Posted on Friday, 4 July 2014

As ever with my friend Ben, everything had to be planned in advance for our summertime trip to Poland and the Czech Republic. The main reason for this was to save money: you can get some real bargains if you put in the time to find them and book in advance – or so Ben told me. The second reason for what I saw as Ben's over-planning, was a need to be in full control of every situation; to know exactly what was happening next.

I prefer the ‘seat-of-your pants' approach to travelling, however, Ben wanted it all locked down long before we even looked at the bus to Gatwick Airport. But at least we wouldn't have to traipse around the towns and cities of Eastern Europe looking for accommodation every day; Ben would have that all sorted.

Warsaw

We arrived in Warsaw on a bright sunny day, having flown from London. We boarded the bus from the city's airport (the cheapest option, of course) without incident. After alighting in the city centre and admiring the Palace of Culture and Science – a dramatic Soviet-style tower built when the USSR was in charge – we had a strong, aromatic Polish coffee, then went to find our accommodation.

Even though Ben had memorised the applicable bus routes, it still took us well over an hour to reach our accommodation. I was not terribly impressed. While our twin room was clean and modern enough, it was situated halfway up a high tower block and was a long way from the city centre.

No matter, it just meant that when we left the room to go sightseeing, we would not be able to return until the evening – no nipping back to get sunblock or a map: that would mean a two-hour round trip! So, after preparing our ‘day sacks' – filled with water, cameras, guidebook etc. – we ventured out into sunny Warsaw again.

The Old Town

We took a bus back into town once more and then began our tour of the city. After a brief look inside the Palace of Culture and Science (we agreed it was more impressive on the outside) we headed over to Warsaw's Old Town. This part of the city appears to have been built at least two centuries ago, but, as Ben's guidebook told us, it actually only dated from World War Two. The Polish capital suffered terribly in the war, having been almost completely reduced to rubble. This beautiful Old Town had been re-built after 1945, mostly using German POWs as labour.

Old Town, Warsaw, Poland

Pierogi

We wandered the cobbled streets and found squares full of stalls selling flowers and paintings by local artists. Violin players filled the air with exquisite music. We stopped in one of the many restaurants that lined these squares and enjoyed a spot of lunch. I tried “pierogi” – a typical Polish dish comprising deep fried ravioli-style parcels with potato, cheese and onion filling. It was delicious. Ben stuck with his steak and chips – not yet quite ready for such strange Polish fare.

Fried Pierogi

As the light began to fade, we set off in search of a good bar. There are lots of good bars in Warsaw, selling even better beer. We met several fellow travellers and were tempted by the idea of moving on to a club, but decided to get an early night, since the next day we would take the train to Toruń.

Toruń

After catching the train from Warsaw's main dark, underground station, we soon left the city's suburbs far behind and were out in the open countryside. The landscape to the north of the capital is flat, but green and very pretty. The train was a rattling old machine from the Soviet era and quite old-fashioned. But at least, Ben pointed out, the tickets were cheap.

Alighting at Toruń station we could see the town proper on a hill in the distance. Even from this far away it looked beautiful. While there were a few taxis hawking for an inflated tourist fare, Ben insisted that we walk into town. After crossing a long bridge over the Vistula River, we entered the town and were even more impressed.

Vistula river, Toruń, Poland

Given Ben's misfire on the Warsaw accommodation, I was pleased to find our pre-booked guest house was actually decent this time: two single rooms in a pleasant establishment not far from the centre of town.

We didn't even unpack our things such was our desire to see the town. It was so pretty, I was surprised I had never heard of it before Ben put it on our itinerary.

Torun, Poland

One of The Seven Wonders of Poland

Toruń's medieval centre enjoys UNESCO World Heritage Site status and features in the Seven Wonders of Poland. There are so many stunning medieval buildings in the town it was hard to tell where to begin, but with the help of Ben's guidebook we made sure we saw the key attractions: the Dąmbski family Palace, the Bridge Gate and the Nicolaus Copernicus Monument.

Nicolaus Copernicus Monument, Torun, Poland

Tyskie, Tyskie!

After several hours of sightseeing, we were keen to try some more of the superb Polish beer we had sampled in Warsaw. Ben suggested we buy a couple of beers and sit by the river, before exploring some of the bars later on. I agreed. We procured two cans of Tyskie – a tasty beer indeed – and sauntered down to the wide Vistula, a cool late afternoon wind rippling its surface. We found a suitable bench and took in the view. Locals and tourists strolled on the cobbled embankment. All was well.

However, just as we were discussing how much we loved Poland so far, two policemen appeared by our side, eyeing us reproachfully. We couldn't understand what they were saying, but their fingers were directed accusingly at our Tyskies. One of them pointed to a bin beside our bench. Then they said “Anglic?” which was one of the few words I knew in Polish – meaning ‘English'. We said “yes” and they nodded knowingly.

They appeared vaguely amused as they watched us tip our beers into the bin, then went on their way.

With al fresco drinking out of the question, we headed into town and visited a few quaint little bars and increased our knowledge – and indeed experience – of Polish beer. We went over the experience with the police, but quickly moved on to the topic of our next destination: The famous northern coastal port of Gdansk.

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