Warsaw: Warsaw Uprising Museum and City Tour

This morning I visit the Warsaw Uprising Museum. The uprising museum is about the uprising of the people of Poland against the Germans at the end of WWII. The beginning of the exhibit talks about the start of WWII and German occupation but the museum is mostly about how the Polish resistance organized and fought the Germans.

We learn in history that Germany invades Poland at the start of WWII. When they invade Warsaw the Polish do a pretty good job initially at holding them off. However the excessive bombing of residential areas by Germans lead the Polish to capitulate to the Germans pretty quickly to lessen the amount of death to civilians. I am not sure they had any idea how bad it could get after that.

I learn how the uprising comes to form and how they get in bed with the enemy, the red army (Soviet Union), in order to fight off the Germans. The red army had promised to help them remove the nazis from Warsaw but instead they leave them hanging until the last minute and then finally join the fight.

The people of Warsaw believed the red army was going to help them and continue on through to fight the Germans. But instead of letting Poland have its independence they disarm the polish underground soldiers, installed a puppet government and started communist rule of Poland for 40 years. They replaced one form of occupation with another.

In the museum there are historical artifacts with explanations, documented footage of the time, and a powerful 3D movie to show an aerial view of how Warsaw was bombed to hell during this war. What wasn’t destroyed at the beginning of WW2 was completely decimated during the end of WW2. It is said that before WW2 Warsaw had 1.3 million people but after the last uprising they were left with less than 300,000. Many were moved, killed, or sent to camps during the occupation. There was some information on the Warsaw Ghetto and how Germany made propaganda videos to show back home about how great life was in the ghetto so every day Germans would have no idea how bad like was for the Jewish people in Poland.

Sewer tunnels were often used as an escape and communication route

After the museum I want to grab a quick lunch before the old town tour I have scheduled this afternoon. While on the bus to Old town I pass a Georgian restaurant I’ve been thinking about trying. I hop off at the next stop and get a delicious Georgian meal. There are so many good things to order but I am only one person and this is already too much food. I order an appetizer of cold eggplant rolled over some sort of nut stuffing (I think cashews) and khachapuri with egg. Khachapuri is what we call in US a cheese boat. It is boat shaped bread filled with delicious cheese. There can be different toppings like a pizza but I order the traditional way with a raw egg on top. The egg is mixed in table-side where the egg “cooks” with the hot melty cheese. I think the egg gives it a more rich flavor, plus it adds protein (gotta get in my protein even if I am eating garbage). I am sure the cheese is going to mess up my stomach for the afternoon but I don’t care. (Luckily it doesn’t). It’s good I am walking for most of the afternoon because I am eating a days worth of calories here, or more.

I arrive to the royal route early and explore. The royal route is the long road lined with restaurants and stores that leads down to the presidential palace and old town.

We meet at the Copernicus monument in front of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Copernicus is a famous Polish scientist who first modeled the Sun as being stationary and the planets orbiting it, among other things. He is commemorated all over the country.

Our guide, a spunky polish native, uses facts, humor and sarcasm to tell us all about old town. I love a good sarcasm banter.

The most important thing to know that most of the old town has been completely rebuilt since WWII. It was bombed during the start of WW2 and bombed to hell when Poland tried to claim their independence during the Warsaw Uprising.

As terrible as the Soviets were to Poland, much of the old town was able to be rebuilt during the reign. Our guide tells is that many of the buildings are built from the original rubble of the original construction. And if they did not have enough material they tried to source the original.

We spend a large amount of time talking about the buildings all over the start of old town.

We visit the town square and learn all the lore behind the courtyard mermaid.

Our guide shows us important churches and notes places to visit around town. She points out parks on the must see list.

After the tour I go backwards and visit all the churches she mentions during the tour.

In Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist there is a reproduction of the famous Black Madonna painting like the famous one that exists in the Jasna Gora, a polish pilgrimage site. The church also has a Jesus statue that uses human hair as Jesus’ hair. There is a story that it used to grow and required haircuts on a regular basis. There is a story to explain why it no longer grows, of course.

I visit St Anna’s church which is a must see inside.

She also fills us in with more detail of the history like how a king ends up on a big column in the beginning of old town.

