Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Poland

PKP Intercity : Warsaw to Bialystok

I’ve written about the train I took last week from Warsaw to Kielce, so I won’t repeat too much of the same information.

I’ve been to Warszawa Centralna railway station many times before, although I realised that I’d never seen the waiting area. It’s not surprising on reflection, the platforms are on level -1 and the large waiting room area is on level 2, so three floors up.

Nicely reassuring, I can see that my carriage will be at the front of the train. It’s quite a short train, with just five carriages. There are several stops en route, with the service taking just over two hours.

Confirmation of the platform number, I do like it when they make it nice and easy.

And here comes the train, arriving around fifteen minutes before its estimated departure time. There’s clear signage on the train where it’s going, which gives me lots of reassurance.

Brits at least need that reassurance….

And it’s a compartment train (or corridor train, I’m never sure of the difference), something which I still see on mainland Europe, but they got rid of on UK trains decades ago. They seem to be on their way out in Poland though as well, all of the newer trains that I’ve seen have open carriages, so I imagine these will taken out of services over the coming years.

I personally prefer open carriages, but there’s a slightly strange social dynamic that occurs with these compartments which is interesting. On an open train, where there is no division within the seating, I’ve never seen in Poland anyone say anything to someone in the nearby area when they leave the train. Here though, there seems to be some social etiquette of saying hello when entering the carriage and goodbye when leaving the carriage, which is of course a complete anathema to British people in terms of social engagement.

This is British social etiquette on trains.

Compartment trains also leads to this Very British Problem.

Safely in Bialystok.

Looking down on the train from the bridge, which terminated here (I mean the train terminated here, not the bridge). The train arrived into Bialystok on time and the entire process of boarding it and finding the seat was again very easy, almost idiot proof. The fare was £6, which was about the same as the Flixbus, which again seems rather good value for money to me.

January 28, 2020
Warsaw – Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto

This is the seventh Accor hotel in Warsaw that I’ve stayed in over the last couple of years, and the fifth this month, and it’s also the one I’ve liked the least and the only one that I wouldn’t stay at again. I posted separately about how Ibis are seemingly moving away from what I personally would like, with this hotel being the cause of that post.

Irritatingly though, for an Ibis hotel, the breakfast, the welcome and the design of the public areas was well ahead of the curve for the brand. The public areas do have that community feel, although they need to go further, whether it’s by implementing some form of coffee shop or some form of specialism, such as my own favourite of craft beer. The first impressions for guests at this hotel is, I’d imagine, a really positive one as it’s airy, bright and contemporary in style.

I’ve already posted that I don’t like the room, I think it looks dated, although it’s the lack of functionality that is primarily why I don’t like it. There used to be a lovely desk and chair under that window. Ibis used to be proud of that, in the booking confirmation for this stay it even mentions “a large desk”.

Incidentally, the room does still have a door, this hasn’t been removed yet. In terms of cleanliness, it was spotless, with the bathroom feeling modern and contemporary. This also isn’t the brand standard for the new room that Accor sent to me last year, all three of their room designs had desks in, albeit not as large as I’d personally like, so I’m not sure why at this stage they’ve changed.

The room’s climbing frame and play area. As an aside, the bed was very comfortable. Although since there’s no chair now, I suppose it has to be.

Just as my opinion, this is a really poor design, I’m conscious that a couple of airport lounges introduced these, then had to take them back out again. Anyone with an adapter, so the USA, the UK, much of Asia and the like, may struggle as they’re recessed. That leaves one power point in the room. I don’t understand why they can’t just keep things simple and have a power socket on the wall that everyone can use. Design improvements are meant to make things easier, not present the guest with more difficulties.

I digress slightly, but a few years ago, Marriott hotels had this marvellous idea that they’d take the desk out of hotel rooms. They claimed this was what the younger generation wanted, that guests didn’t want formal desks, they wanted informality and they could always sit on their bed with their laptop or just use public spaces. It was a little bit of a PR nightmare for the company and the policy was scrapped during the fit-out process, it had misunderstood the needs of millennials, let alone everyone else. I’m also pretty confident that in a year’s time that Accor will be doing the same, saying that they’re evolving the room design by re-implementing larger desks.

