Aneta and Ania and I walked up to Knurow to the market in search of Vodka today. We came home empty handed as they didn't have what we were looking for. I did find a Christmas present for Ania though and we had a lovely walk. It was warm and sunny out today and perfect for a nice walk. We had a lovely lunch at Little Toscany - our favorite local restaurant. We enjoyed a cup of hot wine and lasagna before continuing on our walk. Nice break.
We finished 1Q84 today and Aneta thought it had a weird ending. I am sort of missing it now that it is over. This book is very long and has a greet deal of stuff repeated over and over to the point of making the reading somewhat laborious. On the other hand it was something we kept coming back to - probably in the hope that something would actually happen as we read together for a couple of hours. Aneta slept through big chunks of the book but doesn't think she missed a thing! Anyway it was 3,018 pages on the iPad reader with two pages across and about half that with one page vertical. I don't have any idea how long it is in the printed version but I think it is around 1,000 pages. It seems like it took us forever to wade through it but I think I enjoyed it in the final analysis and I didn't think it ended too badly. They all have to end some way and I guess this author did as good a job as any other might have.
Franke and Marion stopped by to see Aneta and Ania early this evening and stayed about an hour. They are lovely people and I wish I could visit with them as I think I would like them very much.
Tomorrow is "girlfriends day" and Aneta has a surprise up her sleeve. Stay tuned.
Linda
Monday, November 28, 2011
Catching Up
Sometimes a person just needs to settle into their surroundings and enjoy the quiet. This was that kind of week.
The car was still in the shop Tuesday so we pretty much just hung out today. Actually Aneta's father-in-law, Franke called and said he was picking us up at 10 AM to take us to the market. Turns out it was the Polish Bazaar that we had gone to with him previously. It was bitter cold out today and overcast so we bundled up like we were going to the North Pole. "Jzimna" is the word I keep hearing when it is cold out and I have no clue how to spell it but it sounds like zz- im -na to my ear. When I hear that I start piling on the warm clothes. We spent about a half-hour out in the cold before we headed to the car. I bought some more underwear and a gift for one of my grandsons and Aneta and Franke bought fresh vegetables, bread and eggs. Next we went to the regular grocery store so they could pick up the remaining items we apparently needed; milk, cream, coffee, etc. After the market they dropped me off at the flat and went to town to pick up Aneta's car from the repair shop. Her car has been converted to LPG - natural gas - and was having a problem staying alive while you drove down the road. Not real safe and very concerning to have your car die while you are barreling along in traffic on a highway.
Krystian came over again this week on Wednesday evening and we had a wonderful visit with our young Ron Paul fan. To hear him tell it the USA is doomed to a total collapse of our fragile economy if we don't elect Ron Paul. He believes this with all his heart and he is also highly incensed that the "mainstream media" in the US ignore Ron Paul. I played the Jon Stewart clip on Ron Paul for him, in which Jon Stewart makes the same point about the mainstream media. Then we discussed Jon Stewart and why I enjoy his show. He asked me if I ever watched the news on UTube. I said no, as I have never done so. He wanted to know why and I told him I supposed it was a generational thing. So we fired up the old iPad and found UTube and they showed me how to find RTTV, where Krystian thinks I will find unbiased world news at the touch of a button. Turns out RTTV is Russian TV and offers the Russian perspective on the news. I try to keep an open mind about these things but this one was a little over the top for me. Anyway, I indulged his whim and listened to a report on the potential collapse of the START Treaty and why Russia is getting such a raw deal from the US. It was interesting to hear a different prospective.
Thursday was a busy day for us. I got my roots touched up and a hair cut, went across the street for a French Manicure (new salon and really good) then followed it up with a visit to the Kosmetyczny for the old eyebrow and eyelash tint routine. The manicurist is Renata Ryndak at Cabinet Kosmetyczny. Her French manicure cost $11 and was the genuine article. I am 5 days into this manicure without a chip so the extra $5 was well worth it. I am back with Agneta, my first hairdresser and I just love her. A cut, color and style was $16 and change; can you believe it? Aneta left the car for me so I wouldn't have to walk home after getting my hair done because it was still so cold and I didn't want to mess it up by putting on a hat! What a wuss - I know. But we had plans for the evening so I really did have a good excuse.
Tonight we went to a slide presentation and lecture at the Ethnographic Museum in Dabrowa Gornicza where members of Aneta's Spelunkers group were going to be gathered to hear one of their own. Gregoriez, the presenter, had recently led an expedition of Polish adventurers to the former Russian Republic of Georgia to explore the culture and terrain in the Carpathian Mountains. Aneta went with some of these same folks on her expedition to Spitzbergen and also on a cave exploration expedition to Albania. We arrived a few minutes after six, due to traffic, and the small auditorium was packed to the gills. There was standing room only, although, since it pays to know people in high places, they found me a chair near the back and Aneta and Ania were placed in the front row. It was very hot in this small room with probably 200 people packed in like sardines in a can and absolutely no elbow room to start shedding layers. I got very warm and very sleepy as I listened to a lecture in Polish. The slides were beautiful and I was very interested in seeing them as this is the part of Russia that our former tailors and dear friends, the Anishchenkos, hail from. Apparently the lecture was amusing as I kept being jolted awake by chuckles and laughter. We even had a short lecture on the political situation in Abkasia and Ossetia, which I got the gist of from having read about it over the past few years.
Following the presentation w toured the museum which was absolutely wonderful. This man has led expeditions to India, Peru, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea,Albania, Spitzbergen (near the Artic Circle)from which he has amassed an amazing collection of cultural artifacts reflecting the life and habits of the peoples of these various parts of the world. The Georgian expedition will also takes its place in the museum as well. What a way to spend Thanksgiving while all my American friends and family were stuffing themselves with turkey and all the trimmings. We had meatloaf and mashed potatoes with shredded cabbage and carrot salad left over from the day before! I was going to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for Aneta and all her friends but there is no such thing as a whole Turkey in this country unless you take up arms and go hunting for a wild one. The other funny thing was all the friends have jobs and were working that day - imagine!
Friday was a bad day. A really bad day. It started out fine but around noon I got terrible stomach pains and ended up with an horrific case of the stomach/intestinal flu. Aneta packed Ania off for the day and When Witek arrived home for the weekend they immediately took Ania to Aneta's parents for the weekend. I didn't blame them and wondered why they didn't just go and stay there themselves. I slept most of the day - when I wasn't visiting the loo. I had a date with Michal and Agnes to spend the evening together but when Aneta got home and saw that there was no improvement in my condition she called them and begged off for me. They sent medicine over to me with instructions to take three tablets tonight and three in the morning and a promise that I would then be well! Did it work? I took the tablets as instructed ad I certainly felt fine on Saturday - although not so fine I wanted to go anywhere or do anything. Aneta and Witek went to her parents and spent the day and left me alone to heal and rest.
Sunday I cooked hash browns and fried eggs for breakfast and just kept on cooking as Chris came to visit and wanted some as a "memory" of what I fed them for breakfast in the US. Witek declined my offer of breakfast until he saw Chris's breakfast and then he changed his mind. Witek's cousin Ela also came by for a visit and Michal came at 1:30 to collect me for our rescheduled date. He walked me over to Agnes's flat for a lovely Sunday dinner. On the way he took me to see the local Catholic Church in Knurow. It is pink and shaped like a Pope's hat. It is an odd structure. We went inside and it is barren, stark and cold. The decor is spartan to be kind. But it is their church and Michal and Agnes hope to be married there one day soon I think.
We arrived for dinner at 2 pm and were greeted by Agnes and Konrad - such a handsome young man and so shy. Agnes prepared the wonderful traditional Silesian soup called Rosol, which is a broth with pasta noodles, fried pork cutlets and mashed potatoes accompanied by a lovely salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper and chinese cabbage. All of this was followed by a wonderful chocolate cream cake roll, green tea and an apéritif of cherry brandy. I was given more of the medicine they had earlier provided and instructed to take two with dinner and two more twice on Monday. We visited - a difficult thing for Agnes as her English is much more limited than Michals - and looked at the photos on my iPad from the Croatia trip and a few photos from Prairie City and my family. We discussed business ideas and talked about how some of these young folks in Poland might be able to take advantage of the new rising middle class with a business idea or two. These are industrious, hard working people who are really hungry for a break - or a breakthrough as the case may be. If they were in the US they would all be Republicans - TEA Party Republicans I think. Maybe that is what living in a social welfare state for 40 years does to you. This generation is very outspoken about not wanting to live in a social welfare state and they seem quite unhappy with the leadership of their current government.
Michal and Agnes walked me home around 5:30 pm and Witek and Aneta served coffee and tea. They stayed and visited until Witek left to go back to school at 8 PM. All in all it was a lovely day and a lovely solo excursion. Michal was helping me with some information I needed and we needed to keep it private. That is what prompted the dinner without my dear companions, Aneta and Witek. They, however, got an invitation to dinner at Franke and Marions so I am sure they were also well fed.
Just a short week and a half until my plane leaves the ground and I am homeward bound again. Aneta and I are both having withdrawal pains but happily planning our next tour for September of 2012. Come join us!
Linda
PS
Aneta has put more pictures on the older blogs if you have the energy to scroll through and look at them. Hapy hunting!
The car was still in the shop Tuesday so we pretty much just hung out today. Actually Aneta's father-in-law, Franke called and said he was picking us up at 10 AM to take us to the market. Turns out it was the Polish Bazaar that we had gone to with him previously. It was bitter cold out today and overcast so we bundled up like we were going to the North Pole. "Jzimna" is the word I keep hearing when it is cold out and I have no clue how to spell it but it sounds like zz- im -na to my ear. When I hear that I start piling on the warm clothes. We spent about a half-hour out in the cold before we headed to the car. I bought some more underwear and a gift for one of my grandsons and Aneta and Franke bought fresh vegetables, bread and eggs. Next we went to the regular grocery store so they could pick up the remaining items we apparently needed; milk, cream, coffee, etc. After the market they dropped me off at the flat and went to town to pick up Aneta's car from the repair shop. Her car has been converted to LPG - natural gas - and was having a problem staying alive while you drove down the road. Not real safe and very concerning to have your car die while you are barreling along in traffic on a highway.
