Since entering the European Union, Warsaw has been bent on reinventing itself at a breakneck pace. For a city that was reduced to rubble during World War II, the Polish capital knows a thing or two about rebuilding. Still, the structural and cultural changes that have accompanied Poland's recent economic boom are evident to the eye; Soviet apartment blocks stand drearily next to newly constructed towers that gleam, and old pensioners sell flowers on the street to youngsters with designer threads. But, despite Warsaw's contradictions, visitors will get caught up in the overriding sense of optimism that pervades the city, making it a much loved Eastern European destination spot.