Warsaw packed

Early June brings me a few social days in Warsaw. It's for the wedding reception of a good friend of mine who first invited me to the city over 50 years ago when we were students. It's delightful to renew a friendship which has lasted so long. As it happens, another couple, one of whom I also got to know in the early seventies, are also in Warsaw so I am not lost for social activities. And the relationship with our two countries has been substantial, the Polish diaspora enhanced by exiles to Britain in World War II and then of course, Poland joining the EU.

Needless to say, Poland has changed drastically since the 1970s. Back then, one had to declare on the visa one's planned number of days in the country, with currency to be exchanged at the border into zlotys for each day. Not that this eliminated black marketeers who lurked on street corners! Queues outside shops for staples such as milk and bread were as common as restaurants and bars were rare. And few people could afford cars. Now, public transport is still the best way to get around town although it's a challenge to get tickets. The couple at the machine are as baffled as me, with the added irony for me to find out later that over 70s may travel free!

I'm staying in one of the busiest areas of Warsaw, with 5-lane highways and noise to match. Near the junction is the Palace of Culture, a 1950s "present from Moscow" from which a view was said to be the most beautiful in the city because you couldn't see the Palace itself. It's not the only one of its kind---there's a smaller version in Riga which I visited 2 years ago, and Bucharest has one too---but after 70 years it's acquired a certain grace. But beneath the pomposity there's space for old-style marketing.

Warsaw was largely destroyed in World War II but the reconstruction in what are known as the Old and New Towns, has been faithful---as most visitors would agree. This elegant tea room, in the Hotel Bristol, is a rare survivor from around 1900 but the milk bar is more 1950s. Scattered around the baroque glories are reminders of Stalinist times---with the opinions of the local graffiti artists. Across the river, in Praga, are quiet districts itching to be gentrified. To be explored perhaps on a future visit.

Six days in Warsaw? Not enough, really.Read more