I’m going to Warsaw – It’s going to be astonishing and quite wacky!

Chopin - Classical Warsaw - Poland's most famous composer and virtuoso pianist.
Chopin – Poland’s most famous composer and virtuoso pianist.

So in the very nearest future, I’m going to Warsaw.

Yep!

Warsaw.

In Poland.

I like Poland. Very much. In fact, I have a love affair with the Czech Republic and I like Eastern Europe too. I always have and I probably always will.

Nevertheless, Europe has been in the news over the awful way some countries have treated in-coming refugees, many of whom have witnessed terrible situations.

Greece - #Refugeesarewelcome.
Compassion – #Refugeesarewelcome.

It’s distressing to see.

This blog. My blog is not about politics but every now and then I put in a line or two over a contemporary issue that affects us all, and my two shakes about this is that our help is needed. It’ll be winter soon and the refugees will need protection, food, clothing and shelter but most importantly, they’ll need understanding and compassion.

#Refugeesarewelcome.

Back to the topic at hand.

Pooooooland!

I’ve been going to Poland on and off for probably about twenty (20) years. The first place that I ever went to was Krakow. It’s a lovely place and has a history of dragons!

At the opera in Krakow. Courtesy of krakow.pl
At the opera in Krakow. Courtesy of krakow.pl

At the time, I was doing a six (6) week road-trip around Eastern Europe and we were just into the second (2nd) week when my German boyfriend (Ha! How I like German boys!!!) became ill and since I don’t drive we had to call our insurance company to send over a driver so that we could get home.

And they did!

Meanwhile, we had booked into a hostel and I had taken out the Polish equivalent of £200 just the day previous, as we didn’t know when next we would find a bank. It was the mid-90’s you see…! Poland was surprisingly civilised and up to par with technology when even Berlin at that time, had problems accepting an EC card, not to talk of a credit card.

It sometimes still does!

Anyway, once we knew that we couldn’t continue our trip, I obviously wanted to return the Polish Zloty that I had, as the currency was not convertible. If you had it, you kept it, used it, or lost it.

I didn’t want to lose £200 so I asked the Polish bank in Krakow to reconvert the cash for me.

Ummm!

They said No!

No?

No!

Why not?

Apparently, that was the bank managers monthly salary and it was a huge amount of money in those days and anyway, who did I think I was?

Bloody, stupid tourists!

!&%$?!

money

I was quite arrogant in those days so I stamped my pretty little foot and insisted that I speak to the bank manager.

The bank manager came out as I was beginning to make a British scene. He agreed that I was in my rights to ask for a currency exchange but it would take a couple of days as it was such a huge amount of money and they didn’t have enough British money, only US dollars.

I didn’t want US dollars. I wanted my precious British pound sterling.

In cash.

And then the bank manager got ugly and said that there was no proof that I had even withdrawn any money from their bank!

Aha!

I’m quite an organised lady especially where my hard-earned money is concerned and I’ve even got receipts from twenty (20) years ago, not to talk of 24 hours!

I handed the bank manager the cash machine receipt, my credit card and my passport and it all tallied up. Indeed, I had withdrawn £200 worth of Zloty merely a few hours previously.

I got all my money in full.

And I still like Krakow.

I returned a few years later on a wintry November afternoon where I tried very hard to spend €50.00 worth of Zloty all weekend, and I couldn’t.

Everything was awfully cheap in those days.

It still is!

Bernardo Bellotto: a Venetian painter in Warsaw - Musée du Louvre.
Bernardo Bellotto: a Venetian painter in Warsaw – Musée du Louvre.

Warsaw, I’m told, isn’t.

Ah Warsaw.

Gulp!

I try to go to Poland every two (2) years or so. Yes. I like it that much but I tend to go to Poland ‘cos I like the Baltic Sea.

And I’ll tell you a secret. I like the Polish Baltic Sea more than I like the German Baltic Sea.

Oooops!

Here’s some history.

POLAND

In Poland.

