10 Reasons to Visit Me in Poland (#5-1)

Here's part 2 of the 10 Reasons to Visit Me in Poland.  Hurry up and visit before it's too late!!!

5. Gdansk

Gdansk is another city in Poland, and maybe the one that I am looking towards visiting the most. It's located on the Baltic Sea on the nothern coast of Poland. It is a finalist for being the 2016 Capital of Culture in Europe, which is pretty prestigious. It's located next to Gdynia and Sopot, which are also very popluar cities on the coast, making up a tri-city area, that is easy to access by train from Warsaw. Come out here for a day or two and take a dip in the Baltic!

Check out this article on how to spend 24 hours in Gdansk:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110202-24-hours-in-gdansk

4. Auschwitz-Birkenau

I don't need to explain too much to you about Auschwitz. All I need to say is that you really need to be prepared for it. It is emotionally draining, because it is so sad and tragic, but it also makes your blood boil in anger that such a thing could happen. I highly recommend going, but I also don't really want to go back again myself. But I can point you to a tour group or the bus that can take you there. :)

3. Salt Mines

The Wieliczka Salt Mines were a pleasant surprise. Located just outside of Krakow, it makes for a nice side trip, or can even be packaged with Auschwitz for a day long trip for $80 from the local tour companies. The mines go far below the surface of the earth and zig zag all around various rooms, which have turned into a museum of sorts...explaining Polish history through sculptures, all made from salt. Someone even carved "The Last Supper" in salt!  It's pretty incredible. There is even a huge chapel and ballroom, where events are held, and chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, and yes, they are made of salt. Overall, the tour is about 3.5 km long, but the most amazing thing is that the total mine is about 300 km long and over 1,000 feet deep...it is HUGE. It almost touches China on the other side!

Here's a Lonely Planet article on both the Salt Mines and Auschwitz, which are day trips from Krakow:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110204-short-trips-worlds-away-from-krakow

2. Euro 2012

In June/July 2012 UEFA Euro 2012 will take place in Poland and Ukraine. It is the European Soccer Championship, and is a very big deal. Luckily, half of the matches will be held in Poland, many just down the street at the new 500 million Euro National Stadium in Warsaw (which you can see is still being built). It will be an extremely lively and exciting time in Poland then, so feel free to come out! Unfortunately, team USA isn't playing.

1. Old Town

Last but not least, the obvious reason to come visit is to hang out with me in Old Town. Here are a few pictures, and when you come, you will get a nice tour of the history of the city and the neighborhood. The Royal Castle, the President's Palace, and streets packed with bars and restaurants are all within a 10-15 minute walk.

Bonus

Ok, so there are more things I'd like to share.  So this top-10 list is actually a top-14 list. 

Wilanow Palace - Built in the 17th century for the king, this palace has survived all of the fighting over Poland, including the two World Wars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilanow_Palace

Lazienki Park - The biggest park in the city, it has many beautiful buildings and attractions, especially in the summer, where you can find Chopin concerts and the Palace on the Water

Copernicus Science Center - This is a brand new place where you can discover how things work with hands-on exhibits, named after Copernicus...did you know he was Polish?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernicus_Science_Centre

Palace of Culture and Science - The tallest building in Poland, it was a "gift" from the Soviet Union in the '50s. Most locals don't like it because it symbolizes the oppression from that time, but it does offer nice views from the top

Oh, also, you should check out the airport in Warsaw. It's REALLY NICE. It's easy to get there. Just buy a ticket from your local airport, and I will meet you there.

Ok, that's really it. See you when you get here!!

10 Reasons to Visit Me in Poland (#10-6)

With the tourist season coming up in Poland, and only a few friends and family having booked tickets to visit me (yay for you!), I thought it was a good time to convince everyone else to come visit me before it's too late. A lot of people have told me that they didn't know about the culture or history of Poland and in fact have no idea what it even looks like here. Or even where it is on a map.  Well, I will not tell you that, look it up. 

But in order to bring some further awareness of Poland to you, I present part 1 in the 2-part series "10 Reasons to Visit Me in Poland".  This is not a top-10 list, just 10 things to point out. 

It will be followed by the 2-part series "10 Side Trips to Take with Tristan When You Visit Because He Really Wants to Go to There".

