Day 525: Back to Warsaw

Since we had no kitchen and no supplies, we had to leave early to get breakfast! So we just packed up and left around 8:30, as there wasn't much to do anyway.

Main thing for today was a 4 hour drive back westwards across Poland to Warsaw. So that's what we did. Not much to report really, stopped a couple of times for bakery supplies and for petrol as well. Poland's countryside is very rolling and fertile - lots of huge farms that reminded us of central France.

Driving across, it was difficult not to think of lebensraum, the Nazi concept of "living space" for the Aryan people, these huge fertile lands that could support immense populations of blond haired supermen. It's not hard to see why Hitler wanted it so much.

And to reflect on Polish history as well. It's generally quite a sad history I think, as although "Poland" as a concept has existed more or less since the 13th century, they have a huge amount of fertile territory and a hard-working population, they've historically been sandwiched between two much stronger powers in Germany and Russia. So much of their history has been one of conquest, re-conquest, independence and subjugation again.

Anyway.

Arrived back in Warsaw around 2pm and couldn't check in to the Airbnb until 4, so we busied ourselves with finding a pet store to stock up on dog food and then getting haircuts. My first haircut since Lyon in early March, so sorely overdue. I also discovered the hard way that when I asked for clipper #4 on the back and sides (ie the one that leaves your hair the longest) - apparently the numbering is reversed here! So the five-day growth on my beard is longer than my hair. Ah well, less time until the next haircut I guess!

Checked into our apartment which is the same one we stayed in last week. Still just as nice. Grabbed some Polish sausages from the supermarket downstairs and had those for dinner. Last night in Poland for probably quite a long time, as we're heading back to Czech tomorrow!Read more