Anyway, back to my normal drivel, this is the welcome drink voucher. The check-in process was seamless, the staff member particularly engaging and everything felt clean and modern. I’m pleased to note that this hotel still has a check-in desk, although Ibis are apparently ditching them so that customers have to queue up at the bar. I have no idea how Accor have come to the impression that this is a great idea, although they have access to far more customer data than I ever will, so I’m sure they’ve got good reason. Although, I still think customers want to be receive a proper welcome from a staff member at the check-in desk, they often don’t want to check-in at a computer, or by trying to find a member of bar staff padding around with a device to check them in.

This is the standard beer offered by Ibis as a free gift, all acceptable if not particularly exciting.

And a lovely touch, very much appreciated.

For a few seconds I wondered what was going on here, but it’s just the floor being protected whilst they go through ruining the rooms with the new design.

Breakfast was much better than the standard Ibis fare, I’m not sure why they’re going further than the brand standard. My Polish friends know what I think of smalec, but it’s a delicacy which it’s good to see for those who want to try it. The range of cold meats isn’t the usual Ibis standard either, it’s much better, which I very much approve of, with a wider selection of breads.

All told, and excluding what I personally consider to be a dysfunctional room, this is one of the best Ibis hotels that I’ve been to. The cleanliness, staff friendliness and attempt at localisation at breakfast are all really positive, although I’m always easy to please by giving me free chocolate. But, a desk and chair in the room is essential for me, if not for others, so this is a hotel I won’t be revisiting.

January 27, 2020
Kielce – Avenue of Fame

I’m not entirely sure how the individuals are picked to be featured on the Avenue of Fame, but it’s an intriguing addition to Skwer Harcerski im. Szarych Szeregów, which is a city centre park.

January 26, 2020
PKP Intercity : Kielce to Warsaw

Back at Kielce railway station, which had a light dusting of snow on the ground, getting the early afternoon train back to Warszawa Centralna. The service starts down in Krakow and ends in Olsztyn, with my ticket purchased on-line a couple of days ago.

Artwork at the end of the subway at Kielce railway station.

Kielce railway station waiting hall and ticket desks. The railway station was first constructed in the 1880s, but this is a much more modern building, albeit now quite dated.

The old style split-flap boards, I miss these from London Liverpool Street.

Lots of information boards, so it was clear from where the train was departing from.

More platform, track and sector boards, which fortunately do make sense for those passengers paying attention.

A busier service than I had anticipated, with the train being one of the older Stadler rolling stock, but it was all clean and well maintained.

Boarding the train in Kielce. The journey was all smooth and on-time, with the train being nearly full. The seat reservation system works well, with the signage being relatively clear, although not perfect. The staff member performing the ticket check was helpful and polite, although I didn’t see any refreshment trolley working its way up and down the aisles on this service.

The service starts from Kielce (where the 9hr 19 min) is above, then goes to Radom and then Warsaw. I noticed the very strange rail routing today on my map, although there is a line which goes directly from Radom to Warsaw without looping around. I assume it’s not a mainline, but there are no stops between Radom and Warsaw, so it’s an erratic route in geographic terms, which doesn’t make for the quickest of services.

And safely into Warsaw…. There was a little problem here as the staff couldn’t open the doors, which led to the guard who was standing near me phoning someone. There was a good 60 second wait for the doors to open, which is fine when you are near the guard and can see what’s happening, but it’s nervy for those further down who just assume only their doors weren’t opening.

It’s warmer in Warsaw and the air quality is better, I still have a sore throat that I’m putting down to air pollution in Kielce. Anyway, the train journey represented good value for money, around £6 for the three-hour long service.

January 26, 2020
Kielce – Ibis Centrum

Located a short walk from the city centre, and interestingly for me in what was once the city’s Jewish ghetto during the Second World War, this is a modern building. The welcome at the reception area was prompt and polite, with the staff member setting a friendly first tone.

My room had its own mini corridor, very nice. Not that I could do much with that space, but it made the room feel a bit quieter.

And the welcome gold amenity, very nicely done and this pleased me greatly.

I was here for three nights and did do this for one day, earning 100 Accor points.

The breakfast area, which is also where meals are served throughout the day and that’s the bar area on the right. It was never very busy. I’m not sure that the hotel needs such a visible car rental area though, it’s the first thing that customers see when entering and it’s not very subtle.

The teas, coffees and juices are on the left hand side.

Breads, croissants, apple pie and jams.

Fruit, salad and hot dog accompaniments.

Very lovely.

The welcome drink, the staff member helpfully told me that I could have a darker beer, but she took the bottle and so I don’t know exactly what it was. It tasted fine though, it’s a nice change from the standard Zywiec.

