Mazury - away from the hustle and bustle...

Finally, I am able to do what I have wanted to do for a long, long time: to fill you in with more info about the beauty spots of Poland! And I am so excited to share the beautiful pictures with you too!

I was skimming through holiday brochures looking for Poland's top holiday destinations. The place away from the hustle and bustle of city life where we can enjoy the peace and tranquility is what I want! 

Here comes the Great Masurian Lake District - my perfect choice. A mystic land offering it all: peace, bliss, tranquility... no crowds, no traffic or no network, if you decide to venture deep into the landscape park. On the top of everything else, exceptionally beautiful surroundings and plenty opportunities to get closer to nature, simple and unspoilt. A truly special place where you can enjoy the delights of the richest wildlife areas of Poland, the freshest air and fresh fish served straight from the clear waters of Masurian lakes. I have been there before but next summer I'd like to come back for more. The region on its own is so big that any nature spotting enthusiasts can easily spend each year's holidays and there still will be plenty left to explore. 

Beautiful surroundings like these, you can see here in every corner:

With many thanks to Jacek Fałatowicz, the author of the above photographs, who kindly agreed for them to be published on this site. For more photographs by Jacek visit his official website: www.jacekfalatowicz.pl. 

(above: Dadaj Lake)

With many thanks to Mieczyslaw Wieliczko, the author of the above photographs, who kindly agreed for them to be published on this site. For more photographs by Mieczyslaw visit his official website: www.wieliczko.com.pl.

You must know that Mazury (Polish for Masuria) is the place every Pole takes a real pleasure in praising shamelessly. I couldn't not to join in as I genuinely think this place is worth even more positive attention! I am aware that it seems almost impossible to exhaust the topic, although I will try to include as much information as I can in the 3 consecutive posts which create, (the words are probably too big), "a small Masurian saga" :) At the same time, I promise I will put in an honest effort to come back to the subject and make a photographic statement of my next trip to Mazury.

I believe in strong arguments. Here're a couple:

- Firstly, this is a reasonable choice for everyone, no matter of your age, preferences or size of your wallet. Literally everyone will find something special to do! If you are a man / woman of leisure, you can book one of the finest luxurious Masurian Lake District hotels offering spa and golf facilities (eg. Hotel Młyn Klekotki in Godkow or Golebiewski Hotel in Mikolajki) or one of the pleasant restored manor houses like the one in Kaliszki. If you are of rather primitive nature, there is a big choice of camping, campering, cottages rentals and B&Bs. Sometimes it is worth just to pack away a tent together with a good camping equipment and start an out of schedule trip...

- Secondly, outstanding natural beauty, nature reserves and wildlife. The Masurian Landscape Park covering over 500 km² of lakes, rivers, canals, forests and 11 nature reserves is the oldest in Poland. A few special places worth visiting are: 

* Łuknajo Lake which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is a must! This shallow (only 0.6 metres deep) freshwater lake is a shelter for the largest in Europe surviving community of mute swans and home for other rare bird species including waterfowls and raptors. Already in 1930s, the area was put under special protection being a place of international importace. A true paradise for ornithologists and other nature lovers!  To read more about Łuknajo Lake Reserve: http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=POL+03&mode=all

* The Borecka Pushcha forest with a breeding station for European Bisons. A real gem! Not everyone knows that this is an incredibly valuable nature corner of the entire continent. This large primeval forest complex offers a plenty of nature spotting opportunities: you can trace here: bizons, elks, red deers, packs of wolves, wild boars, beavers or lynxes. To find out more about a great safari experience in Puszcza Borecka click on: http://www.skyscanner.net/news/5-european-safaris-take-walk-europe-s-wild-side

* Krutynia Kayak Trail - one of the most unique waterways in Old Continent. Measuring almost 100 km, offering a variety of attactions ranging from: a varied tracks, through the opportunity to see the wealth of the surrounding natural beauty to a night spent on the desert island,  Krutynia Kayak Trail is believed to be one of the most stunning outdoor activities you can experience in Masurian Landscape Park. To read more about these picturesque kayak safaris click on: http://www.poland.travel/en-gb/tourist-route/kayak-trail-on-the-river-krutynia

- You can't really get bored in here with the entertainment operating all year round. In summer, Mazury with over 2.000 lakes, beautiful forests and picturesque meadows is a paradise for a variety of outdoor and recreational activities including hiking, fishing, kayaking, sailing, horse riding, cycling, strolling on moonlight nature walks or picnicking alongside one of many stunning lakes in the the region.

