Typically if a man is serious about a woman, he will give her a piece of amber, the local gemstone. But Maria’s husband gave her a cookbook!
Another thing Maria said was “Children leave your home but don’t leave your pocket.” How true this is!
Our first stop this morning was at the Chopin statue at Lazienki Park, surrounded by many pink and white flowers. Chopin is seen here sitting under a willow tree. It is a very popular place for outdoor concerts during the summer—the music of Chopin of course!
We then went to the viewing level of the so-called “Wedding Cake” building which was given by the Soviets during the Communist era. There are similar “Wedding Cake” buildings in six other communist countries, all built by the Soviets. It was a wonderfully clear day, and we could walk completely around the building, giving us a view in all directions.
It is important to note that 90% of Warsaw was destroyed during World War II, so most all of what you see has been reconstructed or is new construction. The “Old Town” was the first to be rebuilt and took 12 years. It can be said that it is the “youngest medieval city of all” because it is only 50-60 years old, even though the architecture looks quaint.
We also stopped in the Jewish Ghetto where they have built a museum of Polish Jews. Warsaw used to have the second largest population of Jews after New York City, 400,000 but of those, 300,000 died during the war and now there are only about 1600 .
We had baked pierogi for lunch which were delicious but of course we had to ask for a doggy bag for the ones we couldn’t finish.
These were filled with chicken and mushrooms and served with a garlic sauce. Pierogi are also cooked by boiling.
On the way back to the bus I found St. Anne’s Church where I found a beautiful baroque organ and colorfully painted walls and ceiling.
My tour companions are leaving for Berlin in the morning but I will remain one more day to perhaps go back to this church again.