In a way, it's quite nice to visit a city you've been to before, as there's no self-imposed pressure to ensure that you don't miss anything. You can only really enhance the previous experience, by meeting some new people, finding some new places, learning some new local trivia, etc. So although we only really had a day in a half in Warsaw, I really enjoyed it. Already knew I liked the place, and found a few new things. A lot of people don't warm to Warsaw, and yo...

We headed up to Gdansk from Krakow. It had got positive reviews in the guide books we'd read, and sounded really interesting on account of the city's key part in Poland's not that distant struggle against Soviet imposed communism, another piece of the 20th century Eastern European jigsaw we've gradually been putting together. Also, I really fancied seeing the sea again after an absence of a few weeks, since we left Croatia. Upon arrival it transpired that, althou...

Poland is brilliant! I love it here, Poland and I just gel, and despite having visited the country for a couple of weeks before, in 2003, I was by no means looking forward to coming here less than any of the previously unchartered territories we've passed through. Without being able to put my finger on a common thread, Poland continues to provide a stream of positive experiences for me. Spent our first afternoon in Krakow in a small, cosy, coffee and cake-selling...