Our first night in Warsaw was rather a short one, but to be truthful, at least some of us braved the adventure of a walking tour of at least part of the city before crashing into our pillows. This was to prove a foreshadow for the next day's adventure.
Friday morning dawned with the promise of its own share of discoveries. As it turns out, this was Father Jan's anniversary of ordination, and we happened to be 'back home' in the same city where he was ordained, incardinated and had spent a number of the first years of his priestly service. When someone is home, and has the opportunity to show others the things that are most special, it's a real treat for the newcomers because it gives not only the tourist's point of view, but also an added layer of pride and perhaps just the slightest chance of getting a bit of the inside scoop.
Thus, the guided tour that was afforded us included the Barbican (the remnant of the stone wall which once demarked the limits of the city in its earliest form) and which now still demarks the limits of the old city and the beginning of the new one. There was also mention of course of the Warsaw ghetto, a sad moment in the history of this city, and a moment for the rest of us to appreciate yet another layer of the history which is so rich in these places where saints and sinners have trod.
No tour of Warsaw would be complete without a visit to the Chopin Monument, a statue of one of the most famous Warsavians (at least in the classical music world). It was interesting to note that Chopin only lived in this city until his 20th birthday, but it is believed that most of his music was composed here, despite the fact that he was technically forbidden to perform any of it in public. He left Warsaw at age 20 and moved to Paris where he lived out the remaining years of his life. Despite his fondest wish to return, he never was permitted to do so, thanks to the ruling political powers of the day. Every five years, there are now competitions between aspiring pianists to play the music of this most beloved son of Warsaw. This year's competition is scheduled to conclude in October.
Other sights that we managed to glimpse, albeit fleetingly on this rather packed day included the Royal Palace, once the site of the Polish Parliament, and the Palace of Culture and Science, a testament to the Stalinist regime which exerted such power over this part of the world for so long. No, we didn't actually set foot in any of these places, but at least we heard the stories behind them, yet another level of enriching tone and colour to the already salty history which makes this place so inviting.
Visits today also included a stop at the convent where Sister Faustina Kawalska began her religous life, and at the church of Saint Stanislas Kostka, made famous in recent years by the fact that Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko, who is scheduled to be beatified on June 6 of this year. If all goes as planned, the church where Fr. Jerzy is burried and its environs will be absolutely packed on that day.
This is truly the place where saints have walked. Would that we could aspire to walking in their footsteps.
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