In the Church of the Holy Cross you can visit a memorial to Chopin. Frédéric Chopin’s sister put his heart in brandy after his death to preserve it. There is a fantastic story about how she smuggles it under her dress to cross the border so his heart could be buried in Warsaw, in his home country.

We stop by the University of Warsaw. We learn that all the public universities in Poland are free if you have the grades to be admitted. We see one building that made it through the war. It is supposed to be a beautiful campus, especially at night. I plan to return later.

We stop by the beautiful Bristol hotel, a luxury hotel built in 1901. The Cafe Bristol is visited by many famous people over the years. There are little knobs on the wall that commemorate each famous visitor to the hotel.

We finish the tour at the other side of old town at the Warsaw Barbican. After stopping by all the churches I missed I take the metro to down to the Palace of Culture and Science to have spectacular views of the city.

I read somewhere that the metro isn’t that interesting in Warsaw but I disagree.

View from the Palace of Culture and Science

More museums tomorrow……

Dresden

Took an early train to Dresden Germany. I’m exhausted. Done screwed up because things are closed on Tuesday, my only day in Dresden. The train ride is relatively short at 2 hours. I am still in Germany and it is very easy to map out which tram I need to take to my hotel. The only question now is which Dresden train station to arrive to since there are two; either one would have have been sufficient since they seem to be about equi-distance to my hotel. I am lucky at check in and my room is available is already and it isn’t even eleven am yet (It is always worth asking!). I go to my room, unwind for a few minutes and force myself out since I only have today in town (yeah I know, it’s so unlike me to schedule only one night in a city).

I had a sandwich I traveled with that I inhale before I walk out the door because I am hungry again. I regret that later when I am too full to sample some cheeses. The cheeses are at a beautifully decorated historic dairy store (Dresdner Molkerei Gebrüder Pfund). If I wasn’t so full I would have bought a loaf of bread and sampled some cheeses.

Before I arrive at the historic dairy store I stop in a courtyard to view an artsy building decorated with musical instruments. Apparently this Neustadt Kunsthofpassage building makes music when it rains. Also I pass an old church and a park.

I have a couple things planned for Dresden but nothing is set in stone and many things are closed today. I decide to go to the highly rated Hygiene Museum which is basically a museum all about the human body. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very good museum but I probably should have spent my time learning about something historical to Dresden instead. I spend way too much time here. It’s pretty good.

I head to the main square in old town. It is July 4th today, a large day in the USA but not necessarily in Europe. In Dresden today they are celebrating Fete de L’Europe. Apparently the French President Macron was supposed to attend but has cancelled. The square is crowded and there is lots of security surrounding. A local politician speaks and there are many local music acts. I stop and watch this free event for a little while.

I stop at a tourist restaurant to try to pork roast.

I then spend the rest of the evening exploring town until my feet hurt and I cannot walk anymore.

I walk into a courtyard of beautiful Baroque buildings called the Zwinger. The Zwinger courtyard is closed off for maintenance but you can tell it is impressive when it is fully functional.

This is one town I should have definitely spent more time in. I’ll end up in this part of the world again someday. But tomorrow I head to the Czech Republic.

Berlin Happenings

Even though I have tickets to other museums on museum island I decide to take the tram to visit MarktHalle Neun instead eat my way around the market. I wander around admiring the market and trying some food and drink.

After walking across the historic Oberbaum Bridge I end up at East Side Gallery, known for its large outdoor art exhibit on the east side pieces of the Berlin Wall that are designated for art. The exhibit stretches far and is quite busy. I don’t snap pictures of the most famous pieces because the crowds are too thick around them. You can google East Side Galllery to see the famous wall pieces.

The next morning my allergies are pretty bad and I want to just stay in for the day but I realize this is my last chance to see one of the museums I’ve wanted to visit – Hamburger Bahnhof, a modern art museum in an old train station. I can’t actually show a picture of the piece of the museum that looks like a train station because there is a modern art installation there with many “no photo” signs.

One exhibit is from an Algerian woman who describes her highly curated activist life during the 60’s and 70’s in Algeria, France and Italy. There are film canisters, a film set, a bar room where you can watch live tango, and an actual short film you can watch. It is highly immersive and quite interesting.

