Daytrip to Warsaw

Taking the Train

It will come as no surprise to hear that the train system in Poland is excellent and comparable to the trains I've enjoyed in many other parts of Europe.  I'm proud to report that my Polish is improving, and I was able the day before my trip to visit the Poznań train station and purchase my ticket to Warsaw, with return, reserved seat, second class (which is quite pleasant) and at the times I needed, using Polish only.  There are regularly scheduled express trains that connect Warsaw and Berlin, and Poznań bisects that route, so the city benefits from its strategic location in that respect.  Consequently, the trip to Warsaw took just three hours, and the return on an even faster train took just 2 1/2 hours. 



Trains here are comfortable, clean and reliable.

The trip took me through miles of flat farmland and past or through a number of small towns.  It was a gray, snowy day, but even so, the scenery was interesting.  I have no doubt spring and summer will soon replace the bleakness of this day.


Farm fields are bleak and barren now, but will certainly
change considerably in the coming weeks and months.




My train passed quite a few farm villages.


















The Meeting in Warsaw

The purpose of my trip was to attend an orientation meeting for Fulbrighters in Poland, mainly those arriving for the spring semester.  A much more elaborate orientation, including visits to Polish cities such as Kraków and Wrocłow, was held in September when most Fulbrighters begin their fellowships.  Still, even this short meeting last week was useful and enjoyable, allowing me to meet some of my Fulbright colleagues here.  About a dozen attended, including faculty and students. 

Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission members Andrzej Dakowski and
Dorota Rogowska (at head table) explain aspects of the Fulbright
program to student and faculty Fulbright grantees.

Grantees in Poland represent a wide range of focuses.  The group meeting this time included an anthropologist studying Holocaust related issues; a pianist studying Chopin, the great Polish composer; a journalism scholar; a theatrical director studying Polish directing techniques; an artist teaching painting; a geologist researching geophysics and environmental issues; and others with equally interesting backgrounds, interests and research pursuits. 

Official gatherings of this nature are never complete without a fine meal, and this gathering was no exception.  A short walk to a restaurant next to the Warsaw offices of the Fulbright Commission provided the perfect setting for an enjoyable lunch.



Faculty and student Fulbright grantees continue their
discussions over lunch.


















My return train to Poznań was scheduled to depart Warsaw around 3 p.m., and this was on a Friday.  Thank goodness I had made a reservation!  The train was packed with business people and weekenders headed out of Warsaw, many to Berlin, for the weekend.  Again, though, the train departed on time and maintained its precise schedule, arriving in Poznań around 5:30 p.m.  Despite the near-blizzard conditions in Warsaw that day, it was clearly a city worth returning to frequently.  I look forward to those opportunties.

Do widzenia!