Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]

Sorry, I guess it should be "classical" and "neo-classical" architecture and not "classicist".

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]


In the Mediterranean?? How about sunbathing on the beach, swimming in the sea, enjoying the nature and weather, trying local food, etc?

You can get plastered in your home country, you don't have to go abroad to do that lol

Please get back to the topic of the thread

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]

@jon357, it's not new to me that you're not taking criticism of your nation or anything British too well, so I've got to say I'm a bit amused right now ;) :))


dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1043714/Shame-binge-drink-Britons-abroad-number-arrested-holiday-soars-15.html

"A shocking Foreign Office report reveals a huge rise in the number of arrests of Britons overseas."

"Arrests of UK citizens in Spain - by far the biggest problem country - have gone up by a third. In France, they have rocketed by 42 per cent in one year."

Isn't it true about that Foreign Office report?


But after visiting British castles someone may want to see something different. For example, I'm personally rather jaded with classicist and baroque architecture despite it being pretty and elaborate, because I grew up being surrounded by it. That's why visiting the beautiful and spotless Vienna was a bit "boring" for me in this respect. A lot of Paris is classicist it too, so lets say that not all of it was so terribly interesting for me. But I wouldn't advise other people against visiting Vienna or Paris, just because I personally didn't find some aspects of those cities that exciting.

As for castles in Poland, the Malbork Castle is the largest castle in the world measured by land area (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site). I think it's worth seeing just for that reason :)

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]

@jon357, sorry, but if authorities in a given country are actually barring the British from having too much too drink by limiting the amount of alcohol that can be sold to them and where they can drink it, then I doubt it's just a false image created by the media. And as I wrote, I've seen a documentary about it (actually more than one) and I saw with my own eyes how they behave (and they were British, not Polish).


In case you haven't noticed - I'm discussing with Americans.

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]


Well, going abroad as a tourist means spending a limited time in a given country, it's pretty obvious that you won't be there indefinitely. And once you're done with castles, you can move on to churches and palaces lol

Btw, I've seen videos of two travellers-youtubers (an Irish guy and a German-Italian woman) who were sightseeing Poland for three months, as far as I remember, visiting different cities. They didn't seem to be bored :)

I even feel like visiting Łódź after watching their video lol :)) (I was in Łódź before, but that was long ago and I wasn't there as a tourist.)

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]

Wow, you guys are touchy lol


It's not about alcoholism, but how the British tourists drink and behave abroad in public.

And it looks like that it's still going on:

mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brits-abroad-face-booze-crackdown-26828146

"Brits abroad face booze crackdown as Spanish officials issue warning to revellers"

"Balearic Islands Tourism minister Iago Negueruela previously said: "We want British tourists - we don't want this type of tourism.

"British tourism is essential for our islands. We share with the British government the view that some images of British tourists are embarrassing."

Listen, the British are a great nation, but not perfect. There are no perfect nations, so take it easy.

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]

@jon357, not just by Lenka. The British did have such a reputation, not only in Poland. I've even seen a documentary about it lol o_O Maybe it changed, but it definitely was there, so don't jump on Lenka.

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

Huh, it even crossed my mind, because it looks like the building is under construction, but I had no idea that there's actually such a custom:

pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiecha_(budownictwo)

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topping_out

Good riddle, maf :)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@mafketis, I have no idea... lol Are those flowers and some green stuff?

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]


Oh, actually, it's the opposite. Poles are often convinced that there isn't anything much for tourists to see in Poland, especially for those from Western Europe, that Poland is poor, ugly, boring and dirty and people in Poland are horrible :))) I had the same mindset until I stumbled upon all those videos on YouTube of foreign tourists, travellers, people who moved to live in Poland (including from the US), refugees from Ukraine or even people just driving through Poland being often positively surprised and impressed with Poland and even Polish people :)

Poles are often shocked that other people like Poland, that they think it's beautiful, developed and... clean! (that's the most shocking part - clean! :O lol) We experience the greatest shock if someone actually wants to live here, because they like it in Poland and not for work or because they've met a Polish woman lol


LOL
Johnny_reb, have you even ever been to Europe? You sound like one of those Russians who think that because Russia is so big, they have everything there already and they don't need to visit anywhere and see anything else. That's very narrow-minded, imho. For me such people are very boring people ;)