Krystian came over again this week on Wednesday evening and we had a wonderful visit with our young Ron Paul fan. To hear him tell it the USA is doomed to a total collapse of our fragile economy if we don't elect Ron Paul. He believes this with all his heart and he is also highly incensed that the "mainstream media" in the US ignore Ron Paul. I played the Jon Stewart clip on Ron Paul for him, in which Jon Stewart makes the same point about the mainstream media. Then we discussed Jon Stewart and why I enjoy his show. He asked me if I ever watched the news on UTube. I said no, as I have never done so. He wanted to know why and I told him I supposed it was a generational thing. So we fired up the old iPad and found UTube and they showed me how to find RTTV, where Krystian thinks I will find unbiased world news at the touch of a button. Turns out RTTV is Russian TV and offers the Russian perspective on the news. I try to keep an open mind about these things but this one was a little over the top for me. Anyway, I indulged his whim and listened to a report on the potential collapse of the START Treaty and why Russia is getting such a raw deal from the US. It was interesting to hear a different prospective.
Thursday was a busy day for us. I got my roots touched up and a hair cut, went across the street for a French Manicure (new salon and really good) then followed it up with a visit to the Kosmetyczny for the old eyebrow and eyelash tint routine. The manicurist is Renata Ryndak at Cabinet Kosmetyczny. Her French manicure cost $11 and was the genuine article. I am 5 days into this manicure without a chip so the extra $5 was well worth it. I am back with Agneta, my first hairdresser and I just love her. A cut, color and style was $16 and change; can you believe it? Aneta left the car for me so I wouldn't have to walk home after getting my hair done because it was still so cold and I didn't want to mess it up by putting on a hat! What a wuss - I know. But we had plans for the evening so I really did have a good excuse.
Tonight we went to a slide presentation and lecture at the Ethnographic Museum in Dabrowa Gornicza where members of Aneta's Spelunkers group were going to be gathered to hear one of their own. Gregoriez, the presenter, had recently led an expedition of Polish adventurers to the former Russian Republic of Georgia to explore the culture and terrain in the Carpathian Mountains. Aneta went with some of these same folks on her expedition to Spitzbergen and also on a cave exploration expedition to Albania. We arrived a few minutes after six, due to traffic, and the small auditorium was packed to the gills. There was standing room only, although, since it pays to know people in high places, they found me a chair near the back and Aneta and Ania were placed in the front row. It was very hot in this small room with probably 200 people packed in like sardines in a can and absolutely no elbow room to start shedding layers. I got very warm and very sleepy as I listened to a lecture in Polish. The slides were beautiful and I was very interested in seeing them as this is the part of Russia that our former tailors and dear friends, the Anishchenkos, hail from. Apparently the lecture was amusing as I kept being jolted awake by chuckles and laughter. We even had a short lecture on the political situation in Abkasia and Ossetia, which I got the gist of from having read about it over the past few years.
Following the presentation w toured the museum which was absolutely wonderful. This man has led expeditions to India, Peru, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea,Albania, Spitzbergen (near the Artic Circle)from which he has amassed an amazing collection of cultural artifacts reflecting the life and habits of the peoples of these various parts of the world. The Georgian expedition will also takes its place in the museum as well. What a way to spend Thanksgiving while all my American friends and family were stuffing themselves with turkey and all the trimmings. We had meatloaf and mashed potatoes with shredded cabbage and carrot salad left over from the day before! I was going to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for Aneta and all her friends but there is no such thing as a whole Turkey in this country unless you take up arms and go hunting for a wild one. The other funny thing was all the friends have jobs and were working that day - imagine!
Friday was a bad day. A really bad day. It started out fine but around noon I got terrible stomach pains and ended up with an horrific case of the stomach/intestinal flu. Aneta packed Ania off for the day and When Witek arrived home for the weekend they immediately took Ania to Aneta's parents for the weekend. I didn't blame them and wondered why they didn't just go and stay there themselves. I slept most of the day - when I wasn't visiting the loo. I had a date with Michal and Agnes to spend the evening together but when Aneta got home and saw that there was no improvement in my condition she called them and begged off for me. They sent medicine over to me with instructions to take three tablets tonight and three in the morning and a promise that I would then be well! Did it work? I took the tablets as instructed ad I certainly felt fine on Saturday - although not so fine I wanted to go anywhere or do anything. Aneta and Witek went to her parents and spent the day and left me alone to heal and rest.
Sunday I cooked hash browns and fried eggs for breakfast and just kept on cooking as Chris came to visit and wanted some as a "memory" of what I fed them for breakfast in the US. Witek declined my offer of breakfast until he saw Chris's breakfast and then he changed his mind. Witek's cousin Ela also came by for a visit and Michal came at 1:30 to collect me for our rescheduled date. He walked me over to Agnes's flat for a lovely Sunday dinner. On the way he took me to see the local Catholic Church in Knurow. It is pink and shaped like a Pope's hat. It is an odd structure. We went inside and it is barren, stark and cold. The decor is spartan to be kind. But it is their church and Michal and Agnes hope to be married there one day soon I think.
We arrived for dinner at 2 pm and were greeted by Agnes and Konrad - such a handsome young man and so shy. Agnes prepared the wonderful traditional Silesian soup called Rosol, which is a broth with pasta noodles, fried pork cutlets and mashed potatoes accompanied by a lovely salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper and chinese cabbage. All of this was followed by a wonderful chocolate cream cake roll, green tea and an apéritif of cherry brandy. I was given more of the medicine they had earlier provided and instructed to take two with dinner and two more twice on Monday. We visited - a difficult thing for Agnes as her English is much more limited than Michals - and looked at the photos on my iPad from the Croatia trip and a few photos from Prairie City and my family. We discussed business ideas and talked about how some of these young folks in Poland might be able to take advantage of the new rising middle class with a business idea or two. These are industrious, hard working people who are really hungry for a break - or a breakthrough as the case may be. If they were in the US they would all be Republicans - TEA Party Republicans I think. Maybe that is what living in a social welfare state for 40 years does to you. This generation is very outspoken about not wanting to live in a social welfare state and they seem quite unhappy with the leadership of their current government.
Michal and Agnes walked me home around 5:30 pm and Witek and Aneta served coffee and tea. They stayed and visited until Witek left to go back to school at 8 PM. All in all it was a lovely day and a lovely solo excursion. Michal was helping me with some information I needed and we needed to keep it private. That is what prompted the dinner without my dear companions, Aneta and Witek. They, however, got an invitation to dinner at Franke and Marions so I am sure they were also well fed.
Just a short week and a half until my plane leaves the ground and I am homeward bound again. Aneta and I are both having withdrawal pains but happily planning our next tour for September of 2012. Come join us!
Linda
PS
Aneta has put more pictures on the older blogs if you have the energy to scroll through and look at them. Hapy hunting!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Polish recipes of my mum
I finally ask my mum to give me some recipes which I can present to you. My mum does not use a lot of measurements to cook, so it was difficult to put exact amounts of ingredients. She will always say that you know while cooking that you need to put a little bit of this or that to obtain the right taste, color and smell. If you have any doubts you can comment on the blog so I can reply to any of your questions.
I start with vegetable salad.
Polish Vegetable Salad (Salatka Jarzynowa)
Ingredients:
6 potatoes,
4 carrots,
2 parsnips,
1/2 celery stalk,
half of leek (the white part)
4 kosher dill pickles
1 can of green peas
1 can of corn
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of mustard
4 eggs, boiled and diced
pepper, salt
Steam potatoes, carrots, parsnips and celery in the skin. Do not steam leek. Peel after cooled. Fine dice all vegetables and boiled eggs. Put everything in a large bowl. Add green peas, corn, mayonnaise and mustard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix everything together. Refrigerate three hours before serving.
A Chicken Gyros salad of my mum
Ingredients:
green cabbage, core removed - 1 medium size head
1/2 lb of ground meat (beef or pork)
1/2 cup of rice
3 or 4 onions, diced and in sauted butter
Tomato sauce:
2 small onions, chopped
a clove of garlic, crushed
a beef boullion cube
2-3 tbs. of tomato paste
2-3 tbs. of regular sour cream
2 tbs. of flour
salt, pepper
water
Remove the core from the cabbage and place the whole head in a pan of salted water to boil over high heat. Remove the leaves from the cabbage and then trim the large vein on the back of each leaf to make it flush with the surface of the leaf. Saute the diced onion (use butter), but not brown it, add cooked al dente rice, as well as salt and pepper to taste and mix. Lay a cabbage leaf out on a work surface, vein-side down, put about 1/4 cup of filling (mixture of raw diced meat, rice and onion). Fold the bottom of the leaf up over filling, then fold each side in a roll. Place about 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Place all the cabbage rolls, seam-side down, tightly into the dish. Pour remaining sauce over the rolls. Place covered dish in the oven and bake for about 2 hours at 350 degrees. Add water as needed to keep it from drying out.
Tomato sauce:
Saute one diced onion, using butter, add crushed clove of garlic. Then add a boullion cube mixed with one cup of water, 2 or 3 tbs. of tomato paste to obtain nice red color, sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the end place 2-3 tbs. of sour cream. Thicken to taste with a flour and water premix paste. Dissolve 2 tbs. of flour in cold water to make paste.
Aneta
I start with vegetable salad.
Polish Vegetable Salad (Salatka Jarzynowa)
Ingredients:
6 potatoes,
4 carrots,
2 parsnips,
1/2 celery stalk,
half of leek (the white part)
4 kosher dill pickles
1 can of green peas
1 can of corn
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of mustard
4 eggs, boiled and diced
pepper, salt
Steam potatoes, carrots, parsnips and celery in the skin. Do not steam leek. Peel after cooled. Fine dice all vegetables and boiled eggs. Put everything in a large bowl. Add green peas, corn, mayonnaise and mustard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix everything together. Refrigerate three hours before serving.
Ogorek Kiszony
The Polish-style pickled cucumber (ogorek kiszony) - best if preserved in a large stoneware crock or in a glass jar.
Ingredients:
pickling cukes, small or medium size, firm
pickling cukes, small or medium size, firm
half of head of garlic
a stalk or two of fresh dill weed
one root of horseradish
1 tbs. of salt for each quart of water
Wash the cucumbers, peel and halve garlic cloves. Split stalks of dill, slice horseradish root in 1/4 thick slices. Put cucumbers, dill, garlic cloves and horseradish in crock and pack tightly. Intersperse ingredients for best flavor. Pour water boiled with salt (1 tbs. of salt for each quart of water) to cover the cucumbers. Cover the top of the crock with a plate and place something heavy on it to create and airtight closure. Leave for 2-4 days in a cool place removing plate 2 times a day to remove the mold from the surface. The pickles are ready to eat after four to five days in the crock but will not be very sour. After about two weeks in the crock your cucumbers are nice and sour and ready to eat...
