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"Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art."

- Freya Stark

I'm typing this from an Internet cafe in Warszawa's Stare Miasto (Old Town), and I can't possibly describe what a pleasure it is to be back here again, amongst Poland's beautiful architecture and charming people. The aesthetic and atmospheric quality of this place is seriously beyond compare; for at least ten minutes me & Nath just strolled through the Old Town in complete silence, coz for me, there's so much to absorb and appreciate here that there's no point in ruining it with petty conversation. After wandering around the side-streets and tip-toeing through a few churches (again, the reverence of the people inside never failed to move me), we sat down for a beer on the Rynek (Market Square) and watched the pretty Polish girls go by, laughing, gossiping and flicking their hair. In a way, this simple moment was probably the highlight of my trip - especially after the filth and squalor of Amsterdam, being in this magical part of this wonderful city made me truly and deeply happy, and I could feel my heart swell as I just sat there, sipping on an Okocim and taking in the vibe of a summer afternoon in Warszawa, a place so familiar yet so novel at the same time. I told myself at that moment that I'm going to move here someday - western and northern Europe simply don't compare to central Europe, and the fact is, ladies & gentlemen, that Poland represents the very best of this incredible region. If you don't want to take it from me, take it from Paul or Dom - it shits all over the standard tourist destinations that offer nothing but McDonalds, cheap sex and endless souvenir shops. I gotta admit, it irritates me that I spent so long in Finland and Holland at the expense of Poland.... I'd honestly forgotten how awesome it is; just being here has put me into a sort of glowing and patriotic ectsasy, and I only wish that there weren't so many beggars around, since the sight of them can be honestly heart-crushing and you know that the few zloty you give them isn't going to make much of a difference.

Anyway, after just half-a-day here (our arrival at Warsaw Airport was one-and-a-half hours late) I've already filled my camera with photos that, hopefully, help illustrate what I'm talking about here, and give some impression of what life is like in Poland's capital city. I don't have the cable to upload them right now so I'll have to do that when I get back to the hostel -- which, incidentally, is the most pleasant and sparking-clean hostel I've ever been in, and a world apart from the Flying Pig in Amsterdam (which, hence the name, really WAS fit for pigs).

Anyway, I'd love to keep crapping on about how great it is to be here but, in the end, only Paul and Dom can really understand what I'm talking about.... the rest of you will just have to see for yourself ;-) But to sum up, I really have been blown away by the timeless beauty and charm of this city (especially the Stare Miasto district), and can only say that if you want to experience Europe -- hardcore, authentic Europe -- then this is the place to come to. Warszawa is a perfect fusion of the modern & the historical; it's elegant, easy to get around in, and (ironically) far cheaper than western Europe, which has all the atmosphere and sophistication of a shopping expedition to Southland.

And the girls, as I've said many times before, are really something else ;-) 'Nuff said.

P.S. Paul, I'm meeting up with Wojtek and Ania again in Krakow, and Justyna & Paulina too if all goes well :-) I also took some specific photos just for you on my way to the Old Town.... you'll see what I'm talking about in my next e-mail ;-D

I know I've sent out a shitload of photos today, but it's just that there's so much to record in this incredible city.... and if my camera could take photos in the dark there'd be almost twice as many. At night-time, the city centre of Warsaw becomes something of a neo-Tokyo, completely lit up by characteristic amber-coloured lights as well as neon signs and plush department store windows. The Stare Miasto (Old Town) is even more beautiful in the evening, since after sunset the Market Square turns into a medieval wonderland of fairy lights, candles and, on some nights, spectacular fire-juggling displays.

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NATH'S FIVE OBSERVATIONS ABOUT WARSAW

-- People will turn around and stare at you if you speak English.

-- The girls have the finest figures in the world.

-- The policemen are basically skinheads in uniform, with very big guns and very big boots.

-- There's virtually no litter anywhere (in stark contrast to western European cities).

-- Except for the odd American or British tourist, there's virtually no foreigners here (much like Finland).

-- My own personal observation is that people here are more random and outgoing than in most other European countries. While I was walking back here eating a kebab, two of the people I passed wished me "smacznego" (bon appetit); something you wouldn't get in Finland, Holland or even the U.K.

Another panorama of Warsaw, containing the red-roofed buildings of the Stare Miasto (Old Town).

The Palace of Culture and Science celebrates the 50th anniversary of its existence. The sign on the top reads "Mam 50 Lat" ("I'm 50 Years Old").

Plac Konstytucji (Constitution Square), just a few metres from where Nathan's Villa is located.

Warsaw's Market Square in summer - the paintings on sale have been replaced by outdoor beer cafes. In the foreground, a Gypsy woman is selling vegetables.

Nath, pointlessly perusing the Polish menu at an outdoor Okocim cafe.

Memorial to Karol Wojtyla, the "Polish Pope" and one of the most influential and best-loved figures of the twentieth century.

Statue of Cardinal Jozef Glemp - a man who, like Pope John Paul II, was a staunch defender of human rights as well as a religious figure. Paul dubbed him "The Thinker".

"Nothing But Honour."

A monument to those who fought in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, erected only in the late 1980s after decades of denial by the Communist authorities. Even today, the bottom of the monument is dotted with candles and flowers in memory of the fallen.

Teahouse in the Lazienki Gardens. Speckled with late afternoon sunshine, this scene looked like a Monet painting come to life.

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