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Published: June 19th 2007
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Monument to the Heroes of the Jewish Ghetto Uprising
This monument stands in the center of what was once the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, where the first armed clash between Warsaw Jews and German troops took place in 1943. It was erected in 1948 to commemorate those who lost their lives during the Jewish Ghetto Uprising. Today we took a city tour of Warsaw. The day started off with a bit of sunshine so we thought we might have some luck while touring the city (boy were we wrong!). The tour started off with a bus ride through the city, passing several monuments commemorating leaders from the past as well as those who lost their lives during both the Jewish and Warsaw Uprisings. We stopped at the Monument for Heroes of the Ghetto, a tribute to those who lost their lives during the attempted uprising of the Jewish Ghetto that took place the year prior to the Warsaw Uprising. The Jewish Uprising, led by Mordechaj Anielwicz, began on April 19, 1943 and lasted only about one month. Most of the people who fought were either murdered or transported to the death camps... very few people survived.
We then passed the Murango Movie theatre, which was once the location of the restaurant where pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman used to play (also a location used for the film "The Pianist" about Szpilman's life).
Our next stop was Lazienki Park, the largest park in Warsaw that lies along the "Royal Route". The first thing that caught my attention
in the park was a red squirrel! Although probably not so exciting for some people, it was much cuter than the grey squirrels we have at home, and also seemed to be attracting the attention of a group of Polish school children as well. The park was also filled with peacocks wandering about (although beautfiful, their cries are a bit annoying), as well as a cat (I've seen very few over here) lurking near the water, no doubt looking for some lunch!
As for historical sites within the Park, we first passed the Palace Belvedere, once the residence of Poland's president but now mainly the site for special gala occasions. The palace, though beautiful, was a far cry from the exquisite Belvedere in Vienna. We then walked over to the monument for Frederic Chopin, positioned at the end of a small lake and surrounded by a lovely rose garden. By this time it has started to sprinkle, but nothing too drastic.
We then walked passed the Palace on the Water, the 18th century residence of Stanislaus August Poniatowski. The palace exterior is dominated by columns and surrounded by statues of various mythilogical figures. There are two bridges on
Warsaw Uprising Monument
The Warsaw Uprising monument was erected in 1989 for the 45th anniversary of the uprising. each side of the palace that cast lovely reflections onto the water (my favorite thing to photograph!), and there were ducks swimming back and forth underneath both of them.
On the way out of the park we passed Myslewicki Palace, which was given to Prince Joseph Poniatowski as a gift from his uncle, King Stanislaw, during the 18th century. The palace is one of the few buildings in Warsaw that survived any serious damage during WWII. Although we didn't tour inside, I later read that the interior is filled with original decorations.
As we drove away from Lazienki Park, it began to rain (and by "rain", I really mean "pour"). This was okay while we were safe inside the bus, but the next item on our city tour agenda was a walk along the Royal Route into Old Town. Because of this, I managed to miss a lot of what was said during our walk as I was ducking and dodging both the water drops and masses of people who were gathered in the area for a big nurses' strike that was taking place. I do know that Old Town was an area that was completely destroyed by
the Germans during WWII and was rebuilt by the people of Warsaw during the 1950's. The area is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is considered an important monument to the commemorate the strength of the Polish people to rise up and rebuild what was lost.
Our first indoor stop was St. John's Cathedral, a Gothic style building that is the site of a crypt containing the tombs of those who played important roles in Polish history, such as Polish president Gabriel Narutowicz, Polish monarch Stanislaw August Poniatowski, and writer Henryk Sienkiewicz. We were able to listen to a 25 minute organ concert in the church (the first I've ever heard), which was not only beautiful to listen to but a perfect escape from the rain as well!
As we left the church it was still raining quite hard so we scampered through Old Town and ducked for cover under the Barbican, the gateway to the Old Town and part of the city's 1200 meter long wall of defense. The Barbican, which separates the Old Town from New Town areas, was also destroyed during WWII and was rebuilt in the 1950's along with the buildings in
Murango
The Murango, a movie theater in Warsaw, was at one time the restaurant where pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman would played... Old Town.
Just outside the Barbican we passed the birthplace of Madam Curie, Polish scientist and the first two-time winner of the Nobel Prize. We quickly took photos and then headed back to our bus. Along the way, we passed the Warsaw Uprising Monument, which was created for the 45th anniversary of the uprising. Because of the strong Russian opposition to the monument being built, the statue was not erected until near the end of the Russian occupation in 1989.
It was still raining when our tour ended, so we went back to the hotel to dry off a bit, and then headed out to enjoy our last day in Warsaw. By this time the rain had subsided quite a bit, which made for a much more enjoyable walk. We headed down Marszalkowska Street so I could do some shopping and then headed down Wilcza Street to eat at the Warsaw Tortilla Factory. I'd had my fill of Polish food (which is good, but not as good as the food in Prague) and wanted to see what their Mexican fare was like. I had a vegetarian burrito that was HUGE and quite good. The salsa that came with
Palace of Culture and Science
The Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Poland. Built between 1952-1955, the building currently serves as an office complex and exhibition center, as well as a location for FM and TV broadcasting. the chips we ordered was a bit on the spicy side and certainly cleared my sinuses. I've heard that the mango habenero sauce there is quite lethal, and although I was curious, I wasn't quite daring enough to try it.
After dinner we walked back up Marzalkowska Street and stopped at an inoor swap meet filled with endless booths filled with clothing, shoes and jewelry. After awhile they all started to look the same so we left and headed back toward our hotel. We ended the day early because we have to get up early for our long flight home tomorrow. I am sad to leave... it would have been nice to enjoy Warsaw with a bit more sunshine, and there is a lot to see here that we did not have time to get to. One thing I will not miss here is the traffic though... it's like being in Los Angeles all over again! People blocking intersections and honking nonstop at each other... I guess it is a fittiing end to get me used to being back home again!
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