After a somewhat hectic morning, we left a bit late for JFK. We made it in good time and, in spite of a long line at check-in, made it to our gate with time to spare. Of course, our plane left late. We weren't seated together, but Jess's seatmate agreed to switch with Jer. Yay!
The flight was pretty awful. It was an old plane with really uncomfortable seats, the video system was broken, there was several children shrieking or wailing throughout and the food was barely edible. It was far less satisfactory than our last flight on LOT in 2001. Regardless, we both got at least some sleep - Jess managed to miss all the turbulence, though Jer was not so lucky.
We arrived at Warsaw's Frederic Chopin International Airport but, due to the poor English signage, we were not able to locate the friends who were supposed to be picking us up. After a significant delay, we were able to call them and determine that they had left. Thankfully, Bus No. 175 took us straight from the airport to our hotel, the Sofitel Victoria Warsaw.
Although the outside was quite blocky and unattractive, the rooms at the Sofitelwere quite nice. We were thrilled to get checked in and hop in the shower. While we were getting ready, our friend's soon-to-be brother-in-law (Art) called to say he was staying in the same hotel and to ask if we wanted to go out. So, once we were dressed, we met him in the lobby and headed out into the city.
The three of us walked around a bit. We located a milk bar right near our hotel. Art didn't seem too excited about exploring this particular aspect of his homeland's cultural heritage, so we kept on walking. As soon as we got to the Old Town, we ran across an outside-seating restaurant in Castle Square that had a special chanterelle menu. Keeping that in mind, we wandered around the Old Town a bit more, eventually deciding that nothing appealed quite as much as fresh mushrooms. Jer had cream of chanterelle soup and trout wrapped in bacon. Art and Jess each had a crepe filled with chanterelles in a cream sauce. We all agreed that our food could have done with a bit more seasoning, but was otherwise delicious. (Poles really know their mushrooms!)
Afterward, we wandered back into the Old Town a bit to get Jess a crepe from a stand we'd seen earlier. Art decoded the menu for us and Jess, feeling adventurous, decided to try one with apples and vanilla cheese (a sweet, spreadable ricotta-like cheese). She thought it was quite tasty. It was served in a giant ice cream cone with a fork, eating from which took a bit of practice, but she persevered.
Art headed back to the hotel to look for his wife, and we walked around a bit more, exploring the brick walls of the Barbican surrounding the north end of the Old Town. Eventually, we too returned to the hotel and slid into bed for a nap. (Despite the bed having feather pillows, a featherbed and a down duvet, Jess had no problems sleeping, as all had been treated to be hypoallergenic.)
Two hours later, we were awakened by the phone. Our friend, the bride (Margo) was calling to let us know that she and her fiancé (George) would meet us, Art and his wife (Jola) downstairs shortly. We pulled ourselves together and stumbled to the elevator. Art and Jola were waiting for us there; she was overjoyed to show off her 2-hour manicure. Apparently you attend some 3-year degree program in order to be a Polish manicuritician or something. Margo and George arrived, and the six of us set out to find an outdoor cafe for dinner. We headed south, to Nowy Swiat, and located a trendy side street brimming with outdoor cafes. After some browsing, we selected Living Room (despite its having veal brains with pumpernickel as a menu item). We had some drinks, including Jer's surprisingly-tasty caipirinha and Jess's refreshing mint lemonade; Art and George had the obligatory vodka shots and Jola taught them to make her a martini after accidentally getting a glass of Martini Bianco vermouth instead! Jess had pierogis stuffed with potatoes and onions and served with wonderful sour cream. Jer had a cheese board, followed by bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and bacon. Jess also tried Jola's marinated smoked salmon. Everything was delicious, and everyone seemed to have a fun, relaxed evening.
After dinner, we stopped by a famous cafe, A. Blikle, so Jess could get a piece of cake to take away. Margo helped her understand the selection, and she picked a piece of marzipan cake with cherry filling. We walked back to the hotel with Art and Jola, stopping to watch soldiers march around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to take pictures at a lovely fountain.
Back in our room, Jess ate part of her (birthday) cake before we crawled into bed and fell asleep.