With the arrival of Luty (February), a week of celebrating began….2 years of living and working in Warszawa!
Our theme song could have been "Celebration" as we spent a good week having "good times"….whether it was walking Warsaw streets, going to movies, eating at great restaurants, or staying in a 100-year-old hotel….we celebrated!
Anniversaries are times of reflection and celebration…and that's what this anniversary weekend was for us.
The first weekend of February marked two years since Mark and I flew here together for the first time. That weekend in 2011 we came to look for a home….then I went back to Houston and Mark stayed here to work. So in truth, it is Mark's 2-year anniversary, as I did not move here until June 2011.
Two years ago I was nervous, excited, scared…and still in a state of "I can't believe we are really in Europe and are going to be living here!"
Today…I am so happy, grateful and feel very blessed to be living here in Warsaw, Poland!
A Few of My Favorite Things….
- I love our home!
- I love our warm, heated floors…they feel so good in stocking feet after being out in cold snowy 20F weather!
- I like the beautiful winter snow…our back yard is magical looking!
- I love the people I have met…whether from church, Mark's work, my Polish teachers or women in the International Women's Group…I have met wonderful people here in Warsaw!
- I like the changing seasons…I think spring and fall are my favorites.
- I love using public transportation…the subway, buses, trams.
- I love walking everyday.
- I like walking in so many parks which are in abundance here in Warsaw.
- I love learning the Polish language. It is very difficult, but my brain gets a good workout…and there is a wonderful feeling when I finally can understand someone speaking!
- I like when I can say or ask for something in Polish.
- I love traveling to other Polish or European cities with Mark.
- I love blue sky and sunshine…especially on winter days….which are mostly gray and white.
- I LOVE living here with Mark!
Celebrating with a movie night...
We went to see the movie "Les Miserables". It came to Warsaw a month after it opened in the U.S. I had seen the play twice in Houston, but Mark had not….so I was looking forward to sharing this story with Mark. Though I think I liked the movie more than Mark, we both enjoyed the movie and our date.
The movie was in English with Polish subtitles…which is how we see most movies here. I enjoy watching the movie with the subtitles….it shows the Polish words that I am constantly trying to learn, and it shows how the English language uses so many more words than Polish.
Tłusty Czwartek
Fat Thursday
Thursday, February 7, 2013
pączki = donuts
My Polish lessons are on Mondays and Thursdays…so after my Polish lesson on Tłusty Czwarek, Mark said to stop by the office for pączki….a Polish donut with a sweet jam inside, similar to a jelly donut in the U.S. I ate one…but we heard of some young men eating 20-30, and more….that is just crazy!
Fat Thursday in Poland is the equivalent to Fat Tuesday in the U.S. It is said that Fat Thursday is not a religious day….but a day to indulge before the Easter season begins.
I walk a new route after leaving my Polish lessons, and on this route is this "graffiti"….but I actually like it. After hearing of people who ate an excessive number of pączki on Fat Thursday, I wondered if they felt like these bears? The thought made me smile!
Fat Thursday was a snowy, snowy day…I love being outdoors…but I also LOVE coming home….and feeling warm inside.
Our stay at….Hotel Pałac Polonia
Polonia Palace Hotel
Friday, February 8, 2013
8 Lutego 2013
Have you ever wanted to spend the night at a nice hotel, but thought it a little crazy because the hotel is in your own city? That was us….but we did it for one Friday night!
I wanted to do something "Polish" for our anniversary week….and we decided that staying in a nice Polish hotel would be fun.
The day started out like most others….with Mark heading off to work. This was our front porch on Friday morning after it had snowed and snowed on Thursday.
I leaned out our front windows and snapped these pictures of Mark leaving for work. It amazes me each time, but before sunrise on snowy mornings….there is a blue tint all around.
Since the hotel we would be staying at was near Mark's office, he had the great idea of packing the night before, and taking our suitcase with him on his way to work….and dropped it off at the hotel so it would be there for us when we checked in that afternoon.
He carefully goes down our steps as there is so much snow! Just as he gets to the bottom he sees our gardener Piotr (Peter) who does a great job in clearing our walkways.
We stayed at the Hotel Pałac Polonia….Polonia Palace Hotel….which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. The hotel is across the street from the Cultural Palace…and Mark can even see the hotel from his office window!
The picture below is taken from Mark's office. The tallest building is the Novotel Hotel, and directly to the right, in the center of the photo, is the Polonia Palace Hotel. It is located in an area that is very familiar to both Mark and me….it is where we transfer trams and buses, and walk to and from work, Polish lessons and other destinations.
The earliest we could check into the hotel was 2 p.m…and so I did! Mark didn't come over until nearly 6 p.m…but I spent a few hours in this hotel just reading and relaxing. It was great!
This hotel has a wonderful history….besides being 100 years old this year, it is one of the few structures that did not suffer damage during World War II. In the picture below you can see the hotel in the background, again in the center of the picture.
We have walked by the Polonial Palace Hotel numerous times….and once we decided to stay there we very much looked forward to it.
Views from our hotel window….
We ride these trams and buses daily. Looking at them pass by from inside a comfortable hotel room is a very different experience than riding on one!
Across the street is the Centrum subway stop, a bus stop that we sometimes wait at, and the Cultural Palace grounds that we cross to get to Mark's office.
The view from our hotel window on Saturday morning….it was cold and foggy…but we enjoyed a great breakfast at the restaurant, working out in the gym…and relaxing in our room.
Friday evening we walked 3 or 4 blocks from the hotel to eat dinner at "Butchery and Wine"….a small steakhouse that several people had recommended to Mark. We don't eat steaks very often, but being this close we took advantage of it for our "anniversary weekend".
Friday evening we walked 3 or 4 blocks from the hotel to eat dinner at "Butchery and Wine"….a small steakhouse that several people had recommended to Mark. We don't eat steaks very often, but being this close we took advantage of it for our "anniversary weekend".
Mark and I shared a salad, filet mignon, green beans and thick-cut chips (fries)….all fabulous. We shared a dessert of chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream that was "smasznego"….delicious!
I love learning about Abraham Lincoln and had heard of the new movie "Lincoln", but did not think it would be showing in Warsaw….so I was pleasantly surprised to see it listed here after all. After checking out of the hotel on Saturday we went to the theater in the Złote Tarasy mall….and enjoyed the movie immensely!
What better way to remember our 2nd Anniversary…but with a new piece of Polish pottery? I love this beautiful piece of pottery and know I will enjoy using it!
Happy 2nd anniversary to us…of living and working in Poland!
We have celebrated a wonderful week together!
We look forward to new days and months ahead….there truly is "Joy in our Journey".
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