Without being rude to the band or hotel, this simply didn’t work as far as I’m concerned. The hotel knocked out its bar and restaurant for the evening, disturbing every single one of its customers (I know this as I was the only customer in the bar, and had to leave quicker than I wanted). The hotel is meant to be promoting its restaurant and it can’t do that by shutting it to put a band on. I know it’s all part of Ibis’s engagement with music, but I’m not sure that was how the concept was meant to work, shutting restaurants and bars in order to put very loud music on. Anyway, as a positive, it was nice of the hotel to engage with a band and try something different, as innovation is the key as they say. I’m not sure who says that, but I’m sure that someone does.

The hotel was clean throughout and everything was well managed, although it always felt quiet (other than when the band was playing, which I could hear on the fourth floor). The sound proofing seemed effective, as there was no noise disturbance either internally or externally (other than the band) and the staff were always friendly and helpful. The air conditioning that the hotel use is though inadequate and would ideally be better, although it’s frequently not that good in Ibis hotels. Anyway, all told, all very lovely given that the room and breakfast was under £25 per night.

January 26, 2020
Kielce – Jewish Ghetto

Before the Second World War, there were around 25,000 Jews living in Kielce, which was around a third of the city’s population. Only around 400 Jews from Kielce survived the Second World War, and some of those died in the Kielce Jewish Pogrom in 1946, which marred the city’s reputation for decades.

There’s not much left from the ghetto period, but there is this memorial to it. One surviving building is the Jewish synagogue, although it’s not used by the community now, and I noticed that the Ibis Hotel that I stayed in is located within the former ghetto area. It’s all a modern area now, there are few traces of the horrors which took place here.

This figure relates to when the ghetto was liquidated in August 1942, with over 20,000 people sent to Treblinka concentration camp, where they were killed. Many more died whilst living in the ghetto or during the transportation. The memorial is a necessary reminder of what was lost during the Second World War, with the Jewish community and its buildings being nearly entirely destroyed.

January 26, 2020
Kielce – Their Smog Problem

I noticed in one of the city’s parks that some of the statues there have smog masks on them, which slightly bemused me at the time, although I thought no more of it. Anyway, yesterday evening I initially thought that the hotel’s air conditioning was somehow circulating cigarette smoke, which was slightly surprising as it’s a non-smoking hotel and it’s a relatively new build hotel.

So, to deal with what seemed like smoke pollution, I opened the window, but it was apparent that it was getting no better. Indeed, this transpired to be a bloody stupid thing for me to do, as the problem wasn’t the hotel, it’s the air in Kielce. The smog here is at levels which should be unacceptable in any city, and although there are plans by the EU to cut down on the problem, it’s certainly not yet resolved.

Looking at the levels for the last two days that I was here, they were low, so I never really noticed the problem. But, now the levels are high today, it’s definitely noticeable. It can’t be doing the health of the city’s residents any good at all, nor can it be doing anything to promote tourism to the region. I did feel slightly short of breath yesterday, which entirely confused me as that’s not something that I usually ever have a problem with. I’m leaving this wonderful city today, but I’ll be glad to be away from the air pollution.

January 26, 2020
Kielce – The National Museum in Kielce

This is the National Museum’s outpost in Kielce, located in the former Palace of the Krakow Bishops. As can be seen from the front of the building, not much expense was spared for the comfort of the bishops. Very humble…. Today, the building is used as a museum, although some of it is currently closed due to renovation work.

The welcome at the counter was friendly, with the museum staff giving me a rather nice little book in English giving the history of the building. It’s one of the most professional books that I’ve seen given to visitors, equivalent to the books that museums usually charge several pounds for in the UK. I knew that entry to the museum was free on Saturdays, but I pretended to be excited when the staff member told me, not least because it was a relief I had got the correct day for free admission.

The museum has a little problem at the moment with trying to get visitors around the building when part of it is shut. This is a particularly big problem for the staff when they have an English visitor who can only follow very basic instructions in Polish, and even then, likely wrongly. So, I was escorted through sections of the building at some speed, but it was always done kindly. I did get lost at one point, but so did a Polish visitor, so we teamed up to work out where to go. All was well, such is the benefit of an international collaboration.

