Poland

I visited Poland for a wedding this week. It was a brief, flying visit and I would like to see more of the country some time.

An old friend was getting married to a Polish girl in Warsaw so I had to go. This was my third wedding in 6 weeks so I was totally skint. I could afford the flight but little more.

Warsaw has a sad history. I read a guide book on the plane over. 225000 people were murdered by the Nazis in one month in 1945 while the Russians sat and watched from the other side of a river. The Nazis tied women and children to the front of tanks to stop the Polish attacking them. The entire city was flattened. People are capable of bad things.

Frederick Chopin airport is very modern. Cleaner than Glasgow or Prestwick. What I saw of Warsaw did not fit my pre-existing mental image. The roads were wide and the buildings were in a good state of repair. It was sunny and warm and I was reminded of America or Spain. I didn't really get the feeling of 'communist oppression' that I expected.

The hotel we were staying in was OK. It was probably a fairly posh hotel for Poland. Drinks at the bar seemed to cost random amounts varying with how drunk the bar staff thought you were. None of the staff spoke much English although I guess my gruff Scottish accent never helps that.

The wedding ceremony was held in the local town hall. It was conducted by a man with a metallic medallion who looked a bit like a supervillain. I assume that he was the mayor. There are a lot of interesting traditions at Polish weddings, many of which involve vodka. The phrase 'one hundred years' was chanted recurrently as a blessing of good luck. The food was interesting. Thye most unusual thing was some egg soup served in hard baked bread. The food was still being served at the wedding well after midnight.

Polish women are amazingly attractive and I spent much of the evening chatting one with intermediate success.

I didn't get enough time in Poland but I might go back at some point. My friend may move there so I will have the chance in the future.