It’s Sunday so I head over to the flea market at Mauerpark. The market is huge with many kiosks selling pretty much everything. I almost get some food but the food concessions are so crowded I decide to wait for dinner instead. As I leave the market the nearby park area is bustling with street performers. I soak up the energy and watch a few acts as well as a drum group.

I also walk through the nearby neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg. It’s a nice area I’d like to come back to.

Too tired to walk to the original restaurant I had picked for dinner I visit the famous Prater Garden instead. I am once again disappointed; I do not think beer garden food is my cup of tea.

One the way back I stop at a David Hasselhoff museum (more like a wall than a museum) and an eclectic cafe where I enjoy a wine outdoors on this Sunday evening.

The next morning my goal is to have döner kebab. I’ve been told there is nothing like the döner you can get in Berlin. Of Turkish origin, German puts its own spin on the sandwich. I will not forget this and the bread its served on.

Earlier in my Berlin visit I visited the Pergamon Panorama. Today I visit another one by the same artist that shows the Berlin Wall. Yadegar Asisi’s art is projected on a 360° screen (Die Mauer). The wall shows life on both sides of the wall during the time that it existed. The exhibit uses sounds and light to take you through day and night.

I wandered the shopping street of Friedrichstraße where there are protesters, some have demonstrations and some are glued to the ground. I believe they are protesting about climate change. They are definitely disrupting business but the police seem to act calm in their presence.

I discover a cute part of town I wish I visited earlier because most things are closed. Nikolaiviertel has colorful buildings and some shops and restaurants. I enjoy some asparagus soup and an apple strudel near the water. I soon head back toward my hotel. Tomorrow I travel to Dresden.

Miscellaneous images from around town.

Berlin slow days

I have many days scheduled in Berlin and it is timed perfectly because I am pretty burned out on traveling. Originally I thought I would do day trips from Berlin but instead I want to take this time leisurely. This will be the last time during my travels I’ll have time to relax. I fly home in a month and the final weeks are very rushed.

So I plan just a few things a day in Berlin for now. Today I take my time leaving the hotel especially because there is rain. I start with a nice Vietnamese lunch.

I head down to the art deco shopping complex called Hackesche Hofe and wander in and out of some stores. I buy a couple small bottles of local alcohol and some weird marshmallow candies that remind me of circus peanuts from my childhood.

Nearby at the alternative art alley Haus Schwarzenberg I wait for the very weird MonsterKabinett to open so I can buy tickets for their show. While I wait I head to a nearby bar where I get in trouble for taking pictures. Apparently there is a sign up front and they are very adamant about it. It’s a cool bar, just don’t take any pictures unless you want to get scolded like a little child. The drink is pretty strong so that’s a bonus.

Finally they start selling tickets for MonsterKabinett and a mime-looking guy (minus the makeup) gathers us up for our tour. He is animated and takes us down to a basement art gallery slash performance location and interacts with weird looking robots. This is all choreographed to loud and strange music. The finale is a monster robot rock concert in a mirrored room. It isn’t that expensive so if you like weird stuff I say go. There are no pictures inside, many break the rules of course – I didn’t because I didn’t want to be scolded again. You’ll probably not forget the experience for a while since it’s so bizarre. I have a photo below from their website.

I take some more pictures of the area and find a nice Italian restaurant where I devour some really good truffle pasta.

I waited to the last minute to try to get tickets to the Pergamon museum, one of the nightly recommended museums in Berlin. Unfortunately they are all sold out for the day I want to go. What is available is tickets to Das Pergamon Panarama, also highly recommended. The Pergamon museum is a museum of the city in Turkey that was excavated and moved to a a museum in Berlin (one of the few times they actually had permission to do so). It is a fascinating exhibit in that it is fairly well preserved. Most of the museum is undergoing a major renovation and some major exhibits are unable at this time. Seeing the Panorama version seems like a good alternative. There are some parts of the Pergamon in this museum like statues and some of the walls but the appeal is the immersive Panorama art created by Yadegar Asisi. The beautiful colors and sounds show live during a day in the city. You watch as the art goes from day to night to day again.

Original Pergamon museum and models on how it looks

Light is added to show movement and to show how color was present before it faded in time.

More images around town

Next I’m heading to a food market across town….