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| Fot: Chicken Gyros salad of my mum, Linda |
Ingredients:
2 or 3 chicken breasts
gyros species
ketchup
1 medium red onion
a cup of dill cucumber or pickles
a cup of canned red beans
a cup of canned corn
Dressing:
4 tbs. of mayonnaise
a clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1, 8 oz of plain yogurt
Wash all vegetables, chop and fry the chicken breasts with gyros spices. In a large glass bowl place the fried pieces of chicken and cover them with a thin layer of ketchup. Then put a layer of diced red onion, and layers of diced cucumber,red beans and corn over the chicken. Cover the layers with the dressing (mixture of mayonnaise, yogurt, salt, pepper, sugar). On the top put shredded Chinese cabbage and sprinkled with the juice of one/half fresh lemon. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Smacznego!!!
Golabki
Golabki - little pigeons (as reference to their size and shape) – stuffed cabbage rolls simmered in tomato sauce.
Ingredients:
green cabbage, core removed - 1 medium size head
1/2 lb of ground meat (beef or pork)
1/2 cup of rice
3 or 4 onions, diced and in sauted butter
Tomato sauce:
2 small onions, chopped
a clove of garlic, crushed
a beef boullion cube
2-3 tbs. of tomato paste
2-3 tbs. of regular sour cream
2 tbs. of flour
salt, pepper
water
Remove the core from the cabbage and place the whole head in a pan of salted water to boil over high heat. Remove the leaves from the cabbage and then trim the large vein on the back of each leaf to make it flush with the surface of the leaf. Saute the diced onion (use butter), but not brown it, add cooked al dente rice, as well as salt and pepper to taste and mix. Lay a cabbage leaf out on a work surface, vein-side down, put about 1/4 cup of filling (mixture of raw diced meat, rice and onion). Fold the bottom of the leaf up over filling, then fold each side in a roll. Place about 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Place all the cabbage rolls, seam-side down, tightly into the dish. Pour remaining sauce over the rolls. Place covered dish in the oven and bake for about 2 hours at 350 degrees. Add water as needed to keep it from drying out.
Tomato sauce:
Saute one diced onion, using butter, add crushed clove of garlic. Then add a boullion cube mixed with one cup of water, 2 or 3 tbs. of tomato paste to obtain nice red color, sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the end place 2-3 tbs. of sour cream. Thicken to taste with a flour and water premix paste. Dissolve 2 tbs. of flour in cold water to make paste.
Aneta
Finally, a day off for me!
Rest and relaxation for me today. Aneta took the car in for repairs promising to be back by three. She ended up having to leave the car and take the bus home where she then borrowed her father-in-law's car for me to drive myself to my massage appointment.
I crawled off my living room bed around noon and walked to the grocery store to buy a few much needed items before eating breakfast and drinking a leisurely cup of coffee. I settled in to catch up on blog posts and that is where Aneta found me when she returned home at 3:15.
I took myself off to the masseuse and had a 2 hour back, hip and leg massage. Boy did it help. This new girl is really good and I like her - she doesn't yap at me constantly!
Michael and Agnes stopped by this evening to return my cell phone they had borrowed over the weekend because Agnes's nephew was in the hospital and Michael needed to go to Warsaw to get the rest of his belongings. Apparently they both needed a phone so they could stay in touch.
All quiet on the home front and I plan on making it an early evening for bed tonight. Aneta is at her computer putting the recipes for Polish Vegetable Salad, Gyro's Chicken Salad and Glombki plus a recipe for vinegar free dill pickles that don't have to be canned (but you need to eat them within a few weeks) on the blog. Let us know if you try these - they are delicious but we need feedback on the measurements for things.
Goodnight all!
Linda
I crawled off my living room bed around noon and walked to the grocery store to buy a few much needed items before eating breakfast and drinking a leisurely cup of coffee. I settled in to catch up on blog posts and that is where Aneta found me when she returned home at 3:15.
I took myself off to the masseuse and had a 2 hour back, hip and leg massage. Boy did it help. This new girl is really good and I like her - she doesn't yap at me constantly!
Michael and Agnes stopped by this evening to return my cell phone they had borrowed over the weekend because Agnes's nephew was in the hospital and Michael needed to go to Warsaw to get the rest of his belongings. Apparently they both needed a phone so they could stay in touch.
All quiet on the home front and I plan on making it an early evening for bed tonight. Aneta is at her computer putting the recipes for Polish Vegetable Salad, Gyro's Chicken Salad and Glombki plus a recipe for vinegar free dill pickles that don't have to be canned (but you need to eat them within a few weeks) on the blog. Let us know if you try these - they are delicious but we need feedback on the measurements for things.
Goodnight all!
Linda
The Ogrodzieniec Castle
Yowza, yowza, yowza. The Ogrodzieniec Castle ruins are one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Outlined starkly against the sky the castle stands atop a huge Carst rock outcropping in the Silesian village of Podzamcze. First mentioned in documents in 1386, archiological explorations in the 20th century verify that the castle sits atop an earlier fortified structure dating from the 11th century. The castle was occupied by human beings until 1810. The castle withstood assaults from several invaders from the 1500's onward but in 1702 Swedish King Carl XII's army was successful in sacking and burning the castle. Evidence of that horrendous fire remains everywhere you look on the castle walls, the surrounding rock outcroppings and the castle towers. It must have been a beautiful thing to behold in its glory days during the Renaissance but that period of its history was apparently very short lived. The castle occupied an area of 32,000 meters, keeping in mind that there are 1.09 meters to a yard, this is over 32,000 yards of area.
Well the bad news is that the castle was closed to tourists as of the end of October and won't reopen until May but I nosed around in the courtyard, looked inside through metal grates and we walked the entire castle compound inside the fortified walls and then continued down a wooded path through a small forest to the fields spreading out in the valley below the castle. There were German bunkers in the ground at the edge of the woods facing the fields that the sign said were placed there to ward off the advancing Red Army of the Soviet during World War II. This castle has been the target of many a would be conquerer over the years.
I said to Aneta, "out of the many countries that have invaded Poland over the centuries, it seems to me as we travel around that the Swedish were pretty rough on your country."
"Who hasn't been?" was her tonally uninflected pragmatic response.
Anyway, this beautiful place was my Sunday Surprise this week. I had no idea were were going castle hoping again today. The neighbor girl, Kasia, went with us to keep little Ania company in the back seat as we drove but she fell asleep on the way back and wasn't much help on that leg of the journey. We were all pretty tired and very hungry when we got back to the car. We were looking for a restaurant when Aneta's cell phone rang and saved us. Alicja was calling to invite us to stop at her home on our way back and have a "light supper" with them. Sunday dinner at Aneta's parents has become a regular event not to be missed but we thought this week would be different because Alicja, who works for ING Bank, was on a team building retreat with her co-workers for the weekend.
Anyway, we made haste to get there but it still took an hour and 40 minutes and I was weak from hunger by then. Alicja never fails to please with her food and tonight was no exception. We were treated to traditional Silesian noodle soup, Gyro's salad, the recipe for which will be on the blog later tonight, fresh bread and homemade Tiramisu that was to die for good. this salad was delicious with chicken fried in Gyro's seasoning, layered with onion, red beans and a dressing of mayonnaise and yogurt with seasonings. It was really, really good. We had a little fun trying to translate recipes for the blog converting a "handful" of this and "by the eye" of that ingredient list. No one in this family - maybe in this country - uses a measuring cup or measuring spoons. If you try the recipe let us know how it turns out and if we need to make adjustments as the test kitchen doesn't have measuring utensils either!
I spent the very late evening SKYPEing with my handsome son, beautiful daughter-in-law and their adorable non-twin, twin daughters and my two handsome and smart Green Belt Grandsons. I am blessed to have such a lovely family waiting for me at home. My beautiful daughter is currently in India on her dream of a lifetime vacation to visit her dear friends. She posts on her FB page that it is straight out of National Geographic. Aren't we just the world travelers here.
Linda
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| Fot: Ogrodzieniec Castle, Kasia |
I said to Aneta, "out of the many countries that have invaded Poland over the centuries, it seems to me as we travel around that the Swedish were pretty rough on your country."
"Who hasn't been?" was her tonally uninflected pragmatic response.
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| Fot: Ogrodzieniec Castle, Aneta |
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| Fot: Ogrodzieniec Castle, Linda |
I spent the very late evening SKYPEing with my handsome son, beautiful daughter-in-law and their adorable non-twin, twin daughters and my two handsome and smart Green Belt Grandsons. I am blessed to have such a lovely family waiting for me at home. My beautiful daughter is currently in India on her dream of a lifetime vacation to visit her dear friends. She posts on her FB page that it is straight out of National Geographic. Aren't we just the world travelers here.
Linda
Concert in a Coal Mine
Workin' in a coal mine, goin' down, down, down..... Okay we weren't exactly working in a coal mine but this was a big day for me. I was in the bathroom putting on makeup when Aneta ripped open the door and announced "there are tickets!"
"Huh?"
"To the concert in the coal mine. We must jump right now and go for them. I called to see because the lady said maybe someone would cancel them. They have seven tickets!"
Quickly recovering I remembered that earlier in the week she had tried in vain to score tickets for a concert to see Dagadana, a Polish Jazz and Folk group playing at Guido's in the bottom of an old coal mine in Zabrze, a nearby city of 200 000 people.
"That's great!" I enthused, while wondering, if I'd in fact, lost my mind. Most concerts are so loud I can't enjoy the music and to think about tormenting myself, while sitting in a hole in the ground and freezing my backside off really had me worried.
Aneta and I made a hurried trip to Zabrze (Zzob-zza)and purchased three tickets, having first, at my suggestion, called friend Ania to see if she would like to join us since she missed out on the movie last night. We returned home and Aneta let me off and went to her in-laws to play with doughter Ania for the remainder of the afternoon.
At 5:30 pm we went to pick up friend Ania and head out to the concert. Now, I had been warned that "it will be cold down there - 14" (degrees centigrade). I looked it up on the Internet and found that it would be 56.6 degrees Farenheit. That still seemed a bit cool to spend two hours sitting at a concert so I dressed, as Aneta says, like an onion. I had on a crew neck cotton shirt, a v necked cotton sweater and a deeper v necked heavy cardigan, over which I wore my quilted car coat, an Angora fur hat and warmly lined leather gloves. I also packed a lap robe type blanket for the event. I looked sort of like the muffin man but I was warm.
