In researching what to do in Warsaw beyond the top historical sites I found Saska Kępa popped up in a number of YouTube videos and blog posts. It sounded like a relaxed, comfortable residential area that would be worth seeing, so I carved out a bit of time to see it.
It's on the east side of the Vistula river, in the southern part of the Praga district.
Once again I took advantage of the great public transportation system to quickly get over there by bus.
5 stops on the 111 and I was at Rondo Waszyngtona 02, which is very close to the top of Francuska street, and from there you just walk the 4 or 5 blocks that comprise the heart of Saska Kępa.
I did not have time to linger. My entire visit was probably 20-30 minutes, but that was enough to confirm that if I ever get back to Warsaw I would make more time to enjoy a meal and a longer stroll in this neighborhood. It had some nice looking homes ...
... lines for local ice cream shops, and people enjoying pizza by the slice on the sidewalk ...
... multiple solid-looking restaurants ...
Gruzinka is very well reviewed, and seems like a strategic choice for maximizing time in the setting sun.
General energy overall reminded me of Andersonville (Chicago) back in the day.
(Not sure what the current Andersonville vibe is since I haven't been there in 12+ years. Hopefully it's still pleasant. Initial search results below are promising.)
My tour at the Polish Vodka Museum was scheduled for 6:20, so I took a Bolt over there. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't this:
Turns out the museum is part of a larger complex, Centrum Praskie Koneser, which Google sums up as "Former distillery complex turned arts & event center with gallery shows, concerts, bars & dining." Yes. Cool place to spend some time. Seemed similar to Elektrownia Powiśle, which I checked out Friday afternoon.
Once I confirmed my presence for the tour I joined the others browsing the merch in the very well-presented shop.
If you're a vodka drinker and have room in your bags for some souvenirs, this is the place to be. I'm not a vodka drinker and packed only a carry on, so I just admired the diplays while waiting for the tour to begin.
It started with a short video about the business in general, as well as specifics from the Wybrowa brand in particular. I unfortunately didn't get the name of the marketing executive who was featured, but she was apparently a pioneer as woman in the Polish spirits industry in the 70s. Would be a fascinating profile if there was a longer documentary on her life and career.
We got a lot of history and explanation of the process. If you're really into it, this tour is for you. A good solid hour of education before you get to the tasting. If you're impatient and just here for the tasting, maybe bring a flask to tide yourself over.
I found this little showroom fascinating. I could have spent 20 minutes here solo digging all the retro and special edition labels.
Need to keep an eye out for these beauties this fall. Something for the display case for sure. I might even drink it.
We finally got to the tasting room. I thought I had better notes about what we tried but can't find them now. We got a couple of grain vodkas and one potato vodka. I do remember that I liked the first one best, and it was an Ostoya wheat vodka.
Pro tip: the tour provides you with a cheap bag of airline pretzels to cleanse your palate between tastings. Wish I had thought to bring something like an Obwarzanek.
By the time we wrapped up it was 745p and transitioning into evening. The Centrum Koneser was lit up with some light Sunday night activity.
My thought was to grab the metro back to my apartment. Dworzek Wilenski wasn't far and that would take me right over to Nowy Swia Uniwersytet. I walked along Zabkowska, which was quiet.
Found the metro. I couldn't find a turnstile that would accept my Jakodjade app ticket, so I needed to deal with the paper tickets. That delayed and annoyed me somewhat. But soon enough I was on the platform taking picture of the platform's 80s vibes.
Back at the apartment I ate some pierogies and this awful cup of soup thing from Zabka.
I have a thing about eating alone at restaurants when I'm traveling in countries where I don't speak the language. Specifically, I don't do it. Except for McDonald's. So instead of enjoying a meal at Coś Na Ząbkowskiej, I ate some mediocre pierogies.
FYI, if you're looking for more Warsaw Metro content, I like this guy's videos. Good stuff in general, and here is his take on Warsaw's M2.
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