Berlin beginnings

Scheduling a concert the night before a long travel day isn’t the best planning but at least the concert was very good.

Sleep deprived, I head to the train station in the morning to travel to Berlin – about a 7 hour journey. I am departing from Copenhagen and things are already off to a shaky start because my train is delayed and I have a 30 minute connection in Hamburg. As I wait the train gets delayed even more and then we are made to change tracks. Eventually other guests and I start to notice that the screen above starts crossing off the Hamburg Hbf (Hamburg main station) portion of the itinerary, a place most of us need to go to get our connections. Confusing as it is I start looking into alternative travel plans. I think I can go on to the final station in the itinerary (in Denmark) and try to find other trains to eventually get me to where I need to go. A few minute before the train arrives the itinerary switches back to going to Hamburg Hbf. Us passengers aren’t all convinced this is happening but we remain hopeful. At best most of us are missing our connections though. Some of my train companions have further to go like Switzerland; luckily there are trains available every hour to Berlin. We do make it to Hamburg and I wait until I can take the next available train to Berlin. I have napped a bit so I am not as cranky anymore.

I arrive in Berlin and easily figure out how to take the tram to my hotel. I am staying in a chain. Sometimes it is nice to know what to expect with the chain hotels having mostly consistent service and often breakfast. It costs more money and lacks charm but sometimes it is nice to just have modern comforts like air conditioning again. It’s been a long travel day so I call it an early night.

The next morning I have reservations at the Reichstag dome. The Reichstag is the government building where parliament meets. It has lots of history but for tourists there is the dome at top which was opened in 1999, almost ten years after the reunification of Germany. Reservations for the dome are compulsory and should be done at least a month in advance. Luckily I had the heads up from a friend who tried to visit before me. The audio guide is free and very necessary since it tells you about the skyline of Berlin as you climb the dome. There is a good lesson of history here but it is condensed. Another museum might be better to get a more thorough history of Germany. The appeal here is marveling at the artwork of the dome and appreciating the view of the skyline.

I am really liking the design of the different metro stations especially the one nearby.

I get a good introduction to the city here so I start formulating a plan of things I want to see. My next stop is the Brandenburg Gate, a 18th century gate to the city. You can’t see it here but I see in another museum later that part of the Berlin Wall went right through this area and it looked vastly different for many years.

Next stop is at a Jewish memorial, some unassuming rows of rectangles of various sizes.

I walk over to where I see my first sight of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 to separate the sides of Germany from the conflicting governments at the time: East and West. East Berlin is GDR (German democratic republic) aka Soviet occupied zone and West Berlin is Federal Republic of Germany – the allied occupation side of Germany (USA, UK, and France). All of this is a result of WWII. The time of the wall was a very divided time in history, separating friends and families almost overnight. The wall destruction finally begins in 1989 after calls for reunification are successful. So Berlin as we know it is a fairly young city.

Next to this piece of the wall is a very thorough museum on the history of Germany and its affect on other parts of the world (Topography of Terror). It filled the holes I had on my education and made me worry based what is happening in my own country looking at Germany’s history in the early 20th century. Funny how history still wants to keep repeating itself.

The museum is very emotionally draining but I walk by the famous checkpoint Charlie location afterwards on the way to a scheduled visit to the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).

At the Berlin Cathedral I make the exhausting climb to the top to get another great view from the dome at top.

I climb back down and I am very exhausted at this point so I sit at a cafe and just stare at the water from the bottom side of the cathedral. I see two people with a fun looking cake and decide I need a piece. I watch boats and eat my cake.

Being tired it is a good time to do a river cruise. I order a beer and listen to the commentary as we float. I am regretting my decision of wearing a dark colored shirt because the sun is baking me at this point. I cheer on all the clouds.

Where my boat exits is the next museum I visit, DDR, a interactive museum about life in East Germany during soviet occupied times. It is educational and kitschy. I have fun here for a little while.

My energy is almost down to zero so I walk back toward my hotel. I stop in a tourist beer garden for dinner. I try to eat healthy by ordering the asparagus special but they are out of it. Being sick of eating salads lately I decide on a very unhealthy chicken schnitzel and lots of wine….I know I *should* be drinking beer in a beer garden but can’t handle multiple beers much anymore.