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22/01/09 our penultimate day in Warsaw we decided to be up early to make the most of it... having gotten up and eaten breakfast we headed back to bed (we think we might be a little bit ill, been feeling a tad funky for a few days now). we eventually left the hostel at 13:30ish to see the Citadel in north Warsaw. After a long and wet walk we found our selves in a grotty neighbourhood looking at a small, but long over grown wall, surrounding a not to inviting yellow brick building. This was the Citadel? no wonder its not in the top 10 in the guide book. feeling a bit chilled by the cold sleety misty weather we decided to depress our selves some more by going to the Pawiak prison... we found it quickly enough without difficulty... CLOSED... damn. Still the outside was very interesting, and a well done memorial to the grizzly sight (the Nazis had commandeered the Prison during the war, executing around 35,000 people there, and deporting 3 times that number to death camps). I was very glad we walked there all the same, just to see such a sight. We returned to the hostel to eat and rest up, and hopefully in a couple of hours we are going out. tomorow we go to Russia!
21/01/09 awoke late again (had been drinking with a weird middle aged Polish man who made computer games, an Italian and another middle aged man - this time German - and one an ozzy) and headed to the Palace of arts and science to have a look around and see the view, was some what confusing, being full of little children, but an impressive view all the same. we then headed to the Royal Castle, rebuilt after bombing/Nazi sabotage. The inside of the castle was spectacularly restored and doubled as an art museum, however the plethora staff were some what strange and grumpy - constantly ushering us on while saying Prosha Prosha! (speach marks aren´t working on this damn computer) meaning please please! it was very interesting all the same. having finished there we returned, via a very western coffee shop, to the hostel. we spent the evening drinking Bulgarian red wine (horribly sweet, but a change from the beer) with a couple of Canadians who live here in warsaw - tomorow they said theyĺl take us out in the town. wahey.
20/01/09 Decided to sleep in and have a day off, we had had 2 heavy days and have plenty of time in Warsaw to see all the sights, so we lazed around, read our books, had some pesto, cheers and meat toasties and generally did very little (terrible i know). I am i must say rather confused though, i had been expecting a steady decline in temperature as we headed east, but strangely its getting warmer (most the snow has melted here and it rained yesterday, whereas it was -10 in Brussels?)
19/01/09 Up early for once, we ate in the hostel bar and headed towards the rebuilt old town (destroyed by bombing and rebuilt precisely after the war). later, around 12, we decided it was time for a cup of tea - and fortunately there was a tea room with around 200 different teas near by - what luck!. after 2 ours of tea ridden madness (and me choosing a the most expensive "royal" tea - tasted good mind - then again for 8 pounds it should do) we headed back toward the hostel for lunch, the to the Warsaw uprising museum. The museum was fantastic and made a great impression - being well laid out (well if you follow the arrows like a clever person it is), very interesting AND only 40p to enter - well worth visiting. In the evening, after yet for spaghetti (still had some left), we went to the hostel bar again for some happy hour beers (1 pound 20 for 2 pints) and met yet more ozzys! they just spawn all over the damn place.
18/01/09 awoke drunk at around 10.... very drunk and in equal pain the two of us. our train to Warsaw was at 12:30 so we got there in good time and spent any change we had on a wholesome breakfast of pom bears (yummy). the train ride this time was thankfully uneventful other than a constant stream of bad tempered old Polish ladies in our compartment who all seemed to need me to lift their bags! after trying to sleep and semi-succeeding the trip flew by with us arriving about 18:30 in Warsaw. once we found our way out the the shopping center attached to the train station we were welcomed by loudly blasted Rhianna and a small ice rink full of people (it was a tad disconcerting) having got past that we were struck by the view of Warsaw, not only was it thriving but it was beautiful and modern (snow was falling and the huge "Palace of Arts and Science was looming above us accompanied by and dwarfing well designed modern sky scrapers). A short walk of about 10 minutes got us to our hostel - the "oki doki" - without incident. The hostel didnt have space for us to be in a dorm together but for only 13 pounds a night we got a private room (decorated with fish and submarines!). we went to bed rather early.
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