We arrived at the venue at 6:30 pm and were issued hard hats for the trip down into the mine. There were two lifts taking people down the mine shaft 8 at a time to each of three cages per lft. Once we arrived at the bottom of our 1,050 ft descent (320 meters) and exited the cage we had a long walk down old tunnels into the mine where there was reported to be a "theater". Trust me, theater is loosely used in this instance. After walking along narrow gage coal car rails for a considerable distance we were funneled into a small holding area full of very large boiler equipment and a well stocked wet bar for those who needed a drink to get through the evening. It was very warm in this holding room and I was soon shedding layers of my onion. At 7 PM we were herded like cattle through a narrow tunnel that opened into the "theater", a long narrow room with a half balcony along one side that seated four people across from the back of the room to the front and two lower tiers of wooden benches on the main foor. Aneta found us good seats on a narrow bench in the front row of the seond tier so we would be able to see even if people in front of us stood. That never happened. Concert goers in Poland are a very mellow bunch who take their seats, stay put and are well behaved. What a novel concept.
Once everyone was seated three musicians arrived at the front of the room and took seats in front of, or next to, their instruments. There were two female vocalists and a male stand-up bass player, who also played electric bass. The lights came up on the staging area and the music began. It was mellow jazz and quite lovely. It moved into some more rousing Polish folk music as the evening progressed and ended with some audience participation using a variety of toy noisemakers and whistles that had been strategically placed throughout the venue. All in all it was a most pleasant concert with three very talented musicians. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and only got chilled during the last half hour, at which time I unfolded my lap robe and wrapped my legs to ward off the chill.
When the concert ended we exited as we had entered and stopped by the cloke room to collect our hard hats for the return trip to the top. Getting 300 people out of a coal mine 24 at a time takes a bit of time and patience. On the trip back to the top we were in the top cage of the three cages and water dripped on my hard hat constantly as we made our ascent. What a trip. Now, aren't I a brave old girl to enthusiastically embrace such an adventure?
We dropped Ania at her home and rushed home so Aneta could put her Ania to bed as she had been with her grandparents for the better part of two days by now and had let everyone know she was done with that.
Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Linda
"Huh?"
"To the concert in the coal mine. We must jump right now and go for them. I called to see because the lady said maybe someone would cancel them. They have seven tickets!"
Quickly recovering I remembered that earlier in the week she had tried in vain to score tickets for a concert to see Dagadana, a Polish Jazz and Folk group playing at Guido's in the bottom of an old coal mine in Zabrze, a nearby city of 200 000 people.
"That's great!" I enthused, while wondering, if I'd in fact, lost my mind. Most concerts are so loud I can't enjoy the music and to think about tormenting myself, while sitting in a hole in the ground and freezing my backside off really had me worried.
Aneta and I made a hurried trip to Zabrze (Zzob-zza)and purchased three tickets, having first, at my suggestion, called friend Ania to see if she would like to join us since she missed out on the movie last night. We returned home and Aneta let me off and went to her in-laws to play with doughter Ania for the remainder of the afternoon.
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| Fot: Ania, Linda, Aneta in the Guido Coal Mine |
We arrived at the venue at 6:30 pm and were issued hard hats for the trip down into the mine. There were two lifts taking people down the mine shaft 8 at a time to each of three cages per lft. Once we arrived at the bottom of our 1,050 ft descent (320 meters) and exited the cage we had a long walk down old tunnels into the mine where there was reported to be a "theater". Trust me, theater is loosely used in this instance. After walking along narrow gage coal car rails for a considerable distance we were funneled into a small holding area full of very large boiler equipment and a well stocked wet bar for those who needed a drink to get through the evening. It was very warm in this holding room and I was soon shedding layers of my onion. At 7 PM we were herded like cattle through a narrow tunnel that opened into the "theater", a long narrow room with a half balcony along one side that seated four people across from the back of the room to the front and two lower tiers of wooden benches on the main foor. Aneta found us good seats on a narrow bench in the front row of the seond tier so we would be able to see even if people in front of us stood. That never happened. Concert goers in Poland are a very mellow bunch who take their seats, stay put and are well behaved. What a novel concept.
Once everyone was seated three musicians arrived at the front of the room and took seats in front of, or next to, their instruments. There were two female vocalists and a male stand-up bass player, who also played electric bass. The lights came up on the staging area and the music began. It was mellow jazz and quite lovely. It moved into some more rousing Polish folk music as the evening progressed and ended with some audience participation using a variety of toy noisemakers and whistles that had been strategically placed throughout the venue. All in all it was a most pleasant concert with three very talented musicians. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and only got chilled during the last half hour, at which time I unfolded my lap robe and wrapped my legs to ward off the chill.
When the concert ended we exited as we had entered and stopped by the cloke room to collect our hard hats for the return trip to the top. Getting 300 people out of a coal mine 24 at a time takes a bit of time and patience. On the trip back to the top we were in the top cage of the three cages and water dripped on my hard hat constantly as we made our ascent. What a trip. Now, aren't I a brave old girl to enthusiastically embrace such an adventure?
We dropped Ania at her home and rushed home so Aneta could put her Ania to bed as she had been with her grandparents for the better part of two days by now and had let everyone know she was done with that.
Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Linda
Three Mile Hike and The Help
I thought it might be Three Mile Island when I was lost tramping through the woods trying to find my way back to the car we parked an hour ago by a nice small fishing lake before striking out to walk around the lake. The weather was nice again today and Aneta suggested we go take a nice walk around "this small lake. It is very nice." Hey, I'm game right? So we got in the car and drove a few kilometers to a road with a sign with a naked woman on it announcing a night club and an arrow pointing to where we were heading. Aneta pointed out the taxi's arriving and leaving and suggested in veiled terms that this was not just a night club with music and dancing, if you get my drift. Okay, then, we will just put our heads down and mind our own business.
We park and begin our walk along a nice leaf covered road leading into the woods near, but not exactly adjacent to, the lake. We never saw the lake again, in fact, until we were completely around to the far side where the road did run along the shore for some distance before again disappearing into the woods. We took a hard right turn at some point and headed up another road that seemed to be sort of bordering the lake on the far end, although we couldn't see the
lake. By this time Ania was pretty much through walking and demanding to e "up, up" so Aneta had to carry her. Eventually Aneta got a large walking stick from a fallen branch and began using it. Then Ania wanted down so she could find a stick, which she did and promptly insisted on me carrying it. It was curved and didn't look all that stable but to tell you the truth I think it saved me in the end. Eventually we struck off down a trail that appeared to have had some use back in what we assumed was the general direction of the lake and our car. The trail soon petered out and we were just trekking through woods going who knows where. We came to a swale with a bog in the bottom and had to cross it and climb a hill on the other side. Without my crooked walking stick I would have fallen or sunk into the bog a half a dozen times. Finally, after crawling through the underbrush and wipeing our heads on multiple
tree branches we emerged at a narrow dirt road that turned out to be the dirt road to the nightclub! We went past the nightclub and straight on down the road to our little car, waiting so patiently for us in the afternoon sun.
On the way home we dropped Ania off at her grandparents for the evening so we could take in a movie. Aneta's friend Ania was to join us for a showing of The Help, but at the last minute wasn't able to find childcare (remember those days?) so we went alone. We wandered around the mall for an hour before the show but didn't buy anything. I did find an optical shop that had some interesting frames I liked and they were having a sale with discounts equal to your age in years! Wow! For me that was a big discount so I stopped to have a look and found two pair of glasses frames I really liked. Then the hammer drops, of course, the discount is only good if you have an eye exam and get lenses in them from their in-house lab. Grrrr. Off to the movie.
The Help, Kathryn Stocket novel adapted for the screen, was just wonderful. Very long but actually quite true to the book. Sissy Spacek was delightful as was Alison Janney. I can't say I even recognized many of the other actresses that played in the film but they all did really fine jobs with their roles. I loved the book so I was apprehensive about the movie - they almost never measure up for me - but was pleasantly surprised.
We didn't get out of the movie until 11:30 pm so no after movie play time for us.
Linda
We park and begin our walk along a nice leaf covered road leading into the woods near, but not exactly adjacent to, the lake. We never saw the lake again, in fact, until we were completely around to the far side where the road did run along the shore for some distance before again disappearing into the woods. We took a hard right turn at some point and headed up another road that seemed to be sort of bordering the lake on the far end, although we couldn't see the
lake. By this time Ania was pretty much through walking and demanding to e "up, up" so Aneta had to carry her. Eventually Aneta got a large walking stick from a fallen branch and began using it. Then Ania wanted down so she could find a stick, which she did and promptly insisted on me carrying it. It was curved and didn't look all that stable but to tell you the truth I think it saved me in the end. Eventually we struck off down a trail that appeared to have had some use back in what we assumed was the general direction of the lake and our car. The trail soon petered out and we were just trekking through woods going who knows where. We came to a swale with a bog in the bottom and had to cross it and climb a hill on the other side. Without my crooked walking stick I would have fallen or sunk into the bog a half a dozen times. Finally, after crawling through the underbrush and wipeing our heads on multiple
tree branches we emerged at a narrow dirt road that turned out to be the dirt road to the nightclub! We went past the nightclub and straight on down the road to our little car, waiting so patiently for us in the afternoon sun.
On the way home we dropped Ania off at her grandparents for the evening so we could take in a movie. Aneta's friend Ania was to join us for a showing of The Help, but at the last minute wasn't able to find childcare (remember those days?) so we went alone. We wandered around the mall for an hour before the show but didn't buy anything. I did find an optical shop that had some interesting frames I liked and they were having a sale with discounts equal to your age in years! Wow! For me that was a big discount so I stopped to have a look and found two pair of glasses frames I really liked. Then the hammer drops, of course, the discount is only good if you have an eye exam and get lenses in them from their in-house lab. Grrrr. Off to the movie.
The Help, Kathryn Stocket novel adapted for the screen, was just wonderful. Very long but actually quite true to the book. Sissy Spacek was delightful as was Alison Janney. I can't say I even recognized many of the other actresses that played in the film but they all did really fine jobs with their roles. I loved the book so I was apprehensive about the movie - they almost never measure up for me - but was pleasantly surprised.
We didn't get out of the movie until 11:30 pm so no after movie play time for us.
Linda
My Senior Moment
I suppose it is every young girls dream to be mistaken for 21 before her time and every old girls dream to be mistaken for under the limit for a Senior Discount. Well I had mine today!
The day started in a routine manner. I had purchased a pair of boots for Ania for Christmas only to have her come back from her grandparents last night sporting new boots they had purchased for her. So I rushed back to the store - on foot of course - to return the boots I had purchased. Too bad, so sad, no refunds and we don't give a damn. Boy was I bummed. But in the course of pleading and arguing our case we discovered that the owner has a second store in the Market Square in Knurow. So we walked back home and prepared for our late afternoon date at the swimming pool with a quick side trip to Knurow's market square to plead with the owner to take the boots back. No dice. However, I was welcome to exchange the new, unworn, still in the original packaging, with the original receipt, boots for anything else in the store I might like. Let's just say I didn't leave empty handed and a couple of adorable little girls are going to get something to make them very happy when I return home - of course I ended up paying an up charge of an additional $19 to make my "exchange". Such is life.
