(Have no clue what happened to the rest of this blog but it didn't post and the program won't let me in to edit mode)
...the pants have a front flap that buttons on either side to make pockets. There is no front opening as in a regular man's pant. The costume is topped with a full sleeved blouse type shirt embroidered with nice decorative designs. The female employees wear long cotton print skirts and full sleeved blouses gathered at the forearm with a ruffle below to the wrist. The ladies costumes have a pinafore over the blouse that also covers most of the skirt front.
Aneta had pre-ordered our meal and the appetizer came in short order. It consisted of bread and a tub of something that looked a lot like lard with bacon and onion bits in it. Turns out it was exactly that. We were to spread it on the bread and eat it with a dill pickle. Most of our travelers were a little reluctant to eat this local traditional delicacy and I caught some wrapping theirs up in the napkins hoping they would just be taken away. I gamely ate my entire piece but it took a lot of dill pickles to get it down!
(Aneta just looked at this and said, "You don't like lard? It is so good. I just love it!" I said, "well, it is just pure fat." Her response: "Oh, give me a break. What is butter then?" She had me there. I do love my butter!)
Following the appetizer we received three plates of meats. There were some of each kind on each plate so we were to take a small portion of the piece of meat and pass it on to the next person for their share. There was a lamb pattie which was delicious, a pork cutlet, a piece of chicken breast, some beef and a chunk of smoked ham that was absolutely out of this world. The meat was served with a chunks of fried potatoes. I have noticed that they don't use salt as a flavoring in their food here very much and I miss it. I am sure this is a more healthy way to eat but I come from a family that salts first and tastes later so I am really missing salt. Once I got things seasoned up they were delicious. We were served a nice mulled hot wine that warmed our insides and, after the third sip, made all our troubles melt into oblivion! We were a mellow and happy lot to be sure.
The band played traditional folk music from this area but one tune kept churning around in my head like I'd heard it somewhere before. I had. It was an American Bluegrass song called "Salty Dog" or "Let Me Be Your Salty Dog." The music was very nice and kept the place lively. Every so often the waiters would take a break and the female employees would come out and they would do folk dances in the middle of the restaurant. Then each person would select a patron of the restaurant and invite them to dance as well. Being as we were Americans they carefully avoided asking any of our party to join the dance. It was a lot of fun to watch and the dances were very pretty and graceful.
Aneta assured us we had a nice desert coming and everyone was waiting with anticipation. Suddenly she appeared at my side and whispered in my ear that she had forgotten the gift for Dennis at the hotel. She left to go back and get it while we cooled our heels in oblivion. Everyone visited, drank more mulled wine, rocked out to the music, looked around the table and wondered where Aneta had gone, went back to visiting and drinking more wine. Occassionally someone would get up to use the rest room. Finally Fran said, "Aneta said we were having desert. Where is it?" I said, "She had to go somewhere. She should be back shortly and then we will have desert. (She had instructed the restaurant not to serve the desert until she returned but she didn't want anyone to know where she had gone.) After an hour passed I could see everyone was getting a little antsy. I called Aneta's phone just as she burst through the doorway. Saved! The desert was promptly served. A large plate of cheesecake slices with an exploding sparkler candle on top was set down right in front of Dennis. The poor guy turned 12 shades of red as the band struck up a traditional song and everyone in the restaurant rose to sing him a traditional Polish birthday song. We all had so much mulled wine by then we stood up and sang right along with them like we actually knew Polish! Then we sang regular Happy Birthday in English as the sparkler burned itself out. Shouts of (na zstrovie)" Na Strovia!, Na Strovia!" rang throughout the restaurant as everyone raised their glass to congratulate Dennis on surviving in this world for 66 years. He said it was the most memorable birthday he had ever experienced. Aneta presented Dennis and Fran with tickets to the Sabat Revue Dinner Theater to be enjoyed on their extended stay in Warsaw over the last weekend. Fran as a thank you for single handedly nearly filling this tour for us and being a returning traveler herself, Dennis for his birthday. They were very touched by her generosity and thoughtfulness. We downed the cheescake and headed back to the van, full and happy.
Linda
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