Poland: August 26. In Warsaw

Polish language class was right after breakfast, then we toured Old Town Warsaw with Krystian narrating the tour. The first building below is St, Anna church, the only building in this part of Warsaw that was not bombed during World War 2. The rest of Old Town was restored to its original state after the war. Krystian showed us photos of the devastation, and the restoration.

We saw the Royal Castle, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was once the residence of Polish monarchs.

The wall from medeival times is rebuilt as it once was.

The two photos below were taken at the memorial for the Warsaw uprising of 1944.

Above is Sacred Heart Church. Inside this beautiful edifice resides the heart of Friedrich Chopin.

The statue above is Copernicus. The surrounding pavement is a mosaic of the solar system as he discovered it, that is, with the planets revolving around the sun. He is but one of the famous Poles that lived in Warsaw. Another was Marie Curie. We walked past her house, where there was some official ceremony going on. 

Pilsudski Square, below, is the place where Pope John Paul 2 said Mass to a crowd of hundreds of thousands of the faithful. This square is at the site of the Saxon Palace, destroyed during World War 2 bombing raids. The only part of that palace still standing is the arch where the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War 1 is protected by an eternal flame and guarded 24 hours a day year round. We watched the changing of the guard.

We left Old Town and walked to the Conmunist era Independence Square. There are reliefs carved into the buildings and mosaics in the ceilings promoting the equality of all and the glory of communal work. These buildings are stark and utilitarian, mostly made of concrete. 

We ended the day with a tour of a Vodka factory, where we learned all about the history, production and cultural significance of Vodka. And we had a tasting, with instructions on how to drink it!

Above: Jeff, Veronica, Liz, Barb and Rick. Below: Steve, Chris, Anne, Elaine, Maureen and Dorena.