling people where I'm going - some look at me as if I have two heads, some say they've always wanted to visit and others rave about the place. I'm going not knowing a great deal about the country but know when I leave it will be a different situation.

After a bloody long flight (yes I know it's my choice...) we land into London at the lovely hour of 5.20am (yes again my choice). It's a tropical 14 degrees - I'm left wondering if perhaps the pilots got lost and I'm in Antarctic????!

Thankfully I got a few hours’ sleep, aided by my business class seat and half a sleeping pill so I wasn't the walking dead when I got off the plane. I was amazed at how many of the shops in Terminal 3 were already open. No time for shopping for me - shower and breakfast was calling. 

As soon as I step foot onto my next flight (London to Warsaw, August 9) I'm hit with the head - look at that within a couple of hours I've gone from Antarctic right back to Singapore.  Bloody hell the a/c needs to be cranked up and quickly. Not to be as there is a problem with the planes power, which once we are close to take off (when the engines are going) we should then be "cooler".

I breeze through Warsaw immigration although I feel the lady was a little mad with me as she had to get out her stamp - everyone else in front of me clearly had an EU passport so a glance was all that was needed.

Bags collected, bus ticket brought now the waiting begins. There's a timetable but who knows how reliable it is..... How wrong I am - the bus pulls up dead on time. Given Poland borders Germany I'm hoping the German time keeping has feed through to everything not just this bus!!

35 minutes later I get to my stop, for the last 10 minutes of my journey I have an old woman sitting next to me who is chatting away to me - absolutely NO idea what she is saying but I'm assuming she is trying to help me work out where we are on the map and how long to go. She got off one stop before me and in English tells me I have one stop to go. I feel so embarrassed that I can't even say thank you in Polish.

I decided to head out for a run - help me to stay awake and see some of Poland. It was sunny when I started and towards the end the heavens opened, just slightly but enough for me to pick up my speed. Not easy when you are running up hill!!!! As soon as I walked indoors the rain really came down......and I realize I didn't bring an umbrella. Buggar

Thankfully when I venture out its bright sunshine - let’s hope it stays this way. First stop was food, so many options to decide from.  

From here I walked towards the Old Town admiring the amazing buildings. How I love and miss being in Europe! The Old Square is as I would have expected lots and lots of restaurants in the middle with souvenir shops surrounding the outer buildings.

Wondering down the small cobble stone streets I come across a couple of Churches, St John's Cathedral and St Martin's Church. Both so different yet amazing in their own way. Am thinking I'll be visiting a number of Churches during my time in Poland - if anything it's good to rest my feet :)

I had been told a must see was the Royal Palace so off I headed. Now I'm not big on museums and the fact it's around midnight Singapore time and it's hot inside I basically run from room to room. If I don't get out soon I'll need to lay down and have a wee nap. Not exactly appropriate here Sarah!!!!

After more wondering around the Old Town I decide to head back in the direction of my hotel. Haven't got very far when I decide to go into St Anne's Church – another amazing Church which has been around for many a year.

It's a beautiful evening with lots of people sitting drinking and eating. I'm worried that if I do that now (6pm) I'll be asleep by 8pm. Time to keep walking!

I don't exactly venture far for dinner - will save that for tomorrow and Saturday nights. I find a brew house within a stone’s throw of the hotel and nearly pass out at the costs, SOOO much cheaper than in Singapore!! Brilliant. 

Observations from today - there are a large number of ice-cream shops; it seems like every second person smokes; when it rains it's like Asia...for a short time when dries up completely; fashion is bright colours all mixed up (not my style!); there are police everywhere with guns the length of my legs (BIG).

I wake at silly o'clock on Friday, August 10 (how I love jetlag), after catching up on the world news I head out for a run. Am nearly knocked backwards when I step outside....it's a cool 16 degrees. Time to get my run on!!  Given the crazy time of the morning I basically have the streets to myself.

I have a leisurely breakfast, no need to rush as places won't be opening for another hour or so.

My first thing to do today is go and buy my train tickets to/from Krakow. Thankfully there is a Polish lady in line behind me who lives in the US - I'm so very grateful for this when I get to the counter and the lady doesn't speak English. Phew! It's not even 11am and all of the trains to Krakow today at full, glad I'm buying my tickets in advance.

I visit Fotoplastikon which is a large rotating drum set with individual eyepieces displaying 3D photos from the 17th to 19th century. Amazing to see, although the majority is about the war.

From here I master the underground walkways again and have a brief look on what I believe is a semi new shopping mall. I locate a supermarket and of course have to enter (it goes back to the small supermarkets I had to put up with when I lived in NYC). The alcohol section is great and ooh so cheap (compared with Singapore).  I've never seen so many spirits (vodka) on display.

I'd got some directions from the information centre at the train station to get to the Warsaw Rising Museum but wanted to walk - although half way there I'm definitely regretting this!!! A bathroom is needed followed very tightly behind in second place is food. There are of course neither choices available....so I pick up my pace.

The Warsaw Rising Museum is packed - and with the huge amount of information to read it's not entirely easy getting around without bumping into people. Thankfully the majority of the material is in both English and Polish so I get a sense of what people faced during the war. At one point there is a film with personal accounts of those who survived. Another film shows life does go on as a couple get married.  I leave feeling ever so grateful I was born and raised in the 20th century in New Zealand where thankfully there was no war.

