With two cities under our belts, we took a short flight from
Riga to Warsaw in Poland. Having never been to Poland before I was uncertain
about what to expect from the country and its capital. Would it be like Latvia
or Estonia, or would it be more Westernised? My question was soon answered, along with the discovery of what is now one of my favourite cities.
To answer the question I posed myself first, we traveled west in more ways than one. From the seclusion of Latvia we were thrust into a new world - new, but familiar. The shops and companies that I hadn't seen for a week and a half were suddenly all I saw, with the most vast shopping centres I've ever seen around almost every corner. We dined in KFC and bought coffee from Costa - it was like we were home again. Warsaw is west.
Our host in Riga had told us what he thought about the city: too big and too American. This pessimism, however, only excited me as I pined for a bigger city with taller buildings and more traffic. Warsaw provided that, and then some. The city is massive. The buildings are massive. The roads are packed. I love it.
Warsaw, as with our first two stops, boasts an attractive Old Town which was been painstakingly rebuilt following the Second World War. As a result, the old style buildings have a distinctly new sheen to them - a sheen that provides more character than you would expect. The rebuild of this part of the city stands as a testament to the Polish people over the last century, and it is something that should be cherished and admired in equal measure.
Just down from the Old Town is the most wonderful fountain I've ever seen. We spent about an hour there in the afternoon of our second day and we were mesmerised as water was popped, twisted and rolled from the jets. We resolved to return that evening when it was dark and we were treated to an dazzling show, a short taste of which you can get from this video. My friend was not to be heartbroken.
Once you have 'done' the old part of the city and the riverside (where the fountain is), you are left with a whole city to explore. The newer part is where you'll find skyscrapers and the stunning Palace of Culture and Science which was commissioned by Stalin but now houses a cinema, a conference centre and lots of investment companies - Warsaw gets the last laugh on this one.
Another highlight is Łazienki Park in the south of the city which is home to some wonderful buildings and vistas. If you're in to wildlife then this is also the park for you - personally I was not overly fond of the confidence of the red squirrels! Hours could be spend wondering around this leafy and peaceful part of an otherwise manic and bustling city - definitely a place I'll return to.
I made a decision before this trip that I was not going to pass judgment on cities too quickly. I didn't need a lot of convincing about Tallinn and I gave Riga the chance that it ultimately deserved. However, when it came to Warsaw I decided almost before I got out of the taxi we took from the airport that this was my kind of place. Incomparable to anything back at home and vastly removed from my brief encounters with the Baltics, Warsaw was the big European city that I have been longing for.
It calls me back already. Soon Warsaw, soon.
Thanks for reading and keep your eyes peeled for more of these posts over the coming week. I'm sitting in a rather rainy Zagreb at the moment and head back home tomorrow. I'm also hoping to include pictures in the rest of the posts but I've just not sorted through them yet. You'll see my favourites eventually, be sure of that.
Martin
Once you have 'done' the old part of the city and the riverside (where the fountain is), you are left with a whole city to explore. The newer part is where you'll find skyscrapers and the stunning Palace of Culture and Science which was commissioned by Stalin but now houses a cinema, a conference centre and lots of investment companies - Warsaw gets the last laugh on this one.
Another highlight is Łazienki Park in the south of the city which is home to some wonderful buildings and vistas. If you're in to wildlife then this is also the park for you - personally I was not overly fond of the confidence of the red squirrels! Hours could be spend wondering around this leafy and peaceful part of an otherwise manic and bustling city - definitely a place I'll return to.
I made a decision before this trip that I was not going to pass judgment on cities too quickly. I didn't need a lot of convincing about Tallinn and I gave Riga the chance that it ultimately deserved. However, when it came to Warsaw I decided almost before I got out of the taxi we took from the airport that this was my kind of place. Incomparable to anything back at home and vastly removed from my brief encounters with the Baltics, Warsaw was the big European city that I have been longing for.
It calls me back already. Soon Warsaw, soon.
Thanks for reading and keep your eyes peeled for more of these posts over the coming week. I'm sitting in a rather rainy Zagreb at the moment and head back home tomorrow. I'm also hoping to include pictures in the rest of the posts but I've just not sorted through them yet. You'll see my favourites eventually, be sure of that.
Martin