Finally Warsaw

So, after time in Wroclaw, Krakow, and the east we can wrap up the holiday somewhat at home, Warsaw. We love Warsaw, and so do our family. It isn't a traditional European city with large amounts of gothic or renaissance architecture. It relies more on being rather than appearing. My father marvels at how many beautiful women there are here, and that they all appear to smoke. My sister and her boyfriend love the food and she the fashion, especially the jewellery at Zielony Kot on Chmielna.

We had booked the family an apartment in Zoliborz in the suburbs just north of the city centre. We were then able to take them to Kawiarnia Fawory

Breakfast, was more brunch. So we had some sandwiches (kanapki). They had really good coffee there as well as some fantastic bread which was why we ordered the sandwiches. A good start to the day.

We stopped to look at the Umschlagplatz memorial, dedicated to the jews taken to the Treblinka gas chambers

And strolled into the new town to grab some pierogi in the sunshine. Here you can see some rentable city bikes

Rveryone was getting on their bikes.

Te Amo kebab. Actually no, but I like the shadows.

Sawa, the mermaid (syrena) symbol of the city

Polish birds. :D

Someone looks a little nervous.

The shadow suggests a really odd creature.

Now that is an ominous looking door handle.

Sir there appears to be a human cuckoo in your chest.

butterflies. sweet

Another wedding party popping up.

that is some big blue pants

Everyone loves ice cream

and we keep on walking.

In Norblin our old haunt

In Norblin, just outside the centre, was once a little silver manufacturing location. We visited it a couple of years ago, before it was cleared out and a lot of the equipment was taken off to museums (I took more photos on that day than are on the post, but they were in the old days on film!). Now it houses a Biobazar, something very new to Poland and Warsaw (I say new, it is a year old but not really 'local' for us).

Admittedly it is a little small and not quite organised the way I would have expected but it really is a great start and a great usage for a historical building. It has most everything you need, an espresso bar, coffee, Portuguese food, goats cheese/milk/yoghurt, wines, smoked goods, and of course vegetables and fruit. You will also notice that there is still some old school equipment about setting some ambiance, I am not sure how it fits with fresh produce though.

After this we strolled through parts of the old ghetto near Hala Mirowska all the way to Plac Bankowy. From here we strolled down to Plac Teatralny where we decided it was about time to refuel.

There we stopped at Restart on the corner of Senatorska and Bielanska. I have walked past this many times on an early morning but alas, it only ever opens at 11. Luckily this day it was open.

They had a fine selection of mixed drinks and some nice little cakes, I decided to go with a brownie and the usual double espresso. Marty with a strawberry lemonade, somehow she also managed to pluck out half the brownie from under my nose. So, it must have been good. We sat outside on the little wooden terrace and watched the world trundle on by.

The bar is actually made up of old books, pretty cool, no?

one of the numerous Euro2010 adverts around the city, this one targeting a new keeper for the English team.

Or just a local supporter

Then to the Norman Foster building on Pilsudskiego

Next we chanced upon some sort of drill sergeant of a fashionista grilling some young stick like things in the art of walking down a really long walk way to bad music but in the right amount of time.

There was also a small display of artistic jewellery, this clock makers piece caught my eye.

I just liked the way her skirt flowed.

 And that, my readers, was a day in the sun in downtown Wawa.