After
my trip to Wilanów Palace and a
visit to the Museum of Life Under Communism I had a few hours free in the afternoon and a couple of things in mind.
* First, I wanted to check out a small, artisan brush shop
* Next, I wanted to really understand the path between the Palace of Culture & Science and the Nowy Swiat section of the Royal Route
* Finally, I wanted to hop on a Bolt scooter and zip around by the river
To get to the brush shop I needed to get across Marszałkowska and then point myself north from the museum. Snapped a couple of scenery shots first.
I was aiming for
Baryliński Ryszard. Pracownia pędzli i szczotek. Google categorizes it as an art supply store. Maybe. I learned of it from someone on YouTube and unfortunately I can't find that video to give her credit. But someone called it out as a great example of an old school artisan shop in the heart of downtown. Plus, I have recently made the switch over to using a shaving brush to lather up the whiskers. I got myself an $8 shaving brush on Amazon and have been perfectly happy with it. But if I could bring back a unique and useful souvenir from Warsaw, why not?
I recognized the shop window ...
... featuring an assortment of brushes
And I popped inside. Where the woman explained to me that the two brushes I was eyeballing were like $150 and $250. That's USD, not złoty. And that's more than I would spend on a shaving brush for myself. Maybe a gift, if I knew someone who was a brush shaver. But for me, no. So I politely excused myself and exited the shop.
The brush shop is just two blocks south of the Polonia Palace hotel, which is a reference point and partner that we recommend regularly for clients visiting Warsaw. Good central location. During the past few days I had bounced around the city in various directions but never once took the path that our clients would take from Polonia Palace over to Nowy Swiat, so I made a point of walking it to get a sense of what's involved. First, some vibe pics from around the center.
Next, a shot looking back. The Polonia Palace is the building in the middle with the flags in front.
To get across the fairly major intersection you need to cross to head over to Nowy Swiat the easiest way is the underground walkway. On this day, I followed the KFC signs.
Underground you've got a bit of retail and food stands to peruse.
Pop back above ground for orientation. Over in one direction you've got the Palace of Culture and Science.
And in the other you've got your other landmark, the KFC (also BK and Starbucks, for your convenience).
What you're aiming for is Chmielna, as that's a pretty nice pedestrian street that will lead you right over to Nowy Swiat.
You've got TK Maxx behind you
And then you follow the corridor of shops and cafes in front of you
It goes on for a bit. Stop for a pretzel if you like.
Google Maps says it's about a 15-minute walk.
I guess so. Didn't seem particularly long. And it's pleasant. So, easy enough.
Orientation complete, I made my way a block or two east of
my apartment with the idea of grabbing a scooter and zipping around the area south of 3 Maja and west of the river. It's called
Solec and I got a glimpse of it
during my Sunday tour when Marcin was bringing me back from our mini loop through Praga. You can see my apartment indicated by the heart icon toward the top left of the map image below. And Solec is down below, toward the river, with a lot of green space.
So I headed east toward Leona Kruczkowskiego past
Skwer Bohdana Wodiczki, which is a nice little park close to the Chopin University. It's a pretty little area, but my pics focused on the graffiti.
One of these days I will get a GoPro so I can record while I'm scooting around town. But I did cover the ground I wanted to. My evidence below per Google Maps 'my routes'.
This church caught my eye, with the generic looking apartment building in the background.
(Here it is on google maps: Kościół MB Częstochowskiej if you want to go find it)
I spent time cruising around
Park Sapera, which is very pleasant and includes the
Glory to Sappers Monument pictured below.
I finished my scooting up along the banks of the Vistula. Specifically, I was in the Powiśle section, just behind the Copernicus center. My pictures below aren't super inspiring. And it was a Monday afternoon in mid April, with temps maybe in the 50s. But it was easy to see how this area would be a nice hang (or jog / bike / scoot) on a warm weekend. There are a few different bars and restaurants in the area, like
Messa or
JAMMA JA! pizza, for example, where you can sit and enjoy the view. If I find myself back in Warsaw during warmer times, I will for sure spend an afternoon down here.
