It needs to be said, Poland is proper underrated. When I told people I was going to Poland, people looked at me sideways and said either one or both of the below.

“Black people don’t go Poland, I’ve heard they are mad racist out there!”

— Reply: I don't think it'll be a GET OUT kind of situation... At least I hope not. Note to self don't drink tea or look closely at spoons!

“Out of all places to visit in Europe, Poland! Really?”

— Reply: It's not everyday to Ibiza, get stupid drunk and forget what happened!

People have a way of throwing their bias and ‘chinese whispers’ on to others. My deflect game was so strong though oh my! I’m not going to front and pretend that Poland was on my bucket list of places to visit because it wasn't. But after reading 'The Zookeepers Wife' I decided that I had to visit Warsaw. The book is non-fiction and tells the story of Jan and Antonina Żabiński who rescued hundreds of Jews from the Germans by hiding them in their Warsaw zoo during World War II.

First impressions

The first thing I noticed was how clean the streets were. I'm talking no rubbish at all on the floor.

"Oh, it's cold!" I knew it would be cold, but you know when the cold just hits you... yeah.

The buildings surprised me. I don't know what I expected but in my mind, I didn't see them looking how they did. In some parts of the city, I saw skyscraper sleek buildings and then I'd turn into a street and see the aftermath of WW2 so clearly.

What I got up to

I initially regretted booking a 4-day getaway because I didn't think there would be enough to do, but it turns out Warsaw is popping and the city doesn't sleep. No, seriously it doesn't! They have sirens wailing at all hours of the night. I always knew that I was going to visit Warsaw Zoo, but other than being madly excited to see the villa in the Zookeepers wife, I wasn’t head over heels with the actual zoo. (If you want to go inside the zookeepers villa you need to pre-book.)

The main thing I did was bounce (or Uber) around Warsaw trying out different museums. When I first heard museums, I thought “yay great” (in the most sarcastic tone ever). Turns out the museums in Warsaw are actually really good. The first museum I visited was Warsaw Uprising, which was a real eye-opener into a key moment in Warsaw and I spent half a day there. I had to dose up on food and good vibes after though because it was a real heavy one. Hmm the vodka museum I thought would be mad exciting and I’d love it but yeah I went and it was plain and simply BORING. Check out my Instagram vlog to get the down-low on that one.

As usual, I stumbled across gems, and whilst attempting a photoshoot, I came across an exhibition called Daniel Rycharski: Fears in the Museum of Modern Art that blew my mind. Where art and culture meets is where I fast myself to go.

I wandered around the old town taking in all of the beautiful architecture and detail on the buildings. I also bought the most expensive dinner in Poland at one of the restaurants there. And the area has a busy nightlife with lots of bars. How do I know? I drove past them whilst my granny self was in my Uber going back to the hotel to sleep.

Food

The P in Poland stands for pastries and pierogi. Poland is pastry galore - they taste so good and the bread there is amazing. Pierogi are basically dumplings and a staple dish, that has so many variations. I ate veal pierogi, duck pierogi, spinach pierogi and cabbage pierogi. You can't go to Poland and not try Pierogi. Pork is a popular choice when it comes to polish meals. Even though I don't eat pork I didn't find myself limited with meal options when eating out in restaurants. One thing to be aware of though is meals like spaghetti bolognese, that typically in the UK uses minced beef are not the same in Poland. So always double-check what meat is being used before you order. Food in Poland tastes nice and it's definitely a plus that the food is not expensive. You can get a hearty main dish for about 46 Polish Zlotys/£9.20 I think my most expensive dinner cost about 70 Zlotys/£14, and that was in the Old Town. Oh yeah, don't be alarmed like I was when you find random bits of fruit coming with your meal... Just roll with it, it tastes nice.

3 food spots I recommend

Momu - The buttery zander with black lentils.

Panorama Sky Bar (In the Marriott hotel) - Wasabi Ice cream, ginger & chocolate tart.

Grand Kredens - For traditional polish food. Duck with an apple on the side.

Transport

Uber is mad cheap out in Warsaw. A 15-20 minute journey costs about 13 Polish Zlotys, which is just over £2.60. If you want the scenic route get the metro that's about 3 Zlotys / £0.60 per journey. The metro is speedy and comes every 2-3 minutes, plus the metro stations have cool arty designs in them. The metro stops always seemed to be a 10+ minutes walk from wherever I wanted to go, so I got uber.

Wrap Up

The Polish people that I came across were nothing but friendly, especially when they heard my frantic attempts to speak their language. (Jeen-doh-bree) Good day. (Proo-shee) Please (Jeen-koo-yahh) Thank you. When in Rome, do as the Romans and all that. Was I a minority in Warsaw being black, certainly. But, I was not stared at or made to feel uncomfortable at any moment. Warsaw was a vibe, it's an ideal long weekend getaway. I left the city with positive memories and can see myself returning to Poland to visit the city of Krakow in the near future.

Have you been to Warsaw? And if not, can you see yourself visiting? Check out my Instagram vlog to bring my weekend in Warsaw to life.

A Frizzy Weekend In... Warsaw