Poland also known as the Republic of Poland is a country in Eastern – Central Europe. It’s border is about 1.5 hours away from Germany so if you visit Berlin, then Poland is pretty much a hop and a skip away! Poland is also surrounded by the Czech Republic, Slovakia (not Slovenia), the Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and of course, the Baltic Sea itself!

It’s an old country dating back from 966 and is enormously proud of its post-communist background and historic roots.

It’s the sixth (6th) largest EU country and even though it joined the European Union in 2004, it still retained it’s own currency known as the Polish Zloty (PLN) which today is 100 PLN or €23.7 / $26.5.

WARSAW

Warsaw by Night - Poland.

Warsaw is the capital of Poland and has been for over 400 years! It’s Poland’s largest city and is a living, breathing cultural space. The old part of town was founded in the 13th century and is surrounded by city walls which were destroyed during WWII. In 1980, Warsaw became a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Culture and is now a lively place, bustling with tourists and locals, and crammed with art, archeology, historical exhibitions and society.

Warsaw is a bustling metropolis and features an unforgettable aristocratic history, a pulsing nightlife and enchanting parks.

It sounds like just the type of place that I would go to.

And yet.

I’ve never ever been to Warsaw.

Ever!

in Warsaw.

I had always heard that Warsaw was an ugly place with no character or heart until I met some Polish people at our B&B in Lithuania. They came from Warsaw. We got chatting and I asked them to tell me about Warsaw. They told me it had a river and beaches.

It. Had. A. River.

You know how much I love river-states having lived in them all my life, in one place or the other!

As soon as I heard that I just knew that I had to go visit for myself.

To say that I’m excited is to say the very least. In fact, I’m not excited, I’m thrilled and exhilarated!

I’m not even there yet and already I’ve had a bevy of people just dying to show me around. Thank you so much everyone!

WHAT IS THE BRITISH BERLINER GOING TO BE DOING IN WARSAW?

The Deutsche Bahn train leaving Berlin.
The Deutsche Bahn train leaving Berlin.

Well, I’m going to be travelling by train.

Yay!

I love trains!

I’m going to meet up for a few drinks on the day that I arrive. I’m going to be a hanging out in an old communist van with Adventure Warsaw.

Adventure Warsaw
Adventure Warsaw

Adventure Warsaw is an urban off-the-beaten-track sightseeing tour. I’m going to be introduced to pre-World War Warsaw, shown around the Praga neighbourhood, given the low-down of contemporary Warsaw, learning about the communist era, having lunch at a milk-bar and hopping around town in a genuine classic Nysa 1968 Polish van!

It’ll be charming!

I’ll be doing my own personal historical tours as I hear their museums and galleries are something that I must just see. In the evening, I’ll be snacking and going for cocktails on Warsaw’s oldest Pub Crawl.

Cocktails at the rooftop bar of Cloud 47 in Bangkok!
Cocktails at the rooftop bar of Cloud 47 in Bangkok!

Yes! I’ll be putting my glad rags on, strapping my boots, sipping on classics and downing some shots.

I might even go clubbing.

Warsaw Pub Crawl, Poland.

Oh god! I’m used to being on the guest list and having a car take me home or a driver waiting.

Wish me luck!

Polish Your Cooking
Polish Your Cooking

I’ll also be doing something culturally useful and learning how to make one of my favourite Polish dishes – pierogi. I’ll be joining Polish your Cooking who have bravely offered to teach me how to master some culinary skills and familiarize with the local cuisine in a fun and casual atmosphere.

I’m going to have breakfast with them, learn about the history and cuisine of Polish cooking and make Pierogi Grandma Style. We even get a certificate too.

I just hope nobody dies!

Insects on food! Photo@ blogspot.com
Insects on food!
Photo@ blogspot.com
And to add to the excitement, I’m going to be staying at a unique designer boutique hotel called Autor Rooms. The hotel is located in one of Warsaw’s most beautiful and historic kamienica-style residential buildings and is an artistic concept all of it’s own. Designed by independent young creatives from a world of fashion, crafts, art and design, I really can’t wait to see the outcome for myself.
The creators & owners of Author Rooms!
The creators & owners of Author Rooms!