Anyway, back to my Senior Moment. We went straight to the swimming pool where I had been told I was to do 20 laps today or I couldn't go in the jaccuzi. URRRR, she is such a slave driver.
Well, slave driver went to the desk to purchase a Senior Saver swim pass for me and the young woman behind the glass enclosure looked at me very suspiciously and then said something to Aneta. Aneta looked at me and said something back (all in Polish, of course) while I stood there with a blank look on my face. The woman behind the glass insisted I show identification to prove I was a senior citizen - she didn't think I looked old enough! Thank you God!!!
Naomi, about that skin care.....
So, electronic swim bracelet in hand I went through the turnstile and Aneta told me to find the numbers for the room that matched the number on my bracelet and go in and change while she finished registering Ania for swim class. I looked at a couple of doors and found the one where locker 95 would belong. I marched up to the door and pulled it open only to be confronted by a wall of nearly naked MEN! If any were actually naked I don't know because I slammed the door so hard it almost knocked the building down as I whirled around and shouted "Aneta! There are MEN in there!" In my most horrified tone of voice.
"Yes," she calmly replied, "they are changing, but there are rooms."
"They're changing all right," I shot back, "but they sure aren't in any rooms!"
I think it was then I noticed a man about my age sitting in the lobby covering his face with one hand and his mouth with the other while doubled over in his chair - obviously laughing and clearly understanding English.
Aneta said, "Just wait for me then. I will take you." She thinks I'm such a boob sometimes.
Well, it turns out that they have co-ed locker rooms in this place. She didn't think it was in the least unusual so she didn't think to forewarn me. Natural I suppose if you think the whole world operates the way Poland does.
Anyway, she found me a private changing room and I got into my suit and made my way to the non-co-ed showers for women and children and then into the pool where I put my head down and knocked out my 20 laps like a pro. I still had 7 minutes left over to go in the jaccuzi and put the jets on my tired, sore back muscles. I only had to share the jaccuzi with one young man this time and he left as soon as the two bikini bodies showed up and slithered, giggling, into the water next to him. I pulled some muscles along my left rear rib cage swimming but the exercise feels so good and I know my body will respond in a positive way one of these days. (hope, hope) Tonight's my night to make dinner and Aneta has ordered spaghetti so as soon as we hit the door to the apartment I head for the kitchen and start dinner. Who knows what torture she has in store for me tomorrow!
Naomi, the recipes are coming. We got them from Alycja last night and translated them. Aneta will put them on the blog tonight. No one in this country uses a measuring cup or spoon and they are on the metric system so it has been process to determine what a "handful" means or "by the eye". I hope it comes out okay. Let us know! The test kitchen doesn't have measuring deices either!
Linda
The day started in a routine manner. I had purchased a pair of boots for Ania for Christmas only to have her come back from her grandparents last night sporting new boots they had purchased for her. So I rushed back to the store - on foot of course - to return the boots I had purchased. Too bad, so sad, no refunds and we don't give a damn. Boy was I bummed. But in the course of pleading and arguing our case we discovered that the owner has a second store in the Market Square in Knurow. So we walked back home and prepared for our late afternoon date at the swimming pool with a quick side trip to Knurow's market square to plead with the owner to take the boots back. No dice. However, I was welcome to exchange the new, unworn, still in the original packaging, with the original receipt, boots for anything else in the store I might like. Let's just say I didn't leave empty handed and a couple of adorable little girls are going to get something to make them very happy when I return home - of course I ended up paying an up charge of an additional $19 to make my "exchange". Such is life.
Anyway, back to my Senior Moment. We went straight to the swimming pool where I had been told I was to do 20 laps today or I couldn't go in the jaccuzi. URRRR, she is such a slave driver.
Well, slave driver went to the desk to purchase a Senior Saver swim pass for me and the young woman behind the glass enclosure looked at me very suspiciously and then said something to Aneta. Aneta looked at me and said something back (all in Polish, of course) while I stood there with a blank look on my face. The woman behind the glass insisted I show identification to prove I was a senior citizen - she didn't think I looked old enough! Thank you God!!!
Naomi, about that skin care.....
So, electronic swim bracelet in hand I went through the turnstile and Aneta told me to find the numbers for the room that matched the number on my bracelet and go in and change while she finished registering Ania for swim class. I looked at a couple of doors and found the one where locker 95 would belong. I marched up to the door and pulled it open only to be confronted by a wall of nearly naked MEN! If any were actually naked I don't know because I slammed the door so hard it almost knocked the building down as I whirled around and shouted "Aneta! There are MEN in there!" In my most horrified tone of voice.
"Yes," she calmly replied, "they are changing, but there are rooms."
"They're changing all right," I shot back, "but they sure aren't in any rooms!"
I think it was then I noticed a man about my age sitting in the lobby covering his face with one hand and his mouth with the other while doubled over in his chair - obviously laughing and clearly understanding English.
Aneta said, "Just wait for me then. I will take you." She thinks I'm such a boob sometimes.
Well, it turns out that they have co-ed locker rooms in this place. She didn't think it was in the least unusual so she didn't think to forewarn me. Natural I suppose if you think the whole world operates the way Poland does.
Anyway, she found me a private changing room and I got into my suit and made my way to the non-co-ed showers for women and children and then into the pool where I put my head down and knocked out my 20 laps like a pro. I still had 7 minutes left over to go in the jaccuzi and put the jets on my tired, sore back muscles. I only had to share the jaccuzi with one young man this time and he left as soon as the two bikini bodies showed up and slithered, giggling, into the water next to him. I pulled some muscles along my left rear rib cage swimming but the exercise feels so good and I know my body will respond in a positive way one of these days. (hope, hope) Tonight's my night to make dinner and Aneta has ordered spaghetti so as soon as we hit the door to the apartment I head for the kitchen and start dinner. Who knows what torture she has in store for me tomorrow!
Naomi, the recipes are coming. We got them from Alycja last night and translated them. Aneta will put them on the blog tonight. No one in this country uses a measuring cup or spoon and they are on the metric system so it has been process to determine what a "handful" means or "by the eye". I hope it comes out okay. Let us know! The test kitchen doesn't have measuring deices either!
Linda
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Polish Pottery and a Date with Chris (Kojak)
Today was a lazy day for Aneta and Ania. So we didn't get started until after 2 PM. Today Aneta had promised to take me to the factory outlet stores for the Polish Pottery manufacturers. She dropped Ania at her grandparents and off we went. We visited three stores and saw dozens of different patterns of porcelain and stoneware in both modern and traditional designs. I found one store in particular that had things that appealed to me a great deal. The problem is how to get breakable things home in one piece without carrying them on the airplane; keeping in mind that pottery is heavy! I picked up a couple of items for Christmas gifts but went away empty handed for myself. I love the traditional patterns of Polish Pottery but just couldn't figure out how to get the stuff home.
Tonight is my coffee date with Kojak. He arrived to get me around 5 pm. We walked up to the village to the Italian pizza restaurant where I like to go for coffee when I am out walking. We ordered a pizza an a coffee and had a most lovely visit. Kojak is very special to me. He came and stayed at the B&B three years ago when Aneta and Witek and he were touring the US. We visited about many different things and he got yet another chance to practice his English. He asked the question everyone asks me, "Are you tired of Poland yet?" I don't know why, but everyone asks me that question. It's almost like they are tired of Poland and can't quite figure out what I find so appealing about being here for such an extended period of time.
The answer is, "No, I am not tired of Poland yet. I am not tired of the people, I'm not tired of the country and I am not tired of Aneta. They may be tired of me by now but I'm perfectly content. I like Poland, I like the people I've met here and I am having a terrific time."
"Okay," he says. "I just thought you were in a sad mood at Ania's birthday party."
"Moi? No way! I was in a great mood. I knew everyone at the party, I had a wonderful time."
"Okay," he says a bit warily, "but Aneta was in sad mood, right?"
"Yes," I concede, "Aneta was not in a very good mood that night but she is fine. I don't know what was wrong."
Kojak took my hand as we walked and held it all the way to the restaurant and again all the way back home. I felt very cared for by this nice young man who is about to be married to the lovely young Agnes. Being a grandmother has its advantages, you aren't a threat to anyone under 60 and the 30 somethings think you need special handling and care. Such a sweet deal!
Kojak is tutoring a student in math skills and had to be back to his flat by 7 pm. So, I was in early, as all grannies should be I suppose, and spent the remainder of the evening reading from 1Q84 to Aneta while she stood and ironed for two solid hours. When she finished ironing she lay down on the sofa and I continued reading. She fell asleep at 11:30 and missed 27 pages before I finally quit reading. She woke up at midnight and I sent her off to bed. I wasn't the least bit sleepy since I had coffee at 5:30 pm so I had a ong night to reflect on things before the sandman finally came for me around 3 this morning.
Linda
Tonight is my coffee date with Kojak. He arrived to get me around 5 pm. We walked up to the village to the Italian pizza restaurant where I like to go for coffee when I am out walking. We ordered a pizza an a coffee and had a most lovely visit. Kojak is very special to me. He came and stayed at the B&B three years ago when Aneta and Witek and he were touring the US. We visited about many different things and he got yet another chance to practice his English. He asked the question everyone asks me, "Are you tired of Poland yet?" I don't know why, but everyone asks me that question. It's almost like they are tired of Poland and can't quite figure out what I find so appealing about being here for such an extended period of time.
The answer is, "No, I am not tired of Poland yet. I am not tired of the people, I'm not tired of the country and I am not tired of Aneta. They may be tired of me by now but I'm perfectly content. I like Poland, I like the people I've met here and I am having a terrific time."
"Okay," he says. "I just thought you were in a sad mood at Ania's birthday party."
"Moi? No way! I was in a great mood. I knew everyone at the party, I had a wonderful time."
"Okay," he says a bit warily, "but Aneta was in sad mood, right?"
"Yes," I concede, "Aneta was not in a very good mood that night but she is fine. I don't know what was wrong."
Kojak took my hand as we walked and held it all the way to the restaurant and again all the way back home. I felt very cared for by this nice young man who is about to be married to the lovely young Agnes. Being a grandmother has its advantages, you aren't a threat to anyone under 60 and the 30 somethings think you need special handling and care. Such a sweet deal!
Kojak is tutoring a student in math skills and had to be back to his flat by 7 pm. So, I was in early, as all grannies should be I suppose, and spent the remainder of the evening reading from 1Q84 to Aneta while she stood and ironed for two solid hours. When she finished ironing she lay down on the sofa and I continued reading. She fell asleep at 11:30 and missed 27 pages before I finally quit reading. She woke up at midnight and I sent her off to bed. I wasn't the least bit sleepy since I had coffee at 5:30 pm so I had a ong night to reflect on things before the sandman finally came for me around 3 this morning.
