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 you can see why, when after passing through a series of European cities with medieval centres, grand 18th and 19th century mansions, elegant bridges and such like, you're suddenly presented with an American-esque grid-based city, with 8 lane highways, swathes of massive, grey, concrete, Communist era apartment blocks, interspersed with steel and glass business towers from the last twenty years of economic growth, topped with huge, blinking neon Sony, Coca-Cola and Samsung adverts. But when you understand why Warsaw is how it is, in short a capital that virtually re-started from scratch only sixty years ago (after it was razed it to the ground under Hitlers orders), the way it looks becomes secondary to being taken in by its vibrant character. And I was no less impressed by the sheer defiance of Warsaw on my second visit, in hearing the same story again about how they rebuilt the old centre exactly as it was before the war, brick by brick.

Off on the Trans Siberian tomorrow, from where I'll catch up on all blogs, including this one, Lithuania, St Petersburg and Moscow...

Hostel dorm-mates review, then: Andy from Nigeria ("booyakashah", I believe a Mr. Ali G would say! Not actually travelling, as such, a student looking for permanent accommodation, but I'm still counting him, Nigeria in dorm-mate nationality spotting being the scrabble equivalent of a word with "x" in it. Nice bloke, incidentally), 67 year old Jim, Brit born Aussie with English accent when sober, erring more towards Aussie after a few tinnies. Extremely well travelled (the passion for which probably having had something to do with the two failed marriages! Said he wished he'd had one like Paula to travel with. So I offered him Paula for four of the aforementioned tinnies. Failed to negotiate a deal, however), and still going - full respect to the man! Also some stroppy French, a couple of Swedes and a strange guy, supposedly from Miami but sounded more Polish, who said I was beautiful (when he was drunk). Big Smiths fan, though, so can't completely fault his taste!