The need for food is now very very high, but given I had seen nothing walking to the museum I decide to take a different route. The first place I come to is a Polish noodle restaurant with a menu on the big blackboard, I understand nothing which is far from helpful - the English menu I'm provided with sheds a lot for me!!!

I had been told of a famous hot chocolate shop so decide to head off in that direction. I’d been walking for km's and with my run this morning decided to treat myself. This would have worked out if I could locate it....not to be today so instead I return to the hotel to rest my legs.

Finding motivation to go out again is tough but I know if I don't go out I'll end up sleeping early then waking again before 5.30am which isn't ideal!!  Plus I have vodka to drink :)

After warming myself up with a hot chocolate it's now time to warm myself with a vodka. I'd been recommended a restaurant by a friend and was thrilled to know it’s within a stone’s throw of my hotel.....perfect for the trip home! It's a strange building with what I would call "small kitchens everywhere". I don't have the best seat in the house but the smells are great, along with my shot of vodka!

After having my first mouthful I'm definitely warm - I can totally see why everyone here drinks it! I order the house specialty steak tartare, which they make in front of you and veal escalope in a tomato sauce. If this doesn't help me sleep who knows what will!

I really want to take a photo of my steak tartare guy but do not think it will be appropriate in this restaurant, by looking around I'm the only foreigner. Which of course is great!

The steak tartare is melt in your mouth delicious - by far the best I have ever had...and this is not the vodka speaking :)

I came at the right time as the restaurant is now chockablock, always an excellent sign.

For my main I've ordered another vodka and veal escalope in a tomato sauce....might need to run it off by running to Krakow tomorrow (approximately 300 km's away)!

My meal arrives similar to the preparation of the steak tartare, on a trolley table in the pots they were cooked in. I have veal escalope in a tomato sauce, sautéed carrots and local noodles (which I'm told are healthy). It looks and smells amazing. Time to mangia.

When my plate was cleared I was asked if I wanted dessert, absolutely not!! There is no room left at the inn. A few minutes later my waiter arrives and informs me he is sad I don't want dessert....whatever.

Observations from today - you do not cross the road until the green man tells you too; cars DO NOT wait for pedestrian when they are crossing the road (at the crossing); fashion is anything goes and typically a lot of bright colours in one outfit; the majority of Polish (in Warsaw) can speak English.

Saturday August 11 I wake even earlier than yesterday - how can this be when I went to bed later and thought I'd had enough vodka to keep me sleeping to at least 6.30am. Not today.

After a run around the near deserted city it's time for breakfast and making my plan for the day.

I trace my steps from earlier this morning and head towards The Tomb of the Unknown Solider, which is guarded by two scary looking Polish soldiers! There is obviously something going on today given the volume of soldiers just hanging around.  Some laying on the grass others sitting on park benches with the gun in hand like it’s a coffee!! Others walking around on their mobile phone. The majority of them have set their guns standing up like a tepee that I remember having as a child.

There are so many more people around today than the previous two days (of course it is the weekend), makes for interesting people watching.

I find myself back in the main square and enjoying taking it all in. In some ways I feel like I could be in one of the main squares in Lucca although not quite as big here it's still very impressive.

Given the large number of people around today I decide to take one last stroll around the Old Town before leaving - too many people for my likening.

I've now been for basically 3 days and have not tried one of the national treasures - dumplings. So for lunch a find a good place, order a beer and a set of Russian dumplings and I'm set. Unfortunately it starts to rain while I'm enjoying my lunch and I don't have an umbrella. Hmm more beer perhaps?? No I need to sleep past 5.30am tomorrow and as I'm already feeling sleepy I need a coffee to stay awake.

One of the perks of having your hotel in the middle of a lot of the "sights" is you get to return there many times during the day, I take shelter while it's raining. After a while I realize if I don't go outside I going fall sleep and that won't be helpful for me tomorrow morning! So I head off to visit the National Gallery of Art.

I have a small issue trying to get into the building until I spy a couple leaving - great I'm in!!! So much for staying awake, it's so warm in here. I'm sure I had my quickest visit ever to any museum/gallery, it's just too warm for me.  Time for a coffee.

There was a couple of other Churches I had wanted to visit, one I went into had just started a wedding ceremony. I had also seen other wedding parties/guests while wandering around, clearly a good time to get married.

I decided to try to go out late to eat tonight on the hope I would be able to stay up later than the previous two nights. The doorman recommended a place (which I had walked past numerous times and always thought of going in) which was perfect - beer, chicken soup and salad. Just what the doctor ordered.  And the huge positive was I left the restaurant after 9pm :)

Observations from today - if the sky is dark make sure you take an umbrella or poncho with you as it will rain; the police walk around in pairs chit chatting away; Polish people are thin....how do they stay this way with all the beer, vodka and hearty food??; whenever I asked for the bill I was always asked 'cash' or 'card'. Really not sure why it matters.

This morning (Sunday, August 12, 2012) I wake at 4.44am - I THINK NOT!  Thankfully I snooze for another 3 hours, it’s a rest day for most so I decide for me too for the running :)

After a leisurely breakfast I pack then head to train station. In typical Jordan fashion I arrive 45 minutes before my train departs.....really not necessary!! I manage to speak on broken English to a lady selling tickets and find out I have a reserved seat - brilliant, means I'm not trying to find one along with everyone else.

I've had a lovely time in Warsaw, definitely a city with a huge amount of history and one I would be happy to return to (as well as recommend). Krakow here I come!