An Ionian seaside town, Avola is a mix of old and new. The town focuses heavily on the sea, with its history as a tuna fishing port. Today, the remains of the Vecchia Tonnara at the wharf are a stone backdrop to the sandy beaches. Avola dates back to a pre-Greek people called the Sicani.…
Located about 11 kilometres north of Catania, it is the perfect little commune to visit during the ottobrata – the local festivity that occurs every October here in Sicily, celebrating the fruits of the land: frutti di terra. The first encounter went wrong already 🙂 Approaching the booth with fruit, I have noticed quince – one…
If something is worth visiting in life, it is the Aeolian islands. Becasue it makes you think about winter in the south. It makes you think about simplicity of life. And it makes you realise how not to treat the tourists: just some bags of potatoes that need to be shipped from one island to…
I haven’t had a chance to spent a bit more time discovering this city. But just a glimpse and it made me think to re-visit and make it’s due. When the time will come, I promise to update with more photos. But for now, enjoy the story 🙂 Several civilizations settled in Milazzo and left…
I didn’t expect much from this harbour city, to be honest. I knew they have a great beer – Messina cristali di sale: a great Sicilian beer brewed since 1923 and one of the most loved Italian beers. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy.…
Senlis is a city in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. Cute, medieval and charming. It offered us great peek into history: The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. Senlis is situated on the river Nonette. Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus. During the 3rd century, a seven-meter…
The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres north of Paris. The site…
The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part…
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is…
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and…
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike. Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under…
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed…
Great, big, diplomatic, historic, curteous, quite and calm Warsaw. But then comes the night and you start with vodka and end up calling your ex in some Budda club at […]
Great, big, diplomatic, historic, curteous, quite and calm Warsaw. But then comes the night and you start with vodka and end up calling your ex in some Budda club at 2 am.
It all started by my friend’s invitation to Warsaw. I arrived around 22:00 and first thing I saw was the Palace of Culture and Science. Stalin’s gift to the Poles and the building where the Warsaw Pact was signed, in 1955.
Palace of Culture and Science
That same night she told me we will go out with more people. We started with normal fine polish biers, until someone ordered vodka. She told me that the habit is not to leave the table before the entire bottle is finished. It was a blast.
The rest of the week was cultural uplift and foodies. Like this great onion soup discovery in the plate made of bread.
On my way to the Warsaw Uprising Museum I spotted the memorial panel to one of all time politicians: Lech Kaczyński – who served as the Mayor of Warsaw (2002- 2005) and as the President of Poland (2005 – 2010). He was the identical twin brother of the former Prime Minister of Poland Jarosław. He died hin 2010 in the crash of a Polish Air Force jet together with more than 96 state officials, politicians like the the mentioned President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria, the former President of Poland in exile, the chief of the Polish General Staff and other senior Polish military officers, the president of the National Bank of Poland, Polish Government officials, 18 members of the Polish Parliament, senior members of the Polish clergy etc. The crash accident is shrouded in conspiracy theory.
Lech is famous by banning the Warsaw gay pride parade twice in 2004 and again in 2005, locally known as the Parada Równości (the Equality Parade), stating that the application of the parade organizers had not been properly filed, and also that he did not respect homosexuals’ right to demonstrate, “I respect your right to demonstrate as citizens. But not as homosexuals.”
So now about the Uprising Museum dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 during the WW2.
The museum shows possessions of the Polish Underground State during World War II made of mostly local Warsaw Jews. It collects and maintains hundreds of artifacts — ranging from weapons used by the insurgents to love letters — to present a full picture of the people involved.
The museum’s stated goals include the creation of an archive of historical information on the uprising and the recording of the stories and memories of living participants.
Most of the ruins and passes between buildings have been used by children as they were small enough to go through and bring useful information or small food supplies.
Monument to the Death of the Warsaw Uprising
The Uprising was resistant, the nazi occupation as well. By that, the Allies (Russia and UK) standing alongside watching the battle and waiting the moment to enter triumphantly in the city, claiming the victory which was so obviously won by the insurgents.
The schocking moment was at the end of museum where was a big poster of Jesus Christ thanking God for winning the WW2 and always protecting Polish people. -_- So sad they don’t recognize the irony.
