Travel / Other than Krakow or Warsaw, which cities should I visit? [18]

I'm wondering why nobody has said Gizycko, Ostroda, Bialystok?

Travel / Most Amazing places in Poland. What does it for you? [90]

No one saying Mazuria?

Travel / Is it safe to take a train in Poland? [35]

I'm coming to Poland next month and will be getting a rail pass and travelling for four days by rail. I am a lone female. I am supposed to be scared/worried? Because I don't feel scared/worried!

Genealogy / Wojtczak SURNAME - question for native Polish speakers [11]

annabanbee!

I don't know another Wojtczak in the whole world! So please be my Polish "cousin" ?

By the way, I forgot my log-in and re-registered. I used to be paniwojtczak now Helena, my real name.

Travel / Itinerary for trip to Poland - comments/tips? [27]

Yes I have one, but I am going to have to buy some extra memory cards for it!

Travel / Itinerary for trip to Poland - comments/tips? [27]

Hi Svenski!

Don't think I want to carry recharger with me, I'll buy Polish batteries and throw them away (need to travel light as no man to carry my suitcase this time!)

K and A= Been there, done that!

Bubba

I had no idea there were any ferries from Hel! That is very useful to know.

Found this: ztm.gda.pl/ferry.html

I love water! Any more ferries I don't know about?

Travel / Itinerary for trip to Poland - comments/tips? [27]

I was also unable to find out if I can go up the canal from Ostroda to Eblag and back in a day. Any idea where the timetable is?

Now it looks like this, tx to Bubba!

0902 to Gdynia 1133

1232 to Hel 1408

1530 ferry Hel to Gdansk 1720

UK, Ireland / Phoning home & Skype from Poland to the UK? [19]

Hi telefon

Surely it will be more expensive for me to use my mobile than to use a phone box on Poland?

UK, Ireland / Phoning home & Skype from Poland to the UK? [19]

I'm going to different places, staying in hotels.

I thought Skype was free? THe person I want to phone everyday has Skype on the home computer.

Genealogy / How to find out if someone died in Poland? [10]

LOL if I had any family left to ask I wouldn't be asking on here.

I'm not going anywhere near the towns they lived in 32 years ago. I'm pretty sure they will be dead by now.

Genealogy / How to find out if someone died in Poland? [10]

My aunt's name was Wanda Konieczna and she was the supervisor of the telephone exchange. She lived in a flat above the Post Office. I last visited her there in 1976. If you know any older people maybe you can find out? Thank you very much for offering to help me.

Genealogy / How to find out if someone died in Poland? [10]

That's extremely kind of you.

She was a well known character for sure: when I walked around Radomsko with her, every person we passed said hello to her.

There is a chance that she is still alive, she would be about 80.

UK, Ireland / Phoning home & Skype from Poland to the UK? [19]

"You havent clarified what UK network you are on?"

TMobile. I never use the phone and I don't really want to bring it with me, as I said in my first post, unless it really is the cheapest way.

Im on TMobile and i used my phone from Poland to the UK no problems to call my mum and brother though not every single night ....

"Skype is FREE if PC to PC calling but if phoning a landline you need to ensure you credit your account with money to use it"

I would use it only to a PC. Do they have it in internet cafes?

Life / Present for Polish friends ~ is anything hard to get any more? [57]

Regarding Tesco, do they sell the same things as they do in the UK? And is there a Tesco in Gizycko and every small town, like there is in the UK? I cannot imagine seeing Tesco in Poland. I won't really believe it until I see it :-)

Life / Present for Polish friends ~ is anything hard to get any more? [57]

My mind is boggling. My memory of Polish supermarkets was of bread, mayonnaise and milk, and all the other aisles cordoned off because the shelves were completely empty.

LOVE LIDL!

Genealogy / How to find out if someone died in Poland? [10]

I wasn't alerted to any message, so don't be surprised if I don't respond to future ones!

I will have to remember to check my message place, as there are no alerts.

Life / Feminism in Poland:Pro and against [14]

So hard to know what you mean by feminism!

You mean do women make their husbands do half the housework?

You mean women can drive trams (they have for at least 50 years)?

You mean women marching on the streets for the right to contraception and abortion?

?

News / Why is Zloty called PLN? [14]

Thread attached on merging:
zloty = PLN?

How does zloty become PLN?

Polski ...... ?

Pieniadze Ludzie Narodowy?

???

News / Why is Zloty called PLN? [14]

Thanks everyone!

Now another question. A hotel told me today that my room will cost 140 zl. I make that £34 using xe.com, but the hotel said no, it is £45.

How did they make that happen? Do you think they took that from their own kantor, if they have one? It was Hotel Promenada, Ostroda.

Life / Polish Kids - Polish speaking? Bilingual? only English? [56]

Yes it is a real shame to lose one's heritage. I'm angry that my father did not teach me to speak Polish. When I asked him why he did not he said he thought it was a useless language for an English girl to learn. It never crossed his mind that I might want to go to Poland one day and meet my relations and find out about my Polish heritage.

I learned some Polish as an adult, using books and tapes.

One day we were in Poland together all sitting round a big table eating and drinking in someone's house. I heard someone ask my Dad why he didn't teach me Polish, and I heard him tell a BIG lie: he said he was so busy working all the time to support me and my mother.

Hahahahaha. My mother supported all of us; he spent all his time getting drunk in the pub.

Food / Is it possible to buy Live yoghurt in Polish shops? [23]

Not sure if "natural" is live.

In the UK some pots say "natural" and others say "live", so I suspect it's not the same thing? What do I know? I only eat the stuff for the bacteria!

Language / Polish language MP3s [24]

Thanks for the suggestion but they are not MP3s and they are not a course in conversation. But they are great.

Life / Present for Polish friends ~ is anything hard to get any more? [57]

Kilkline: I am definitely not taking any alcohol. Chocolate isn't safe ~ I'd eat it all before I got there LOL.

Something for the children, that is what I am thinking. What sort of things do they love but would be unable to get in Gizycko?

I'm going to be amazed. Last time I was in Poland I saw a man with a cart selling bananas. I was rather startled, had never seen them before. In fact I seem to recall reading in a book that children of high-up communist party officers were known as the Banana Children as they were the only ones in Poland who had ever seen a real banana.

This girlfriend of mine who lives in Gizycko, she lived in Lublin and in 1981 I took her out to buy shoes. We went to a department store and this big shoe department had exactly three pairs of shoes and none in her size. We went to Krakow for the weekend and while there she was so thrilled to find a shop with a pair (just one pair) of shoes in her size (40). This is the Poland I knew. I will think it an Aladdin's cave in comparison. I'm so glad the Poles don't have to queue and go without things any more.