Old and New Shopping Styles in Warsaw

In every area of Warsaw you will always come across a flower shop which is called Kwiaciarnia in Polish. The shops are quite eye catching as they are usually painted bright green and yellow. Frrom March onwards you will find tiny flower beds or flower boxes outside the shop door. These will be filled with spring flowers such as daffodils, snowdrops, hyacinths and tulips and then later geraniums and roses.

Flowers are very popular in Poland and are given for all sorts of occasions such as birthdays, name days, anniversaries, partings or just because you feel like it. Flowers are also given as a greeting instead of sending a card. Cards are only sent to people who you are unable to have physical contact with.

In Communist times there was a special festival day to celebrate International Women's Day which is still carried on today. The usual procedure is for men to buy flowers for as many women as they can afford: wife, mother, mother-in-law, secretary, friends and a bottle of vodka for themselves.

Assistants in florist shops are always amazed on this day how many men buy bunches of roses and even hand them to women passing by. But then I think Polish men are very romantic.

The shops aren't a grand affair, quite small in size and sometimes dark and cool inside. Individual species of flowers or different blooms are placed in buckets and you can choose the number of flowers and types according to how much you wish to pay. Flowers are priced individually. You can buy 1 red rose or as many as you wish and add different flowers and leaves to make a bouquet look colourful.

Each time I have bought flowers from the Kwiaciarnia I have always been mesmerised by how artistic the assistants are. The way they are able to weave ribbons and coloured grasses through each individual bloom making a spectacular fan shaped array of colour. I have seen the lady in the shop outside my flat block painstakingly thread sequins onto ribbons to tie around bouquets for weddings - every colour matching and co-ordinated. Some of the flower arrangements I have purchased have been beautifully hand tied with such patience and flair. I love the summer time because I can see the shop from my window and all the flowers sitting outside in pots and baskets are a very pretty sight.

At the moment it is still winter and I am waiting for Spring flowers to appear outside the yellow door of the Kwiaciarnia. Hopefully, it won't be too long now.

The area of Warsaw I live in is a little run down and sometimes I forget that in the Old Town and City Centre there are some very classy and stylish buildings, shopping complexes and individual shops.

Yesterday was the first day this year that the bright but still cool sun decided to show his face. Having been cooped up indoors and hermetically sealed from the freezing snow, wind and ice for six weeks it was time to venture out. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only person who had the same idea.

Off I went into the Old Town but carried on to Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street leaving the Old Town behind me.This is a very famous streeet in Warsaw and it was part of the Royal Tract which carried visitors and travellers into Warsaw from Krakow. The Tract now runs from the Royal Palace in the Old Town taking in Przedmiescie Street and Nowy Swiat until it finally reaches Wilanowa Palace.

Palaces, churches, government buildings have all been built on these two streets some time or another. Intermingled with stylish cafes, exclusive hotels and regal buildings are some very exclusive shops and galleries.

Some of the buildings are quite spectacular and just along from the Mickiewicz monument and the church is the Namiestnikowski Palace built in the second half of the 17th century. It belonged to various Polish aristocratic families and is now the Presidential Palace, hence all the police guards and flashy motors.

A worthwhile visit is the Kordegard Gallery for its interesting exhibitions. It is free to enter and is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11.00 -1900.

Next to the Presidential Palace is a beautiful looking hotel and very famous. It is also considered one of the best in Warsaw. It was designed by Marconi in the 19th century and has had guests who included Charles de Gaulle, Margaret Thatcher, Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones and Jose Carreras, the opera singer.

On the bottom floor of the Bristol is a coffee bar which is open to non-residents and worth a sit down and a cafe-laite, just to say that you have been in this famous building.

Flower shops are woven in between the stylish boutiques and bookshops and some of the decorative items they display in the windows are very kitsch and somewhat eccentric like golden cherubs and angels. At most corners you will find a lady dressed in her winter coat and hat selling flowers. Tulips and hyacinths are out in bloom at the moment so these are the flowers on sale. Although the lady is dressed in browns and is a little subdued her stall is a wonderful array of red, yellow and green.

