april 18, part 3

i followed this sweet couple around for hours while they gave me a complete history on warsaw.
we passed by several churches, museums, and monuments too many for me to count.

 

they were very good to me. they were both generous and thoughtful not allowing me to pay for anything. i once mentioned that i had money, but they would have to count it for me simply because i was not familiar with anything yet regarding zloty.

aren't the buildings and trees just beautiful! i can understand now why poles are so proud of their city.

this was a military church dedicated to the soldiers who gave their lives during the war.

they were preparing for a service so this gate was down.

the hall was filled with names of brave soldiers who risked everything for their people.

this was the stained glass window above the entrance.

this was the wheel chair ramp at the entrance.

 this is the justice building behind the 1944 warsaw uprising monument.

 there are many outside eating areas all throughout the city.

 these streets are really amazing.

barbican and city walls built in the middle of the 16th century to protect the city. it originally rose from the base of a moat that also surrounded the city. after being restored from the damage of ww2, it serves as a border between old warsaw and new town.

 there are no smooth sidewalks insight.
there are only cobblestone streets or uneven cement blocks placed around dirt and grass to walk on.

this is a famous statue of the mermaid in the center of old town warsaw.

there are many cafes and shops all around.

i spotted another confusing sign.

the walls look incredible everywhere.

i asked them if they ever stayed at a hostel that shared a room with several people
and gosha shared a story about her family staying in the same room with other strangers.

 as they walked and spoke about the city, i took as many pictures as i could
and asked all the questions i could think of.

this was a pretty look-out area that had a view of the river.

everything looked really old; however, the city was rebuilt after the war.

spring has arrived a little late this year due to the late winter.

 my only thought was, i wish chad could see this place and experience everything i was.

st john's cathedral

this is beautiful old town square.

this place was so unique in comparison to anything i had seen before.
places like this only existed in movies or in books to me until now. 

 zygumunt's column

we saw numerous student field trips enjoying the beautiful weather.

this is the city's newest sports complex that held a popular soccer tournament recently.
the people here are crazy about soccer.

church of st anne

 i had to take this picture for my friend, jane, back home!

everything is detailed and ornate.

namiestnikowski palace with a statue of jozef poniatowski

 

 this guy and that lion are guarding the capital.

warsaw is the capital of poland so this was similar to our washington dc.

this is a statue of a famous writer.

we must have walked a million miles that day in about 4 hours.
 i had seen and taken pictures of so many buildings.

this is the university area.

 this banner was advertising students to show up on friday and participate in singing a song as a big group for the dubbing of the new children's film. this is so fun because it was hung outside their student university; which lines up with the theme of the movie.

gosha insisted i take a picture with this funny statue
and even suggested i bring the monkey and dog out too!
she's awesome!

the field cathedral of the polish armed forces

it didn't matter if my feet hurt, we walked on. it didn't matter if i was thirsty, we walked on. it didn't matter if my back hurt from carrying my bag and camera around my neck, we walked on and on and on...up hills, down hills, on rocks, in dirt, around construction sites all while snaking through the whole entire town. they didn't want me to miss anything!

 

this is copernicus. 

he sits outside staszic palace which is a science building.

they suggested we get a doughnut at their favorite place and i had a gleam of hope that we were getting to sit down and rest, but it was all shattered when i discovered the place was walk-up only.

i love doughnuts! it was very beautiful all covered in almonds and sugar.

the pastry was filled with a very unusual filling. i asked what it was and she told me it was marmalade from a rose. she was a little surprised that we didn't have this flavor in america.

 this was my first time eating rose marmalade...i enjoyed it.

 

 

nowy swiat

after walking down the most famous street known for it's expensive shops, we ended up near the subway facing a pretty building that reminded me of something you would see in london. i was expecting that this was the end of our tour; however, to my surprise i was quickly told we were advancing to the top!

the palace of culture