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Published: June 25th 2008
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The house
A picture, like from out of a story book So i was glad to get out of the consumer driven, buy buy atmosphere of Warsaw, though i do love Warsaw for all it's history.
Gize is a small village about 5 hours north of poland and maybe 100 or less km's from the Russian border. It's also close the Lithuainian border, will i will mention more about later.
Estate Gize Marczak is an organic farm. It is a eco-tourism farm. Which means it has some rooms to stay (very nice i may add) and also large rooms for parties, weddings etc. It's in the lake area of Poland and this farm has it's own lake, from which we drink and wash in. Also it is surround by beautiful forest. Regardless of what I learnt etc, it's a very peaceful and beautiful place. Somewhat sometimes like a paradise.
My hosts were Lech and Anna Marczak and they're 2 boys (they have 4 children)Mikolai (Nicholas) and Matajusz (Matthew). They also have a housekeeper, a different one depending on the day. All of them were so lovely, I think i loved them the most. So friendly and do anything for you. Also they're were lots of other people around, mainly
workers, working on a new building. So always heaps of people to meet and talk too. There was also 1 other polish girl working there, Patryjca. Very nice young girl. And I have to mention Romek. Romek is the main builder of the new building, he is also the ex-boyfriend of the daughter of the family. So he is caught in a tough situation still living and working of the building until November! He is a really great guy.
My main jobs on the farm was watering the flowers everyday, which was relaxing. But mainly weeding. Oh yeah I think now I am some what of a expert on bad weeds! Becasue on this farm they don't use any chemicals as it's organic, they're are tonnes of weeds! Some days I would be covered in rashes from the itchy weeds and for days after wherever I am, all I see is good weed bad weed in my brain when I see them!
The food was great, we eat like kings there becasue the housekeepers are cooking for guests everyday. Though vegetarian in Poland pretty much means without meat, not providing anything to make up from the nutrients you
Stanczyki Most (Bridge)
This bridge was not damged during the war, was used alot during WWII, it was a important railway line. No longer in use don't get.
In my time I was invovled in a Polish wedding, I spent the night helping the housekeepers with the food. Because i can say there is not much to do they're at night. It is 1 hours walk at least from the next city, which is tiny. You either swim in the lake or relax, and those who know me I don't relax much!
The night of the wedding was probably one of the best nights I have had so far in Poland. Seeing all the food, secretly drinking Champagne with the housekeepers and secretly drinking vodkas shots with the waiters in the laundry, dancing with the boss in my thongs!!
Yes I have experienced my first real polish hangover from last weekend at the tacky disco. The scary, sleezy owner was giving me free and cheap shots how could I say no?! Lets just say the train ride to Gdansk (5hours) was also a journey of the recovery of the hangover. Not recommened!
Down on the farm I also had the chance to drive on the other side of the road!! The first time i drove a full car load of people
Another nice view
View from the lake in the middle of the land over 300kms! My passenger Romek, said he was very scared and the owner wasn't sure we would come back alive, but after 15 minutes it felt pretty normal. And last weekend I drove Lithuania! As you do! Romek is Lithuanian. So we went for a short trip to Druskinnai (I think thats how you spell). There is a communist park there, it's full of old communist statues of Lenin, Stalin and Lithuanian commies from the towns throught Lithuania and other pictures of propoganda. Very cool. They also play this old school russian music through the park as you walk. And I learnt a lithuanian word, achoo. It means yes, everytime I said it I laughed, because it's like sneeze! And I felt like I was faking sneezes!!
The people I met there really made my time great, the hosts were fabulous I couldn't have asked my a better beginning to my farm stays in Europe. Though I must say, I'm not sure on this Eco-tourism 100% in terms of it's sustainability. I guess it depends on the place, but ways they live contradict sustainability as a whole. Like recycling, oh don't get me started on recycling or the lack
What a view
This is the driveway and I road I ran on often, during my runs! Yes still running! of it. And composting, how worthwhile is the compost, when you put weeds in it? When you re-use the soil it's ridden with weed seeds. And the whole cycle starts again, and some poor sucker like me ends up spending 7 hours a day weeding!
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Lars
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What about wine!
Hey Bridge, dunno about beer in plastic bottles! If you can hunt me down a 2 litre bottle of white :-) Your blog is ace and you look well and happy. I hope your breaking plenty of hearts and living it up. Hey we hit our target - woowoo 83,073.... Love Lars