Wandering in Warsaw

As I mentioned a few days ago, I made the journey to Poland this weekend to soak up the atmosphere of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. Funnily enough, I never cared too much for soccer until we hosted the World Cup in 2010 and from then on I was hooked! So when my buddy Renier suggested we hop over to Poland for a little break I jumped at the chance. We haven't actually got tickets to any matches – we might pick some up here in Poland, but we really just came for the atmosphere.

We flew into Warsaw, Poland from Johannesburg on Friday night via Amsterdam. It was a 17 hour trip with a 4 over stop in Amsterdam, but it was actually worth it! This is my first time in Poland, and aside from the football there is actually plenty to see and do. We have already been to visit the Chopin Museum and have plans to take in the Palace of Culture and Science, The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and the Royal Route over the coming week.

The strange thing is, if it hadn't been for soccer I would most likely have never added Poland to the list. And yet here I am having a lovely time and browsing through tourist information for cities other than Warsaw with a view to coming back later with my girlfriend. It has really made me think about what other countries or cities I might be missing out on. I need to rethink my strategy when it comes to thinking of places I would like to visit! Just for example, a friend is just back from Israel and loved every minute, yet I would never consider it as a holiday destination. I need to start thinking outside of the travel agent box and broaden my horizons. There is a whole word out there ready for me to explore!