Tour Day 5 | Dzień Piąty

Historic and Contemporary Warsaw

We had a number of days that we walked 8-9 miles and this was one of those days.  No need to count calories or macros on a Rick Steves' tour as you will burn them off!  While lunch and afterward were on our own, we opted to fit in as much as we could while others did the same, took it easy, or even had massages at a local spa.  Your free time is truly that: yours to do what you would like to do.

City Walking Tour | Wyciedzka Piesza

We started today with a walking tour through Warsaw's historic center and revisit the city's prewar grandeur and its risen-from-the-ashes postwar reconstruction. Together with our local guide, we explored grand boulevards, communist relics, and bustling squares, tracing the ebb and flow of a city that remembers a tragic past while looking ahead to an optimistic future. We also saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

Surprises Walking Around Town | Niespodzianki

You never know what you will encounter when waking around European cities. On the way back to the B&B, we stumbled across a celebration that was family-oriented. There was a line of people and children in dress costume for at least a quarter of a mile queued up closely together in chronological order of important Polish figures.

Cold War Museum | Muzeum Zimnej Wojny

After a lunch of French cheese and cranberry pierogi and żurek (sour soup, though tastes savory not sour), we headed over to the Cold War Museum where we not only tied together what we learned in Gdańsk and Toruń, but added to that knowledge base. 

This museum was a fascinating look at the devastating effects of communism in Poland as well as other European countries.  Given that the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe started in Poland with the Solidarity movement, this location is a great place to deep dive into the world as it was under Russian rule from the end of WWII (when the Russians kept the concentration camps open to starve and work to death political dissidents and the Polish Underground Army) until the fall of communism in 1989.

Did you know Russia kept Germany's concentration camps open for several more years too imprison political dissidents?  Our museum guide noted that they were treated as badly as those who were there under the German occupation, though it was unclear as to whether this included the gas chambers and ovens as a final destination for the poor souls who were interred there.  We also learned about the highest ranking Polish general who broke with the Russians over their plans and contacted the CIA to stop the actions that would have led to a third World War.

Royal Castle | Zamek Królewski

We needed something a bit lighter after the Cold War Museum and opted for the Royal Castle's rococo interiors instead without an audio guide.

Holy Cross Church | Kościół Świętego Krzyża

After the Royal Castle, we peeked in at St. John the Baptist church where Chopin's heart is kept at his request towards the back of the church. When exiting, we heard someone on a speaker and wondered what it might be across the street near the Copernicus statue. A political rally? They have elections in a year. A religious gathering? It is a Catholic holiday that they observe widely today. Oh, no... nothing could have surprised me more than to discover it was a PETA protest.  They stood solemnly with signs while their last spoke from behind and I appreciated that their protest was peaceful to the point that the police at the event looked dreadfully bored.

Before his death, Frederic Chopin noted that his heart was always in Poland and asked that it be buried there.  Holy Cross Church where his heart is located behind a plaque in a pillar.  As with other important aspects of Polish history, the Nazis took it to the SS commander's headquarters in 1944, but was returned to its resting place in 1945.  The heart's container was secretly inspected in 2014 and it appeared to be preserved in good condition.

A Bistro Dinner | Kolacja w Bistro

After a long day of a walking tour and museums, we trudged back to the B&B in the rain and rested before heading out in a downpour for a late dinner at a bistro.  We settled on Żywioły Bread and Bistro that was about a quarter mile's walk in a deluge of rain.  After so many days of Polish food, we were wanting something a bit different.  Diane opted for a bowl of roasted cauliflower soup and a pot of tea while Kristen enjoyed short ribs over polenta and a strawberry spritz.