Photography strike in Poland

For some reason, although I was in Poland for a week, I didn't take very many photos. Actually, I have a pretty good idea of the reasons for this, which have to do with not getting enough sleep either immediately prior to or immediately subsequent to my arrival in Poland, getting a raging bacterial infection as a result, and the rain in Warsaw. Really, I'm amazed that my wonderful hosts in Warsaw (A.A., her family, and A.J.) thought that I was even human, given that the by the time I got there I was wandering around in a bit of a daze. This is also the reason I couldn't eat as much food as A.A.'s mother would have liked me to eat. I'm so sorry - the food was wonderful, though! Anyway, I felt much better by the time I got to Poznan, and I did actually take quite a few photos there.

Anyway, despite the above paragraph, which makes my week in Poland sound rather ghastly, I had a great time, and I definitely want to go back there. I found the three cities I visited (Krakow, Warsaw and Poznan) to be very different, both in looks and feel. But something which was consistent throughout the country was the warmth and hospitality I found.

I've spoken in this blog about staying with people. Really, I'm not just talking about this to make myself sound really popular, as if I have friends all over the world who are ready to host me at the drop of a hat. Although, in a way, that's true (of course I'm really popular! ;) ) - it's just not as direct as that. As many of you are already aware, from about the fourth week of my trip, I started using couchsurfing (check it out!) to find accommodation. Once I started using it, I stayed in hostels only 2 nights. Keep in mind I was travelling for 2 ½ months... that's a LOT of hospitality! Both before and after I started using couchsurfing I stayed with people I already knew, but really, that's how the concept of couchsurfing began. Anyway, I'm going to write another "couchsurfing" post later, to share some of my favourite stories, but I've got to check with a few people first to see if they mind me posting the stories in which they feature, as well as maybe photos of them.

But as an aside... some of you will be very amused to know that at least every second couchsurfing reference people have left for me mentions the fact that I can (and do!) talk. ;) You might be surprised to hear that they usually also say that I talk about interesting things (and/or am interesting to talk to). ;)

Anyway, back to Poland. In Krakow, I stayed with A.P. & S., and hung out a bit with both them and A.P.'s little sister. I cooked dinner for them all on a couple of nights (including some wonderful pierogi I found in the local supermarket). Their flat was really central, so it was easy for me to get to various parts of the city, particularly the old city, and I've got to say that I found it really pretty. I also hung out a bit with A.B., who took me out to some interesting nightclubs with his mates. The group of them seemed to know everyone worth knowing in town, so the night included a visit to the VIP section of one of the more pretentious clubs (I know I'm not offending A.B. and his mates by saying this, because they kept telling me how pretentious it was, both before we went there and while we were there - but it was fun anyway!). It was a good night, and of course, much Polish vodka was involved.

I have a grand total of ONE photo from Krakow, despite the fact that I was there from Saturday afternoon to Tuesday morning. It is a photo of St Michael's Church, which is really quite pretty. I took it from the banks of the Wisla river, which is a bit nicer in Krakow than in Warsaw.


Krakow is a really nice city to just wander in. It is also quite close to some salt mines (which are apparently quite spectacular) and Auschwitz. I would probably have gone to both of those sites had I not got sick. So I will have to go back.

Warsaw was very, very different from Krakow. It is not so pretty and quaint, but it definitely has its charms, and I even managed to take photos of some of them (despite the rain!). The old city (Stare Miasto) is particularly interesting. It was completely destroyed by the Nazis as a reaction to the Warsaw Uprising in the Second World War - think of the scenes towards the end of The Pianist, when Adrien Brody comes out of hiding and finds ... rubble. However, it was rebuilt during the communist era (I think it was completed in the 1960s), with a real attempt to build it as it had been. The results are pretty spectacular. I had a couple of interesting conversations about the rebuilding with A.A. I initially thought it was strange that the communist regime had been so keen to rebuild the city as it had been, rather than to rebuild in the communist, more utilitarian style. A.A. explained that Poland's communist government had wanted to prove its Polish-ness, to display an independence from Russia. Which makes sense. So, there's clearly something to be said for some level of nationalism!

Anyway, here is an example of the re-building effort, the Warsaw Mermaid (symbol of the city), with buildings from the old town square behind her:

The detail on the rebuilt buildings is pretty incredible.

I also really enjoyed wandering around Lazienki Park (and the palace there is quite spectacular), even if it was drizzingly miserable at the time. I took a break from the rain in a pavilion, with this lion to keep me company:


The next day I headed to Poznan. By the time I got there, the rain had finally stopped, and I got some lovely pictures of the very pretty old town square:


Poznan was one of the places I had to stay in a hostel, but I did meet D. and her houseguest for a drink in the evening. My reason for stopping in Poznan was to break up the train ride between Warsaw and Berlin - it is only a 5 hour journey, but I was in no hurry and figured that two shorter legs would be preferable. I was glad that I did, since the evening with D. was so pleasant, and the town is so pretty. I also learnt a bit more about Polish history (and the long argument about which is the real first capital of Poland - which added a new dimension to the rivalry between Krakow and Warsaw). However, my attempt to shorten a leg of my train ride failed miserably. My train from Poznan to Berlin took an extra two hours due to - well, I never really found out. Some sort of engine failure, I think. I was quite glad to get back to the German rail system after that experience!