10. History

Poland has had a very intense and exciting history, partly because it has the misfortune to be located between Germany and Russia, two of the most powerful (and somewhat unfriendly) forces in recent history. Because of this, everyone was fighting over control of the country. And the history I am talking about is only in the last 70 years.  I'm not even talking about what has happened here for the 1,000 years before that.

One of the most interesting museums I have ever been to (along with the FBI museum in DC, which is awesome), is the Warsaw Rising (or Uprising) Museum.  It portrays through images, videos, audio clips, and artifacts, what happened in Warsaw and Poland during WWII. It focuses primarily on the year 1944, which was the year the people of the city built up the courage and strength to fight back in attempt to kick the Nazis out. I won't spoil the ending, but you can probably guess what happened. As a result, the entire city was methodically destroyed, and its identity and soul were lost. The pictures of this destruction are incredible and you cannot imagine what it would have been like to be living here.

Subsequently, Warsaw's Old Town needed to be completely re-built, and was done so in the same detail as the pre-war buildings.  In essence, it is a replica of itself, done to restore and preserve some of the history and character of the city. It's a pretty remarkable feat, and after going to this museum, I think you will really appreciate the events of 1944 and what this city has been through. It's even crazier to think that there are still people alive today who lived through this.

It is also extremely interesting to talk to people about their experiences growing up with Communism. Memories are usually not wonderful, but they usually aren't too terrible either. Anyone in their late 20s or older will have vivid memories about what it was like standing in line for days for food or shoes, not being able to leave the country to go on vacation (WHAAAAT?), and the anti-Western, pro-Communist propoganda that filled the airwaves. Some older folks even "miss" it because they had fewer worries and everything was simple. That's right, some people liked it.  We hear a certain amount of anti-Communist propoganda in the US, and hearing the other side is pretty interesting.  I will probably have to dedicate a full post to this topic because people have told me about some fascinating experiences.

9. Food and drink

There's probably not a need for me to go into too much detail here. You know I love food, and there is a lot of it here. Plus, you've probably seen pictures of every meal I've ever had. And the best part is that it is all very affordable. Most "nice" restaurants have complete meals for around $10-15 (no additional tax and very little tip). I will just leave you with some pictures...

Pierogi - Dumplings filled with different kinds of meat, cheese, veggies, or a magical combination of any of the above

Interesting fact: the word "pierogi" is already plural, so don't say "pierogis" or you will be ridiculed and stoned.

Golonka - Pork knuckle, usually served with cabbage and horseradish, and it is obligatory to accompany this with a very large Polish beer

Interesting fact: a restaurant by my apartment serves a 1 kilo golonka. Good luck with that.

Vodka - Vodka is very popular and cheap in Poland. Everyone from baby-faced 18 year olds to wrinkled old grandmas are known to enjoy an uncountable number shots in any given night. Shots are usually in the $2-3 range in bars, while you can get bottles for $10 in the corner store.

Interesting fact:  It's not possible to pronounce the name of this vodka.

Other popular traditional dishes are żurek (sour soup with egg and kielbasa), gołąbki (meat-stuffed cabbage rolls), and bigos (the national dish made feom sauteed cabbage, veggies, sausages, and/or meat). Yum to all. And yes, there is a lot of very good, cheap Polish beer.

8. Zakopane/Mazury

For any outdoor enthusiasts, Zakopane and Mazury can offer anything you might want to do, any time of year.

Zakopane is located in southern Poland, at the foot of the Tatra mountains. Hiking, skiings, and any outdoor activity can be done here year-round. It was actually a candidate city for the 2006 Winter Olympics, so you know it's good!

Located in northeastern Poland, Mazury is a region known for its 2,000+ lakes. There are castles to explore, boats to ride, and scenery to relax with and enjoy.  I hope to go camping out here this summer.

7. Chopin

You may not realize it, but Frederic Chopin is from Poland. His father is French, but Chopin spent half of his life in Warsaw before moving to France. There are several tributes to Chopin in the city, such as free concerts in the park, an interactive museum about him, and heck, the airport is even named after him. So, yes, he is Polish. And yes, Poland likes Chopin.

