Promnice Hunting Lodge and Restaurant

This was my last full day in Poland. Aneta and Kamil had a wondful surprise day planned for me. I got up early and headed in to Knurow on foot to get my nails done one last time. It was very cold and overcast with a light rain falling. I bundled up like I was going to the North Polee, grabbed my trusty umbrella and headed out. The wind kicked up and turned the umbrella inside out almost immediately, breaking one of the ribs so that one whole side of the umbrella flopped down in front of my face. I just kept truckin', or trekin' perhaps, and made my 10 am appointment with ten minutes to spare. I got pretty wet on the walk home, managed to mangle the polish job on my nails on at least three fingers and wondered why in the heck I ever thought this was a good idea!

Once I was home Aneta made it clear we were going somewhere special and I should dress accordingly. So I put on my most special pair of navy blue cords and a blue long sleeved pullover, topped it with a red paisley print denim jacket and accessorized with the beautiful navy blue and silver drop pendent necklace Aneta's mother, Alycja, gave me as a going away gift on Saturday.

Kamil arrived in his nice Volkswagon Golf and we headed out. We only got about a block and a half away when Aneta blurted something out from the back seat and Kamil stopped and turned the car around. Aneta forgot the camera so we had to take corrective action before we got too far up the road. Aneta and Kamil chatted merrily away during our 45 minute drive, occasionally stopping to give me a brief update on the conversation. I always get the abbreviated version of things but at least I get some idea of what they are talking about. Kamil told a joke, which Aneta found quite hilarious and attempted to translate it for me. It was humous but not nearly so funny as they seemed to find it in the Polish language. Actually I had heard the joke before but can't remember it now. I probably didn't think it was funny the first time either!

Eventually we found our way down a narrow tree lined lane heading deep into the woods. Our destination was the former hunting lodge of Kaiser Wilhelm,II and Princess Daisy, known as Promnice. This spectacularly beautiful and totally unique hunnting lodge turned out to be nestled deep in the woods on a small lake, surrounded by the peace and quiet only such locals can provide. The place has been turned into a hotel and gourmet restaurant. If you Google Promnice Poland you will find lovely photos of the place and a nice description of what we found there.

We were the only luncheon guests on this cold, blustery day. Kamil had reserved a private dining room in the turret, which was set for four at a round table. Witek's cousin Ela was supposed to join us also but there was an evening event at the lodge and they shifted our time from dinner to lunch and Ela was not able to leave work for a mid afternoon Rendevu. The lodge was being decorated for Christmas and there were lovely Christmas trees in several of the downstairs areas. The formal dining room was set for 200 guests for a sit down dinner and it looked lovely, our more intimate setting was very special indeed. Kamil ordered a nice wine for our lunch and we each ordered something different from the menu. I chose a mushroom soup in a clear broth for my starter, followed by medallions of beef in Chanterelle Mushroom sauce with fried zucinni and scalloped potatoes. Aneta ( who won't eat mushrooms under any circumstances) selected Tenderloin of Wild Boar with cranberry sauce eith boiled new red potatoes and Kamil opted for Roast Duck in mushroom sauce with garlic mashed potatoes. Each and every succulent bite was a gastronomic explosion of pure joy. We uhmed and ahhed our way through the meal, trading bites for tastes of each other's choices. We sipped our wine and lingered ov our meal for nearly two full hours. Dessert was a single small scoop of lemon/lime iced sherbet for Kamil, two chocolate covered Bon bons with a cream filling and huckleberry sauce for me and a chocolate decadence of some sort for Aneta. To say we were satisfied would be a gross undstatement. We were in heaven. We were full but not overful. We
Sat among the family pictures of the royal family and their children and imagined that this was the family dining room and that we were eating like royals. We played fantasy games and imagined the history in this beautiful place ess our history. What a delightful and u usual way to spend my last afternoon in Poland. I was with two of my dearest friends playing that I was the beautiful Princess Daisy! It doesn't get any better than that.

Whe. We finally finished eating and talking and fantasizing we were given a tour of the entire hotel, courtesy of Aneta's prior arrangements. The rooms are charming, eclectic, royal, small, medium and large. The downside to our bringing a tour group here to stay, (aside from the rather dear pricing $130 - $150 per person, per night)was narrow, steep staircases on the upper floors and no elevator. But the beauty and charm of the place was undeniable and we couldn't stop fantasizing about bringing a group here, at least for lunch or dinner. I don't know what Kamil and Aneta's lunch cost but mine was $25 without wine, and worth every penny. This was a very expensive outing for these wonderful young people and I am truly grateful and blessed to have been their guest on this most special of occasions.

The sky cleared a bit late in the afternoon and I stepped out to take photos of the lake before dark. The winding circular staircase from the main lobby to the second floor was really quite spectacular and one could not help feeling quite royal while ascending or descending such a grand accouterment. We headed back to Gliwice, happy in each other's company and feeling like we had really experienced something special on this lovely day.

Thank you Kamil and Aneta!!!

Tonight was set aside for final packing and making sure every electronic device I own was fully charged before I embark on my long journey home tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by to check on my progress. I have enjoyed keeping you all informed of my adventures in this lovely country among these wonderful, gracious and generous people.

Linda