Awwww man. I am so frustrated with Warsaw.
I read in the paper last weekend that there is a sculpture garden in Bródno, which I knew nothing about. There is a piece by my favourite artist ever, Olafur Eliasson. I was shocked and really excited to see it and add it to my list of Warsaw sights to see (but also thought -- how typical! Typical typical typical! Warsaw is fantastic at not promoting interesting things about itself. Most of the great stuff is reserved for people who stumble upon it by accident.). So I spent a couple of days trying to convince people to go with me, found no one, decided to go it alone*. So yesterday I took the 118 (a direct bus from home to the park! how awesome is that!) and on the ride over tried to figure out how easy it would be to bike there (easy, if ones doesn't mind staircases up/down the bridge; and biking next to traffic).
* całe moje życie!
Once I got there, the problems began. First of all, I identified the park by the bus stop I got off at, not by any other indicator that this was the park I was looking for (jedi-mind-wash gesture). The park looked _lovely_. Really well tended, though there was no water where water should apparently be. Very nicely laid brick sidewalks, newly set stairs, groomed (somewhat) lawns, blooming trees**. So I was pleased to be there, thought I'd just wander and I'd find what I was looking for.
** this, granted, was not a merit of the park; the whole city is in bloom
I did wander. It was very pleasant. I wandered the entire park. Back and forth. I found one map, and then on the other side of the park, another. You might assume this would help me locate the art works that were advertised as the sculture park's main attraction. Unfortunately, the map itself was itself clearly created more as an impressionstic work, rather than an instrument to help newcomers navigate the area.
Note lack of "You are here" symbol. No street names. No legend. Titles of art works scattered seemingly at random throughout map, not connected to numbers, which may or may not denote placement of art works within park. Apparent pathways not compatible with physical pathways.
Since this story is lengthening unnecessarily, let me bottom-line it this way: I found two works of art. When I saw the first was when my frustration turned to depression. The artist may call it something like "Upside Down Espresso Teahouse" but I call it "This is why we can't have nice things".
The rest I am too dejected to elaborate so here it is in bullet points:
- I didn't find the piece I went there to see (never found it, despite circling the general area I thought it ought to be in for long enough to feel seriously self-conscious about being taken for a stalker).
- There's nothing quick to eat in the area that doesn't contain a ton of flour/sugar. I ate water for lunch.
- The bus home didn't come.
