As a member of the travel industry, I have read with great disappointment The Australian - Travel Section of February 7-8, 2009, "Off to a cold start".

During the absence of Ms. Susan Kurosawa, Editor in Charge, a very unfortunate choice of material was presented to readers, for this particular section of the newspaper.

The book that has been used to extract the story, called "A country in the Moon" by Michael Moran, one needs to note, presents a very interesting view about Warsaw, which for any reader, the edited extract from it in The Australian newspaper quoted above, is far from it.

I have always considered The Australian Travel section as a mature, serious source of information about travel, for the benefit of its readers. The story mentioned above, which has been presented to the readers in "The Travel" section is a total miss of the point of the purpose of this section of "The Australian", which should seek to present a picture of the destination at present, not 17 years ago, which the story talks about. After all, people who read this section of "The Australian" try to pick up some ideas about the destination they will visit now.

Warsaw in 2009 is a modern, colourful, vibrant city. Warsaw holds many exciting facets of its culture, architecture and history, which can stimulate visitors view about this unique city. Warsaw currently enjoys a very important place on the touring map of Europe for many Australians, who have been inspired by various TV travel programs like "Getaway" and "Great Outdoors", which have visited Warsaw.

If the Travel section wishes to present some interesting and not well known facts about Warsaw, I recommend to research deeper related to enclosed material I quote above, such as the visit of Casanova to Warsaw and history of painter of Venezia and Warsaw, Canaletto who loved Warsaw so much that he stayed there for an extensive amount of time.

I trust that my short observation will help your Travel Editor to make some observations of an informative nature in the forthcoming issues of The Australian about present attractions of Warsaw, which after the WWII was reborn as mythological Phoenix from rubble of over 90% destruction.

Kind greetings,

Mitch W. Ihnatowicz
Representative Manager
LOT Polish Airlines

Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, the most famous seducer of the world, came to Warsaw in the year 1765. At that time, Warsaw was a city of joy, with beautiful ladies and hoydens keen on amusement. And at the dawn of Spring of 1766, the very famous Casanova got into trouble. The reason was a woman, of course.

It was a charming, Italian actress, whom Lithuanian general and swashbuckler Franciszek Ksawery Branicki fell in love with. The dispute of the gentlemen in the actress' wardrobe concluded with the mutual insult and duel. At the dawn, on March, 5, 1766 both gentlemen, together with the witness General Czapski, went by carriages to the gardens of Wola in search for secluded place. They settled on guns. The shots disturbed the air. Casanova with injured arm was still standing, while Branicki, flooded with blood, fell on the ground. The wound seemed fatal. General's servants immediately wanted to shatter Casanova with their swords, but he stopped them. Wounded Branicki was taken to the nearest inn and it was the one in Grzybow, where you are now tasting the victuals and beverages. He whispered:

- You killed me, Lord. You shall flee as you will be taken to the scaffold.

While saying that, he even wanted to give Casanova a pouch with the Dukats, but he did not accept the money and left the inn. The peasant he met by chance gave him a lift to Senatorska street and wounded Casanova found a shelter in monastery. At that time, Branicki's friends started to come to the inn and the news that he was dying spread across the city. The city was angered. The quack who arrived at the inn at the Walicow and Grzybowska crossing, took care of general's wounds and since the bullet did not hurt any serious arteries, he recovered.

The duel of the famous Casanova with Polish magnate and King's friend became social sensation among European elites. It was talked about in London, Paris, Venice, Rome and Moscow. Those of you who do not believe or who are willing to learn what happened later on shall read Casanova's memoirs. Even the King showed his interest in this matter and listened to General Czapski's story carefully.

Caneletto In Warsaw

Bernardo Bellotto, born in Venice in 1722, became the court painter of Poland's last King, Stanislaw August Poniatowski in 1768. As a young man, he had been an apprentice of his uncle Giovanni Antonio Canal, and, like his uncle, used professionally. the name Caneletto; for many years this was the name by which he remained known in Poland. Canvases with views of Warsaw, which he was commissioned to paint by the King, were used to decorate a room in the Royal Castle, in the process the chamber becoming known as the Canaletto Room.

His renderings of Warsaw view were so extremely accurate that in 1946-47 paintings were used as blueprints in the reconstruction of edifices that were destroyed during the WWII conflict.

You may also like to read:
A Country in the Moon - a book about Poland, also published in Puls Polonii (click here).