Linda
Monday, Monday, Who Could Forget Monday?
I forgot Monday! That is because Aneta left early this morning and took Ania to her grandparents for the day so Aneta could go to work and run some personal errands and get the car fixed. They left me sleeping and I managed to connect with some good shuteye until mid-morning. Once up I fixed some breakfast, ate and answered some emails. Then I downloaded photos off my camera card and put them into the file on Aneta's computer - only we can't find them now. The good news is they are also on my iPad but I haven't figured out how to upload from the iPad to an email or the blog so --- bummer. I then settled in and did a little writing on a book I am working on but haven't had much opportunity to work on recently.
I had a massage scheduled for 4 PM and Aneta didn't show up so at 3:45 I called her. She was still at the mechanics shop waiting for her car to get finished. I said, "Well, you will need to call this girl for me then and let her know I won't be there for the appointment."
Aneta said, "It isn't until 5 PM."
"No," I say, "it is at 4 PM."
We argue back and forth and she finally agrees to make the call for me. I give her the number and forget about it. At 4:15 Aneta calls me and says, "I called this girl and told her we will be late. I am almost to the building. You can go outside now and we will just go."
She dropped me off and said to call her 10 minutes before I was through and she would come back and get me. The massage was spectacular. It included first a full body "peel" which was a glorified name for exfoliation, followed by a shower. Then a full body hot rock massage, which I have never had but, which was wonderfully relaxing. That procedure was then followed by a facial massage and a mask that indeed smelled like chocolate. After letting the mask set for 10 minutes I was instructed to take another shower, and to call Aneta to come get me before I showered so she would be here when I finished. I followed all my instructions and met Aneta in the witting room outside. When I got in the car she said, "Are you tired? Do you wish to go straight to bed?"
"No," I said, "I'm not all that tired. Just very relaxed."
"Good," she said, "that man who has been in Bali is coming for English lesson."
Well, okay then. I hurriedly ate some vegetable salad and drank a cup of green tea and a large glass of water and at 8 pm Christian arrived to speak English with me for an hour. Aneta had forewarned me that he likes economics and politics and had very definate ideas on American politics. Okay. I turned on the iPad, opened CNN and read through a couple of articles on the potential collapse of the Eu and the Euro, why proping up the Euro would be good for America, read the latest polls on the presidential campaign and hoped for the best.
Promptly at 8 Krystian rang the bell and Aneta ushered him in to our little abode. I put on my brightest smile and said, "I understand you are interested in economics?"
He launched into a dialogue with me that lasted until 10:30 pm and included his views on American politics - he thinks our only hope is to elect Ron Paul - the state of the European economies, the American economy and multiple other interesting topics. He is 23 years old and has a job renting scaffolding to the construction industry by day but is an Internet trader of gold and silver by night. He just returned from a lengthy trip to Asia and Indonesia with his younger brother, age 21. His destination was Bali, but he also went to Singapore, Java and some island off the coast of Bali. He is quite the photographer and brought a flash drive with his photos and treated Aneta and me to a full on narrated slide show. We had a lovely evening. His English is pretty good and he isn't afraid to speak in English so that was a big plus for me. When poor Kamil came the first time he was absolutely soaked in sweat by the time he left, he found it so stressful to speak English to a native speaker.
Now I get to be tired and take advantage of the relaxation I achieved with my massage. Should sleep well tonight.
Linda
I had a massage scheduled for 4 PM and Aneta didn't show up so at 3:45 I called her. She was still at the mechanics shop waiting for her car to get finished. I said, "Well, you will need to call this girl for me then and let her know I won't be there for the appointment."
Aneta said, "It isn't until 5 PM."
"No," I say, "it is at 4 PM."
We argue back and forth and she finally agrees to make the call for me. I give her the number and forget about it. At 4:15 Aneta calls me and says, "I called this girl and told her we will be late. I am almost to the building. You can go outside now and we will just go."
She dropped me off and said to call her 10 minutes before I was through and she would come back and get me. The massage was spectacular. It included first a full body "peel" which was a glorified name for exfoliation, followed by a shower. Then a full body hot rock massage, which I have never had but, which was wonderfully relaxing. That procedure was then followed by a facial massage and a mask that indeed smelled like chocolate. After letting the mask set for 10 minutes I was instructed to take another shower, and to call Aneta to come get me before I showered so she would be here when I finished. I followed all my instructions and met Aneta in the witting room outside. When I got in the car she said, "Are you tired? Do you wish to go straight to bed?"
"No," I said, "I'm not all that tired. Just very relaxed."
"Good," she said, "that man who has been in Bali is coming for English lesson."
Well, okay then. I hurriedly ate some vegetable salad and drank a cup of green tea and a large glass of water and at 8 pm Christian arrived to speak English with me for an hour. Aneta had forewarned me that he likes economics and politics and had very definate ideas on American politics. Okay. I turned on the iPad, opened CNN and read through a couple of articles on the potential collapse of the Eu and the Euro, why proping up the Euro would be good for America, read the latest polls on the presidential campaign and hoped for the best.
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| Fot: Linda and Krystian |
He launched into a dialogue with me that lasted until 10:30 pm and included his views on American politics - he thinks our only hope is to elect Ron Paul - the state of the European economies, the American economy and multiple other interesting topics. He is 23 years old and has a job renting scaffolding to the construction industry by day but is an Internet trader of gold and silver by night. He just returned from a lengthy trip to Asia and Indonesia with his younger brother, age 21. His destination was Bali, but he also went to Singapore, Java and some island off the coast of Bali. He is quite the photographer and brought a flash drive with his photos and treated Aneta and me to a full on narrated slide show. We had a lovely evening. His English is pretty good and he isn't afraid to speak in English so that was a big plus for me. When poor Kamil came the first time he was absolutely soaked in sweat by the time he left, he found it so stressful to speak English to a native speaker.
Now I get to be tired and take advantage of the relaxation I achieved with my massage. Should sleep well tonight.
Linda
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Wadowice - Boyhood Home of a Pope
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| Fot: Basilica in Wadowice, Aneta |
This is one of the more charming cities I have visited in Poland. The shops are eclectic and line the cobbled streets in abundance. The array of goods displayed in store windows and on mannequins sitting out front on the sidewalks is enticing to say the least. As we make our way from the parking lot up in to the town proper I spot a sidewalk flea market down one of the side streets and make a hard right down the hill. Aneta gamely trudges along beside me. I need a pair of gloves and I know I will find something from the sidewalk vendors. I purchase a beautiful pair of cashmere lined red leather gloves for 30 zl ($10 - well slightly less than $10 actually, put them on and continue our journey to the pilgrimage site. However, walking past a store window, with some spectacular items on display, I am inexplicably drawn inside as if an unseen hand reached out and pulled me in to the shop. I spend the next half-hour trying on red felt hats in every manner and style imaginable. I did not find a single hat that really pulled by chain though and left empty handed. Well, not entirely empty handed, I did find a nice Christmas gift for someone else on my list (not a red hat either!)
Across the street from the church is the boyhood home of Karol Wotyla, who became Pope John Paul, II, the most popular Pope in modern history. The boyhood home is filled with mementoes from the life of this remarkable man who was an outstanding student and athlete as well as a serious student of literature and drama. He appeared in many theatrical productions and seriously considered a career in the theater. No matter what one's religious convictions, or lack thereof, may be, this is a life retrospective of a remarkable human being. I thoroughly enjoyed this pilgrimage.
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| Fot: Do not wash your shoes in a sink |
We entered the church through the back door. Apparently it is the Cathedral of St. Francis as there are indications of this name everywhere but Aneta is still researching the exact name for this site. The grounds run up a fairly steep hill behind the cathedral and are beautifully landscaped with a pilgrimage through the 12 stations of the cross that is quite arduous to undertake and complete. Apparently at Easter they do a reenactment here of the entire 12 stations of the cross and the crucifixion, attended by thousands of people. The church was not as large on the inside as it appeared from the outside, or maybe we just didn't find the whole thing. In any case there were Monks and Nuns everywhere praying arranging flowers working behind alters, chatting in the halls. It is obviously a very active site of great religious significance to the Polish people.
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| Fot: Outside the small caffeteria in Wadowice, Aneta |
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| Fot: Kremowka, Aneta |
There were two other kinds of creme cake - one chocolate and one strawberry - on the counter and Aneta ordered one of each, split in two, so we could sample all the cafe had to offer! I was so full and had such a sugar high when we left the cellar I could have flown under my own power to our next stop. So that was lunch in Wadowice, three kinds of cake and real loose leaf tea.
We went back to the car and pointed ourselves in the direction of our next stop but it wasn't that easy. Every road the GPS told us to take was blocked, one way going the wrong way, or closed for construction. It took us about a half hour to find a way out of Wadowice.
Once on the road again we drove up into the mountains. Aneta had in mind a small village famous for its old wood houses. The name of this village is Lanckorona and it is a favorite of artists in the summer season. I can understand why as it is high in the mountains and has some pretty spectacular views off the side of the mountain in several directions. We took a few photos and then moved on as Aneta thought we were close to another place she wanted to show me but it turned out to be 150 kilometers distance so we turned around and returned to Lancaorona to find a place to eat dinner. I know, it sounds like all we do is eat! Pretty much.
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| Fot: Old cottage in Lanckorona, Aneta |
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| Fot: Linda in action, Aneta |
"What does Truffle Butter taste like? Mushrooms?"
"Well, Truffles are a fungus so probably something like mushrooms but I don't think I've ever tasted Truffles so I can't say for sure."
"I'll have the first one."
"So Roast Pork in Orange Sauce with Chocolate?"
"I guess so."
The waiter came to take our order and Aneta had a brief conversation with him in Polish and changed her mind and ordered the Roast Duck. Something about vinegar. I ordered a potato/leek soup for a starter.
The soup came and was absolutely wonderful. It looked like squash soup - golden in color and very creamy. Perhaps sweet potatoes were used to get this rich color but whatever kind of potatoes were used they made a delicious soup. I ate half the soup and then passed it to Aneta who ate the remaining portion and pronounced it "very good." I felt the soup was a precursor of things to come and I was correct. Soon our main course arrived on large, very warm, white porcelain plates. The presentation was on a par with any 5 star restaurant in NYC. My steak was perched atop the fresh steamed vegetables that consisted of Zuchini, Sweet Red Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions, all topped with Truffle Butter. I sliced off a slim bite of the steak and placed it in my mouth where I was treated to an explosion of delectable flavors. The meat was as tender as a sweet pea and juicy beyond compare. I chewed slowly, letting the flavors sink into my taste buds and and brain. I think I had an out of body experience. This was one of the best meals I have ever eaten, anywhere, anytime, any place.
