30/10/14 - 2/11/14, Santiago - Warsaw - Wrocław

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On our last day in Santiago we mainly shopped, did a little more exploring and made sure we were ready to rise at 4.45am the next day to catch the bus to meet our flight to Warsaw. We went to many shops in the higher up part of the Cathedral precinct where we had not been before, procrastinated over what to buy, prompted by Tim's , "that's just rubbish!", (or words to that effect), approach to our shopping, and just relaxed. For dinner we went to a small restaurant away from the more tourist area and had mixed paella and bread with vino tinto, red wine. It took some time to come out which is a good sign as it indicates that it is being prepared fresh rather than reheated. It was delicious and we adjourned to the Cafe Maycar for ice cream and coffee before going home to pack our gear up.

I woke earlier than need be, about 4.45am, to the sound of young nightclubbers in the street, laughing, yelling, singing, or just struggling to make their way home. We rose early, freshened up and went to the bus stop. There were a few other people waiting for a ride who had walked the Camino and we arrived at the airport quite early as, even though the bus was meant to stop at numerous places, there were no other passengers so he just kept going.

At the airport we spotted Agnes from Hungary who we had not seen since leaving her at Logrono Hospital to have her feet treated. After a couple of days rest she completed the walk and was now heading home.

The flight to Warsaw was uneventful and arrived at about 3.40pm after a 2 hour stopover in Barcelona. We arrived in Warsaw at 3.45pm and it was already dark. We contacted Tim's partner, Natalia, who was waiting in the city to accompany us to our apartment for a night in Warsaw.After a train ride from the airport, we caught a taxi to the old town. I think we took the 'scenic' route and paid dearly for it.

One adjustment that had to be made in Warsaw was our wardrobe. We had just gone from about 20 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius in a matter of hours. It felt very cold and the backpack was searched immediately for more appropriate clothing.

Our apartments were in different streets,but close by, and ours was obviously in a residential block and was large enough to live comfortably in. It was located in the old Warsaw Ghetto area and its past is well concealed among the sprinkling of restaurants and shops along the street. I'm sure, however, that era is not forgotten, as when you wander around the old town you see many plaques and monuments dedicated to the War and the 1944 Uprising in which about 40000 Polish fighters, some only children, died in 2 days making a last futile stand against the German forces.

The city was largely destroyed near the War's end but has been beautifully rebuilt in keeping with the original, from photos. The town square is a testament to this and was a taste of the beauty of Polish towns that we were to visit. We had dinner at a restaurant recommended by the taxi driver and while it was OK, maybe you are better off by just choosing a place that appeals to you on your travels. Sleep was pretty high on our agenda as we were up at 5am in Santiago and had to be ready for a taxi at 5am tomorrow morning.

The taxi was on time, took a different route than the one the day before, and dropped us at the bus stop in half the time. Funny about that. We stood there shivering for about 40 minutes before our bus started the trip to the airport. This was a different airport than the one we arrived in, further out of town, but it definitely had a friendlier feel about it. The one we arrived at was dark, unwelcoming, and poorly signed,and if Tim didn't know Polish I'm not sure I would have found the train station. Anyway, we had a snack and waited for our flight to Wroclaw.

Landing on one wheel in Wroclaw, I'm sure it was one wheel, was a rough experience but we made it, walked straight through with all our meats and cheeses that we had bought in Santiago for Natalia's family, and waited for Kamil, Natalia's brother in law, to pick us up. Apparently within the Euro Zone anything normally legal can cross borders as we do with states. Tim took kangaroo salami to Poland once. The quick trip to Natalia's apartment was through the outskirts of Wroclaw and tended to be high density flats in less advantaged area, as tends to be the case in many larger cities. This was very much the case in Spain. We went straight to Kamil's apartment which was on a ground floor overlooking a lovely park near the town centre. It was a pre war building which are generally better built than the newer ones but had been beautifully renovated to suit a young family. Apartments in Poland are a bit smaller than in Australia but clever design makes this irrelevant.

Kamil and Anna had prepared a delicious breakfast for us which set us up for the day but we hadn't realised that food was such an important part of life here. This was a pattern to be repeated,with small intervals between for other activities. We had our main meals at Natalia's parents place and sampled, no, ate large amounts of Polish cuisine that rivalled anything we had elsewhere. If the idea was to treat us to a wide variety of Polish delicacies then it was mission accomplished. Much of the food is meat based, but bean soup, finely chopped and flavoured beetroot ( I better credit Andrzej, Natalia's dad, here), dumplings, salads and many other things accompany it to spoil your taste buds. Dessert was usually 2 types of dessert cake, my favourite being one that is very similar to apple crumble with a bit of caramel, szarlotka. No Weight Watchers here, believe me !

