Visiting our northern neighbours

Arrival

Warsaw, a city on the Vistula, was my next destination. The city sits almost in the middle of Poland. The flight from Vienna (VIE) went smoothly. The terminal was a surprise — I was expecting Chopin (the airport is named after him), but nothing of the sort. A brilliant feature is the rail terminal at the airport. I made it to the city centre in twenty minutes!

Sights

The city centre isn't that large — I mean the Old Town, which sits on the left bank of the river. Krakowskie Przedmieście, the boulevard that takes you through that part of the city, is really lovely. Interesting sights line both sides — university buildings, churches, statues, the Presidential Palace, and the castle. The rest of the city left me with more of a mixed impression. On Aleja Jana Pawła II it's tower block after tower block. But together it doesn't quite feel cohesive.

Food

Much like at home — not much more to add. Whether you go to a supermarket, a bakery, or grab something from a street stall. We also visited a French restaurant. I don't understand why the organisers didn't pick something local. Polish cuisine definitely has plenty to offer — it's not just pierogis.

Polish behaviour

What I saw on the street and elsewhere was fine. The roads were another story. Reckless is putting it mildly. Only one car gave way to an oncoming ambulance. Turning right across tram tracks in front of a tram — without stopping, just waiting for the tram to brake and then carrying on as if nothing happened — that's something you'll probably only see in Poland.