Btw, Polka music isn't Polish lol 🙄

I don't know what's your idea of "exciting". I think it may be different for different people. For example, lying on a beach and eating pork or chicken isn't my idea of "exciting". Nice and relaxing, sure, but not exactly "exciting". Additionally, I'd get bored of that pretty quickly. For me visiting Paris and seeing the Louvre was exciting. I could spent days in just the Louvre alone :)))


If that's all you found then you researched poorly or Europe is simply not your thing. From what I've noticed, Americans usually visit Europe for it's historic architecture and culture. I'm guessing that's probably not your cup of tea.

For example, here you have a video of two Swedish guys visiting Gdańsk on their way to another country and loving it (their English is great, btw - they talk almost like Americans!) - one of them is calling Gdańsk one of the hidden gems in Europe:



And the first comment I see under that video is from an American (I'm guessing):

"Sabby S
The architecture in Europe is so amazing compared to the the US..."

UK, Ireland / When are the Polish going to stop extorting money from UK businesses [13]

I don't recall having to return to shop anything I bought in Poland, besides one pair of elegant winter boots that I bought at CCC quite a few years ago. It was a Polish brand - Lasocki and they weren't cheap for me, so I decided to return them and they repaired them without any questions or problems whatsoever.

My mother, who is pathologically stingy, keeps buying very cheap shoes at those "Chinese" shops and she says they fall apart pretty quickly and my father has to glue them up. I don't know if this cheap, Chinese stuff has any warranty though.

Also, if you're buying something in Poland from an internet shop, you can return it within some period of time (usually two weeks) without giving any reason.

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]


Strange, because foreigners are often pleasantly surprised by Poland and find it interesting, from what I've noticed.


This is a cultural difference - it's a bit as if a Japanese complained that noone bows in the US. Nobody is as "smiley" as Americans. Poles smile if they have a reason to do so.


You must look very weird then, if that's true ;D, because Poles normally don't stare at other white people.

Life / Owning a house in true countryside of Poland - stories [692]

@pawian, you've just confirmed PiwuskiFan's observation that Polish women like strong men ;D

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian, yes! It's the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa which contains the famous Black Madonna icon :) It was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years.

That LEGO model is part of a big, awesome exhibition called "Historyland" which depicts Poland's important historic buildings and Polish historical events from the times of Biskupin to the Solidarity times during the communism.

The most epic part of that exhibition is the Battle of Grunwald with thousands of knights :)))

This exhibition is placed in Poznań in Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie. It was an idea of three friends who are fans of history and LEGO bricks :) They even set up a LEGO store just to be able to import to Poland the bricks they needed to built all those models (over 1 million bricks). They've built the models in their garages with the help of historians. There's a store there too, so you can buy LEGO sets :)

historyland.pl/en/

I think this is a great idea and a fun way to teach kids about Polish history :)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


Not of a village or a town, but, yes, I guess you could say it's a model, because it's an imitation of a real building in Poland :)

Which building?❓


Yes! This building has been built entirely from LEGO bricks :)


✨I'm the only, real, original Paulina! lol✨

Btw, I've googled "Custard Apple" and it looks inside like cherimoya. Does it taste similar?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

And what this is?:

• 
  2022riddle2.jpg
  

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@Cargo pants, no idea... I imagine it's something exotic?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


That's cool - I like fasolka szparagowa :))


Hmm, it looks again like artichoke to me...

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

So do I understand this right - tons of dead fish are being utilised and it didn't cross anyone's mind to send any of those dead fish to that State Research Institute in Puławy, so they could check what actually killed those fish?? Is anyone testing those fish at all??

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]


Was that contamination in the vicinity of the Gliwicki Canal in February and March actually investigated?

The dead fish were seen already on the 26th of July in Lipki. The water analysis from the end of July has shown with 80% probability that it was mesitylene.

What was done about this at that time and since that time?

I also wonder if the samples of flesh of the dead fish were tested too or just the water?


What??? Are they serious?? 🤦

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]


How?


Did you notice that I asked a question?


So?
From what I understood those first leaks of contamination 5 months ago were smaller. Those from two weeks ago were already bigger.