- In winter time, the lakeland offers a great opportunities for diving under the ice (the clarity of water reaches its highest note with visability of 10 metres!), fishing, sleigh rides, ice sailing or cross country skiing (it may come as a surprise but the truth is, in order to satisfy all tourist appetites, Mazury easily turns into a real winterland meeting the standards of Zakopane, for instance. All outdoors attractions are reasonably priced plus most of the luxurious resorts are cheaper in winter season so why not to give it a go? To read more about skiing in Mazury:  http://www.poland.travel/en/skiing-and-snowboarding/skiing-in-the-warmia-mazury-region

This is the end of part 1. Over the next days few check out  for parts 2 and 3. Bye for now! I'm leaving you with the beautiful pictures of Masurian lakes by Mieczyslaw Wieliczko! Enjoyyyy!

(above) Sniadrwy Lake

Kisajno Lake

Yet again, many thanks to Mieczyslaw Wieliczko, the author of the above photographs, who kindly agreed for them to be published on this site. For more photographs by Mieczyslaw visit his official website: www.wieliczko.com.pl.

Blooming Tea

I thought I knew everything about drinking tea the Polish way and there was no way I could be taken aback by any novelties. Well, I was wrong.

As there are always plenty of tea worthy situations in my life, I see my friend around a nice cup of tea on a regular basis. This time, she was inviting for a blooming tea...

Never before I have heard about or tried blooming tea plus I got to know that its popularity in Poland is growing incredibly quick - I had to investigate the subject thoroughly lol. So, as I found out, the flowering tea is actually a Chinese invention. Somebody's skillful hands wrapped tea leaves around freshly dried flower to make a little tea ball like this:

There is nothing rather interesting about the tea ball itself, but the brewing process is truly spectacular! It all unfurls when hot water is added showing the wonderful flowering process. 

How to brew:

• Place a tea bloom in a transparent glass so you can properly see how it's blossoming
• add boiling water and brew for 3-5 minutes depending on how strong you want it to be. See what I got!

As this post is more about watching than reading I am going to be brief. I agree with blooming tea fans: having this tea is not only a real spectacle for your eyeballs but a treat to the taste buds too. It is fresh, fragrant, delicate in flavour, healthy and calms the mind. Each hand tied tea bloom is individually wrapped so stays fresh and storing is not an issue.

It is easily accessible on the internet (ebay sells them too). Tea balls can be mixed and matched and there are so many different types to choose from. Each combination of tea leaves and flowers has different benefits ranging from detoxification, whitening skin, invigorating circulation of blood, helping to digest to eliminating the tension and many more. I have got spare 2 tea balls. If anyone would like to try it out for yourself, drop me a quick email. I am happy to post!

To read more about the legend and art of blooming tea, visit http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/the-art-of-blooming-tea.

God Save the Tea!

Brits love their tea! It's like a mild addiction! lol When I first came to the UK I knew straight away I would be offered a cup of tea every half an hour. When in Rome do as the Romans do, as they say, so I joined the gang of tea lovers and drank 6-8 cups of tea daily. Soon, a morning brew accompanied by a few biscuits became my guilty pleasure. 

As everyone around was sipping tea, it was hard not to adapt this social habit. Now I know that a well-made cup of hot tea can blow away the cobwebs.   

My friends asked whether Poles made their tea the same way Brits do. Here's your post about how Poles make their prefect cuppa. It will be followed by a sequel too! Yaayy!

First, check out a few fun facts. Research shows that Poland's annual tea consumption, next to Ireland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Russia and Germany is one of the biggest in Europe. Tea as such was not a very popular beverage in Poland until the Russian annexations, when we "discovered" the tea can actually taste good. Ever since then Poles started making tea in a Russian style, i.e. having sweet black tea with a slice of lemon served in a tea glass in a metal holder. In Russia, tea was brewed in so called samovars or so to say self boilers in which tea extract was mixed with boiling water in order to make a perfect cuppa. This Russian tradition has completely vanished and you will no longer find a samovar in use, unless you meet a connoisseur. Like everywhere else everyday tea in Poland is made by putting a kettle on and placing a tea bag in your mug. Not a rocket science :)

Drinking tea the Polish way:

Hot Honey Lemon Tea is the most popular flu and cold remedy in Poland. Feeling ill? Add 2 tea spoons honey and half lemon juice onto your cup of tea or strengthen it with a shot of brandy. This tea will quickly cure what ails you.

In some areas of Poland Christmas Tea is served at dinner on Christmas Eve. Its distinctive aroma and flavour are dictated by the choice of dry fruits and spices. Next to ginger, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and clove,  you will taste some dry orange skin, dry plums or apple. All is composing a special blend to serve to guests or treat family with a fresh brew at breakfast to celebrate this festive season. 