Tea drinking has always been very popular in Poland and on Ulica Krakowskie Przedmiescie you will find the odd tea shop as well as several stylish coffee houses. The first tea shop you come to on the right hand side has a window display filled with novelty tins of tea bearing the picture of Mozart. A very pretty display indeed beaming with bright reds and gold with the famous composers face silhouetted in black. Inside you will find a vast selection of teas to choose from including black, green, Earl Grey and lots and lots of fruit teas. Cakes are also available if you feel a little peckish.

Folk art is something I find very interesting and colourful. Every now and again a stall along the street will pop up displaying glass bottles painted with various art noveau designs. There are also commercial galleries selling folk art, sculpture, fabrics and embroidered tablecloths, all of which make use of regional folk motifs and patterns and are known to be of good quality.

I also noticed that the old type kiosks along this street have all been replaced with modern versions. Instead of glass windows they now have reinforced plastic and the shape of the kiosk has changed to a very slimline art-deco style. I personally prefer the old-style just because they were a lot more colourful - green and white insted of black and grey. Here you can purchase tram and bus tickets, cigarettes, phonecards, sweets, soft drinks, deodorant and numerous strange and wonderful items but if you can't speak Polish you will have to point.

I particularly love this street as it has a feeling of grandeur to it and yesterday with the sun shining and happy people milling around with dogs and children, the ambience was just right and one of fun. It is a street where you can stroll and take time out, away from the sea of Communist grey apartments and buildings.

It is very easy to buy souveneirs in Warsaw and you can sometimes come across some extraordinary purchases whether it be pieces of modern or folk art, albums or jewellery of interesting designs.

Sadly, Warsaw does not have a typical souveneir like Krakow althought the famous memaid of Warsaw does appear on many items and is an emblem on a number of gadgets.

The Stare Miasto (Old Town) is a real mine of souveneir shops and small bookshops selling antique books. Numerous galleries are interesting to walk around, to view artwork and bizarre but very detailed pieces of handmade jewellery can be bought for extraordinary prices..

The Old Town Square (Rynek Stare Miasto) is the most elegant square in Warsaw and one of the best in Poland. If you had visited here in 1945 you would have seen a sea of rubble with walls of two houses sticking up out of it (No. 34 and 36). Today, the Rynek is 17th and 18th century in appearance, a harmonious blend of Renaissance and Baroque with a touch of Gothic and neo-classical elements. There used to be a town hall standing in the middle of the square but it was pulled down in 1817 and not re-built
after.

The Rynek is very pretty, consistent if diverse in style and decoration. I have heard a lot of locals comment that the Old Town is like a set out of Disneyland but I have to disagree. It doesn't give the impression of being a replica and in the summer it is a lively and atmospoheric place to be. The square opens out to cafes and stalls selling works of art. Some tradesmen do actually set up stalls and lay plastic sheeting on the floor to sell hand painted wares such as glass bottles painted in a folksy style, wooden chests and boxes painted in bright blues, oranges, reds and yellows. A very colourful sight indeed.

Buskers and performance artists add extra spice and colour to the streets as well as artists asking you to sit for a while why they paint a charicature of you.

From May onwards the Old Town gets incredibly busy with tourists from all over the World but just now in February with the snow falling it will be like a ghost town. Still a wonderful place to visit especially if you have your camera at the ready. You can save the money in your wallet until the summer when all the shops and traders will be open for business.

The area I live in Warsaw is one of the oldest areas in the city and part of the Warsaw Ghettoes. It is called Wola and you could say it is a bit run down although I live in a new block of flats and there are new buildings going up weekly. This area, once thought to be very dangerous and still not recommended as a place to be walking the streets at night on your own, even now,.still has a strong sense of community.

From Wola I can either walk or catch a No 13 or 23 tram to Kino Femina which is one of my favourite spots in Warsaw. From here I can walk to the huge flower market which is blanket of colour to the eye or step inside one of Warsaw's oldest bazaar's, Hala Morowska.

In England we would probably call the Hala Morowska an old fashioned covered shopping center but the Poles like to call it a bazaar. It is a great Polish tradition, pre-war and has survived communisim. This bazaar along with Rozycki's Bazaar came through socialism successfully. When in the shops the shelves were empty, the bazaars offered fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world, and by 1989 this form of trading was everywhere. All the bazaars including Hala Morowska are immaculately clean and the produce sold is always fresh and good quality. They are run hygenically and in accordance with trading regulations so that meat, fish and dairy products can be purchased without any worry.