One of the heros of Warsaw Uprising, the nurse Mewa
Memorial to the Mothers of the Warsaw Uprising. The anchor and the letter P are the resistance symbol.
Monument to warriors Warszaw
Memorial to the Mothers of the Warsaw Uprising. The anchor and the letter P at the top are the symbol of resistance
Continuing my way exploring Warsaw, this building appeared: Technical University. It is a typical Warsaw massive building builded in secession.
Warsaw University of Technology
As I was still stuck in history, I decided to sit for a coffee in a place from pre- WW2 era. Everything there is just like in the 30’s. The piano, old radio, chandelliers, walls…
Coffee place from Warsaw 30’s
Now about streets in Warsaw. Each of them tells the story, like Želazna street from the jewish ghetto, or the Street of John Paul II – the first pope non-italian pope coming from Poland.
Then some photos from the streets: the tram and the view towards the financial ditrict:
It was on my way to Pawiak museum, a former prison that during the January 1863 Uprising served as a transfer camp for Poles sentenced by Imperial Russia to deportation to Siberia.
Model of destroyed Pawiak museum
During the World War II German occupation of Poland, it became part of the Nazi concentration-death camp apparatus in Warsaw. In 1944 it was destroyed by the Germans to hide their traces.
Ruins of the entrance to Pawiak prisonMemorial tree
Travelling the world and visiting many museums, I can say I have visited so far around 10 jewish museums and they are always the most expensive ones with the most expensive entrance fee. The last one I visited was Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews. And probably will stay like this for long time. With all due respect.
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Museum is on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Hebrew word Polin means either “Poland” or “rest here” and is related to a legend on the arrival of the first Jews in Poland.
Inside of it you can find features of multimedia narrative exhibitions about the living Jewish community that flourished in Poland for a thousand years up to the Holocaust. It was definitely educational to see how Jewish community lived in Middle Ages surviving by growing their crafts, trades, banks and businesses.
On the Jewish street – reconstruction of Warsaw Ghetto
Reconstructed vault and bimah
Now about the city center and the city square a total mediaval history here 🙂 My favourites!
Plac Zamkowy is the name of the main square and it literally means castle square as there is the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish monarchs.
Plac Zamkowy and Sigismund’s ColumnHistoric townhouses at Plac Zamkowy
The Square features the landmark Sigismund’s Column to the south-west, and is surrounded by historic townhouses. It marks the beginning of the bustling Royal Route extending to the south.
This square has witnessed many dramatic scenes in Polish history. Patriotic demonstrations took place there during the period before the outbreak of the January Uprising of 1863 against Imperial Russia and its brutality over Polish people, as during that time the bloody massacre was carried out, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people.
During martial law (refers to the 1980’s when the authoritarian communist government of the People’s Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life) the square became the scene of the particularly brutal riot, with ZOMO police.
Going through Warsaw Old Town – my friend joined me from work and we had a great time exploring even though it was called and windy.
Rynek Staro Miesto
A symbol of Warsaw represented on the city’s coat of arms and well as in a number of statues and other imagery is Mermaid of Warsaw. Actually, more properly woud be a fresh-water mermaid called melusina. The story about it is similar with some European cities especially Luxembourg city.
The legend says the mermaid was swimming in the river Vistula when she stopped on a riverbank near the Old Town to rest. Liking it, she decided to stay. Local fishermen noticed that something was creating waves, tangling nets, and releasing their fish. They planned to trap the offender, but fell in love with her upon hearing her singing. Later, a rich merchant trapped the mermaid and imprisoned her. Hearing her cries, the fishermen rescued her, and ever since, the mermaid, armed with a sword and a shield, has been ready to help protect the city and its residents.
The mermaid in the centre of Warsaw’s Old Town
The heart of the Old town area is the Old Town Market Place, rich in restaurants, cafés and shops. Surrounding streets feature medieval architecture such as the city walls, the Barbican and St. John’s Cathedral.
We treated ourselves properly 🙂
Pierogi 🙂 Polish national dish stuffed with sour cherries and beer Tyskie
Poland is well – known by amber. Since my mother was born in the months of this gemstone, I decided to treat her with one.
