Blogs from Malbork, Pomerania, Poland, Europe
Easter in Eastern Europe - Vol1 - King of the Castle
Published: June 19th 2011Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Malbork
April 21st 2011
The UK had more bank holidays in a row that most people knew what to do with! However, we decided it would be a perfect excuse to get a little off the tourist map and see the rather different sights and sounds of Eastern Europe.... We arrived into Gdansk, and after getting somewhat interrogated at immigration, I managed to get into the country – fourth in the queue and yet the last person in the whole plane to enter!? Pretty sure I don’t fit the classic terrorist profile? We didn’t really know how we were going to get to our hostel – not even sure if the buses were still running, but then an Australian accent pierced through the silence and convinced us it would be cheapest for all of us to get a taxi into ... read more
A morning of Amazing Race moments - not the good kind.
Published: September 5th 2010Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Malbork
August 29th 2010
I'm trying to keep clam and remember that it always takes time for me to orient to a new language and a new phrasebook. In 2005, I suffered through many very sad attempts at Czech and it took until several days in to a second visit in 2008 for me to render one word, any word in a way that any Czech person was willing to recognize as Czech. It was a triumph when it happened. Let's just say I haven't triumphed in Polish yet and things aren't looking good for this visit. So yesterday, Saturday, I had a leisurely morning at the mall, magic ruby Merrells and all that, and was basking in just experiencing Gdańsk and trying to see examples of everyday life in the city. In the afternoon, I met Aga and got ... read more
July 20th 2010
July 20 - I woke up early today and had a slow and lazy morning, chatting over breakfast with some other travelers, including a German who had just finished a week at a medieval fastival where he camped and dressed like a knight. He loved it. Then I met Amelia, a Kiwi returning home from a two year working visa in England via a three month tour in Eastern Europe. We decided after some talking to go to Marlbork Castle together, which I was planning to do tomorrow but the weather was supposed to be better today, so that sounded good. We left early enough for the 11:16am train but got lost underground between the bus and train stations and couldn't find the ticket office but FINALLY got tickets at 11:13am. We had to make a ... read more
August 31st 2009
Malbork Castle, evening. Now that I know the gipsy story, how they ended up here in the Northern Poland Lake District, waiting for the European Union borders to open up once Poland will join this big European economic powerhouse, keen on their part of the dough, social money free of charge and the respect of outsiders they mostly despise... So now I really like to get the background story of the two dozen or so Africans living on this badly mantained camping in old tents, taking turns on sleeping time and spending most of their time, when they aren't doing odd jobs for nearby farmers, on the camping drinking Polish beer and chewing grass that reminds them of their native QAT... Five of them inhabit an old army tent near the lake. The sour acid smell ... read more
August 27th 2009
Malbork Castle, 23-07-2001. I slowly walk the cobble-stoned narrow streets of Malbork Town with the looming shade of the Malbork Castle above me, a Teutonic strong-hold of times past and nowadays a prime tourist destination for people the wolrd over - my ears besieged by a multitude of languages...though most of my attention is on Salima, Miss Gipsy Magician's grand daughter who is explaining the Gipsy Plight to me... Salima grew up in a small gipsy community near the Bulgarian/Turkish border where they were the frequent victims of Turrkish speaking Bulgarians who themselves were repressed by non-Turkish speaking Bulgarians...a never ending feud with both sides as poor as church rats...young Turkish speaking Bulgarian females selling their young bodies to the "enemy" for a as little as a tooth brush in the nearby town of Burgas. About ... read more
August 26th 2009
Malbork Camping, 22-07-2001. "Wie heissen Sie dann, lieber Herr aus Holland", A strange question for someone who claims to be able to predict one's future by merely looking at your palm. I mean asking for my name just after one quick glance at my hand that after nearly three weeks on the bike has become severely callused...a bit like trying to read a crumpled old newspaper I guess. a parchment-like skin heavenly wrinkled by time and a long life time of living outside, olive colored skin with pink patches and despite the owner's advanced age notwithstanding she has long raven black hair with not a single stray of grey, coming out unruley from a brightly red bonnet, her piggy coal black eyes are locked on mine no doubt trying to overcome my scepticism...after all she claims ... read more
August 23rd 2009
Malbork, 21-07-2001. I sip my coffee slowly while sitting on my sleeping bag in front of my tent watching the early rising of the sun, the darkness of the night slowly surrendering to the first rays of the sun - when you live you life like a solitay vagabond wild camping in the forest trying to survive on a bare-bread budget, it seems easy enough to understand the devotion early mankind had for the sun, even turning this massive hot sphere into a GOD... Mister Maribu is still out in the lake standing in shallow water on his long black legs which are presently invisible due to the morning forest fog hanging over the lake's surface. His buddies, the water sifting spoonbills are nowhere to be seen, probably left before first sun light in search of ... read more
July 24th 2009
Close to Katy, 05-07-2001. It is close to 04.00 O'clock in the morning before I see divine light, before I see the hopelessness of being lazy, too lazy to leave the cozy comfort of my muffty old sleeping bag that has followed me on so many trips but seems to be unable to help me out, to protect me against that determined clan of mozzies so keen on my Dutch blood. Olds age and many trips have left their tracks on my nighttime partner, small worn-out patches and down right small holes big enough for small mozzie bodies. I will have to get up and pitch my tent instead of spending the night under this star lit heaven that feels somehow comfortable if it wasn't for the bloodsuck clan outside. Not that I can blame my ... read more
May 19th 2009
The Castle in Malbork was built in Prussia by the Teutonic Order as an Ordensburg. The Order named it Marienburg, literally "Mary's Castle". The town which grew around it was also named Marienburg, but since 1945 it is again, after 173 years, part of Poland and known as Malbork. The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress, and is the world’s largest brick gothic castle. UNESCO listed the castle and its museum as World Heritage Sites in December 1997 as Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork. It is one of two World Heritage Sites in the region with origins in the Teutonic Order. ... read more
June 5th 2007
Those Taiwanese were very noisy early in the morning!!!! argh.. Woke up and headed off to Malbork, with the biggest red brick castle in the world... Very nice, tho no English tour....but the inside was cool and they had this weapon exhibition with weapons throughout European history! I love purssian swords!!! and saw this gun I really liked..haa...too bad I couldnt take pix inside.." The Castle...not only, but I mean all sightseeing points in Poland, are full of KIDS...OMG..its like every school has a field trip to somewhere....The whole castle was basically BLOCKED.....I followed the school tour to find my way and then these kids started making fun of me....first they say sth in English. then laugh and say sth in Polish! grrrr... wanted to kick their ass. Anyways, Malbork was that, the town was ... read more
