New Warsaw

My previous post was quite nostalgic, I am told. How else could it be when I was writing about meeting my old friends, talking with them about old times and visiting old places in Warsaw? It had to be nostalgic, but now, I think it is time for balancing the old with a new.

Warsaw has changed dramatically in the recent years. Luis Vuitton, Boss, Armani and other exclusive shops display their goods behind beautifully washed, gleaming, huge windows. This is a new side of Warsaw. One can see many very well designed, spectacular buildings that compete for attention to its height with the old Palace of Culture and Science still defending its Warsaw record of 231 meters. The building is not loved by all as this is a very ostentatious example of Stalinist architecture and the times Poles want to forget. Still after 60 years it became an integral part of the town. I would be sorry to see it disappear.

The Libeskind Sail is to the left of the Palace of Culture and Science

My favourite new building in Warsaw is The Sail of Daniel Libeskind. I did not know the name of the designer before I saw the building and noted its elegant beauty. My first impression was that it is an image of a surfboard. It must have been my Australian association. Quite accurate, I think, even if the designer perhaps did not have surfing in mind. At least not likely.  As I later found out Mr. Libeskind is of Polish Jewish descent and designed many famous and beautiful buildings in the world. I must say that I agree with some of his critics that all his buildings have strong similarities of sharp edges but I am still very pleased that one of his famous buildings is now the Warsaw landmark. The town has now many well and interestingly designed buildings. I am sorry to say that Sydney except for its spectacular Opera House does not have many buildings of architectural significance. To me all recent Sydney buildings are just high, but do not distinguish themselves by interesting designs. Maybe this is a sign of good economical judgment that I generally admire. Beautiful buildings are expensive. But wouldn't we all be sorry if Cathedral of Notre Dame or St. Paul’s were not built because it did not make economical sense? However, I am not in favour of following the equation of The Sale. Construction cost - PLN 700 million and selling price - PLN 215 million. Not a good business.

I could not find a picture showing The Sail from the angle from which it looks like a surfing board.

There are also political changes in Poland that may significantly influence the future of the country. The last week a new president was sworn in and in October the next Polish parliamentary election will take place. It looks that the current opposition will take a power over Poland. I am not qualified to make political predictions but from my perspective a difficult times are looming. I hope my fears are not going to become reality and that positive changes will continue and that I will be looking forward to my holidays in Poland for some years to come.

Celebrating with friends

When I visit Poland these days, Gdansk is my town, but I was a Warsaw girl before I left the country many years ago. I studied in Warsaw, I got my first job there and I worked there and I loved there. Warsaw was my home town for some good and eventful years. Then the time came for the western chapters of my life and I stopped being a Warsaw girl. Sydney and busy work life took over and I became an Aussie for many years. Now I stopped identifying with any particular town and I am at times confused not feeling a true Pole or a true Aussie. For a true Aussie, I always had a funny accent but I felt a Sydney-sider 100% for many years.

Last week I went to Warsaw to visit my family and friends. The friends, I stayed with, live in a suburb good few kilometers from Warsaw, sort of the Parramatta-Sydney distance. I spent most of my time with them and went to Warsaw only a couple of times. 

In Poland one celebrates name-days rather than birthdays and mine is the 26^th of July. Last few years I celebrated the day in Warsaw. One point of the celebration is a lunch with my two student friends. I hope it will become our tradition and continue for many years.

Warsaw has changed so much that this is not my Warsaw any more. The changes are for the better, but naturally and fortunately the town moved on with times but my memories stand still. Thanks God that my favourite historic street Nowy Swiat (New World) has only improved their restaurants and shops but the character of the street is still the same.

We started with coffee and cakes at the A.Blikle cafe which originated in 1869. The name of the place and the décor of dark hardwood and mirrored walls are the same as they were in the old times even if the place has been beautifully rejuvenated since my old Warsaw days.

There is one sad change in the atmosphere of the place since the last year. Tadeusz Konwicki and his friends do not show up at 11:00 for coffee, as it was their custom. This literary, artistic small circle of famous people will not meet any more and one of the Nowy Swiat tradition became a memory. There will be no need anymore to break non smoking rules for anyone at Blikle's.  I think that the next year we will move to the neighbouring patisserie also run by the Blikle family.                       

Tadeusz Konwicki, in the past integral part of Nowy Świat 

After coffee and fantastic cakes, the best cakes in the world (at least for me), we went for a stroll down Nowy Swiat looking for a suitable restaurant and to have a look at the gates of University of Warsaw, our old university.

I went for a few moments of meditation to the Holly Cross Church opposite the university. Chopin’s heart is buried there. Instead of becoming peaceful I became annoyed. Polish Catholic Church has a lot of money and plenty of claims for more. Some of the money was turned into gilding the church interior. To me, the church lost its spiritual atmosphere and became ostentatious. This is bad taste and bad judgment.   

It was time for my name-day lunch so I quickly moved into a festive frame of mind. We went to The Culinary Traditions of Poland (Dawne Smaki). Part of the restaurant is situated in the old garden behind buildings of Nowy Swiat. We decided to take a table there. This was a new, rather decadent Warsaw but I could take the change with ease this time. Since the place reminded me of Italian restaurants I saw on films about the high society, we ordered prosecco. Maybe not the most elegant of bubblies but in sympathy with my Italian associations.  

Entrance to the garden part of the restaurant

It was a great name-day lunch, a lunch to remember.