Polish amber
Warsaw is also a birthplace of Nikola Kopernik – a Renaissance- and Reformation-era mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe. What a times in mediava l Warsaw!
Thereby the Copernicus Science Centre is placed there too.
Academy of Sciences and Copernicus Monument
But the real hero of there is Fryderyk Chopin – haolding the airport’s name, the church , statue and a museum.
He was a polish composer and and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for the solo piano. He lived in 19th century and died in Paris. But before his dead he said some parts of his shoud rest in his lovely Warsaw. Today, his heart is placed in Holy Cross Church.
So what happened exactly?
During his final days, famed Polish composer, with fawning Parisian women fainting all around him, he made the gruesome request that his heart be taken from his corpse and sent back to his home country, knowing full well that his body would never leave Paris.
The Church in which Chopin’s heart is held after he died in Paris at the age of 39
We visited the Fryderyk Chopin Museum too where you can find out more about his burning life episodes and items like his piano etc.
Chopin’s piano
On the way back we visited the place of the first Chopin performance, at age 8. Nowaday is marked with sitting benches performing his songs.
Place of Chopin’s first performance, he was 8 only
And what is world without women? Marie Curie was also Polish but naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win twice, the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences.
amazing place, i have been to Krakow before but never had a chance to visit Warsaw. I wondered how the city would look like, thanks for taking me to the virtual tour of the city.
Aww my polish friends said that Warsaw is not worth to go because the buildings there are all “newbulit”, but seems like there are some historical values preserved in the city:)
There are some fascinating time limits on this article but I don’t know if I see all of them middle to heart. There’s some validity but I’ll take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like more! Added to FeedBurner as well
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The layout look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Kudos
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something informative to read?
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?
May I just say what a relief to uncover someone who genuinely understands what they are discussing on the web. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular since you most certainly have the gift.
Right here is the perfect blog for anybody who hopes to understand this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for ages. Great stuff, just great!
This looks an amazing place to visit. I have to put it on my list as one of my favourite destinations to plan a visit to. Thanks for sharing.
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Wow sooo amazing blog .. am mesmerized…
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Amazing blog and succes pics I am delighted to visit your blog .
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Deken batavia
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Wow so very nice blog
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every traveler should follow this blog
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Grad je prelep ! Volela bih da i licno jednog dana osetim njegov duh. Odlican post .❤
Svaka cast ! 👍
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Wow nice blog! I will surely have to visit .
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amazing place, i have been to Krakow before but never had a chance to visit Warsaw. I wondered how the city would look like, thanks for taking me to the virtual tour of the city.
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a beautiful place to enjoy a holiday ..
thank you info bro
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Really nice post
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Looks like an awesome place to visit! Great article as well.
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Dis girl is doing amazing I personally liked all the content 😎😎 and information
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What a beautiful city with a beautiful name
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Wow, such an interesting place! I am now considering visiting!
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nice 🙂
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Looks so lovely place. Adding in my trip list after reading your post 🙂
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What ?
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What ?
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What ?
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Aww my polish friends said that Warsaw is not worth to go because the buildings there are all “newbulit”, but seems like there are some historical values preserved in the city:)
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What ?
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What ?
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What ?
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beautiful pics
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What ?
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What ?
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What ?
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Wow again i wanna say amazing post beautiful pictures and specially the images of food they make me hungry
Keep working like this
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Awesome place for tour
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Woooow. You get to go to all these amazing places!
Joy to the World
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I really want to visit Warsaw badly!! I have been to Krakow and I enjoyed it so much, that I really want to return to Poland. Your post was amazing!
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There are some fascinating time limits on this article but I don’t know if I see all of them middle to heart. There’s some validity but I’ll take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like more! Added to FeedBurner as well
LikeLike
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The layout look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Kudos
LikeLike
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something informative to read?
LikeLike
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?
LikeLike
May I just say what a relief to uncover someone who genuinely understands what they are discussing on the web. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular since you most certainly have the gift.
LikeLike
Right here is the perfect blog for anybody who hopes to understand this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for ages. Great stuff, just great!
LikeLike