Food / Is Polish food still more natural than in the West? [142]

The fallout from Chernobyl didn't really affect Poland. The fruit and veg here is safe to eat.

The tomatoes in the shops tend not to be local though. Even those from street stalls have come from the wholesale market and probably originate from Holland.

Travel / Warsaw is the most congested city in Europe [6]

A lot of the problems in Warsaw are down to bad traffic management, unphased traffic lights etc. It would be fairly easy to fix. One problem however is poor zoning with that huge concentration of office blocks near Galeria Mokotow that causes huge problems for miles around.

News / What really happened at the Krakow restaurant? [53]

Restaurant staff here can sometimes be very abrasive. I suspect they could have handled the situation very differently.

News / What really happened at the Krakow restaurant? [53]

Hipis, don't be either so silly or so quick to accuse people of Pole-bashing. If you actually spent time here you'd know about the issues surrounding restaurants especially in Krakow.

Magdalena's assessment is probably fairly accurate, however as I've said before there have been other incidents involving Krakow restaurants refusing to serve Jewish people.

Travel / From Katowice airport to the Train station [9]

Just. It's cutting it fine though. There are plenty of buses that go from the airport straight to the railway station. It's probably better to get the next train.

Or, a taxi isn't that expensive and will get you to the station in good time.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]


There are, however laws about the hard shoulder on motorways are fairly universal and waving a knife at the police is stupidity in any language.

News / What really happened at the Krakow restaurant? [53]


Unfortunately this isn't the first time this has happened in Krakow. There are other cases of restaurants that have refused to serve people on the basis of their ethnicity.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

It's pretty well the same here in Poland. They had a docusoap a few years ago about foreign lorry drivers and police. As I remember the police used to send huge teams in checking everything

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

Of course he had to sit in the car. They don't do the breathalyser and write the ticket standing on the hard shoulder of a motorway!

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

Don't be so silly. He was let off very lightly after causing and worsening a situation.

The hard shoulder exists so people can pull onto it in an emergency. It saved my family's life once. If that potato boiling cretin had been parked up, we would be dead.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

So you're saying we should abolish traffic violations? Maybe let people drive however they want?

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

PlasticPole, Actually it was. The hard shoulder exists for definite reasons and ever truck driver in Europe knows you can't just park up on them. Otherwise, hey, let's all just use it as a parking lot.

In his case he was also risking other people's safety by staying on a motorway with a tachograph so full that he couldn't even make it to a truck stop.

Travel / Can we take fruit in with our hand luggage in Poland? Some countries won't allow it [12]

You can easily get both oranges and apples here. But since you're coming in the summer you might enjoy the local raspberries, cherries, blueberries, wild strawberries etc. Usually cheaper than in the UK.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

Exactly. The guy should thank his lucky stars that it happened in the UK

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

Definitely no!

Life / A rant on customer service in Poland [42]


My local shop is particularly bad for that. They always want the exact amount and are quite unpleasant if they have to give change. However several times a day they empty the draw in the cash register, brimming with coins and turn it empty.

Added to that, there's no concept of a cash float here. Most shops start the day with an empty till.

Travel / Can we take fruit in with our hand luggage in Poland? Some countries won't allow it [12]

Yes. I'd suggest putting it in the checked-in luggage where it won't be so conspicuous. I sometimes bring exotic fruit like mangosteens, rambutans, fresh lychees etc fback from the Middle East or a friend who always asks for them. I always put them in the suitcase and haven't had any problems.

Travel / Can we take fruit in with our hand luggage in Poland? Some countries won't allow it [12]

In theory no. In practice they don't check hand luggage on arrival.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

I was by the Belarus border today at the Bobrowniki crossing. The line of trucks from all over Europe, though mostly Poland, Belarus and Russia stretched for miles - there were certainly enough for a couple of days' waiting to be processed into Belarus. Very frustrating, 36c, and all were behaving. The police certainly wouldn't mess about if anything did happen.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

He was certainly acting and probably hoped they'd let him off because of the histrionics. I can't help noticing the contrast between the reasonable behaviour the police in that clip and the sort of thing the Polish police would do.

Genealogy / my Polish Grandfather in Hitler Youth? HOW? [65]

Not much, since such things are hard to prove. Looking right and being willing helped.

Travel / My holiday, Gdansk or Kaunus, Lithuania? Help me decide! [23]


I agree. I'd also suggest staying in Sopot or Wrzeszcz and bearing in mind that the TriCity is very spread out.

Work / Is 7000 PLN net per month....a reasonable salary in Katowice [40]

I wouldn't call it a fortune. By the way, I live here too, long term. Remember that housing costs and general expectations are higher if someone isn't a local. Though he can certainly save money on that wage if he is careful..

In Poland that is an executive salary.

Work / Is 7000 PLN net per month....a reasonable salary in Katowice [40]

Easy to say, however people who travel to other countries to work usually have different priorities and expectations. And certainly don't expect to scrimp.

News / SUNDAY WITHOUT MASS IN POLAND - Judaeo-leftist Wyborcza gloats [165]

Pretty well. I'd add that Jesus's religion isn't the only one whose adherents are convinced it's got all the answers.

And also that a lot of today's Christians - if they met him at a party - probably wouldn't like him at all.

News / SUNDAY WITHOUT MASS IN POLAND - Judaeo-leftist Wyborcza gloats [165]

I would if I understood the post.

News / SUNDAY WITHOUT MASS IN POLAND - Judaeo-leftist Wyborcza gloats [165]

History hasn't told us whether he was right or left handed. What we do know is that he was a hell of a lot more tolerant than many of his followers today.

Work / Is 7000 PLN net per month....a reasonable salary in Katowice [40]

Not bad. Good if you're single.

News / SUNDAY WITHOUT MASS IN POLAND - Judaeo-leftist Wyborcza gloats [165]


If anything, a Judeo-leftist carpenter.

News / SUNDAY WITHOUT MASS IN POLAND - Judaeo-leftist Wyborcza gloats [165]


According to some religions. But not others.