When I emerged from my gastronomic revery I looked over at Aneta to see how things were looking on her side of the table. She was staring at her plate with a puzzled look on her face. "My plate has chocolate on it," she announced. Indeed there was a chocolate sauce drizzled around the plate as part of the presentation.
"Lucky you!" I enthused as she cut off a piece of the Roast Duck and slipped it between her lips. The next time I came up for air her plate was clean. So we paid the bill - a whole 108 zl ($36) for two of the best truly gourmet dinners I have ever experienced. Aneta agreed with me that this restaurant was very special indeed. Her wheels started turning and we stopped at the front desk on our way out and asked to see a room and collected information about room rates and group discounts with our next trip in mind. This location - just 25 kilometers from Krakow would make a good base of operations for day trips to both Krakow and Wadowice and the surrounding villages of interest. Always thinking, this girl.
Wel, home again, home again, jiggidy jig. I read to Aneta as she drove the car until I suddenly fell asleep. When I woke up I continued on but first I had to go floor diving for my iPad which had slipped off my lap and disappeared into the dark at some point. I don't know why I was so tired all of a sudden but the short nap refreshed me. Aneta left me at the flat and went to collect the little one from her grandparents.
As far as the blog goes, this day will be out of order as I forgot to blog about Monday and it was actually kind of an interesting day.
Linda
Dinner and Dancing Anyone?
It is Sunday and you know what that means, right? Dinner at someone's home. This week - after a nearly two week hiatus - we were off to the Weclawek's again. On the way we made a detour to look at the 100 year old brick house again and dangle it in front of the practical man in the partnership. He came, he saw, we left and there hasn't been any further discussion of the 100 year old brick house. Well, some rapid chatter in Polish as we pulled away coming from Witek's mouth and a brief interpretive statement from Aneta making it clear the subject was closed.
Dinner was delicious, as usual. Today we enjoyed Greek Fish - a white fish prepared under a bed of shredded carrots and seasonings and then oven baked (I think), chicken breast rolled in a seasoned coating and pounded thin before being stuffed with peppers and cheese and rolled for baking, mashed potatoes with fresh dill, pickles, red pepper slices and white cabbage salad. Dessert was a delicious chocolate and raspberry creme filled layer cake made by Alicja's own hand and served with Herbata (tea) or Kawa (coffee). What a feast.
I presented Witek and Alicja with a flash drive with nearly 3gb of 50's, 60's and 70's rock music from my personal collection. Of course there were a few country pieces thrown in for good measure - Emmy Lou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton from the Trio Album - to be specific. I have been working on this compilation for several weeks as Witek loves this era of music and Alicja and Witek like to dance to it. They will make good use of it during the summer months as they entertain at "the garden" cottage. After dinner Witek brought out his lap top computer and had son-in-law Witek put the flash drive in so he could listen to what was on it. Son-in-law Witek said, "You'd have to be smoking marijuana to like this music!"
But he was wrong. Alicja, Witek, little Ania and I danced for hours to the Golden Oldies and had a ball. Aneta and young Witek went shopping for the elusive ski helmut for Aneta and came back empty handed. But while they were gone we managed to cut a rug through about 50 songs
before we collapsed in exhaustion. Actually father Witek wouldn't dance except when his tiny granddaughter would go take his hand and pull him off the sofa but he was a good sport about it and indulged her most of the time. Her favorite song is Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and she dragged her grandfather off the sofa to dance to it more than once. Okay - that song is newer than the 70's and so are a lot of the others on the drive but the bulk of them are the 3 decades noted.
We returned home around 9 pm with a worn out,sleepy baby in the car. Witek returned to school and Aneta announced that tomorrow she has a surprise for me and we must be up early. So off to bed
Dinner was delicious, as usual. Today we enjoyed Greek Fish - a white fish prepared under a bed of shredded carrots and seasonings and then oven baked (I think), chicken breast rolled in a seasoned coating and pounded thin before being stuffed with peppers and cheese and rolled for baking, mashed potatoes with fresh dill, pickles, red pepper slices and white cabbage salad. Dessert was a delicious chocolate and raspberry creme filled layer cake made by Alicja's own hand and served with Herbata (tea) or Kawa (coffee). What a feast.
I presented Witek and Alicja with a flash drive with nearly 3gb of 50's, 60's and 70's rock music from my personal collection. Of course there were a few country pieces thrown in for good measure - Emmy Lou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton from the Trio Album - to be specific. I have been working on this compilation for several weeks as Witek loves this era of music and Alicja and Witek like to dance to it. They will make good use of it during the summer months as they entertain at "the garden" cottage. After dinner Witek brought out his lap top computer and had son-in-law Witek put the flash drive in so he could listen to what was on it. Son-in-law Witek said, "You'd have to be smoking marijuana to like this music!"
But he was wrong. Alicja, Witek, little Ania and I danced for hours to the Golden Oldies and had a ball. Aneta and young Witek went shopping for the elusive ski helmut for Aneta and came back empty handed. But while they were gone we managed to cut a rug through about 50 songs
before we collapsed in exhaustion. Actually father Witek wouldn't dance except when his tiny granddaughter would go take his hand and pull him off the sofa but he was a good sport about it and indulged her most of the time. Her favorite song is Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and she dragged her grandfather off the sofa to dance to it more than once. Okay - that song is newer than the 70's and so are a lot of the others on the drive but the bulk of them are the 3 decades noted.
We returned home around 9 pm with a worn out,sleepy baby in the car. Witek returned to school and Aneta announced that tomorrow she has a surprise for me and we must be up early. So off to bed
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday Surprise
We left Ela's this morning at around 11 AM. We drove to a sporting equipment shop to purchase ski helmets for Ela and Aneta. After an hour of trying on helmets Ela made her purchase but Aneta didn't care for the way any of them felt on her and left empty handed. We headed back to Knurow and I thought we were going home. Wrong. We pulled up in front of an apartment I didn't immediately recognize. I said, "Where are we?"
Aneta: "Witek's parents. We will have dinner."
Me: "Okay, oh dear, I'm going to have to climb 20 flights of stairs to get there right?"
Aneta: "It's only 30 stairs."
Wrong. It is 56 stairs. I counted.
It was worth it though as Marianna and Franek had prepared a lovely meal for us of Pork roasted with onions, white cabbage salad, purple cabbage salad and mashed potatoes. As they don't speak English it was a little difficult for me to engage so I just ate, appreciated and enjoyed the companionship of this lovely family. Marianna and Franek returned to Knurow on Thursday after a three week stay with their daughter, Beata, in Torun. They were anxious to see Ania and Aneta and Witek, of course, as this is a family who engages daily with each other.
Shortly after dinner Aneta sked me if I was going with her to get the gift certificate for Ania's birthday party this evening. She said, "we must be in this place at 4 and the party is at 5. It was 20 minutes to 4 so I suggested we leave immediately as we also had to pick up Agnes. Remember I still had 56 stairs to descend to the parking lot! We picked up Agnes and went to the masseuse from whom we were buying the gift certificate for a full body peel, hot rock massage and chocolate facial for friend Ania's birthday. Mission accomplished, yes ladies, the price was just $40 for all of that and we split it three ways. Then we rushed back and dropped Agnes at her flat and Aneta dropped me at our flat while she went to collect Witek at his parents flat. I changed quickly for the party and touched up hair and make-up. Aneta came in just as I was finishing and jumped in the bathroom for her doing up. She wet her hair down and I blow dried it for her. She put on her cute little dress she bought at that nifty shop in Sibenik, Croatia. She looked absolutely adorable and everyone at the party thought so too. Agnes, Michael and Konrad (thank goodness this kid has a name that is pronounced just the way it is spelled!) arrived and Agnes and I wrapped the gift - a very large coffee table book on decorating to make new look old with the gift certificate tucked inside. Michael asked me if I would like to ride with them and I gratefully accepted. They have a lovely Honda four door sedan with lots of room and very comfortable seats.
We arrived at the same time as Robert and Ewalinka (Linka) and their three adorable little boys. I went into the house and was greeted warmly by Kamil with a kiss and a hug. Kamil told me he had to attend another birthday party on this night so he would be leaving right away. He did not leave though and we had a wonderful visit. The crowd of well wishers in Ania and Mareks big house kept growing with the addition of Agnes and Chris. So this was the first time I have already known everyone at a gathering. It was very comfortable for me for a change. These young men all seem to have adopted me as their grandmother or something and they cater to me, serve me, fuss over me and generally make me feel like a queen. Michael and Chris actually got into a little disagreement over which of them I liked the best! Makes me feel so special!
It was a great party and I hope Ania felt properly feted for her birthday. Marek bought her a 20minute ride in a glider and she was very excited about it. Robert and Linka's little boys took to me like three little ducks to water. The middle one - three year old Karol - was, in fact, quite smitten with me. He came up to me with his little angelic mouthed pursed into a kiss posture and looked up at me adoringly. I bent down and kissed his little lips and he said, "I like you", in Polish of course, but it was immediately translated for me by several adults who were amused by his behavior. Later, his mother told him I lived in the wild, wild west where cowboys live and he ran up to me and said, "are you inviting me to the wild, wild west?"
I said, "Well certainly. You come anytime you'd like."
He asked, "is it over water? And do I have to fly in an airplane?"
"Yes," I said, and he hugged me and ran off giggling. What a cutie.
Things always begin to disintegrate the more people drink and this was no exception. Soon Witek and Aneta realized it was time for us to leave before things got any crazier. So at 9:30 PM we left the party in full swing, right behind Robert and Majina and their three children.
Now I have a date for coffee with Chris on Wednesday, an invitation to visit Robert and Majina and see their new house, and a date for coffee with Michael. Kamil also invited me to do something with him this next week and he called Aneta this morning and suggested a castle excursion but she told him I had already been there. So he is thinking of something else to invite me to do. And tonight Michael called to say he and Agnes want to take me on a trip with them next weekend. Do you think I feel special and well loved in this place? You better believe it. These friends of Aneta's and Witek's are a really special group of young people. I feel privileged to know them and hope each and every one of them will make to America one day as my guest.
Linda
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| Fot: Dinner at Marianna and Franek, Linda |
Me: "Okay, oh dear, I'm going to have to climb 20 flights of stairs to get there right?"
Aneta: "It's only 30 stairs."
Wrong. It is 56 stairs. I counted.