The first part of a visit to the museum is to see the former private rooms of the Bishops of Krakow, which were used between the building’s construction in 1642 until the State Treasury decided they wanted it in 1789. Above is the First Bishop’s Room, which was formerly the second antechamber, later used for private meals although it was for a long time a bedroom. Handily, there were cards in English in each room which gave a history of what it was once used for, as well as an explanation of the exhibits.

Originally a lobby, this is the small room that Bishop Kajetan Soltyk used as a bedroom.

The grand Upper Hall, where celebrations would have taken place.

This well is from the eighteenth century and goes down a long way. I like the little alcove which is visible in the floor below, with this well being located within the centre of the former Palace.

The next part of the visit is to the collection of the Polish paintings, which takes up fifteen or so rooms. There is also an international collection, but this is part of the museum which is closed, with many of the artworks temporarily being located at Szczecin. I’ve posted about the Amalfi Cathedral painting and the Concentrating Area XVII elsewhere, with the Polish collections being interesting, although I hadn’t heard of many of the artists.

It’s a grand building and it’s positive that it is in use as a museum, as it has been used for all manner of things since it was taken in 1789. It’s been used by the local government, as a technical academy, a mining school, by the Poles in military campaigns and by the Germans in military campaigns. There has been some restoration work to show the painted ceilings and interiors as they might have been, although much of the original features have remained.

All told, this is a nicely managed museum, especially given the technical problems they must be facing at the moment shunting visitors around the building. There’s also apparently an impressive garden which can be visited in the summer, which I can imagine isn’t as exciting in January……

January 26, 2020
PKP Intercity : Warsaw to Kielce

Although I’ve been pleased with how good the services from Flixbus have been recently in Poland, I’m also conscious that I do prefer rail travel. The fare to get from Warsaw to Kielce was around £6 with both Flixbus and PKP Intercity, so on this occasion, I went for the rail option.

The ticket purchasing process is all very easy with PKP and it can be done on-line and the ticket is sent as a PDF file which can be saved to the phone. Although international tickets and berth tickets need to be printed, there’s no such need for intercity services within Poland. I completed the purchase on PKP’s Polish site, but they do have an English version.

Everything was very clear, this is platform 3 at Warszawa Centralna, with the yellow printed timetables visible, as well as on displays in numerous places. Like nearly everything else in Poland, the platform and railway station were clean and tidy.

This tells passengers where to wait on the platform depending on which carriage their reservation is at, with mine being the 14:25 service to Krakow.

The European way of presenting track information isn’t always obvious at first, this is platform 3, track 2.

And the sector of the platform I have to wait at. So, platform 3, track 2, sector 3.

Here comes the train, dead on time. I used my phone to take this and so it’s a bit blurry, but the signage along the train makes things nice and clear for passengers who want to check that this is the correct service. I appreciate this, I hate confusion when using public transport, especially when it’s avoidable. Also, trains across much of mainland Europe, and indeed the United States, have a number on, which makes it much easier to see which service is which. The UK don’t have this and perhaps they should….

It’s not the most luxurious, but second class is sufficiently comfortable. There is wi-fi and power at every seat, both of which worked fine. The passenger next to me had an argument with the conductor for about three minutes, which seemed very exciting. It was more of a complaint than an argument and I was disappointed that I couldn’t follow exactly what was going on and what was being said. It was something to do with the out of order toilet, but I’m not sure exactly what, nor why the discussion went on for so long. But, little dramas like this are exciting.

Disembarking at Kielce, the train arrived on time. I was surprised that the bulk of passengers got off here, I thought most would be going from Warsaw to Krakow.

And Kielce railway station. All was well with this journey, the staff were polite and the ticketing purchasing was easy to understand. There is a catering carriage on board, but a staff member also pushes a trolley through selling hot and cold drinks, as well as snacks.

January 25, 2020
Kielce – The National Museum in Kielce (The Concentrating Area XVII by Jan Berdyszak)

The National Museum in Kielce doesn’t have a large collection of modern art from Polish artists, but it does have a couple of rooms. I took this photo from such an oblique angle as the lighting set-up meant that my shadow was otherwise cast firmly across the centre.

Anyway, this artwork is by Jan Berdyszak (1934 to 2014) and I have absolutely no idea what it’s supposed to mean or represent. The middle bit is empty, so we’re left to look at the rest, which is acrylic and which was created in 1977. There’s a series of these, entitled The Concentrating Area, which are apparently designed to encourage meditation and thought. I have to confess to not meditating for very long.

January 25, 2020