Gumishu, did you even read the article?

As for Sanepid - how do you know they would know instantly, especially if the water is filtered for Wrocław? Are they checking that water on regular basis for no reason or does someone has to call them and say that there's something wrong or give a sample of water for testing?

Btw, I have family in Wrocław. My cousin said that 5 tons of dead fish were taken out of some canal in Wrocław...

Also, Germans say that there's mercury in the Oder and our government claims that there isn't. Who did the testing on the Polish side? Sanepid?

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

@gumishu, read the article I linked to - that's where I found this info.

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

@gumishu lol

It's too big to cover it up now. Read this: polishforums.com/news/oder-ecological-catastrophe-87451/#msg1867803

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

WTF... 🤬

Whatever is in that river killed tons of fish, beavers and even a catfish the size of an adult human:



It's the greatest ecological catastrophe in Poland in the last 30 years. If it turns out that, as Germans say, the river got contaminated with mercury, it's going to be the greatest contamination in Poland since the Chernobyl disaster.

What's worse, the authorities were getting the first info about the contamination 5 months ago and did nothing! 5 months!!! Two weeks ago the authorities were being informed about this intensly and still did nothing! Poles weren't informed about what's happening... and neither was Germany! They only started doing something because the media started informing about this!

portal.abczdrowie.pl/za-katastrofe-ekologiczna-w-odrze-odpowiedzialna-rtec-eksperci-grzmia

And this water is flowing into the Baltic Sea... :(

Who's responsible for this contamination and this total f*ck up??

🤬🤬🤬

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian, artichoke?


It was difficult! I've never heard of it before :) Interesting - I've read that it's one of the oldest vegetables.


What does it taste like?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian, I think I know what this is...

Is it okra?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


I got teary-eyed when I read them too...



Is it some type of pumpkin?

Food / Polish Christmas Eve Dinner recipes [84]


Milo, yes, karp po żydowsku has become traditional Polish food. Polish Christmas Eve dishes are the essence of Polish culinary tradition. And karp po żydowsku is one of those dishes:

picantecooking.com/pl/recipes/boze-narodzenie/karp-po-zydowsku/

A quote from this page:

"Karpia po żydowsku można zaliczyć do jednego z najbardziej popularnych dań świątecznych w Polsce, które jest przyrządzane przez polskich katolików."

My translation:

"Karp po żydowsku can be counted among one of the most popular Christmas dishes in Poland that are being prepared by Polish Catholics."

culture.pl/en/work/polish-food-101-carp

"During the 19th century, the carps were baked in white sauce, or fishballs were made with carp meat, or it was served "the Jewish way", as well as served in gray gravy (which is also a classic nowadays). There was really a multitude of recipes."

Yes, this dish has Jewish roots. It's both Jewish and Polish, because Jews have lived for so long in Poland that this dish has become part of Polish cuisine also.

As for your remarks concerning pawian's pics and that pawian's traditions "are not the ones you were brought up with"...

First of all, there are at least two different recipes that are known as "karp po żydowsku" in Poland. And different families may prepare them in slightly different ways.

All of those photos are "karp po żydowsku" taken from Polish sites with recipes:













Secondly, Polish culinary traditions vary in different regions of Poland. They may even vary among different families in a given region. I also wasn't brought up with all the traditions and food that are considered traditional Polish dishes, because some of them are characteristic for certain regions in Poland or are more popular in there or simply because my family wasn't making this particular dish. For example, kutia is considered to be a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dish, but I've never even tried it, because it's more popular in the East of Poland.

I'd never say, however, that it isn't "traditional Polish food" just because it isn't being eaten in my family. Or that Silesian dumplings (kluski śląskie), for example, aren't "traditional Polish food" just because they don't come from my region. 🙄

Have you been brought up eating kutia at Christmas Eve supper, Milo?:

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

Beautiful words... 😢

Food / Polish Christmas Eve Dinner recipes [84]


Miloslaw, you're seriously being weird about this. It isn't a lie. Karp po żydowsku has become part of Polish cuisine, just like chałka:

pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karp_po_%C5%BCydowsku


I wouldn't say so... I can see that you don't have much knowledge about Poland... That's why it's strange that you're so quick to lecture pawian.