It was worth it though as Marianna and Franek had prepared a lovely meal for us of Pork roasted with onions, white cabbage salad, purple cabbage salad and mashed potatoes. As they don't speak English it was a little difficult for me to engage so I just ate, appreciated and enjoyed the companionship of this lovely family. Marianna and Franek returned to Knurow on Thursday after a three week stay with their daughter, Beata, in Torun. They were anxious to see Ania and Aneta and Witek, of course, as this is a family who engages daily with each other.
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| Fot: Linda and Kamil |
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| Fot: Queen Linda with her boys:) |
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| Fot: Agnes and Ania with her present |
I said, "Well certainly. You come anytime you'd like."
He asked, "is it over water? And do I have to fly in an airplane?"
"Yes," I said, and he hugged me and ran off giggling. What a cutie.
Things always begin to disintegrate the more people drink and this was no exception. Soon Witek and Aneta realized it was time for us to leave before things got any crazier. So at 9:30 PM we left the party in full swing, right behind Robert and Majina and their three children.
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| Fot: Linda and Chris |
Linda
Slovakia or Not Slovakia, That is the Question
We were scheduled to visit Trenczyn, Slovakia today but life is what happens while you are making other plans, right? Ania had a very difficult night and Aneta and Witek were exhausted. No one got around very early and soon it was explained that it was too late to go to Slovakia so we would go to Zar Mountain and ride the Gondola to the top since the weather had cleared off again and we had another really nice day for viewing.
So off we went. It is a beautiful area and we were able to see many gliders in the sky, hot air balloons, parasailers and small planes towing the gliders up into the sky. The gondola was really nice and entirely enclosed, although standing up was the only option for riding as there were no seats inside the cars. We rode to the top and shed our coats and hats to enjoy the warm weather while we took photos in every direction and of each other.
After a half hour or so we decided to walk down the mountain instead of riding back down in the Gondola. Big mistake - at least for me. Walking down a ski slope is a hairy experience and this one was especially long and steep. We started out with poor Aneta holding onto my arm to keep me from falling down on the steep gravely terrain. After a few hundred feet I said, "I don't think this is a good idea." She concurred and we turned around and hiked back to the top and caught the Gondola down. My legs felt like a pair of rubber bands and every downward step I took hurt either my left knee or my right hip. Climbing back up raised my heart rate to aerobic levels but it was immensely more easy than going down.
Of course Aneta and I reached the bottom long before Witek, Ela and Ania so we had time to sit and take in the scenery while we waited. Mountain bikers were hurtling off that mountain one after another and hikers were making their way up and down in a steady stream. Do I feel like a panty waist for not hiking down? No way. I get dizzy just thinking about it! It was a recipe for disaster for me.
Ela knew of a fine restaurant in Cieszyn where she wanted us to go for dinner. It was truly wonderful. We were placed upstairs in a room especially for diners with children complete with a children's play area to keep the little ones occupied. The menu was broad and complete with an International section as well as traditional Polish cuisine. I ordered chicken teriyaki with rice and steamed vegetables and it was just outstanding. Dessert was equally delicious and Witek and I shared a poached pear in rum and vanilla sauce with ice cream and whipped cream. Aneta had apple pie with ice cream and Ela had Flambe with plums in rum and sugar. To say we were sated would be an understatement.
On the way back to Ela's we stopped and bought two decks of playing cards to make a Pinoucle deck. After the baby was down for the night I taught the three of them how to paly the game and we played two rousing games. Witek caught on very quickly. The challenge for me was they all speak Polish and I only speak English so whatever conversation they may have been having went right over my head! Anyway we had fun, some wine, some hazelnut vodka and good conversation. It was a fun evening.
Linda
So off we went. It is a beautiful area and we were able to see many gliders in the sky, hot air balloons, parasailers and small planes towing the gliders up into the sky. The gondola was really nice and entirely enclosed, although standing up was the only option for riding as there were no seats inside the cars. We rode to the top and shed our coats and hats to enjoy the warm weather while we took photos in every direction and of each other.
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| Fot: Ela, Ania, Witek, Linda at the Zar Mountain, Aneta |
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| Fot: Aneta and Witek at Zar Mountain, Linda |
Ela knew of a fine restaurant in Cieszyn where she wanted us to go for dinner. It was truly wonderful. We were placed upstairs in a room especially for diners with children complete with a children's play area to keep the little ones occupied. The menu was broad and complete with an International section as well as traditional Polish cuisine. I ordered chicken teriyaki with rice and steamed vegetables and it was just outstanding. Dessert was equally delicious and Witek and I shared a poached pear in rum and vanilla sauce with ice cream and whipped cream. Aneta had apple pie with ice cream and Ela had Flambe with plums in rum and sugar. To say we were sated would be an understatement.
On the way back to Ela's we stopped and bought two decks of playing cards to make a Pinoucle deck. After the baby was down for the night I taught the three of them how to paly the game and we played two rousing games. Witek caught on very quickly. The challenge for me was they all speak Polish and I only speak English so whatever conversation they may have been having went right over my head! Anyway we had fun, some wine, some hazelnut vodka and good conversation. It was a fun evening.
Linda
Off to the Mountains - Cieszyn
Witek's cousin, Ela Grabowska is the Executive Director of an S.O.S. home for displaced children age 3 - 18 years near the town of Cieszyn. The home is in a residential neighborhood a short walk from the magnificent Wistula River - the longest river in Poland. The headwaters are near here in the Beskidy Mountains. The place is very peaceful.
Ela has a nice apartment on the lower floor of the building that houses 12 children in the upstairs with 24 hour-a-day staff. She enjoys a large, pleasant kitchen and has two bedrooms, a TV room with a dining table and sofa that folds down into a guest bed. This is the room I was given and it was lovely. Witek and Aneta brought a blow up bed and took the second bedroom with Ania. We had a wonderful time.
the plan the first day was to rise early and go to the mountains, ride a Gondola to the top and take in the spectacular views before walking off the mountain for our daily exercise. However, the weather Thrusday was overcast, cold and foggy. Not a good day to go hunting for a viewscape on a mountain top. So Aneta made a couple of phone calls and arrangements to take me to Zywiec to visit the brewery.
I wasn't all that excited about seeing a brewery but what a wonderful surprise I had in store for me. We were able to get into the 11:30 AM guided tour but we had to drive like a bat out of a hot place to make it on time. We got there just as the tour was beginning. This is so much more than a brewery. In fact what we toured was the brewery museum and it was absolutely one of the best I have ever seen. The exhibits were all interactive and historically accurate in depicting the time.
A pub from the 1800's has been recreated, wherein you actually sit down as if you were a customer and soak up the atmosphere just like it would have been in 1830, or you sit at a cafe in 1939 and hear Eva Hapsburg tell the story of the German take over of the city followed by the Russion Red Army coming and what happened to the town and the brewery during those historic times. The brewery and the town were both owned by the Hapsburgs of Germany but the man who founded the brewery became a Polish citizen and the family was thereafter referred to as "the Polish Hapsburghs". Production at the brewery went up 60% under the Germans but the quality went down in equal portions because they added so much more water to the beer.
This beer was sent to the German troops. After the war the brewery ws able to regain its reputation for a quality beer. They lay claim to a special group of springs from which the water is exclusively used in the making of Zyweich beer. In a dry year production is reduced to compensate and in a wet year they are able to increase production but there is no compromise by adding water from a different source to maintain production in a dry year.
At the end of the tour we were guided to a cafe where we were able to order a beer with our entrance ticket. I drank my beer (I am so not a beer drinker that this was a stellar effort on my part; Aneta couldn't drink any because she was driving)and actually enjoyed it. Then we stood up to go. Oh wow was I drunk. I never remember feeling drunk like this in my life. My speech was slurred, I couldn't walk straight, my head was spinning and I was generally inebriated. I don't know the alcohol content of that tasty beer but it sure as heck gave me a cheap drunk. Aneta took ahold of my arm and guided me into the closest restaurant and ordered me a big lunch. I felt fine after I ate but it was touch and go there for a half-hour or so. We were each given a free beer glass as we left the tour as well. A nice souvenir.
Our next stop was the Zywiec castle and Palace. We purchased tickets to see the cultural heritage, archeological exhibits and the torture museum. The palace museum was really a great find. The cultural heritage of this unique town was on full display right down to the clothing that is worn no where else in Poland, this region or the world. The Hapsburgh's lived in this palace until fairly rent times. The displays of artifacts, the artworks, the interpretation of exhibits was all very well done. We were allowed to go through at our own pace with audio boxes located in each room with a variety of languages from which to chose your narration. It was so nice to hear American English narration and I got so much more out of the tour for having that opportunity.
By the time we left the palace in Zywiec it was dark out and we had quite a drive back to Ela's. Rush hour in Poland seems to happen everywhere. We were hung up in traffic for a couple of hours for what was a 40 minute drive in the morning. Ela fixed a nice light supper and we had a pleasant evening
visiting.
Linda
Ela has a nice apartment on the lower floor of the building that houses 12 children in the upstairs with 24 hour-a-day staff. She enjoys a large, pleasant kitchen and has two bedrooms, a TV room with a dining table and sofa that folds down into a guest bed. This is the room I was given and it was lovely. Witek and Aneta brought a blow up bed and took the second bedroom with Ania. We had a wonderful time.
the plan the first day was to rise early and go to the mountains, ride a Gondola to the top and take in the spectacular views before walking off the mountain for our daily exercise. However, the weather Thrusday was overcast, cold and foggy. Not a good day to go hunting for a viewscape on a mountain top. So Aneta made a couple of phone calls and arrangements to take me to Zywiec to visit the brewery.
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| Fot: Zywiec brewery, Aneta |
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| Fot: Old barrels, Aneta |
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| Fot: Krakus advertisement in USA, Aneta |
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| Fot: One of the exibit in Zywiec brewery, Aneta |
At the end of the tour we were guided to a cafe where we were able to order a beer with our entrance ticket. I drank my beer (I am so not a beer drinker that this was a stellar effort on my part; Aneta couldn't drink any because she was driving)and actually enjoyed it. Then we stood up to go. Oh wow was I drunk. I never remember feeling drunk like this in my life. My speech was slurred, I couldn't walk straight, my head was spinning and I was generally inebriated. I don't know the alcohol content of that tasty beer but it sure as heck gave me a cheap drunk. Aneta took ahold of my arm and guided me into the closest restaurant and ordered me a big lunch. I felt fine after I ate but it was touch and go there for a half-hour or so. We were each given a free beer glass as we left the tour as well. A nice souvenir.
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| Fot: Traditional Zywiec clothes, Aneta |
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| Fot: Zywiec Park, Aneta |
visiting.
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| Fot: Small gifts from the Zywiec Museum |
Linda
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