• Bill Sherman
  • CJ Sherman
  • Bill Sherman
  • CJ Sherman

Warsaw Poland

Visiting the rebuilt city of Warsaw, capital of Poland Read more
  • Trip start
    August 13, 2024

    Drive from Krakow to Warsaw

    August 13, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    183 miles from Krakow to Warsaw. Started by filling up Myrtle at “Petrol Krak”, which definitely has different connotations in US vs Polish. Then you realize the local area is called Krak, and remember one of the first kings was Krak…..
    Lots of farmland along a newer stretch of the highway E77. In the EU, there are designated routes which go through multiple countries. All of these begin with an “E” similar to the “I” for Interstate in the US. Our route today switched between 2 lane local roads and the highway for a bit until the last 240km was on highway.
    As we got closer to Warsaw, the land became a little hillier and forested. Neither of us realized how big and modern Warsaw is. But then when you look at pictures, and see some of the remnants from WW2, you realize the Poles started all over again in 1946. Warsaw was leveled between the Nazi and Russian armies taking the city. The remnants of the Jewish Ghetto wall are pockmarked with bullet and bomb holes. The city is now vibrant and active, we can’t wait to visit and explore over the next few days.
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  • Modern Warsaw (old town too)

    August 14, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    All of Warsaw is modern. This city was 85% destroyed between Hitler and the nazis, and the Russian army. After the Warsaw uprising hitler wanted to “erase Warsaw from the map”. He got very close. Even though the roads and buildings look old, there are VERY few old structures around.
    They are actually rebuilding the palace surrounding the tomb of the Unknown Soldier back to its 1700s form.
    The mass transit is easy to use, many large walking areas. We were here on a beautiful summer day. In the dead of winter it would be rough for this Florida boy! It’s a beautiful city definitely worth the visit.
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  • Armed Forces Day

    August 15, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    Surprise we actually hit a date where we were in the city when something cool was happening. Since we went to Paris in June, Normandy the week after the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, missed the race in LeMans by a week too. And barely caught the finishers of the Mount Blanc Marathon. We witnessed and experienced Armed Forces Day in Warsaw Poland!Read more

  • Chopin

    August 15, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola and grew up in Warsaw, which in 1815 became part of Congress Poland. A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed his earlier works in Warsaw before leaving Poland at the age of 20, less than a month before the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising. At 21, he settled in Paris. Thereafter he gave only 30 public performances, preferring the more intimate atmosphere of the salon. He supported himself by selling his compositions and by giving piano lessons, for which he was in high demand. Chopin formed a friendship with Franz Liszt and was admired by many of his musical contemporaries, including Robert Schumann. After a failed engagement to Maria Wodzińska from 1836 to 1837, he maintained an often troubled relationship with the French writer Aurore Dupin (known by her pen name George Sand). A brief and unhappy visit to Mallorca with Sand in 1838–39 would prove one of his most productive periods of composition. In his final years, he was supported financially by his admirer Jane Stirling. For most of his life, Chopin was in poor health. He died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39

    There are benches throughout the city that play his music. I had video taped one but this platform didn’t allow me to post it.

    He is considered a son of Poland! The airport in Warsaw is also named for him.
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    Trip end
    August 16, 2024