Life / Let`s compare prices of services and products in Poland [359]

Hi Mike. It depends if you mean a month on its own or one month of a longer stay. If you don't drinkor smoke, you can feed yourself and have money to spare on 1000 plan. Less if you are careful, more if you like to dine out.

I remember the flat on Hoza (if you recall, I took some photos before you came when we both used a different forum).
klubturysty.pl has a place on Hoza - maybe the same one - for short rentals
noce.pl also rents out flats. In very central areas like that though you'll find the rent is higher. And the apartment noisier.

Life / Let`s compare prices of services and products in Poland [359]

I don't know what Sobieski does but personally I always have a look at Tripadvisor, Wikitravel, Lonely Planet etc first. If there are known issues about airport taxis they usually have something about it.

Your advice in post #9 is pretty sound. I'd add though that some businesses will certainly put their prices up during the Euro2012 period and anything could happen. A lady I know with a bar on Nowy Swiat in Warsaw told me the other day that if she wants to sell alcohol during the competition she has to display a banner from the sponsors who have already advised her what she should increase her prices to.

The toilets in Metro Centrum are also doubling their entry fee for the duration.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Try the cheddar that Mlekovita make here in PL. not many places sell it but it's actually OK and my local shop has it at 23 zl a kilo.

UK, Ireland / Sooo many Polski Sklep in the UK, LOL [64]

What sometimes puzzles me about those shops is that they sell things like dried pasta and margarine from Poland which are pretty much the same wherever you go.

Then again, M & S in Warsaw sell white sugar and flour.

UK, Ireland / Sooo many Polski Sklep in the UK, LOL [64]

People like their favourite brands and Poles are extremely conservative about food.

Life / Where to buy online credit for PLAY? [6]

I don't think there any. Certainly none that take PayPal etc. And the ones that take visa need a pesel. I'm surprised they don't want an insid leg measurement grandparents' first names and the address of three reliable witnesses.

Travel / Wroclaw Euro 2012 - how much zloty I should be taking with me? [16]

I'd also be wary. And never, ever choose the option for the money to be taken in sterling, euro etc at a fixed rate. The same goes for ATMs. This isn't a Poland specific thing - it is Europe-wide, however it is a scam by the banks to convert the money at a lower rate.

Personally If I were visiting for the Euros, I'd maybe bring a small amount of zloty, no more than 50 or a hundred pounds worth and some sterling to change at the bank. The kantors will probably inflate their prices for the Euro2012 however the banks won't.

One good thing for visitors (from Britain, anyway) is that the zloty has plummeted against the pound due to the euro zone crisis and depending on what happens in Greece may plummet further. Already it's about 20% less than a few months ago!

History / Ukrainian-occupied Eastern Poland [135]

And in this case there is legitimate consent; Poland recognises the present borders of Ukraine. It is not occupied, nor is any other part of Europe.

Law / Poland's Zloty 43% undervalued [30]

The zloty's really plummeted against sterling due to the Greek crisis. My only question is whether it will get much worse before it gets better. Good news for Uk tourists....they'll get more for their pound

History / Ukrainian-occupied Eastern Poland [135]

Occupation has a precise meaning. No part of Poland so occupied nor is Poland occupying anywhere else.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]

There were issues about it, but most (including all supermarket stuff) is pasteurised now. I'd be wary of buying it in street stalls though. Have you tried it grilled?

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


Any religious aspect is irrelevant - the people were dragged out of their homes in Poland regardless of religious belief - indeed in Bialystok a lot of Anglicans were taken away due to being either converted Jews or descendants of converts. I understand that church also has property claims going through.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]


That's one of the better Polish products though a lot of it is industrially mass-produced.. 99% of the other cheese is either white cheese (sometimes called 'farmers' cheese though it comes from huge factories), industrially processed and bland 'yellow cheese', things like Kraft slices or gooey blocks of spreadable chemicals wrapped in tinfoil There are one or two artisan cheesemakers who've started up - one of them quite good - but they haven't caught on with the public yet.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]


Or just sophisticated. I notice that when eating out here people are starting to prefer a variety too.