Inside Hala Mirowska, it really is like stepping back in the 1940's. You feel like you should be wearing a trilby hat and long coat. It is quite fascinating to see such a jumbled array of good on sale under one roof.

As you enter through the doorway you can either take the right turn and go through the turnstile to the supermarket which has huge wide shelves which are sometimes bare or overloaded with stacks of the same item. To the left of the entrance is a makeshift coffee bar where you can buy a cuppa to keep out the cold from the freezing winds and snow. From here, onwards, it is a labryinth of individual kiosks selling anything from carpets, make-up, jewellery, plastic flowers, glass plates and cups to match. The list is endless. I am sure if you wanted something obscure and you knew where to look you would be able to find it here.

A different picture is painted outsided the bazaar - one of entrepreneurism and individuality. You will see many an old lady sat on a wooden stool wrapped in her wooly coat, hat, boots and the thickest of scarves. She is here for a purpose and that is to sell her wares whether they be fresh herbs, home-made jams, fresh eggs, fresh cut flowers. These old ladies and old men travel from outside Warsaw every morning no matter how bad the weather is to try and make a zloty or two. It is fascinating to see all the wonderful things they have to offer.

Walking further down the road past the bazaar is another interesting sight - several people standing in their own little spots on the pavement. Here they will have laid out in the most attractive way things that they no longer want or need. On one stretch of pavement there will be about 20 people selling old books, shoes, clothes, bric a brac. Then suddenly the Police arrive and everything is packed away as it is illegal to sell on the street without a license. The speed in which every item is packed in an old suitcase is to be admired. They obviously are experienced and have the knack. But no matter what, come rain or shine, these folks will back in the same spot, same time tomorrow, tring to make a living on the streets.

I think I am probably correct when I say that the majority of women love shopping. Well there must be something wrong with me because I dislike it even more than housework. The thought of having to do a 'big shop' or shop for anything come to think of it really stresses me out and puts me in a bad mood. Now living in the city I am very pleased that there are small shops on every corner which makes it very easy just to pop out 15 minutes before dinner time to buy something which I can quickly prepare. Sometimes I even forget to do this. Good job, I don't live on my own, or else, I would starve. However, I have a very important date on 13th September and I can't be late and have to look beautiful. I have been invited to a wedding and I have to have something to wear which will transform me from this 'laze about the flat' look into a sophisticated, stylish, middle-aged lady. Where do I go for that piece of clothing? Arkadia!

Arkadia is a shopping centre or shopping mall, a term Americans love to use, in Warsaw. It was built four years ago and it is the largest shopping centre in Poland and the largest retail and entertainment centre in Central Europe.

To find this amazing piece of architecture you take the Metro from Warsaw Centrum and get off at Dworzec Gdanski Station and it is only a short walk away. Or you can hop on tram no's 1,2,16, 17, 19,22, 33, 35 or bus no 103, 303, 406, 500, 210 and 606. Don't forget to validate your tickets! It is located at the end of Aleja Jana Pawla, near Rodondo Radoslawa (former Babka).

My First Impression
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The approach to the entrance of the building is quite grand. As you step off the trams and walk over the road there is a pathway leading to a central fountain spraying water in every direction possible. Children love to jump into it and believe me I have thought about doing it over the last couple of weeks as it has been so very hot. On both sides of the fountain are restaurants with outdoor seating and parasols to shade you from the sun. Lunchtimes and teatime (4 O'clock in Poland) this area is always bustling and noisy but with a happy noise of people having fun.

Leaving this frivolous area you will step inside a slow revolving door and immediately you are transported into street like galleries built around a circle underneath a single roof made from glass. The air conditioning is welcomed and is so refreshing after the hot mid-day sun. As you look around you will experience an atmosphere which is very European, possibly a touch Mediterranean with mosaic tilings and natural stone walls. Miniature orange trees, ferns and palms decorate the bottom floor where there are several coffee houses and restaurants giving the area a Bohemian if not a little pretentious feel to the area.