Check out the next post for more tea news!

Part II: Isn't it time to say goodbye to... our serious face? ಠ_ಠ

Like I said, until we admit there is a problem, nothing will ever change for better! I personally believe that a lot of our national shame, vulnerability and low self esteem have their roots in 1940's. Whoever would like to understand our complex nature, would have to make an effort in getting to know what happened in Poland between 1939-1981. “A Question of Honor” by Lynne Olson and "God's Playground" by Norman Davies would be good for the start!

World War II damaged Poland's identity - this is beyond any disputes. No other nation's history, at that time, was as distorted as Polish. We were invaded and destroyed during the long and bloody war, then oppressed yet again by a communist regime. In total, 42 years of oppression. Everyone would admit it is a long time. No wonder these events left their mark on Polish soul and I guess, deep down inside, we still have not got over it.

It is still hard to talk about these things as the pain has probably not gone yet. Seventy years after the end of the Second World War and it is time for either other nations or Poles to understand that we must be allowed the time to be Polish again and to feel our own identity run through the veins. In the meantime, we continue to fight the whole lot of remaining stereotypes and prejudices:

• On the West End Poles are often reproached for having no manners in queues. I won't catch anyone by surprise by saying the state of war and regime are very drastic and extraordinary situations. I guess, the behaviour conducting at that time can be justified given the extreme circumstances. Whoever stood in line for 25 hours to get a roll of toilet tissue or any other basics, would understand why (there is no excuse to younger generations though)
• jealous and judgemental - as we  have suffered hardship for so long, naturally pursue for better life with a touch of luxury. At the same time we lack the inner strength, the drive to achieve what we wish for. This is so destructive. Hold your world in your own hands! That is the only way forward!
• a lot of Poles have a rose-tinted view of the other European countries so when compared to their prosperous neighbours, see Poland as a failure. In fact, Poles have a lot to be proud of. With great educational system, fair infrastructure, deep traditions and strong ego, we are culturally, intellectually and spiritually streets ahead the others!
• low self-esteem and lack of motivation. I personally think we can observe a worsening trend of being cool with working hard just to serve the stronger/more powerful ones. Continue to work hard but think of your own benefits too! And don't be afraid of being successful! With our exceptional hard work and strong character we are worth our weight in diamonds!
• we would love to live the life to the fullest but with the current attitude it's not doable. Let's not worry about what others think about us and get bitter about comments made by those who are misinformed. Most of the images they have in their heads are at least 30 years out of date and whoever has recently been to Poland is pleasantly surprised how friendly and nice the place is.

Part I: Isn't it time to say goodbye to...our serious face? ಠ_ಠ

Nothing is ever black and white like there is never one side to the story.

I would lie if I say I am not aware of the wave of criticism Poles face every day. On the other hand,  I would not want to hide the fact that in many ways, they only have themselves to blame. I personally have a very strong sense of national identity and would always stand by Poles, no matter what. Nevertheless, there are things that are needed to be told in order to do justice to both sides. 

However proud nation Poles are, they are continuously tortured by a touch of inferiority in their lives. However, strong and adamant in their fight for freedom, still they feel like they have to prove their value over and over again. If you ever hear the Pole boasting about how glorious we are - this won't be arrogance that has no basis but a quiet plea for approval. 

People say, you can always identify a Pole on the streets of London or Chicago just by their facial expression (read: a mournful look). And I am not talking here about the look of the person who, having a lot on their mind, happened to tune out the surrounding. There is definitely something concerning about polish character that prevents them from living life to the fullest. It's commonly known, what's inside, reflects on the outside.

So, where does this "serious face" come from? ಠ_ಠ

1. Generally we spend far too much time thinking - "how do I look?", "would others criticize me for what I'm doing?", "what do others think about me? Oh, I really hope, it's nothing bad!". This genuine fear of rejection remains a formidable man-made obstacle to personal and collective growth. It's almost like we wouldn't dare to stand out from the crowd in case it triggers harsh criticism. 

2. At times, we tend to be hugely judgmental completely depriving ourselves (or others) of right to make a single mistake. It is closely linked to, like it or not, jealousy and aversion to those who actually found courage to make success. 

3. A focus on what we have rather than who we are takes away a lot of joy from our lives 

4. In many ways we really care what foreigners think of us. And any comment made about us, rude or not, we take too seriously. 

Hold on horses everyone! It's not the end of the story; I am only half way though!lol Believe it or not, it's really not as bad as it looks... We know our "cardinal sins". Let's accept, have interest in finding out what part of our history determined them & find a cure.

Wonder what is the source of the trouble? I will continue in part II... Coming soon!