Even though I’ll be a guest of the above organisations and be part-sponsored by the hotel, all opinions and the interesting architecture that I’m bound to find interesting, are my very own!

I have so much to share with you.

Stay tuned!

In the next few weeks, I’ll be at the following events:

From 28.09.15 – 07.10.15 the Bar Jeder Vernunft will be presenting, for one (1) week only, a festival of top British entertainment – Britain’s Best! Music and Comedy.

I’ll be there. Will you?

As usual, you can also follow me via daily tweets and pictures on Twitter & FB!

If you’re going to Warsaw or Bristol or Bath, let me know!

September is going to be surprising!

Watch this space!

I'm going to Warsaw!

Have you ever been to Warsaw? Would you like to go to Poland?

See you in Berlin.

If you like this post or if you have any questions send me a tweet, talk to me on Facebook, find me on Linkedin, make a comment below, look for me on Google+ or send me an Email: victoria@thebritishberliner.com

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35 Comments on “I’m going to Warsaw – It’s going to be astonishing and quite wacky!

    • Thank you so much Justine! I’m absolutely thrilled and as excited as you are LOL! Poland might not be a virgin country to me, but Warsaw sure is a fresh new destination!

  1. Have never been to Poland but would really love to go there..it’s only a country away from NL (Germany)!! I’ve read fascinating things about the country, and it’s quite huge as well..someday, it will be on the itinerary for sure! Have fun!

  2. I’ve always had loads of fun in Poland. A lovely place, and I like Warsaw very much.
    The refugee crisis and Germany’s response is very much in the news at the moment – you should blog a little more on this, on what the man in the street is saying. Clapham omnibus style, Wannsee-er S-bahn style, obviously….

    • Thanks very much Thomas! Me too.
      The refugee crisis is huge news right here on my patch. Very proud of what Germany is doing n’ all that. I choose to discuss more serious matters elsewhere. Not on my blog.
      p.s. I see that you know quite a lot about Berlin. ‘Time for a visit. Wannsee n’ all….! 🙂

  3. Warsaw was a pleasant surprise for me as I’d heard the same reviews you did! Not as pretty as Krakow but still well worth a visit.

  4. Haven’t been to Poland yet, but it’s a short flight from Moscow, I am sure one day I will make a long weekend out of Krakow, Poznan or Warsaw.

    • Thank you so much Anna! I’m surprised that you haven’t been since it’s just down the road from you LOL! Absolutely do it. Krakow is divine of course and I’ll tell you all about Warsaw when I return. 🙂

  5. I just discovered discovered your fun blog and have been having a nosey around. I went on a road trip through Poland this summer and loved Warsaw. Actually I think I preferred it to Krakow which is almost sacrilege, it’s edgier. I too have a love of Eastern Europe and Poland until this summer had been the big glaring absence in my travels around it. Your itinerary sounds great, I’m sure you’ll have a fab time.

    • Thank you so much Phoebe! I’m glad that you like my blog LOL! Indeed, I’m just finding out how different Warsaw is to what most people think. It’s been a pleasant surprise and everyone has been awfully helpful. I really like Krakow but Warsaw is certainly catching up! 🙂

  6. Sounds like a busy and exciting trip ahead. I haven’t been to Poland but it’s definitely a possibility as we’ll be in Europe all next year. Love the tale about the travel money 😊

    • Thanks so much Amy! It certainly was a busy trip and I still felt that I needed at least a week to get to grasps with the basics. Thank goodness, I had some help LOL!

  7. It sounds like you have another busy and exciting trip ahead! I haven’t been to Poland but it’s a possibility as we’ll be in Europe all next year. Love the money travel tale 🙂

    • You’ll like Poland Amy. It’s not as developed as the Czech Republic in my opinion, but if you’re looking for more authenticity then you can’t go wrong. As for the tale about the travel money. It’s all true LOL!

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