The piped music isn't too loud or distracting but every now and again an annoying anouncement will leap forth from the tannoy saying in the worst possible American accent - 'Ladies and Gentlemen Please Do Not Smoke in the Public Areas.' I know they have to tell you that information but it does tend to break your concentration which is something I need a lot of when out shopping!

Lay -out/Detail
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Altogether the centre has 230 retail and service outlets consiting of 180 boutiques, 25 large stores, 25 restaurants and cafes, Internet cafe and a giant 25 screen Cinema complex.

Each level of Arkadia has been designed with it's own specific key theme:

The ground floor is the first point of access if you enter the centre from the tram or bus stop. Primarily it is intended for everyday shopping with a Carrefour hypermarket, Le Roy Merlin (DIY shop), Saturn (electrical and home -media store|), with a few smaller shops interwoven like my favourite, The American Bookshop. I can buy most novels here in English and various text books. Prices are about the same as in UK. It is always very quiet in this shop and it has comfy chairs so you can sit and read.

There is also a bigger bookstore called Empik at the main entrance which sells dvd's, cd's, maps, dictionaries and endless novelties and gift ideas. This has a coffee area where people go to read their newspapers in a somewhat pretentious fashion. I am not a fan of this store as it is always so crowded althought it sometimes has book signings which can be quite entertaining. In addition, there are five restaurants located on ths floor with seperate external doors at the front of the building, so that they are accessible even when Arkadia is closed.

The first floor is dedicated to the world of fashion and accessories. There are many boutiques selling designer brands from Poland but also many International names are on sale as well. A few examples are; Bolero, La Senza, Gatta, Mango, Monnarri, Vero Moda, Wallis, Zara, and Monsoon. Arkadia also has a Marks and Spencer's which has just been refurbished which seems to be very popular. I am surprised as I always thought M & S clothes would be too frumpy for the highly fashion conscious Pole. Other UK stores I have spotted are C&A and British Home Stores but saying that I couldn't actually locate BHS so perhaps that has closed down too.

There is also on the first floor a food court where you can eat Polish and International cuisine. Yes, there is a Burger king, KFC and McDonalds and several coffee shops like Coffeeheaven along with outlets selling Shusi, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Indian and meals from even the third rock from the sun (only joking). Not quite, but I should think there is an outlet selling cuisine from nearly every country in the world. The whole food area is pretty spectacular and spotless.

The second floor is for leisure and this is where the cinema complex and Internet cafe is. Cinema City is a multiplex of 15 cinemas. They show all current films in English and the films usually hit the screens before some cinemas in the UK. They are open from 10.30 in the morning and the last showings are usually around 8.30.

You can buy the usual popcorn, drinks and goodies to take into the auditorium and the prices are perhaps a little cheaper than UK.

Car Parking
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There is an underground car park with over 4,000 places including a disabled area with access and exit points to all directions of the city. It is colour and number coded. This is indeed a very large car park and I have been lost in here and I must tell you I was really freaked. My husband had a trolley load and went down in the lift whilst I went on the escalator. I thought we would come out at the same exit point but we didn't and I couldn't find him. I thought he had taken the load to the car so I tried to find the car. Could I remember the colour or number of the parking bay - not at all. At that point I was having an anxiety attack and not sure if I could have remembered the car let alone what my husband looked like. After 45 minutes of walking up and down, round and round, in and out of the store he eventually came drivig up from the bottom floor beeping like a madman. Of course he was amazed at the fact that I didn't stay put when I came down the escalator instead of wandering around in a dream. Which I probably was - thinking of the next article to write. Just have your wits about you when parking and walking into the store as the Polish youngsters use the area as a Formula 1 race track and they will mow you down if you aren't careful.

Summary
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The whole building is very attractive and I think very stylish. I thought Meadowhall was spectacular when that was first built in Sheffield but Arkadia is much more stylish. Some of the shops are very expensive especially the boutiques and you will need a good bank balance to shop on the first floor.

As a place to socialise it is very popular especially with young people and there always seems to be a buzz about the place which I find quite attractive.

If you are popping over to Warsaw I really recommend a trip to Arkadia - you won't be disappointed.

Final Word
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Unfortunately I came out of the centre with a pair of red and white spotted plimsolls with a red bow on top. Somehow I don't think I can go to a wedding looking like Minnie Mouse. What do you think?