What can I say about Warsaw that hasn’t already been said? Oh, wait. Like, a lot. I can say a lot because nobody is talking about Warsaw. Why is nobody talking about Warsaw?? This reminds me when I was shouting from the rooftops about Lisbon and now it’s a hotbed of American tourism. I mean, did I help put Lisbon on the map? Am I single handedly responsible for the uptick in tourism from North Americans? Am I, Jessica Fay, founder and head-writer of Out and About with Scout, owed some kind of medal of tourism for writing a blog leading to the Portuguese economy boost?
No.
Will I use this power for good and help Warsaw become the next Lisbon??
Also, probably no. Mostly because only my friends and fam read this and they will probably visit me here anyway. But that’s not going to stop me from singing Warsaw’s praises!
So, without further ado, here are my praises for Warsaw!
Warsaw is CLEAN. Every single street, tram, bus and bench I’ve seen is clean. The city is full of workers that walk around with a broom and a pan sweeping up. I’ve actually even seen them sweeping leaves AS THEY FELL. It’s nice to sit on a bus seat that looks like it has never been sat on. That being said, there are still the grody people that ride the buses and trams that cough into their hands or make hacking sounds. But it’s very comforting to know that it’s mostly clean.
Warsaw is very FAMILY FRIENDLY. The first thing I noticed as I was commuting to my first day of work was that there are strollers everywhere. Strollers, kiddos, toddlers, babies and families on every corner. This is great for us because it means that restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores and most other businesses have play areas for kids. I especially love that when I check out at our grocery store, they have a line specifically for people with children. The line is shorter and is attached to a play area equipped with LEGOs and crayons. They even have elevated platforms at either end of the cashier so your kids can help put the groceries on the belt and in the bags.
Speaking of families, what really made me fall for Warsaw were the parks. They are top-notch European. Weeping willows hanging low on crystal ponds full of ducks. Water dancing down multi-level fountains. Gravel paths softly lending sound to children’s bikes as they race for the playground. I try to go to a park at least once a week if not more. We are lucky we have such and outdoor loving kid and beautiful weather lately. The park we frequent the most is Krasinskich. It’s near our house and has everything we need: 2 playgrounds, pond, fountains, chateau, and plenty of running space. Throughout the park you can see where the boundary of the Jewish Ghetto was becuase they’ve laid a bronze boundary line that says as much. A beautiful park in what was once a harrowing and historically tragic space. Other parks worth noting: Saski and Lazienki.
The Old Town is CHARMING. We love visiting the Old Town. Luckily we are within a stone’s throw. Although not the original (original destroyed completely in WWII), the Old Town has been recreated brick by brick. It is a remarkable and beautiful area full of life and tourism. I know we are all supposed to hate the tourist areas, but I love this area. It’s everything you want out of a European main square.
So far we all love Warsaw. Scout is picking up a little Polish (it’s such a hard language!) and we are starting to settle in. However, I think the “settled” feeling we are having is also giving us the urge to move on. After all, this trip is about new experiences, not falling back into the routines we left behind.
