niedziela, 11 lipca 2010

Three days holiday in Warsaw

Movie sequence

Last weekend I’ve had second holiday in my life. It was quite surprising considering I went to Warsaw primarily for a day only to take an EPSO job test. It’s begun like in a movie. I had checked in at a hotel for one night and a clerk gave me an envelope with already settled bill for three nights and some money in it, 50 euros to be exact. It was left by Warsaw philanthropist who wished their identity to remain covert.

I am poor so I never go on holidays. I have been able to afford holiday trip only once so far. It was during my stay in Brussels when I went to Paris for 3 days. I was earning enough those days to afford anything I wanted. Those were nice times... Actually I treat my whole half-a-year-stand in Belgium and one-year-stand in Germany as big holidays in a way. I worked then since 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the rest of the time was at my own disposal. However the real vacation was the one in Paris then and now in Warsaw. I can imagine for many people three days vacation is probably no vacation at all but it’s big deal for me who is normally deprived of any quality time so to say. And I’ve been never one of those people who can travel around the globe having few bucks in a pocket, unfortunately.

The cheapest ways to travel in Poland

I have to explain why I decided to stay in a hotel for even one night in the first place. It may seem strange considering I’m so poor. You have to know there run almost only ICE trains on the way form Gdańsk to Warsaw which are the most expensive. One way ticket costs 30 euros (and I earn 150 nowadays so imagine proportion). There is however a train (one per day) operated by small regional company called Koleje Mazowieckie (no english website unfortunately, which is typical Polish of course) called “Słoneczny” (Sunny train ;-)) which runs only in summer and costs less than 10 euros. So it was cheaper for me to stay for a night in a cheap hotel (15 euros) and took that train in the morning. You may wonder why it’s so much cheaper since it’s brand new, clean, equipped with air-conditioning and even more noiseless and bumps much less than those expensive ones. I wonder too, believe me. Especially since the only difference is that it has no compartments, less space for a luggage and can be crowded sometimes which doesn’t actually matter if you’ve got a seat. The real disadvantage is that the trip takes 4,5 hours instead of 5,5 which didn’t bother me actually since it’s been long journey anyway. I will tell you one even more interesting thing in case you would plan a trip from Gdańsk to Warsaw. The regular train costs as I’ve said 30 euros but if you’re lucky you can get a plain ticket for even less (20 euros). And not in some cheap airlines but the regular polish national ones - LOT. So you’ll get meal onboard and everything. Check it always out.

Perfect place for a holiday

White sand, crystal cle
ar and warm water, sound of the waves, sunny weather, not doing anything... Is that what you imagine when thinking of vacation of your dreams? Well, it sounds depressing to me. I don’t know really why, maybe because I’m single. Anyway, nice weather is nice but what I desire and require for holiday is big city! :-) The bigger the better since it has more to offer. For people like me lying on the beach is no way to spend holiday. I need to get tired to death to know that I’m spending quality time. And I also need to have something to write on my blog about right after instead of putting few hundreds photos of me and the beach on Facebook. ;-] Which I like to look at on other people profiles by the way. Guess, why. ;-)

I slept 6 hours a day and spent the whole days on my foot. I came back tired to death to hotel every evening. I even woke up tired with sore legs, burned skin and whole body tender actually. However, you need to know it was very pleasant pain, the one that proves you’re alive. :-) On the other hand after 6 p.m. my legs hurt so much that every single step caused me terrible pain which wasn’t pleasant at all. It brought to my mind pilgrimages to Częstochowa from my high school times. So I was looking then only for some nice movie theater to sit on and watch a movie. Exploration of dream land fortunately doesn’t require walking. Simply saying my body was tired as hell and my soul on the other hand has got exactly what it needed. That’s what body is for eventually - to serve the mind, especially if you don’t work physically daily. I like to treat it as a tool and force it to the maximum effort.

By schedule and improvising


After my trip to Paris I’ve already known the optimal plan is to do 3 things per day. You have then enough time to do it and do it right with no rush. And you have also time to do some walks and lying on the grass if you feel like it and do some readings or eating or so on. But you’ll never get an impression that you waste your time there by doing nothing since you do your three things.

Which was my 3x3? Stay on standby mode if you want me to reveal it. ;-)