This Saturday, my host father and my 2 host brothers, Bartek and Kuba, traveled up the highway to spend a day in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Although I have heard many people say that Warsaw is not a very nice city, I think my experience has proved them wrong! Yes, most of the city was destroyed by the Germans in WWII, but it was masterfully rebuilt in the decades after the war. The simple fact that the city exists is a miracle itself!
Our first stop was the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which is dedicated the Warsaw Uprising - one of the final battles in WWII (which I have to admit I've never even heard of!). In late 1944, the Polish revolted against the Nazis occupying their city. It was a valiant underground effort, but after many casualties and the virtual destruction of the city, the Polish effort eventually collapsed. Inside the museum, we saw a breathtaking video which illustrated the sheer destruction of Warsaw. Before the war, some 1.3 million Poles lived in the city; in 1944, only 1000 remained.
Next we visited the Royal Castle, the former home of the Polish monarchs. Built in 1619, it contained many brilliantly decorated rooms, which were pillaged and destroyed by the Nazis. Fortunately, the Polish rebuilt their castle piece by piece after the war. The castle housed many important meetings and events, including the signing of the Constitution of May 3rd, 1791, which was the first constitution of its kind in Europe (inspired by the US Constitution). My favorite room was the Marble Room (you can guess how it was decorated).
After walking around Old Town for a while and admiring the square, street performers, churches, the President's offices and more, we headed to Lazienki Park, where a giant monument of Chopin was erected amidst a beautiful rose garden. There were even peacocks walking around!
By 8 o'clock we were all exhausted, so we hopped back in the car and drove home. We got back around 1:30 in the morning, and a delicious supper was waiting for us! After having our "midnight snack," we happily went to sleep.
Another adventure! And with that, our last week of teaching is here!
PHOTOS OF WARSAW:
