One of my favorite times of year at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is the Florida Prize. Florida Prize in Contemporary art is an exhibition of contemporary artists in Florida. Every year they throw a big party and exhibit some great artists. I haven’t been to the party the past couple years but I am always sure to at least check out the exhibit while the art is displayed.
Being from the central Florida area this piece of art is fun because it contains dirt from different Florida locations, many of which actually had meaning to me.
I canceled another day trip. The commute was too long and I’ve been tired. I want to stay close to my flat in case I want to cut sightseeing short. There is still so much I have yet to see in Warsaw but I am sad about canceling the other things I had planned. I don’t understand why on travel forums people tell you that not much time is needed in Warsaw. I understand that people don’t love the modernism of the city or that the historic parts of it are actually completely rebuilt in the last 50 or so year, but there are still endless museums and parts of town to visit. I feel like I’ve stayed fairly busy these last few days and will still not get to see everything I want to see – this is with mostly 10+ hours of being out and about each day.
My last morning in Warsaw I sit down and have a proper breakfast at a nearby cafe.
I start today at the National Museum in Warsaw, the national art museum. My travel to Poland has been odd since I usually hit all the art museums in town, especially the modern ones. This trip I have been visiting things more historical in nature. I have a “free” day here in Warsaw so finally I visit an art museum.
The National Museum is mostly medieval and older art. The most famous painting here is the Battle of Grunwald. Medieval art isn’t my favorite genre but I always enjoy the expressions on humans and animals.
National Museum in Warsaw
I love some of the weirder stuff in the museum because as always I am drawn to the weird.
I also like the Polish design temporary exhibit. It takes its inspiration from the communist era where it’s all about getting the most use out of a space.
The battle of Grunwald
After the museum I head to the royal way to get a dessert since I am not yet ready for a proper lunch, don’t judge me.
“Palm” tree in Warsaw. Inspired by Israel. Love the crème cake
I walk over to Warsaw Fotoplastikon, a historic photo viewing machine that is circular and rotates photos along the viewing spots. As old as the machine is, it is able to make some of the photos appear in 3D. I first saw one of these at the Schindler’s factory in Krakow. This one changes the historic photos out every month. The current exhibition is from Polish tourism to Palestine in the early 1900’s.
The final thing I want to do today is check out the “bohemian” neighborhood of Praga across the river. The red army, or Russians, stayed here during WWII. Visiting Praga is recommended because it is an artsy part of town. I spend hours in this neighborhood and really don’t see much bohemian. I view the large impressive rebuilt church, walk a nice park, and hang out in a newer industrial area. I even join a vodka museum tour last minute to learn more about Polish vodka.
St Florian’s church was destroyed by the Germans in 1944 during the Warsaw uprising. A huge reconstruction effort led to church to reopen in 1972.
St Florian’s Cathedral
Some architecture in the “Bohemian” Praga.
I really enjoyed a peaceful walk in the Park Praski.
I am in the New Praga and it appears there isn’t much going on over here besides a nearby zoo so I hop on a bus to go to the other side of Praga because I am exhausted from walking all day. I am in an old industrial complex that has been converted into a very modern area, including a google lab. It seems like a very good idea to do a tour of the Polish Vodka museum with an upgraded tasting. I book a tasting a then order a very large and relaxing meal while I wait.
The vodka tour takes you into the origins of Polish vodka, how it is made, and how it is produced and distributed today. In the US I don’t typically sip vodka, maybe an occasional shot, but mostly it is an ingredient in a probably sweet cocktail. The vodkas I tried today are good for sipping. I probably won’t drink them this way on the regular but it isn’t the worst thing.
My special tour included a drink upstairs at the attached bar from a special menu. I chose a dessert like drink because its not something I’d normally order.
View from the upstairs bar
And just like that its the end of my visit to Warsaw. Loved my time here in this international city. Now I am heading north to the city of Gdansk.
In the morning I have a timed entry for the Battle of Racławice, a panorama depicting a battle during the uprising against Russia in 1794. It is good thing I bought my ticket in advance because it is 9:00 AM and they are completely sold out for the day….just another example how there is no more go with the flow when it comes to traveling.
Things along the way to the panorama:
Me waiting for…everything
This panorama is a bit different than the others I have seen in Germany. This one is more stationary (if that is the right word). There are some sound effects and commentary (through an english audio guide) but for the most part you just are looking at a panoramic painting. Some of the others I’ve seen use light and sound to make it seem living. It is still cool to see though.
My ticket includes admission to three other museums but I am burned out today so I just walk 20 minutes to see one of them.The Ethnographic museum is small but informative. There are displays of old artifacts and a great history lesson of the Lower Silesian area of Poland. There is information of immigration coming in and out of this area from many different countries in the region. One interesting group of things in the museum were the figurative hives. They are carved out wooden figures meant as beehives.
It’s about to rain so I am officially done with sightseeing for now. I am going to hibernate for a couple hours. Hopefully it will stop right after dark because there is just one more stop I want to make tonight.
Some stops around town when the weather was nice.
I am in love with Dubai Chocolate ice cream Lunch in the rainSlaughtered animals memorial
Neon Side
The one place left I had on my agenda is to visit the street with all the old neon signs at night. Called Neon Side the street has some bars and nightclubs. Luckily the rain stopped long enough for me to walk down there to snap some photos.
Neon Sid
After Neon Side I grab a late night snack of cheese and there’s a dwarf staring at me.
One the way to the train station in the morning I stop by the statues called the passage. The figurines look like they are disappearing into the ground but then appear again on the other side of the street.
I go to the famous cafe Sacher to try their torte cake. I order the combo with the coffee and the special Brut champagne. If I return I’ll insist on sitting upstairs in the beautiful velvet dining space.
Finally get to try wiener schnitzel at Huth Gastwirtschaft.
I visit the Imperial Crypt, the crypt of the royals.
I then visit the Stephansdom Crypt where I see a plethora of human bones as well as intestines and other innards in alcohol jars. I highly recommend this tour if you like creepy things. No pictures inside.
Some internal body parts, juicing up for hundreds of years
I walk around town and then have cocktails at an American bar.
What goes with crypts, bones and cocktails? Seeing the Barbie movie in a historic theater. This theater also is famous for showing the movie The Third Man. If I had more time in town I’d come back to see that.
After the movie I take the train and walk to my hotel through the Prater amusement park where I get to view it lit up for the evening.
My final day I visit Belvedere Palace and its weird art. The palace is a museum and holds some famous artwork by Gustav Klimt and other artists.
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
Finally I eat a late lunch at an old glass building, the restaurant called Brasserie Palmenhaus Wien.
There is so much more to see and do in Vienna but but I am flying to Serbia in the morning for my final stop so I go back to pack. This time I have to pack for flying since all the bus and train routes were terrible.
In the morning I tour Schloss Eggenberg. The state rooms are only accessed by guided tour so I sign up for the early tour. Eggenberg palace is another UNESCO protected building. It is a representation of baroque architecture. Schloss Eggenberg was created for the prominent Eggenberg family (yes the same one that had a presence in Bohemia – specifically Cesky Krumlov). The rooms are impressive but it is another in a long line of palaces that allow no photography so I have no photos to share. Many of the rooms were barely used over the years and it was a very large palace for the time when it was built. Regulations existed about having palaces with more rooms than what the current royals had so some rooms were not in use as a compromise. Also it was built with lots of math and astrology in mind: Hans Ulrich had items of the Gregorian calendar incorporated in the design (ie 365, 52, 31, 24, 7). Impressive because this was a time when the Gregorian calendar was not yet widely adopted.
We can take pictures in the gallery museum though. There is lots of religious themed art. I find Corpse of Saint Florian Guarded by an Eagle quite interesting.
There is also a large coin collection.
I stop at the Frankowitsch – Brötchenbar – Delikatessen to try their open face sandwiches for lunch. They are good. I love the spread on the sandwich Pumpkin seed oil. I also order a lox one because I love salmon.
After lunch I take the train up to Schlossberg the tall mountain area that overhangs into the town. I enjoy some great views from up there. I slowly walk down from level to level and finally get to those intimidating stairs. I am sweating just going down so I am not sure I would really enjoy going up this time of year but lots of other people are doing it.
The climb I’m not gonna do today
Walking back to my hotel I decide to stop at a cocktail bar and try a couple drinks. Afterwards I walk around and finally get a night view of the city before I go back to pack. I head to Vienna tomorrow. Good night.
Growing With Leala 