Blogs from Pomerania, Poland, Europe - page 9

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Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Gdansk July 8th 2010

Today we docked in Gdynia, Poland. It was a heartwarming day for our friend Dave. His family left Poland for America just over 100 years ago. Dave had never been here and although we did not get to see the actual town where his family lived, Bydgoszcz, we saw good deal of the farming country which we think is similar. First thing we headed out of the port and through Gdansk about 2 hours south to Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Order. This was the first castle that we’ve seen that reminded us of Knights in shining armor ;-) And…in fact Knights actually lived there. There was a Grand Master elected for life and 200 Knights. The castle covers 50 acres and sits between a river and a lake. Water from the castle came from the ... read more
Stork Nest

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Wiezyca May 31st 2010

Kaszuby Kaszuby (or Kashubia)...a beautiful and relatively unknown part of northern Poland. Entire hills are made of sand, clothed in thick woodland and peppered with deep lakes. An area renowned for its tranquillity, and home to the Kaszubs, a people with their own language and culture, separate from Polish. Also, like many other parts of Poland, murderous drivers. Białystok - Gdynia - Kaszuby Getting from Bialystok to Kasubia is fairly straight forward, but takes a long time all day to go from north east Poland to northern Poland. As the more direct route was not convenient we went via Warsaw. We hopped off at Wschodnia (East) station to buy a pair of slippers, gauged the entertainment on offer for the next hour - and promptly got back on the same train again just before it ... read more
Orszyce
Lake view, Orzsyce
Lake view, Orzsyce

Europe » Poland » Pomerania October 20th 2009

I'm afraid it's only half of the zacandsof pair this time. The less hairy one, that is. So, the vibe may be a little different - maybe better? maybe worse? I'll let you decide... I've set off on a holiday to Poland and Germany. Mum and I have always wanted to visit our rellies there together, and the chance came up cos Mum and Dad have been travelling in Europe together. As per usual, Air China provided a less-than-comfortable, arduous, 13-hour journey. Highlights were: lack of leg space, the crappiest selection of movies and the air hostesses reminding us that it was cold outside and that we should wear more clothes (typical!). I would also like to whinge about the lack of german efficiency at the Frankfurt airport. I had an hour and a half to ... read more
Family feast!
Pierogi and Beetroot soup
Warsaw Old Town

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Gdynia September 20th 2009

Took a tour recommended by Ola - thank you Ola. The tour was excellent and our guide was wonderful. Konrad, apx. 75, was a child during Nazi occupation and a young man when the Russians occupied Poland so he has seen it all. He had some interesting stories to tell. First stop was Oliwa Cathedral where we got to hear beautiful organ music and look at the incredible wood carvings that surrounded the pipes. Then we drove by Lech Walesa’s house, which is pretty well hidden behind a fence and trees, but I was able to get a few pictures. Next we went sightseeing in Gdansk Old Town built in 997 A.D. with detailed talks about all the important buildings. This area was 80% destroyed at the start of WWII, but has been restored to its ... read more
Oliwa Cathedral
Oliwa Cathedral
Oliwa Cathedral

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Malbork 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
Mashmour

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Malbork 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

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Malbork 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

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Malbork 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
My trip...
wasps

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Gdansk August 20th 2009

Gdańsk was first town which we have visited. This is Polish historical town and one of the most famous locations in this country. There we hadn't enough time for seesighting and being impressed by the Old Town, but we saw enought to be convinced that's one of the most beautiful towns we have ever seen! Highly recommended to visit! Unfortunately we were too short in Gdańsk to type a bit more interesting entry. Gdańsk was found above 1000 years ago and most of its time has belonged to Poland. From Gdańsk we flew over Baltic Sea to Turku in Finland with wizzair. This airline is roughly the same c#$%p as easyjet, we didn't notice any differences between planes from easyjet and wizzair. I put some links to English Wikipedia regarding visited areas and objects and you ... read more
Old Town
Old Town
Old Town

Europe » Poland » Pomerania » Gdansk August 5th 2009

DAY 116 I am leaving Krakow this morning, so I pack my things and head for the train station. I have 3 destinations in mind, Warsaw, Prague or Gdnask. I really don't know where I am going to go until I get to the ticket window and the person asks me, I say Gdnask. That's when I decided. I know that Gdnask sits near the Baltic Sea and that I would have ferry options to the Scandinavian countries as well as Estonia. That's about all I know about it. I have no guide books for reference, I going on instinct. The train from Krakrow is an 8 hour trip. This is the first real time that I have been homesick. The countryside that we are passing could be anywhere in Ohio. It has the pastures with ... read more
 CERTAINLY  POLAND
ARE YOU SURE?
MY B & B THE GARDEN SPOT




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