BajaBlanca - 6-15-2015 at 02:37 AM
We were having internet issues that are now over - so it is now time to travel Poland with us!
We arrived in Gdansk and drove to Wegorzewo. On the way, we stopped at this border town (do not remember the name) for some chats and food.
TYPICAL POLISH AND PROBABLY RUSSIAN ARCHITECTURE. MOST SIGNS WERE WRITTEN IN BOTH LANGUAGES:
THESE ARE COMMUNIST APARTMENT BUILDINGS WITH COLOR ADDED NOW THAT THEY ARE NOT COMMUNIST ANY MORE.
MUST BE A MONUMENT? THE TRAIN SYSTEM IS INEXPENSIVE AND VERY EXTENSIVE ALL OVER POLAND:
DRIVING BETWEEN TOWNS - THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE:
AND HERE WE ARE JUST ARRIVING IN WEGORZEWO, OUR HOME FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS WITH SIDE TRIPS TO BOOT. THE "W" IS PRONOUNCED WITH A V SOUND IN POLISH:
THIS AREA IS IN THE FAR NORTH EAST CORNER OF POLAND AND IS APTLY CALLED THE LAKE REGION....THERE ARE LAKES AND CANALS LINKING THE LAKES FROM ONE END
OF THE COUNTRY TO THE OTHER, THE EUROPEAN UNION ALSO CREATED A BIKE PATH THAT LINKS THE SEA TO RUSSIA, CROSSING ALL OF POLAND:
STAY TUNED FOR MORE.......WELCOME TO POLSKA!
[Edited on 6-15-2015 by BajaBlanca]
Udo - 6-15-2015 at 09:24 AM
Great photos of the buildings and landscape. An example of Russian architecture is obvious in those buildings. Or at the very least Russian
influenced.
SFandH - 6-15-2015 at 09:42 AM
Thanks for the photos! How's the kielbasa? Spicy?
BajaBlanca - 6-15-2015 at 10:11 AM
we are fired! we have not tried the kielbasa yet since we get the Polish kielbasa from Costco regularly in La Bocana.....but we do eat all kinds of
cheeses and cold cuts.....to die for delicious!
and the poppy seed cheese cake - OMigoshhhhhhhhhh
I made cannelloni for Les's brother and sister-in-law and it did not go over so well hahaha His brother said -It was good but where are the
potatoes lol
potatoes are great here, but I am trying to get them eating dishes that they have never seen. On the list are stroganoff and lasagna.
Pompano - 6-15-2015 at 01:04 PM
Blanca, thanks for this fine travelogue. I've also visited amigos in Poland (whom I met in Baja years ago.) Like your photos show, I was surprised
to see the similarities between the US Midwest lakes region and the lakes and farming regions of Poland. The crops and climate are almost the same,
too. Your scenes could easily be the same as seen in Minnesota,Wisconsin, and Manitoba, Canada. It's easy to undestand from those similarities why
there was such a strong Polish immigration to these areas.
Congratulations on bringing new food ideas and cooking methods to your friends. In return, the immigrating Poles returned the favor long ago. They
brought us many treats I enjoyed while growing up in the Midwest... like perogies, flaki fast food, compote (Xmas time), bigos (I love meat stews),
golabki (cabbage rolls). Don't forget the pickles!
Speaking of pickles...
Much later in life I discovered that most every US and Mexican vodka is great if you want to clean your oven, but Polish rye vodka is more suitable
for drinking. 
We borrowed this wild custom from our vodka and fun-loving Polish friends and practiced it in our Baja casa. Keep a bottle of fine Polish vodka in
your freezer for a few days, then put it in an empty milk carton (the wax paper kind), fill the carton with water, and re-freeze the whole works.
Invite a few of your favorite amigos for a c-cktail party and seat them at a round table. Place the frozen carton and super-cold vodka in the center
of the table on a platter, give each guest a shot glass and a small saucer of whole sweet pickles (the spicy little Gerkins are good).
Now your guests take a shot of the icy cold vodka (which has become almost syrupy) and immediately eats a small pickle. Try it with good toasts and
conversations . You'll agree...The blending of the icy and room-temp flavors is unbelievably good...and cements friendships across the world.
BajaBlanca - 6-16-2015 at 02:20 AM
Now that you mention it, Pompano - this area really is indeed remarkably similar to the landscape and the weather in the northern US lake
region.....I once spent two summers on Lake Minnetonka as a teen - it is exactly the same look with exactly the same mosquitoes that attack you in the
summer! I did not realize at the time that there was such a big Polish and Scandinavian community there, it sure makes sense though.
Les is an amazing cook and he makes Polish food regularly, even making kielbasa. We were delighted to see that you can now buy frozen pierogi at
Costco. The world gets smaller and smaller or bigger and bigger really.
and the tiny gerkins are one of those MUST HAVES from the States for us.
Glad you all are enjoying the write-ups!