Sue and I spent a few days seeing the sights of Wroclaw and it was exhausting but worth it. Natalia, a girl clearly proud of her town, had us moving most of the time with a commentary to match. It's very hard to pin point highlights and describe how lovely a town is but Wroclaw is a beautiful place. Aside from seeing the old town, the Cathedral Island was special as it is totally owned by the church, is surrounded by the River Oder around which Wroclaw is built, and has lovely old buildings dating back to the 12th century on it.

We were also extremely fortunate to be in Poland on All Saints Day, a time when all Polish people remember their deceased loved ones. Now, I will admit I approached this with a reserved curiosity as we have nothing like this at home. People take candles and flowers to the cemetery and adorn their family or friends graves with them. The cemetery was illuminated by clear and red candlelight and looked quite amazing. It is moving to see the reverence that people bring to this and you can't help but think of your own loved ones. Sue placed a candle for our families with hundreds of others that surrounded a large cross. Polish people may visit various cemeteries throughout the day to fill this commitment but it really is a special tribute.

We visited the Centennial Hall, had breakfast in the old Jewish quarter at Mleczarnia, an old dairy, I climbed the Tower of Repentance with Natalia to get a better view of Wroclaw, walked all over the old district, spotted lots of the Gnomes of Wroclaw, a symbol of the Solidarity Movement , but i hope the accompanying pictures help fill in the gaps. There's plenty of them and many more I held back to keep the total down so I hope you enjoy them. Tomorrow we go to Krakow, via Auschwitz-Birkenau by car with Natalia and Anna, her sister. I expect it to be a pretty moving experience but I am looking forward to this visit.

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Photos

Cafe Maycar
The best cafe team in Santiago. Unbelievable to watch. The speed and efficiency of these two men is mesmerising. Two men, about thirty breakfast customers, and they do the lot, dishes, table service, coffees, food and are never flustered. A bit trivial but it had me in the end.

Santiago Airport
We caught up with Agnes again after two or more weeks. Incredible. She's going home to Hungary, we are heading to Poland.

The Palace of Culture
A gift from the Soviets to Poland. Paid for by Poland and built by Imported Russian labour. Cheap gift really and it seems many Polish hate it for the regime it represents.

Warsaw.
Where we stayed was in the Warsaw Ghetto area. Quite chilling to think about it's past.

Warsaw
WW2 Ghetto area is on the left.

Trick or treat?
Halloween in Warsaw

Wroclaw
Now a kindergarten, this building still has bullet holes from WW2 still visible on the walls. Due to resistance, this town was taken street by street so everywhere was affected and much was lost.

HALA TARGOWA
The central market in Wroclaw . Food, clothes repairs and adjustments, watchmakers; pretty traditional and the colour and vibrant atmosphere are electric.

HALA TARGOWA
The Central market.

A Dwarf of Wroclaw
During the communist regime in the 1980's it was illegal for the Solidarity Movement, the anti-communist movement, to meet. So the Dwarves of Wroclaw was formed and they used to meet under this banner, and continue their fight 'underground'. These little statues are scattered around and I apologise, but there are more to come.

Old style cafe (Milk Bar )
These were common eating places for workers and intellectuals alike who opposed the communist regime. This is a preserved example; note the dwarf on the wall.

The Milk Bar
Very retro fittings and curtains. There is a sign on the wall asking you to return your used dishes to the counter.

The Cathedral
This is located on a small island. It is like a village there and everything is owned by the church.

Comments

[Liz Payne]

Hitting the shops
So what did you buy that wasn't rubbish? I'm glad there was time for retail therapy before heading to Poland. I bet Natalia is having the time of her life showing you round. No doubt Tim is in his linguistic element using his exceptional language skills. Have a fantastic time. I am sure that your visit to the Camps will be very emotional but just going there acknowledges that the holocaust was real and must never be forgotten lest it happens again. Travel well x

[sherrys]

What did you buy?
Not much. It's all rubbish. We did have to buy a few clothes and a pair of shoes but other than that, not much. Just back from a boat ride on the Danube. Great views but a little cold. Budapest is wonderful but too much to see in 3 days so maybe another visit one day. Cheers.

[D MJ Binkley]

Warsaw
Stunning