Warsaw isn’t beautiful at daylight. Cover of a night was applied make-up hid unpleasant look in that behind and between of new industrial glass buildings situate constructions of communist past, which never shine. Yesterday I left a bus from Poznan. Warsaw was partly in snow. I, as always, even it was spontaneous, calculated. A straight road and turn left to visit currency exchange office and dozen meters later was a hotel for the last night. I was going to look on exhibits in Warsaw Uprising Museum, which wasn’t far and had indications, and don’t leave room until tomorrow’s morning.
I didn’t see currency exchange office, which map promised, and I did walking till crossroads on Towarowa street when in coming back I saw that the hotel was inside and glued to other hotel, which I saw in beginning.
I came at one o’clock what was hour before of check-in. I left my stuff and asked a receptionist whose English was wild in pronunciation and required subtitles, which I didn’t see under desk. I caught separate words by understanding whole said. I asked about currency exchange office by using local word “kantor”. Because Polaks don’t catch “currency exchange” whereas saying “kantor” makes a curious situation for observation, because this word enlivens them. Very interesting and instant process. The receptionist showed that kantor is on way of Towarowa street in fifteen minutes. I heard number “fifty” in Polish English. She saw my face and clarified that “fifteen”. “That’s all right” I answered.
Assuming and mythical kantor wasn’t nearby of Museum of Warsaw Uprising, which situated on the left. I did walking and I saw a bank on the right with chance to exchange euros on zlotys. It was closed and had ATM as it only will available in other banks.
I thought that I will visit museum, which entrance I must have seen by breaking chaotic in searching of kantor. I could do it on bus station, but in places such bus station usually (yes, not always.) rate isn’t profitable. Simple logic, people are coming and extremely or not, but need the local money and ready to get them in the nearest currency exchange office.
NB. I remember my last time visit of Moscow, which was in 2009 and it was for getting of American visa what was lucky. I did walking from US embassy and met offices of currency exchange and each time a rate was better of previous place. Mother Russia.
I almost approached to Warsaw Uprising Museum and I thought that I saturated and have enough on World War II. Therefore I returned to searching of kantor.
I entered in one of zillion in Poland of product shop network Zabka. I bought a couple of bananas and energy drink of Gatorade kind, which will a hopeless gross, and asked on kantor. A salesman indicated on return path on train station. I didn’t want to go there. I followed to advised route in hotel by doing checking of places. Industrial part of the city was behind of me. Even curb tiles, on which I was stepping, was a communistic. It was identical to town of my one grandparents and uncle and aunt and to where I passed for visa. It was kinda post-traumatic syndrome and feeling that I didn’t leave it. Nobody of living there locals knew on kantor. A pair with a child in a stroller said that I went too far and should use smartphone on what I answered that I don’t have it.
I turned back and was changing in directions. I revealed for myself that Sunday, which was a day, is a day when everything is closed. The weather became colder. I was looking for mall in which usually can find a currency exchange office. I saw kantor, which was with a paper in Ukrainian on accepting hryvna and it was Sunday. I entered in Hilton’s premise where were one cafes and restaurants. I did tangled route and already calculated in how I will return. Eventually I asked a delivery boy who, as I soon saw, was with headphones and he heard only “kantor”. He said that he doesn’t speak Polish. I said “Me too”. Nevertheless, he called one mall and existing kantor. I moved to there. I went to a train station from where I bought ticket to airport few days ago. Entrance to the mall was shut down in every place. I decided to look for currency exchange office in underground, which went to train station. I detected one, but it followed to Sunday when the nearest of them was open. A sitting bald man was mute.
I got zloty and followed to a street from which I should make one turn to Towarowa. I wasn’t sure about side. I chose right and asked for confidence a local with headphones whose English was poor, but I could explain to him and he said that this side. I did some walking and watching on commie skyscraper palace of culture and science, which I don’t remember that I ever saw before. It meant that I should to make a turn back. I knew since first day that I can’t stay in Poland in my theoretical way to the Europe or how it will. I was crossing streets when I don’t see a car. I was a man of the West. However, it’s nice that Polish driver can stop even you didn’t step on zebra yet when you must strict and show intention in Paris.
I saw that kantor in which I bought local money was in three minutes from hotel. I returned to there and fifteen-thirty was on a cloak. Here can use variant of “Polish humor” for assumption, but I saw in the receptionist that she drives on a job from far and doesn’t know on nearby places.
There were sunny and little snowy in doing a blatant thing, which was leaving of Poland even I had opportunities from people there, but it still about ubi bene ibi patria. Anyway, I forgot my slippers.
I can say that Ministry of Tourism of Poland can don’t thank me.
Certainly, that journey got some discovery and experience. I knew before on good pizza, but ordered Sforza in C’e Pizza e Pizza made me another man. In that searching of kantor, I saw Pizza Hut, which I liked to enter in the long past. Yesterday, I looked with disgust on it. Never again. That definitely sings my Italian, which I have in far origins from the northern point.
I looked on workers of airport by getting fly away at my first time in years. I thought that I couldn’t present in such place due to people leave ground without me. Was it true or fiction, but I don’t think it willn’t wrong on Americans. John Steinbeck in his journey through US continent wrote that each American was in sadness that he doesn’t move away as it did a wonderful writer.
I was buying champagne in Nicolas and went into thoughts. A salesman to whose French I expressed doubt, had on mind that I don’t know English whereas I said “I’m thinking” to him. Where is human factor? Why always bad variant?
That hotel in Paris wasn’t perfect and I always chose places for sleep and not for pool or any needless things. In these places can find beautiful as in this hotel was a small elevator for one person, which changed since installation in beginning of XXth century, whereas saved atmosphere of that time when I was using it as I got that enjoyment in walking through specifically designed stairways. It’s Paris, which I always looking for and adore.
Unfortunately, I missed lightening of Christmas, which was a day before. I’m thinking on come back in this year. I believe that the best is on a way to come.
