A Trip To POZNAN

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So I decided to put that "travelling dream" to reality and go to Poznań, a wonderful city in Poland!

I obviously didn't go myself, for I would've died being alone, so I went with my mum! I managed to take a lot of photos and document my experience so here I am with a little TRAVELGRAM!

DAY 1

We took the train at about 1 pm (and were almost late, but that's just a detail) and arrived in Poznań at around 6 pm. It's a 5 and a half hour ride from Kraków, so I would advise getting your travel pack ready!

Because we were so tired from the ride, tired from sitting - I don't even know how, we decided to go home and call it a day.

DAY 2

It was finally the time to go outside and explore the city! We walked the whole of St. Martin's Street to the MM shopping centre where I bid my mum farewell and decided to head on myself.

The first things that caught my eye, other than the wonderful alley shops, were the statues and monuments. Poznań likes to show off their history with art, which is something I realised while exploring.

After leaving the figures, I decided to head forward, not left into the shopping alley or right into a small road, just forward. After walking for awhile I found a magnificent park which you now see. Other than sculptures, Poznań is also very fond of it's architecture and water features. The older buildings give a vintage feel and the newer ones are designed so perfectly with every feature, both make you 'wow'!

 I sat down for a quick second just to commemorate the view. The sculpture of the girl that you see above truly moved me. The finished project was just so angelic, I couldn't take my eyes off it.

Another thing you will see a lot of is street art. I would simply say "graffiti" but there were different kinds of street art including mosaics, paintings, poems on walls, etc. The art was everywhere and the effect was outstanding!

I then head out deeper into the city. I wasn't looking at any maps, I didn't have any directions, I only walked where my heart told me to go. At a certain point I found myself in a small square, possibly a previous market square, and I wandered around the tight alleys.

This is the "wall poem" I spoke of earlier. It's Chmury (Clouds) by Wisława Szymborska. There's a translated version on the internet if you feel like reading some breathtaking, iconic poetry.

These alleys truly reminded me of Cracow. Our streets however aren't made of patterned stone, they're just regular asphalts, but everything from the architecture to the ground made me feel very classic and rare, similarly as Cracow.

Although Cracow is known for it's vintage atmosphere, Poznan has a lot to offer too! Going through these alleys I didn't know I'd end up on the Main Market Square and I can't explain how speechless I was once I arrived.

ART

Art is the best possible word to describe what I saw. Multicoloured buildings, market stalls, colourful restaurants, water structures... It was all art!

A visual representation of the Old Market Square.

I then decided to take a well deserved break and go to get dinner with mum. Afterwards, I went on the last walk of the day to a park.

*you're very welcome for that creepy photo of me*

I walked through that shopping street I mentioned earlier and reached a park! On the way back I bought one of my favourite ice creams and then it was time to call it a day and relax. 

After all, I did walk 10 kilometres!

DAY 3

A new day and a new adventure! I headed in a different direction this time, walking to an unknown destination. Well, it wasn't too anonymous since I was playing Pokemon Go and I could see that I was approaching greenery. 

I then entered something I would describe as The Most Sensational Park I Have Ever Been In.

The park is called Wilson's Park. I entered it two times thinking they were two separate parks... don't judge me.

If only I knew where I'd be going, I would've brought bread for the ducks and pigeons! It is such a lovely sight though and I highly recommend it.

After this I managed to get completely lost... And I mean completely. I walked to the other side of Poznań and then entered Cytadela Park, which I also highly recommend visiting (I SAW A SQUIRREL - you can see it in the picture on the right). I miraculously found my way back to St. Martin's but it was a tough journey, I'm telling you. 

As I was walking alongside St. Martin's Street, I stumbled across a Asian Shop (with mostly Japanese items). It was my first time seeing anything originated in Japan other than sushi! I saw a lot of sweets, teas, and there was sushi there too. I didn't get to buy anything but I now know where I can go if I have a little money to spend and I want to witness the Japanese food from Poland.

Once I finally got back to mum, I started working up an appetite. I had eaten lunch earlier, but it was the afternoon now and me and my mum both wanted something from the food trucks nearby - another thing I recommend. We settled for the truck with Belgian Chips. I got a big one with ketchup and mayo while I bought my mum a small pack with garlic sauce. THEY WERE VERY, VERY GOOD! The home-made garlic sauce was so delicious! Easily said it was the best garlic sauce of my life! If you ever visit Poznań, you must try these chips, they are fantastic!

And thus this day came to an end and I walked 20 kilometres, I thought I was tired with 10, pff!

DAY 4

I was supposed to go out in the morning as well but I was too tired to leave the house. I ended up staying inside until we had to leave for the train (which we were also almost late too). I also split my trousers which isn't important but it's something that happens to everyone and I figured was worth sharing for some reason. We were also greeted with a full moon, which was a nice gesture. I also had the opportunity to listen to two French women talking for two hours which was fantastic to me as I'm a lover of the French language. In conclusion, it was a good ride.

However, before I leave you I wanted to share one more thing.

As I mentioned, Poznań loves it's street art and it is visible from all over.

From day 1 to the very last day I seemed to be encountering this little being over and over.

I don't know who or what he is or what he is doing in Poznan specifically, but he was all over the place and I made sure to capture him everywhere I saw him. Say hello to... him!

  

 

And that's the end of my trip to Poznań! I definitely recommend visiting. I will be heading back once I get that camera I have been saving up for for a few years now. As for now though, this is the end and I hope you enjoyed this post! Stay safe and go travelling!

Love, GABBY