Spring has come for good! Willow branches in full bloom. Polish Easter will just not do without them.
The biggest advantage of being a globtrotter is that upon return to your motherland you start to perceive things in totally different categories! When I saw kangaroos in Australia for the first time, they immediately reminded me of the Polish deer. From that time on when I meet deer on my way in Poland I experience this strange kind of exoticism. Globtrotting has totally changed they way I perceive my own country! Deer grazes on the fields close to a raw of old oaks! Spring came back to Poland for good!
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!
The Szaniawski Gorge is one of these magical places off the track that we would normally not expect to offer anything attractive at all. There are many much more popular gorges in Poland. Surprisingly, the Szaniawski Gorge is not less attractive. Situated just 40 kilometers from Warsaw on the picturesque banks of the River Narew is an ideal destination for the lovers of nature looking for a relief from the hustle and bustle of the capital. TREE MONUMENTS AND HILLS The Szaniawski Gorge just like many other gorges in Poland is characterized by a very hilly terrain. On the hills there grow very old trees. Many of them are officially marked as tree monuments. The landscape definately has recreational potential. SENTIMENTAL LADSCAPE Once there was a house of the rising sun. On the photo part of the ruins of once a wooden mansion of Szaniawski family that burnt down in the 70s. Jerzy Szaniawski is also the patron of the gorge. He was a famous writer, playlist and esseist of the interwar period born in the neighbourhood Zegrzynek. OPEN-AIR MUSEUM OF ICE SCULPTURES Winter in Poland has it that Granpa Frost surprises us with much creativity in sculpting the landscape. The sculptures I found in the Szaniawski Gorge made a lasting impression on me. Some of them were absolutely unique in their magnificence. They reminded me of stalagmites and stalactites just like the ones you can normally see in caves. I was wondering what processes contributed to their creation. Wind, sun and frost altogether shaped the banks of the frozen river in an enigmatic way. WHERE IS IT? Below: Stalagmites and stalactites formed under one of the wooden piers.
As you have already learnt from my previous posts, Polish winters can be cold, snowy and icy. Still there are many ways to tame this apparently unpleasant conditions and enjoy oneself! Winter swimming is one of them. In Poland we call it morsowanie. The term derives from the inhabitant of the Artic Ocean of the North Pole - the flippered marine mammal walrus. It comes as no suprise then that some call the female passionates of this winter activity - the phocas ;) WARM-UP Before you undress and jump into the water, warm-up. Alone... ...or in a group. Winter swimming is best if practiced in a group. Remember to keep yourself moving all the time until you finally jump in the water. SWIMMING IN AN ICE HOLE Some believe that the essence of winter swimming is to jump into the water in a specially cut ice hole. Personally I believe that the sea or lake do not necesarilly have to be frozen in order to enjoy winter swimming. This year the thickness of ice on the suberbian Zegrzyńskie Lake was 25 centimers. Impressive, indeed. HOW TO PREPARE TO FULLY ENJOY ONESELF Many winter swimmers swim with standard swimming costumes rather than with wetsuits or other thermal protection. However, it is worth making an investment at least in neoprene shoes or socks, at best also in neoprene gloves. Just as the ones used by divers. It will make winter swimming much more pleasant, indeed. It is also worth wearing a cap. Feet, hands and head are said to be the body parts most vulnerable to loose heat. Therefore, you should take special care to protect them properly. After swimming better have your things prepared and ready to change quickly. A thermos full of hot tea would also do you well! WHERE CAN YOU PRACTICE WINTER SWIMMING You can practice winter swimming practically everywhere. Groups of winter swimmers function practically in every Polish city and usually are open and free of charge to everyone: children, youth, elderly people. Everyone can try winter swimming out! To find out more about winter swimming in Poland, check out the publications on this website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/498787166845867/ or write directly to me and I will help you out with all the necessary information. Enjoy!
Kudowa-Zdrój is one of the oldest spa resorts in Poland and Europe. It is situated in the Southern corner of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in the South-Western Poland. Since 1962 Kudowa-Zdrój has also been the capital of the International Moniuszko Festival - a national festival devoted to the honor of the Polish national opera father - Stanisław Moniuszko. Above: a symbolic sculpture in the park next to one of the most renown local spas - "Polonia". Though it is middle of the winter, the magnificent hornbeams of the Spa Park located next to the Sanatorium "Polonia" are still covered with red leaves. From a perspective they seem as if they were covered with flowers. Upon closer examination their trunks are not less impressive. There are many more tree monuments around in the town. Generally Kudowa-Zdrój could be compared to a botanic garden that shelters representative species of not only local, but also exotic plants. Zameczek (below) is one of the old buldings. It is situated opposite the Pump room in the Spa Park. The sculpture of the forest monster, so called Leśny Lud, at the foot of the Parkowa Mountain became a popular local attraction. Many tourists take photos here. One can also climb the top o the mountain to admire the panorama of the town. The Parkowa Mountain is not the only mountain around, of course. In the neighbourhood of Kudowa-Zdrój is the Table (Stołowe) Mountain National Park. The Table Mountains form part of the Sudetes mountain range and are the only one in Poland and one of the few in Europe to present plated structure with sheer mountain ledges. The picturesque formations of the Table Mountains are for sure worth seeing. If you liked this post, leave a comment or like my official fb profile Poland for Beginners.
The Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) The biggest of European woodpeckers. The size of the crow. It can be spotted mostly in mature forests. It does not migrate. It can be distinguished not only by loud drumming in thick and dry branches, but also by loud, metallic and vibrating sounds.
The ice on the Bug River melted and water started to flow down freely again. It immediately came along with the revival of animal life on the riverbank. Large groups of swans could be spotted along the riverbank, but today these beautiful birds could not compete with a totally unexpected and absolutely indisputable river beauty of the day. The Euroasian Otter (Lutra lutra). A very rare guest on the Polish rivers. Even rarer to be spotted hunting so freely by day so close to human habitats. Though the flowing waters of the river also attracted the anglers, it seems there must have not been much fish that day if the otter was satisfied with catching a frog. By the way, have a closer look at these claws! A monster! Curiosity seems to be the otter's second name. The third name would certainly be fun 'n' leisure. If you liked this post, let me invite you to like my official fb profile: https://www.facebook.com/polandforbeginners/
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/ |
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
March 2019
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VICTORIA TUCHOLKA |
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