Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) In early spring leafless purple stems bearing scale-leaves appear from the heavy clay or gravel ground by the rivers and on wastelands. In a matter of a couple sunny days they stretch up in length and the tip buds open up in yellow flowers resembling dandelions or daisies. The leaves appear in late spring. If you kneel down and smell the flower, you will immediately feel its herbal fragrance. By no coincidence coltsfoot has once been used in unconventional medicine as a popular remedy for cough. The very name tussilago from Latin tussis, meaning cough, and ago to act, speaks for itself. Whole flowerstems were cut up and put in honey to produce a syrup for cough, cold and other diseases. The plant usually grows in large colonies on heavy, greasy and moist clay soils by the rivers and on wastelands in Europe and in north-west Asia. It is believed to be a pioneer plant which with its roots and rhizomes prepares the soil for the introduction of new plants.
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Kashubian embroidery varies depending on the part of the Kashubian region it comes from. The Wdzydze school is characterized by a different style from the one in Kartuzy or Wejherowo. Still these are not the only schools that exist within Kashubia. Possibly the most characteristic one is the Żukowo School of Kashubian Embroidery. Żukowo is a town situated in the Kartuzy county. As a rule always 7 colors are used to make a flower embroidery: three shades of blue, yellow, red and black. The choice of flowers varies. Below you can see a variety of flower representations that can appear on pottery or embroidery from the region. It is surely worth buying one of these hand-made beauties. Let me suggest you to visit a small workshop on the Carthusian church grounds where a very nice lady not only sold, but also explained to us the differences between different varieties of Kashubian embroideries. Beginning of April. Spring in full bloom. The sailing season has just begun and more and more boats dare to face the capricious sea. The sun is just about to rise over the Baltic Sea. The symbol of the Polish freedom. Today is going to be a sunshiny day for sailors! Coming soon!
Spring has come for good! Willow branches in full bloom. Polish Easter will just not do without them.
Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent, marks the end of the Carnival in Poland. It is one of the most important holidays in February in Poland. On that day most Poles buy or make doughnuts, in Polish called pączki [pronounciation: ponchcee]. Pączki similarly to dougnuts are deep-fried pieces of dough shaped into flattened spheres and filled with confiture or other sweet fillin, and covered with powdered sugar, icing, glaze or bits of dried orange zest. Angel wings, in Polish most commonly called faworki [pronounciation: fawvorcee], are an alternative to pączki to those who prefer a lighter kind of pastry. This traditional sweet crisp pastry is made out of dough that has been shaped into thin twisted ribbons, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The Polish word "faworki" may refer to colourful ribbons attached to either female or male clothing, especially ribbons given to medieval knights by their ladies. Etymologically the word "faworki" came to Poland from the French word faveur, meaning "grace" or "favour". The Polish word "chrust" means "dry branches broken off trees" or "brushwood". The beautifully twisted raw ribbons of faworki just before frying Faworki - sprinkled with powdered sugar and ready to eat! Pączki during frying! Contrary to faworki, making pączki is not as easy as pie! A good recipe is a must! The pączki on the image above were not a 100% success; they rather remind of the their historcially most primitive version; though, they are filled with rose jam, which makes them absolutely irresistable!
Though Poland is not an exotic country, it does not stop its birds from being equally colorful as the exotic ones. Let me present you some of the so called ordinary ones. The Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) The fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) The bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) The hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) The biggest of European woodpeckers, the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) If you liked this post, let me invite you to like my official fb profile: https://www.facebook.com/polandforbeginners/ December is certainly this month of the year, when frosts become not only severe, but also visible. In very special circumstances they take the sublime form of the so called window ferns, flowers or trees. Such views become less and less popular as Polish houses become warmer thanks to technological innovations. All it takes to watch this unique spectacle of nature is to find a house with old-fashioned windows. Let me also label window ferns with the badge POLISH ACCENT.
Stopping by one of the many roadside stalls by the Polish roads is a "must" for a self-respecting tourist! If you do it, you can be 100% sure you are not only buying Polish fruits and vegetables directly from the farmer, but also a unique story about Polish cottage. You have this remarkable chance to meet simple people, talk to them, exchange smiles. Even if you do not know Polish, do not worry, sometimes the best language is body language. Smiles, looks, gestures. The sign above my head says: "PUMPKIN ENTRANCE". Autumn is this part of the year in Poland, when pumpkins reign on almost all stalls, marketplaces and in shops. Apart from them you will also find paprika, garlic, onion, potatoes and many others. To put it short, all the richness of this year's yields. Don't forget about Polish apples! Autumn is also the season when apple orchards bear fruit. Red accents on endless apple orchards'carpets make them look so beautiful! 1001 shad(p)es of the Polish pumpkin Monsters! Good luck to those of you who decide to change these in a soup!
Another typically Polish accent of the landscape - willow trees. When you pass the Polish border, you can spot them even from the motorway. Sometimes standing alone, sometimes in characteristic raws, especially along rivers. Most of them grow wild. Once people believed them to be home to evil powers. It comes as no surprise as some of the oldest trees often remind of scary creatures from fairy tales. I am sure it rings a bell to you. Let's take the Disney Pocahontas, for example. Willow trees are believed to be one of the most durable trees. You can grow them almost everwhere from a branch put in the ground if only the soil is permeable enough. Willow trees also prefer areas rich in water. Their branches are famous for their flexibility. Once people used them to weave baskets and other everyday objects. Today, the idea of the so called living architecture, that is building constructions from branches that keep on living, go green and grow, has become very popular. I, myself, have taken part in a workshop where a playground was constructed. To get to know more about living architecture, the workshop and its master Jacek Gądek, check in here: http://viktoriatucholka.weebly.com/my-space/in-the-lense-willow-without-borders
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POLAND FOR BEGINNERS
Hi! My name is Victoria. Welcome to my personal travel photoblog about Poland created especially for you, my foreign friends, who are curious about Poland!
ABOUT MEEnglish philologist and film editor by education. Translator by occupation. A lover of my motherland Poland and globetrotter with journalist ambitions. Passionate about photography. I love traveling, active way of spending time and contact with nature. Experience and explore - that is what drives me! I am on the look for happy islands. Archives
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VICTORIA TUCHOLKA |
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