If I had to choose only one amongst the restaurants we ate at in Warsaw, I would definitely have a problem. Actually, also one in Helsinki comes to my mind, and one in Tallinn as well. Either I do really love eating, or there are great restaurants in the region… or both ;)
“Warszawa Wschodnia” was excellent not only for the quality of its products, indeed a common feature in all the restaurants we were in, but also for its design and the live music we could enjoy during the dinner.
The restaurant is located in the Praga district of the Polish capital city, close to the train station of the same name. But as I just said, there was not only one restaurant I would recommend: “Bistro” is in downtown Warsaw, in the city’s Stare Miasto, the “Old Town”. Also here we enjoyed the food in a very beautiful atmosphere, a restaurant all in white contrasting with the vivid colours of the district.
Talking about this neighbourhood, I had a great time strolling over its streets. Jurek, our guide in Warsaw, showed us a couple pictures of how the district looked right after the Second World War: it had been completely destroyed, as it was a big part of the city, but the Poles just managed to reconstruct it and make it shine the way it very probably did by the time the war began. Plac Zamkowy (“Castle Square”) is the entrance to the Old Town, the Royal Castle on one side and, in the middle, the column of the King Sigismund III, who moved Poland’s capital city from Krakow to Warsaw back in the 16th century. In front of the castle, wonderfully painted houses turned the stroll into a real pleasure.
Yes, Warsaw was definitely a great discovery for me. Nonetheless, it was not the only one, Helsinki and Tallinn were also in the programme and definitely worth the time I spent there!
Up to Finland
Although our stay in Helsinki was short, the “Experience BSR Trip” was perfectly organized and included great guided visits in all the three cities in the programme. In Helsinki, Sirpa took us all over the center and southernmost part of the city on a bus tour that allowed us know its highlights. Fortunatelly, we also had the chance to walk and see them from close.
We started in Kaivopuisto, a park from where some of the Finnish islands can be spotted. Not only the islands, actually, but also a very special face: it is carved into a tree trunk and located along the pathway up to the observatory atop the hill. Weird… and cool :)
Art Nouveau is everywhere in Helsinki, and one of the reasons why I would love go back and visit it with more time. In terms of architecture, though, a certain building caught my eye (I dare say the whole group’s eyes), undoubtfully: it is a church, indeed a very special one since it is made inside a rock. The interior, though, becomes natural light thanks to a glazed dome. The entrance to the church, a rather discreet one, does not help imagine the big interior you discover once you get in!
And still, another construction that I found especially interesting: the Kampin kappeli, the “Chappel of silence”. It was built with the same philosophy as the Raum der Stille in Berlin, a place where one can sit and relax amid the hectic of the city. The building in Helsinki was granted the International Architecture Award 2010 by The Chicago Athanaeum. No wonder: beyond its spiritual aim, the wooden structure definitely deserves the prize!
I started this article referring to a couple restaurants in Warsaw, the next one will begin with the great “Saaga” in Helsinki, which we had the luck to enjoy right after our arrival. In the meantime, do not hesitate check my pictures of the Finnish capital city!
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