Poland. The land of delicious potatoes.

16th December-20th December 2008

Well, I've finally arrived where my roots lay, after 40 long and arduous hours in transit, 11 of which were spent loitering, drinking bloody mary's, people watching and killing time at Frankfurt Airport. Thankfully, they had showers, 6 Euro well spent.

Ugh.. 

This trip will see me 19 days in Poland, 5 days in Munich, Berlin and Hamburg, Germany, then off to Jonkoping, Sweden for roughly six months on a Uni exchange and then, who knows where in Europe until about August. 

Every time I come to Poland, I really feel a sense of warmth within, even though it really is bleak as hell. It's probably often described as a grey, drab place, but to be honest, I've found some prettiness in this industrial, worn-out landscape...

My family is from a little town just outside of Krakow called Bielsko-Biala. The air here is invigorating and crisp with soaring mountains surrounding. It started to snow just as I arrived...

I have a couple of cousins my age, one of which, Marcella, is weeks off giving birth and will hopefully pop him out before I go to Sweden. She eerily fell pregnant the week my grandfather passed away AND it's a little boy!

Mikolaj, my other cousin, is taking me to the Polish and Ukraine border for a New Years festival in the mountains. Should be an interesting and a completely unique way of spending this time of year, unlike most where I just get trashed in the eve and spend the day at some mediocre event..Well, I'll still get pissy of course! I've also been informed that his friends have made some boiled lemony-vodka concotion. Mmmmmm..

My brilliant uncle, Wladek, has supplied the vodka and gin every night, is taking me skiing post Christmas, driving me around and completely spoiling me. 

Such a legend.

Apartments here are teeny-tiny and simple. Unfortunately, my dad's parent's fridge is broken, not exactly the best before Christmas. Not to worry though, in weather like this, they can just use the windowsill, hehe..

Mum's mum, Little Babcia (Grandma) is the epitome of an 84-year-old Polish woman. Rounded, rosy cheeked and constantly on a feeding mission, she is the cutest thing..

To keep her muscles and bones working, she performs 250 repetitions on her little bike a day, as well as weights on her arms..

Then she settles down at 4 o'clock every afternoon to watch her favourite show in the world, 

The Bold and the Beautiful..

Aaaaw.

Polish T.V is HILARIOUS, full of cheese and very Eurotrashy. Poles have a smugness in the way that they talk, kind of whingy and brattish..They also ADORE singing in English! I find it a complete novelty watching shows in another language, like Sex and the City the other night, the translations are simply gold. Watching has jogged my deep seated memory and language skills and I can now have half-decent conversations, hooray!

Oh, the food. Bland as the recipes may be, the quality of taste is completely different to what I'm used to, as it's organic and natural. The little breakfast sausages are very delicious and eggs are fresh, straight from the chickens. Both Babcia's are always like "Eat, eat!!" so I shovel it all in and then feel incredibly bloated. Well, I don't want to offend them! 

They lived through the War after all..

 

Now, the Polish have some odd traditional values, but one that really makes my stomach churn is the Carp. Not only do they buy these fish LIVE but they let them swim in the cellar bath for a couple of days before killing them and eating them, fried and crispy, for Christmas Eve (Wigilia). I thought my belly could handle it, and I even offered to help in the prepping process, but as soon as I saw them swimming around all slimy-like, I shuddered hard. 

Eeew..

Poland certainly lives up to its stereotypes, as it is truly is the land of the potato..

Preserved, marinated goods...

Pierogi and the like..

and baking stuff with grandma..

So right now, I'm really relaxed, eating, eating and more eating until I burst and liking this down-time. After Christmas Eve (Where I'll have THREE feasts in one day! Oh lordy!) I'll be heading into Krakow for a couple of nights staying at a hostel in the centre somewhere, probably visit Aucshwitz and then New Year's and all that.

Hope all is well on your side.

x Onion