Being from the USA really is awesome most of the time, but for many Americans, it can mean a deficit in geographical awareness. I realize some of us have more than a vague sense of what Europe looks like, and I'm not trying to out anyone, so for everyone's benefit, here is a map of Central Europe so we can all be more informed Americans.
My geographically-informed fiance brought me to Warsaw, Poland last week. While he presented at a Cold War conference and did some additional research in the Polish archives, I did what I do best... aimlessly wander around a city.
I have begun to realize how much I seriously LOVE walking around a novel city. Skip the subway, pass on the metro, forget the cab. Walking is the only real way to take in the true rhythm and unique energy of a new place. I have to say, Warsaw is not exactly beautiful. It is also highly possible that we got the worst weather week imaginable. It was cold, dreary, windy and rainy. But I wasn't going to let some gray skies stop me from learning Warsaw as best I could.
I also really think that Nike should consider sponsoring me. I bought a pair of Nike sneakers the first week we arrived in Germany. I got them because I had a feeling I was going to be doing a lot of walking and I didn't want to wear my good running shoes all the time. I figured I'd treat myself to some "fashion" sneakers to rock the streets of Europe. Pinterest, as well as some initial observations of the German sneaker fashion, indicated that black Nikes were all the rage, so that's what I got. I have no idea how many miles I have covered since my purchase, but it is definitely a lot! And I predict there will be many more to come. I've started to brainstorm some advertising slogans for Nike. Simple things like "Just do it." There's definitely money to be made with that one. Or like, "Nike. For when you're ready to step outside of the gym." Or maybe, "Nike. Expanding your comfort zone." I like that last one. And then, of course, there would be a sweet picture of my feet in my slick Nikes walking up the steps of some awesome European monument. I just think there is a big marketing potential here that I'd be happy to help them with. So Nike, if you are reading this, feel free to contact me.
Ok. Back to Warsaw. The first morning it was actually pouring rain outside, so I wrote for a while in a coffee shop until the sky stopped spitting so much. I'll tell you one thing, if I thought German sounded funny, Polish is even more foreign to me. There are some frequently used sounds in Polish that when incorporated into a coffee shop din result in a distinct buzzing sound. "Zzzz djjjjch shhhh chzzzzz chdddjjjj zzzddjjjj." It sounds kinda like that. I wonder what a non-English speaking Polish person would think of the din in an English-speaking cafe?
The rain stopped after lunch and I went into city-walker-exploration mode. I mentioned that Warsaw is not the most beautiful city, and there is an important and unfortunate reason for that. During World War II, the Nazis basically obliterated the entire city. It was their intention to wipe Warsaw off the map. After the war, the communist government rebuilt much of the city and the architecture reflects this. There is one section of the city called Old Town that was built to look like it would have before the city was destroyed. It's really just a tourist attraction, but still nice to walk around.
My first destination was a pretty church down the street from where I had eaten lunch with Fritz before he returned to his conference. After some heavy reflection on the Paris attacks and the current state of our world, I thought some private meditation in a church might yeild some peace of mind. It was about 2:30pm on a Monday so I wasn't expecting a service to be taking place, but when I stepped into the sanctuary, the pews were packed with people led in worship. I assumed a seat in the last row and followed along as the congregation stood and sat and sang. I didn't understand anything being said as the service was entirely in Polish, but growing up in a Lutheran church with a fairly traditional liturgy made it easy to understand the structure of the service even if I didn't know which Bible verses were being read. I listened as the Lord's Prayer was sung in Polish and when it came time to share the peace, I realized how little language really matters. Peace is something that you share with your heart, not your words.
Palace of Culture and Science
The Palace of Culture and Science is a massive building in the middle of Warsaw. It was built in 1955 and is the tallest building in all of Poland. I used it as a point of reference for all of my city wanderings. I didn't go in it, but as the sun set on our first day in the city, the Palace was lookin' pretty in purple.
The second day in Warsaw was also a cold and dreary one. The weather forecast indicated that the rain wasn't supposed to start until 2pm, which gave me at least 4 hours to get to Old Town and explore for a while. I was coming from the city center with Old Town to the north along the river, so it was a little less than a 2-mile walk. On my way, I took pictures to capture the world around me.
I learned that Warsaw is really big on sculptures. They are all over the city. I stopped taking pictures of them after a while, but I like the one of Copernicus.
I was only a few blocks away from Old Town when I felt the first rain drops. It was only 12:30, but I guess the rain was going to come early. Naturally, I did NOT have an umbrella. In a matter of minutes, the sky got dark and it went from a light drizzle to pouring rain.
I ducked into the nearest pierogi restaurant where I decided to wait out the storm over a lunch of the local cuizine.
Now I admittedly have never looked at the nutrition facts for pierogis, but if you know anything about the ingredients, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude that a plate of pierogis is probably not the healthiest meal. Which is why the menu totally cracked me up! This place was trying so hard to sell you on the nutritional benefits of their pierogis.
"...Source of potassium, calcium and vitamin C. Helps keep the proper heart rhythm. Russian-style dumplings are recommended for lovers."
For lovers? Are you trying to tell me pierogis are a lesser known aphrodisiac? I'm learning so much on this European adventure!
Hello heart-rhythm-helper pierogis. Are those bacon bits I see? Why yes, indeed they are. The secret to all healthy hearts.
By the time I was done with lunch, the rain had settled back down to a drizzle, so I bought an umbrella for 30 zloties, the Polish currency, and headed for Old Town.
The streets were pretty deserted with the exception of a few head-strong tourists who were determined to see the sights in rain or shine.
It didn't take me long to realize it wasn't very fun to walk around in the cold rain. My shoes were sopping wet from stepping in unavoidable puddles. Additionally, the wind had picked up, which meant that I spent more time battling with my new umbrella than actually using it to stay dry.
I did witness several umbrella-walker accidents. In an attempt to block the rain that was flying in sideways, people were holding their umbrellas in front of their faces, completely obstructing their view. I tried not to laugh too hard as people buried behind umbrellas collided straight into one another.
