I don’t quite know why, but there had been one thing in my bones telling me that getting to Warsaw would be a problem. After 13 hours on a train yesterday, it was a wise choice to stay overnight in Poznan. And yes, a late booked hotel cost ove 90 Euro, but it was worth it for a comfortable bed and a decent breakfast.
And this morning’s meal is accompanied by about a hundred personnel from thePolish army. I figure tha its probably best I don’t ask what they’re here for, though it could be the excellent waffle maker in the breakfast room. In fact, this is a buffet for Kings – cold and hot food of many varieties – much better than your average selection for this part of Europe.
Poznan Station is a maze of confusion. I manage to arrive via a side entrance to Platform 9, and slowly make my way through an underground passage towards this morning’s train. I know it leaves from Platform 3 but I don’t have a reservation. A small ticket window is staffed by a young man who speaks no English, but directs me through hand gestures to the main ticket office above. This time, I type my question into Google Translate – I’d like a first class reservation only to Warsaw. It seems a simple enough request but the woman is baffled, her computer repeatedly saying no. She summons a colleague, there is a discussion for what seems an age. I am finally issued with a ticket costing 1 Polish Zloty – about 30p.
But then, there is more confusion. A train saying Warsaw arrives on Platform 3 but there is no sign of the car number on my ticket. I board anyway and eventually ask a member of staff. “This is not the correct train,” she barks. But it’s going to Warsaw? Another passenger intervenes : “This is a different train.” But it clearly says Warsaw? It turns out that two trains to Warsaw leave from alternate sides of the same platform within minutes of each other. One is an Express, the other is a slower service which stops at several intermediate stations. It adds about 45 minutes onto the travel time but after yesterday’s farce I am grateful to be going anywhere. Even if it is in second class.
Warsaw boasts Europe’s newest “Old Town”, because much of the original was of course destroyed in the Second World War. A 15 minute tram ride from the Central Station brings you to a pretty location, surrounded by walls, ramparts and the occasional palace. Doubtless these streets are crowded with tourists during the high season, but on a Tuesday in March there’s plenty of space to stretch the legs and take in the sights.
Having arrived almost a day late, it’s a quick canter through the main sights, though one demands a bit more time, and thought. The Warsaw Uprising memorial is a striking monument. The events of 1944 saw the people’s resistence attend to liberate the city from the Nazis. But it was a complex story, because the Soviets wanted a very different form of post-war Poland. As a result, the monument marking the event wasn’t built until 1989. At its heart are figures of people literally rising from the ground, whole all around are striking metallic columns, each telling the stories of those involved.
Back across town, you may be forgiven for thinking you’d landed in New York, because standing close to the main station is the impressive Palace of Culture and Science. One review calls it “Stalin’s gift to Warsaw”, though these days all references to him have been removed. There are museums, a theatre, a cinema and – for a bargain fee of around 5 Euros – an observation terrace at the top of the tower. Although it’s a sunny day, it’s a but windy up there.
What I like about this tower is that it’s all self service. There are no long queues, or any waiting for an attendant to tell you the history of the place before you ascend.
The evening takes me back to the Old Town. I had expected it to be busier than during the daytime but it’s still quiet. For the week before Easter this seems strange – then again, perhaps the holidays don’t start until the weekend. Either way, it makes for a very convivial, relaxed atmosphere.
It’s quite unlike any Old Town I’ve visited elesewhere in Eastern Europe. There are no loud groups, no obvious distract of bars or clubs. The most eciting thing this evening is the sound of Chopin coming from a recital inside a church. At Same Krafty they advertise the beers well – on the outside of the bar. They don’t taste too bad on the inside either.
Thanks to my enforced delay, I’ve only had a few hours to check out the headlines of Warsaw. Fortunately most of the main sights are within a faIrly compact area, and the abundance of trams, buses and a metro make it easy to get around. It would have been nice to stick around later into the evening, not least because Poland have beaten Wales in a dramatic Euro qualifier penalt shootout. But tomorrow is another early day – and for me, a new country to discover.
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