A Busy Friday in Warsaw: Part II - Checking out Powiśle (Elektrownia, Warsaw University Library Garden)

After my visits to POLIN Museum and the Copernicus Science Centre it was time to get some food. Conveniently I was steps away from Elektrownia. The area around it definitely had similar vibes to what we saw around Montownia in Gdansk last year, but smaller in scale.

Inside I scanned the options.

In retrospect I should have gotten the Korean Fried Chicken. Instead I tried the quesadilla, intrigued by the offer of some mango habanero salsa.

It wasn't great. I moved on. Needed some caffeine, so grabbed an espresso from Vita Cafe and snapped a couple more pics of the surroundings. Seemed like a nice place for both the immediate locals and visitors coming down to either the Copernicus or just to spend time along the riverfront.

Next on my agenda was a visit to the Warsaw University Library Garden.

First thing you see is the very recognizable pink & green facade on the corner of Dorba & Lipowa.

If I remember correctly, I walked north another two short blocks to Dobra and Gęsta where you see a little cul de sac drop off area for the University and some doors that you can enter through. I definitely exited from that area.

It's a cool concept for sure. The rooftop is only open April - October, so I was there early in season, not quite full bloom.

I've read that there is an elevator you can take up to the roof, but I didn't see it. I took these steps.

Some nice views in multiple directions, including down into the library itself.

I didn't linger too long. I had a tour scheduled for 3pm and some more that I wanted to accomplish before then. So I stayed maybe 15 minutes or so. Definitey worthwhile, either as a specific spot to visit or part of a broader visit through the Powiśle neighborhood. I walked the area a bit on my way back to the apartment. Very pleasant. You head west for a block or block and a half to Browarna & Gęsta, where you bump up against the edge of Casimir Park.

At the time this little stretch made me think of Boston Common. Just a little slice of it.

The section of Browarna that runs alongside the park had more casual vibes than that of Dobra, which runs parallel to it one block closer to the river.

Back at home going through the pictures I noticed the Cheers! wine bar. I swear I didn't catch that in the moment. Maybe that prompted a subliminal connection making me think of Boston Common.

I stopped at Lidl for more supplies and dropped them off at the apartment, where I was going to meet my guide for the 3pm tour. Before I get to that post, here's a random pic of the courtyard area of the building I was staying in.

A Busy Friday in Warsaw: Part I - POLIN Museum and the Copernicus Science Centre

I had an ambitious plan for my first full day in Warsaw. To start I wanted to get over to the POLIN Museum right as they opened at 10am. Using the absolutely essential Jakodjade app, I saw I needed to get grab the 111 bus from the Ordynacka stop that I would become very familiar with over the next few days. Smooth and easy 16 minutes.

Weather was cooperating with some beautiful blue skies and crisp spring temperatures.

Simple (subdued?) exterior architecture belies a lot of engaging exhibits that await on the inside.

First thing that drew me in was the massive glass wall looking onto the small park that surrounds the museum.

Even though I got there at 10:15am --- 15 minutes after opening --- the few chairs set up to rest and take in the view were already occupied. The guy way in the corner was on his giant laptop. Huh? As I think about it now I'm wondering if this area was open regardless of needing an entrance ticket ... not sure exactly where my ticket was checked. But obviously these folks could not have already done a meaningful tour of the exhibit, yet here they were lounging in the chairs. Odd.

I made my way into the main exhibition downstairs with my audio guide, which does a nice job. Until last year's Krakow visit and self-guided tour of Wawel Castle I wasn't really an audio guide kind of person. But now I've used them on a few occassions and generally find them helpful.

I made my way through in about 90 minutes. Easy to see how you could spend 2-3 hours there if you really wanted to take in more details. And I do think a guided experience would be worthwhile. There were one or two aspects that I found personally interesting but they were just barely touched upon by the audio guide. With a human guide I could have dug into those a bit more, skipped over others, etc.

I don't remember the significance of the goose, but it was a striking feature and I felt compelled to snap a foto.

The reproduction of a synagogue was impressive.

There was also a good amount dedicated to what typical daily life was like in traditional Jewish neighborhoods.

A very worthwhile stop. Easy to get to on public transportation. Even easier if you want to grab a Bolt ride over. Can combine it with a homey meal afterward in their cafeteria if you like.

But that was not in my plans. I had a 12:40 entrance to get into the Copernicus Science Centre, which is across town, up alongside the river.

Took a few vibe shots on my way over.

Including this guy, who I am learning is "Frugon", the mascot for Frugo.

This was the first of a handful of OOH placements that caught my eye. Seems like the brand and the mascot have plenty of quirky / zany advertising work to enjoy online if that's your thing. Their website is a good starting point.

Anyway, back to the main thread ... In my pre-trip research I saw a lot of praise for the Copernicus Science Centre, so I felt compelled to check it out.

This was a misfire. Don't get me wrong, it looked pretty cool. And the various school groups and families I saw all over the place seemed to be enjoying their time.

But for me it was a little chaotic, a little loud, and was going to take more effort than I was ready to offer in order to really engage with the various exhibits. If you're going with kids and you're accustomed to visiting science museums and digging into it all, could be a great place to pass some time. Especially if you get a bad weather day and need to entertain the young'uns. I did a pretty full lap to take in the space and then kept it moving.

In the next post I get lunch at Elektrownia and then spin around the Warswaw University Library Gardens.