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.

Ulica Chłodna/Elektoralna

Ulica Chłodna/Elektoralna (yes it changes name halfway down the street) was renovated last year, the road surface and street design all changed along with many small things that one may not notice at first sight. It was the street that originally separated the ghettos big and small so has a fair amount of foot traffic in tourist form. So, we went to see what it looked like.

Old light holder

This is one of my new favourite photos, the markings you see are not parking bay designations, it is the outline of where the houses reached prior to their WWII destruction.

Continuing the grounding, this is how they defined where the house numbers of the houses pre-war were.

Church of Saint Andrzeja Apostoła

The Arcades along the road side corner of Ulica Chłodna/Elektoralna and Ulica Biała

After Church the Grannies come to sun

The building is called the "house of the clock" it has a clock in the facade and originally had an extra story before the war.

The sun was a shining and the street ripe for a stroll

To cut down on through traffic they added a small park

The plane the plane

A great "what is it" photo, but it is of course.......

A little viewing camera with pictures of the street pre-war and when the ghetto was established. I would love Warsaw to have more of these sorts of things.

Just turn the lever and you will see it all.

One of the prettiest things that you wouldn't really notice are these lovely high street lights, delicate and perfectly spaced.

In the Ghetto

Just a couple of quick pics to whet your appetite on a Monday morning, as I had a couple of cancelled classes this morning allows me time to have a play on the interweb. Enjoy websters and webettes.

Make it your own. I should have a series of men without shirts or homeless men looking cool.

It seems every city in Poland has a John Paul the second street (Jana Pawła II)

Jana Pawła II shadows

Jana Pawła II a really cool mural on a residential building. Now this is what people should be doing with their boring facades! Of course there is a political message in this, but still it is just nice to see something creative.

I love how the window is his mouth! If only I could paint......

Such a nice and simple way to fill up a building. No?