June 25th, 2008

Come and check out my first day in Warsaw

I know that many of you have been anxious to see some photos from my
trip to Warsaw.  It just took a little while before I was able to
upload and send the files.  What a beautiful time of year to visit this
place.  As you can see, the weather was cooperative and we had a very
pleasant visit.  As usual, our days are filled with sightseeing and
good eats.

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The first day in Warsaw, we went for a walk in a beautiful park
where the Belvedere Restaurant is located.  Obviously, the park has
very, very strict rules of conduct, as seen in this chart - no
bicycles, no dogs, no radios, no running, no roller skating or roller
blading.  It was funny that I was almost immediately run over by a
policeman on a bike.
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Here is a very clear and detailed map of the park for walkers.
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One of the many canals in the park, which has lovely stands of trees.  The grassy areas are uncut.
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The Belvedere Restaurant is an orangerie - a type of building with several added on pavilions.
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Lots of tropical palms and cycads are grown in giant containers throughout the park.
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Here's Kevin in front of one of the great expanses of lawn.
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The bedding plants are primarily begonias - these fluffy pink ones are gorgeous.
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The restaurant linens and glassware are simple, but elegant.  My
Polish magazine publisher, Edipresse, invited us there for lunch.  The
small bowls contain fragrant olive oil and rich balsamic vinegar.
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Of course, there was delicious home-style bread for dipping.
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Here's Kevin and Ewa Redel, vice-president of Edipresse Polska - a very intelligent and funny young woman.
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Here I am with Anne Alexander, editorial consultant for Edipresse Polska.
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This is Zbigniew Napierala, the President and CEO of Edipresse Polska and Alicja Modzelewska, the managing editor.
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Look how pretty the first course was - a very refreshing, cold borscht - a creamy beet soup
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Another course of sushi quality tuna, white asparagus, and micro greens.
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This is a beautifully cooked perch fillet with vegetable purees.
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Another entree of sea bass with asparagus.
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This is river trout and a tomato 'pizza.'
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I was feeling nostalgic and my lunch was pierogi filled with
sauerkraut and wild mushrooms - it was good, but not as good as my
mothers.
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Kevin had fillet of beef - it was tender and perfectly cooked.
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A very colorful carpaccio of beef.
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Trou Madame is an old fashioned cafe/ice cream parlor located in the park.
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We just loved visiting with the many peacocks in the park - they perch in the oddest places!
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This is a small, but historically significant 'summer palace' located in the park - it's very, very beautiful.
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There were gracious and tasteful interiors - as you can see, restrained decor and wonderful colors.
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We all loved the carved stones.
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The exterior of the palace was very refined.  There were lakes, water ways, urns, and of course, lots of peacocks!
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A male peacock - resting - before strutting again for a female.
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Here he goes, strutting his feathers and stuff.
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Have you ever seen under and behind a peacock?  This is what it looks like - a bird's eye view, if you will.
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An even better view - these birds are so tame and protected - a very good reason why no dogs are allowed in the park.
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Here's a close up of the magnificent tail.
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and a close up of the back
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And the cause of all the commotion? - A rather plain looking female, lurking in the garden.
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On closer look, she is really very pretty.
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The park is a favorite spot for weddings and photography.
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What would Warsaw be without a protest?  The workers of a retail store were fighting for better wages and no weekend hours.
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Our publisher took us to his offices.  This is the official sign inside the building.
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The reception desk - they publish 59 magazines including Martha Stewart Living!
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Zbigniew Napierala, the President and CEO of Edipresse Polska - outside the classical facade of his very modern offices.
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This is the doorway to our hotel, Le Regina - a very nice and well-run establishment.
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The lovely outdoor arcade where we had breakfast.
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Posted on June 25th, 2008 in Travel | Permalink |

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