Thought a walk to the Old Town of Warsaw would do me the world of good. I took the riverside route which seemed direct.
It wasn't terribly picturesque. Brown river and not very scenic and several parts had police tape (and police) to prevent me going to the riverside so it ended up more a walk alongside a busy dual carriageway. Started to weave my way towards the city centre via some parks (or city woodlands would be more accurate). I had to do this in order to stay out the sun (fearful of sunburn).
Then I realised I'd lost my sense of direction as the river was out of sight. So I decided to follow the majority of walkers as they must have some purpose. At this point I was a little lost, found the Bibliotek and the river was behind it ( I was sure it was way behind me!). Think I must have walked about as if I was drawing a noughts and crosses grid with my feet. Maps are actually quite good sometimes if I bother to take it out my bag. I also seemed to lose all the people and found myself in quiet spots, hardly saw a shop and I've still not worked out where they've hidden all the chain stores. Not that I want one, just that every city looks the same when you find the H&M and Zara.
Found the Royal Palace again in Zamkowy Place where snakes of walking kids in baseball hats traverse constantly. I needed drinks, I'd been walking 2 hours in 30 plus degrees with short breaks under trees. Beer very pleasant and I watched the snakes. There must be some serious scheduling for these snakes. Just as one snake would leave, another would appear. I'd have liked them colour coded to differentiate one snake from the other though.
Walked the Old Town part and lunched watching the snakes (again) and some incredibly skinny women who clearly have no inner organs, There's no room for them when their abdomens are only 2 inches deep. Lunch was seriously good, huge salmon salad. Couldn't finish it but noticed the skinny girl beside me wolfed the lot. So why am I thrice her size? Not fair.
Headed to the Ars Homo Erotica exhibition in the National Museum, it may have be a mile but felt like 5. Heat really intense so I was glad to get inside. The highlights of the exhibition were: the large print of a urine stained mattress, the room of Saint Sebastian paintings (Mishima would have been in his element), the photographs of lady bits which are much greater than life size and an odd video of a moving pink mouth and tongue in very close up view (not sure if this was supposed to look like lady bits too) it was about 6 foot across. I got quite an eyeful at first till I realised it was a mouth!
More walking till I was completely walked out. And now, in my hotel room I have found that all the walking in shadows was pointless. I am pink heading towards cerise. My chest, my arms, my back and worst of all - my forehead and cheeks (except the bit where my bug eyed sunglasses were. I look awful. And my hair is bleached, frizzy and matted where I was sweating at the back of my neck. I'm looking for those chain stores tomorrow morning for some sun cream.
Then to Katowice...by train.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Nine photo of the young child at the kneeling soldier. If he or she had moved towards the hands it would have been iconic. Factor 50 from now on. What is the mood of the people over there?
John
I can't figure out the people here. Most don't look poverty stricken but occasionally you see people who look like they lived through Stalinist regime and suffered. Lots of beggars at the main squares with small children running into the restaurants with paper cups, the waiters trying diplomatically to move them on.
In Warsaw there were lots of tourists but the restaurants are almost empty. Seems the deceased President had tried to clean up the city of the vice not wanting it to be like Prague or Krakow.
Generally, people look in the same mood as UK. I haven't had a real conversation since I arrived.
Can't really count the old man who gave me a monologue in the station earlier. I'm sure he mentioned 'Diana' during it. He'd already established I was not German but 'English'. The monologue was still in Polish.
I'm in Katowice now, I'm off for my obligatory walk (and shops for the sun cream). It is less grey than when I was last here, in fact too hot again.
Post a Comment