News / Will the new National Stadium in Warsaw help build Poland's picture in the world? [13]

You do know that when governments commission something, there's always a signature somewhere.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]

Those I like. Also the Lwowski ones with a sort of bolognese sauce in are interesting. By and large though, the Ruski and cabbage ones people eat day to day here are very samey and diversity isn't always appreciated. There's also two schools of thought about how thick the dough should be. I tend to prefer thin though stodgy is definitely more popular.

News / Will the new National Stadium in Warsaw help build Poland's picture in the world? [13]


No, not mythical at all.

News / Will the new National Stadium in Warsaw help build Poland's picture in the world? [13]


Given that construction started shortly after they took office and assuming that the design, contracts, logistics etc weren't just knocked up on the back of an envelope I think we can say others were involved.

News / Will the new National Stadium in Warsaw help build Poland's picture in the world? [13]


Why would it? It's just a fairly ordinary stadium that according to the media here already has structural problems. Hopefully no more concrete ceilings will fall down, especially during Euro 2012.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]


And kania, breaded and fried like a snycel.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]


In effect a coronary on a plate.

Genealogy / Who from the Wola Warszawa (Warsaw, Poland) area could obtain a record from the CMENTARZ (graveyard) [4]


What sort of information? I wouldn't think they keep a file at Cementarz Wolski.

Food / Your favourite Polish foods! [180]

Gulasz at its best is sublime, at its worst is absoutely rank. Oscypek is nothing special. Pyzy and pierogi are usually more bad than good, but czarnina is always delicious.

Polish food isn't wonderful by any means but a few dishes are excellent. Chlodnik Litewski is great, mizeria is too, patisony are good but pierogi (more Russian than Polish) are filling in winter- that is their only plus. The real star of Polish cuisine is the range of soups - ogorkowa, chlodnik.zurek etc. The gulasz soup in southern Poland, called bogracz is great as is kwasnica. The kielbasa is nice only if you buy the expensive stuff - the day to day kielbasa here in Poland for 20zl a kilo is carcinigenic and doesn't taste good.

News / What should Poland do to solve the population crisis? [101]

I think so - there was something in the media about it a while ago. Though nevertheless, the only real population crisis is that the world's population is growing at a shocking rate. In Europe it's fairly stable - but people in countries where a son means income will take a bit of convincing.

News / What should Poland do to solve the population crisis? [101]


I used to think that was true until I found out it was a myth - mathematically Homo Sapiens passed that point centuries ago.

News / What should Poland do to solve the population crisis? [101]

That isn't an IQ test however it makes excellent demographic sense to encourage immigration by highly intelligent people from around the world and emigration by the slackers.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

Pretty well the best choice. It wouldn't do to have a situation where there is a confusion between the roles of Head of State and Head of Government - although. LK did his best to create conflict. And I've never heard much enthusiasm for a US style executive president.

I like the idea of former presidents in the Senate though. Former prime ministers should also be there in the same way as the British ones can choose to enter the upper house.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]


I don't know about 'TEFLers' but EFL professionals can earn a lot of money. Poland however isn't the best place for that.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

I'm not sure age is a problem - the President doesn't have an executive role and Buzek's age doesn't stop him from being a remarkably effective European Commissioner. When I met him recently he seemed in his prime. Gronkiewicz-Waltz has performed very well running Warsaw and Sikorski is uncompromised. Tusk would make a good President.

News / What should Poland do to solve the population crisis? [101]


It's actually the 137th in the world (out of 195 countries)


I tend to avoid using the word 'scum' to define whole ethnic groups - but I wonder if you realise which sectors of French society have the highest birth-rates and which have the lowest?


I'm not sure what you mean by a 'Polish IQ' test.

Anyway, the world's birth rate is far too high - we are heading for a crisis.