Thursday, May 12, the 23rd day of the Omer

My first half day in Warsaw was lovely. The cabbie was nice but didn't know any English, and I guess he thought I knew Polish because he kept explaining sights to me in long sentences in that melodious Polish language (SO much more pleasant than Deutsch). My hotel is downtown and in the midst of the University of Warsaw. My room is about 5 x 10 feet, with a nice view outside the window. I showered and then went online to locate a nearby vegetarian restaurant, and I walked there and ate. It was delicious: cooked spinach, buckwheat groats (kasha! part of my family heritage!), and three little salads of carrot and cabbage.

On the way back to the hotel, I walked in and around the area. There are historic buildings all around - although because only 15% of Warsaw was still standing after the Nazis and Soviets got through with it, many of them are restorations from the Soviet era. It was warm outside
and students were hanging around in the clubs and on the street. I understand why there's a statue of Copernicus in front of the Warsaw Society of Sciences, but why the fake palm trees?


There are so many churches around here that neither my map nor Google names this cool one that is across from the university entrance.* It sports lots of statues, two great steeples, and a new plaque honoring Pope John Paul II. Hanging over it is an Iyar moon.
*Church of the Holy Cross

Now it is time to turn in for the night. Can you believe that I hear a real orchestra playing classical music in the distant? Interspersed with it is an electronic keyboard playing jazz. Not to worry, it's quite pleasant, and the feather bed and I will be in zzzzzs heaven.