Travels in Galicia: Day 1 - Arrival to Warsaw

At the airport, we got a cab to our hotel. The radio station that was playing in the taxi played mostly "western" pop music in English (Lilly Allen, Bon Jovi, etc.). Cultural imperialism at work?

Aleje Jerozolimskie, just around the corner from the Marriott Hotel.

We arrived at the hotel a bit before 9:00 AM, but our room wasn't ready yet. The check-in clerk suggested that it might be ready around noon, so we decided to hit the streets and walk around. Checking the map in my Warsaw travel guide, I quickly sized up our situation and we set out for a nice walk. The weather could not have been better. Our Hotel was very close to the main train station, which was under construction. Across, the street was the Palace of Culture and Science.

Palace of Culture and Science

We took a right turn and walked down Aleje Jerozolimskie (Jerusalem Street) toward Marszałkowska (Marshall Street), which is a busy shopping district with stores like H&M and TJ Maxx, as well as some high-end designer outlets, etc., mixed in with aptekas (pharmacies), kebab shops, cafes, and pizzerias. My impression was that there are a lot of young, fashionably-dressed people (skinny jeans, converse sneakers, pea coats, etc.), which is now how I'd pictured Eastern Europe. One cool features was at the intersection of Jerozolimskie and Marszałkowska, both of which are multi-lane roads with heavy traffic, the street crossings are underground (i.e., there are stairs at each corner of the intersection) and the subterranean pathways are lined with shops.

Jerozolimskie has a street-car line running along it. Walking East towards the river, we see the National Museum across the street. Next to that is the Museum of the Polish Army, and the courtyard is open to the public. On display there are a number of fighter jets, which Dad is excited about, as well as howitzers, tanks, helicopters, etc. Heading back to the hotel, past Plac Trzech Krzyży (Three Crosses Square , we stop for coffee at Coffee Heaven, which appears to be the Polish version of Starbucks - the interior and menu are nearly identical (except the menu's in Polish...). The espresso I had (the first of many on this trip...) was pretty good.