We took our orientation bus ride in the morning, watched a sad film of how Poland had lost its freedom and then spent the remainder of the day walking all over the city to visit the places that we wanted to learn more about.
We walked for about 8 hours, stopping to eat perogies, a Polish delicacy, and then again to eat kulbassa. Of course we had to get lost about 10 times and I had to approach many people to ask about what part of the world we were in. Something sad was noticed today. We were not at all well received by the older group of Poles, who didn't want us to talk to them, and who looked at us - because we look so much like tourists - with disdain. We continued on, totally understanding why they would be hesitant and withdrawn, to search for the younger group of society who didn't have the history to hold them back.
We continued on and found a restaurant to stop at and met a wonderful young woman who has graduated with her economics degree and is now serving food. We gave her our card, of course, so that she can stay at our house while she could search her Canadian family roots -which are probably not in Winnipeg. Wow, we gave her one of our Cdn. pins and you would have thought we gave her a grand prize.
We loved the old city, but as usual, we set out to see the real part of Warsaw and were happy to find it growing, improving and very happy.
We continued to get lost, talk to people and then find our way to our part of the city where our hotel was. At one point, we did end up in the president's old residence, safeguarded by the police, and headed upstairs to find a bathroom. You know it costs a lot to go in this part of the world and so when we can sneak one in, we feel as if we've hit the jackpot.
Everyone kept asking us if they could help us and so, in the end, we went for free - a day to celebrate!!
We feel as if we have a good handle on how this city breathes. We visited enough places now to know that in a few years, maybe ten, when all the reno's are done and the younger ones grow older, things will become peaceful. Oh for the life and mind of youth.
