Przemysl - pronounced “Preh-sem-ish” - is just basically a way stop on my journey into Ukraine; I came in last night and I go out on a train tonight, so I was only here for the day. But that’s kind of a bummer because it turned out to be a really cool spot. I started out with a walk along the San river, where I visited what turned out to be a section of town that was reserved for people’s gardens. Basically you can buy a plot of land that you don’t live in but is just a place to go visit and maybe to grow things. Of course the weather right now is pretty poor so it was largely empty, but beautiful. Then I stopped and had a Polish breakfast and a great restaurant called Routyn; it was so good that I ended up going back for lunch.
Then I just…wandered around town. I went to several museums; the coolest of which was the National History Museum of Przemysl, which was immediately awesome. The first room I went into was this amazing collection of medieval and early 20th century artifacts; lots of helmets and halberds and chainmail, extending up into muskets and long barrel rifles. Presented largely without commentary and available to just look at, not behind glass or anything; I mean, you weren’t supposed to touch (and I didn’t), but they were just…right there. Then there were a bunch of more traditional history displays, extending up through WWI and WWII. Getting a polish perspective on these events, such as the invasion of the Nazis and the roundup of the Jews, was pretty fascinating.
Then a museum about bells and pipes, then a beautiful cathedral where I stopped to pray, and then a long walk through an urban forest that reminded me a bit of the one in Portland. Then back to that restaurant for a second lunch.
Poland in general has been very cool and impressive; I’m not sure what I expected, but it’s a very clean, modern and upbeat country that’s easy to get around, and everyone is very nice. I sit and type this in a clean coffee shop/cafe that wouldn’t look out of place in any town in America, except maybe it’s even nicer.
I’m kind of sad to leave, but it’s time to move on.
