Warsaw, Part 2

Warsaw - Saturday

This weekend saw the NATO Summit in Warsaw. As we returned from Gdansk, we noticed a very high presence of Police. We tweeted Trudeau in order to get a selfie with him while we were in Warsaw but, alas, he did not reply.

I started by day of with a run around the park across the street, Park Szczesliwicki. I worked on some interval training and then did an easy 1km for a total of 4km. That was the first time I got out for a run since I have been away from home. We have been doing a lot of water though. Most days we are well above 15 000 steps. One day we hit almost 20 000.

We all took it pretty easy in the morning. We headed to the bus around noon. Tim was acting as our unofficial tour guide of the city. We nicknamed it the Serendipity Tour as there were many aspects of the tour that we basically, and happily, stumbled upon. We took a bus and then transferred to the metro in order to get to Old Town.The downtown seemed really quiet. There were not too many pedestrians and the entire Old Town had been blocked off to vehicular traffic. There were pairs of Police Officers on every street corner.

We passed by The Nicolaus Copernicus Monument, which is next to the Staszic Palace. The statue is located in the centre of a solar system that is mapped out on the pavement. We then entered Holy Cross Church since we were looking for the place where Chopin’s heart was entombed. His heart was buried in Warsaw at his request, while the rest of his body is buried in France, where he lived for the second half of his life.

We continued along toward Old Town and stopped in at Costa Coffee for a caffeine hit and a washroom break. After we were refreshed, we headed directly to Old Town. The main part of this area of town is The Old Town Market Place. Originally, it was established in the 13th Century. During World War II, the German airforce and army systematically targeted this area of the city and completely decimated it. After World War II, Old Town was rebuilt, using as many of the original bricks as possible, to much of its former glory.

Once we exited the far corner of the square, we walked down more picturesque walkways, passing beer taps that were located directly on street level and various shops. We headed to the remains of the Warsaw Barbican, or fortification, which was attached to the remaining wall that once surrounded the city. We walked the wall for a wee bit and then went through the arches that led us down some more beautiful city streets.

We made it back to the Warsaw Rising Memorial that we had visited previously. I was curious to locate a sewer cover with a plaque, that I had read about, that noted where insurgents would have entered and and exited the sewer system in order to pass under German occupied areas of the city. This plaque was located across the street from the memorial and the sewer cover was actually located in the middle of an intersection but was highlighted by dark coloured pavement stones. It was so amazing to see this simple cover and know that it had actually been used to help during the uprising.

Continuing along the streets we stumbled upon markings on the sidewalk that delineated the outskirts of the Ghetto Wall. The sidewalk was marked with the words Mur Getta 1940 Ghetto Wall 1944. Again, another reminder of the troubled history of this city.

Along the same street, we noticed a building across the way that looked rather distinguished due to its scarred and broken facade. We learned that the building was called Reduta Banku Polskiego. During World War II, it was the issuing bank and the scene of very fierce battles. The current owners did a major renovation in the early 1990 but took care to maintain the scars on entire west side of the building as a reminder of the battles that the city had faced. We noticed a symbol painted on the walls of this building and then began to notice the same symbol elsewhere around the city. It looks like the letter P directly above, and attached to, the letter W. I read that the symbol is called the Kotwica, which is Polish for "Anchor". It was used during World War II as an emblem of the Polish Underground State and Home Army. The initial meaning of the initials PW as “We shall avenge Wawer” (a massacre that had taken place in 1939). At first the entire phrase was painted on the wall but eventually was replaced with the initials PW symbolizing the phrase Polska Walcząca ("Fighting Poland"). Anna Smolenska designed the symbol. She was arrested by the Gestapo in 1942 and died in Auschwitz in March 1943. She was 23 years old.

Our tour continued to Piłsudski Square, named after Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego, who was instrumental in rebuilding Warsaw after World War II, and the tomb of the unknown soldier. We watched the changing of the guards at 5pm. The tomb is the only remaining part of the Saxon Palace that was destroyed by the Germans during World War II. The tomb of the unknown soldier is adjacent to Saxon Park which is yet another example of a beautiful green space in Warsaw. There was a large fountain, an accurate sundial, and we stopped for some fresh squeezed lemonade that we carried back with us as we headed to our bus stop.

At home, Tim treated us to a lovely home cooked meal and we all updated our social media to reflect yet another wonderful day in Warsaw.

Sunday was the day to head to Warsaw Rising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego). Admission was the right price (free) but we had been advised to show up at opening as the ticket price for Sunday attracted a lot of visitors. It was an exceptional museum and a true education. The museum is dedicated to the struggles by the Polish people leading up to and after the Polish Uprising in 1944. It is three floors of historical information and artifacts. We saw a 3D movie of the distruction of Warsaw from the air. I read so much information that it is rather overwhelming. I read about life in the Ghetto, which as deplorable. I read about the Polish Underground State. I learned about Operation Tempest (a series of anti-Nazi uprisings by the Polish Home Army). I saw a printing press in action, which was really interesting. I read about food and water shortages, and religious and cultural life. There was a recreated sewer in the basement of the museum, which was small and dark. A huge replication of a Liberator airplane was located in the centre of the museum. I listened to an interview with a Belgium gentlemand who had be conscripted by the Germans when he was 17. He explained the horrors that he had witnessed during the Uprising. Of the many things that I saw and learned today, one small artifact stood out to me - that of a small piece of bread. The bread was the ration that Cadet Corporal Jerzy Sosnowski received as he entered a POW camp. He kept it with him so that he could return it to Poland upon its liberation. I was touched by the force of will that he must have had not to eat that piece of bread. Overall, the museum was a major education and spoke to the suffering and resiliency of the Polish people.

Our afternoon was spent in much less educational pursuits as we wandered the shopping mall and picked up some items that were necessary for our travels.

Tonight, we read through some information about Prague, which is our next stop on this summer’s adventure.