Gdansk to Warsaw

Donna writing, not David, as the camera ran out of batteries so I cannot load pics and comments on facebook.  After a few great days in surprising Gdansk we head for Warsaw, about 200 miles.  The roads in Poland are two lane roads which parallel super highways under construction.  In a year or two travel will be much easier, though perhaps not as interesting.  Our two lane road takes us through many villages and beautiful farmland.  When in Gdansk, I noticed that all the flower stalls seemed to be displaying funeral arrangements.  As we travel towards Warsaw, I understand why.  Every cemetary is filled with flowers.  It is absolutely amazing.  This time of year the skies are grey, but these numerous cemetaries - Poland has a kind of tragic, relatively recent, past - are brilliant with color.  I wish we had been able to stop for pictures, but on these roads, one does not stop for photo ops.  Because Warsaw is only 200 miles from Gdansk, we figure four hours max, we decide ato detour to Torun, highly recommended in the guide books and by the folk in Dansk.  We figure it might add 90 minutes or so to our trip.  We reach Torun with ease, but  the trip into the town center takes forever.  We wander around, see a statue of Copernicus and lots of school kiddies on field trips, eat a Kabob, Europes's cheapesst fast food, and hear back to Warsaw. The skies turn black and we find outselves in a three hour down pour following huge trucks and tailgated by small cars passing on curves, over double yellow lines, etc.. apparently oblivious to the dangers of head on collisions.  Six or seven hours after leaving Gdansk, we finally reach the outskirts of Warsaw.  The GPS does not work in Eastern Europe so we are relying on a road atlas with microscopic print nad no magnifying glass.  We have downloaded directions to our hotel on Mapquest, but after missing the first turn, these directions are useless.  We drive through rush hours traffic, Easstern European style, for abouttwo hours.  We have no phone, no GPS and it is too dark to read the map even if I could see.  David finally parks on the sidewak in front of a Sofhotel and gets directions from the concierge.  We are only two mintues from our destination.  Unfortuanately, a cop will not let us go through the roundabout, so we have to go over the bridge, into another part of Warsaw and 40 minuteslater we find our hotel. The people are nice, there is an elevator and we find parking.

Warsaw:  An amazing city.  After the devastation of WWII, the old part of the city has been meticulously reconstructed and is now a UNESCO world site.  We wander for hours, have lunch - the soups here are insanely good - wander some more.  Go to the roof of the university library, a green building with a park on its roof - then back to the hotel.  Our room has no heat so we go to a local wine bar and read and  people watch.  More soup, then back to the hotel.  We stop at a local store and I decide I want to try a flavored Vodka, which Ihave read is a Polish specialty.  I don't know what to ask for, the lady behind the country decides for me.  I get a small bottle  of purple vodka - David thinks it tastes like cough syrup.  I kind of like it.  We'll see how I feel in the morning  Will post pics. of this city on Facebook.