Here's an article about the museum - http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110203-chopins-warsaw

6. Krakow

Krakow is probably my favorite city in Poland (and one of my favorites in Europe in general). It's a must when you visit. It was the capital of Poland for about 500 years until Warsaw took that role in the 16th century (anyone remember that?). It's big, but small, has a lot to do, and has a lot of fun people and an energy about it. Plus it's only a 3 hour train ride away from Warsaw, so it's easy to make a weekend trip out of it. Wawel Castle, the Wisla River, the Jewish District, and the Market Square (one of the oldest in all of Europe) are all wonderful places to visit. You can get lost for days (in a good way) in the Old Town. Restaurants, bars, clubs, shops, beautiful buildings...it has it all, all within the protective city walls.  And Auschwitz and the Salt Mines are not far away, which are also must-sees I will tell you about later. 

I hope you enjoyed this small taste of things to see and do here. Part 2 will be coming soon!

And in the mean-time, please check out this link with some pictures from BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20110203-poland-in-pictures

Pizza my Heart (in Italia)

I inch my way towards the edge of the slope, feet locked into my board nice and tight, legs loose from the stretching i just did (hey, i'm getting old), and I look down at the beautiful white blanket covering the mountain, with scattered patches of green tree tips peering out. The sky is as blue as I've seen in months with the sun high overhead. I didn't bring sunglasses so I have to pull down my goggles to block out the blinding rays. I even plastered on some sun block to make sure I don't burn. To my right, I hear faint conversations in Italian as skiiers snap into their skis, while others lay out in hammocks soaking up some vitamin D; their faces resembling red racoons from spending the entire weekend in in the sun.

Lukasz and I give each give head nods, signalling that we are each ready to go. It's been a couple seasons since I've boarded, so I figure I better let him lead the way. The first time out every season I get a bit worried that I've forgotten how to turn on my board. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous. He takes off on his skis, graceful and sturdy. It looks so easy. I take a breath, then start down the mountain, picking up speed and remembering the joy of my trips to Tahoe, Whistler, Breckenridge (and Snoqualmie). Carving comes back in an instant. It really is like riding a bike. For a couple seconds I actually think I'm better at this than I ever was (which is average at best). I look up to make sure I don't lose Lukasz.

Then BAM! Just as I come out of a toe-to-heel turn, my face decides it would like to get a closer look at the Italian snow. A REALLY close look. The edge of my board catches and I take a very ungraceful tumble, flipping a few times, twisting into awkward positions, my goggles spun around to the back of my head. This happens only 100 meters from the top. Where everyone getting off the lift can see me, as well as everyone riding up. So much for it all coming back to me and being better than ever. I get up quickly and awkwardly, not wanting to make a scene. 5 seconds later, I'm tasting snow again. It tastes even worse the second time. Like humiliation.  2 falls in the first 30 seconds. It's going to be a long day.

....

Francis and I decided to visit Lukasz in Italy for a weekend so we could get in some boarding/skiing, and visit his new town of Brescia (he's Polish and left Poland the day before I arrived...some friend!). Brescia is about 1.5 hours away from Milan, while the resort we went to in the Dolomites (Madonna di Campiglio) is about 2 hours away. It was good to hang out with my old San Jose office mates, several thousand miles from the last place we were together.

Village on a lake on the way to the mountain:

Despite the not so promising start to my day on the mountain, it ended up being a lot of fun. I only fell one other time, and it was when I was trying to stop anyway, so we'll say it was on purpose. The views from the top were gorgeous, and by the end of the day I was going straight down some very steep slopes without an ounce of hesitation. My carving really has gotten better! Ok, enough bragging.

The mountain was very nice. The views were fantastic, and there are several areas where people go up the lift just to lay out and relax (why ski when you can just enjoy the sun and the views???). If you've ever gone skiing, you know what I mean...the views from the top of any mountain are just priceless. There's also some really good food up there. I guess it's true what they say...the Italians take their food seriously (I don't know who "they" are, but I think I've heard that before).

The resort doesn't get a lot of foreigners, which meant shorts lines on the lifts, empty runs, and not a single soul in the ski rental place (except a guy who tried to speak Tagalog to Francis, which was pretty random). Because there are mostly Italians, not too many people spoke English (which seems to be a general trend in Italy in general). Lucikly Lukasz is pretty good with his Italian, as well as his Italian cupped hand motions, which is truly a sign of Italian fluency. He's been in Italy just as long as I have been in Poland...but it's clear his Italian is 500000000 times better than my Polish. If I had to speak only in Polish throughout the process of parking, renting skis, buying lift tickets, getting through a cafeteria line, and finding my way around the mountain, I would probably just stay home instead.

This was Francis's first time skiing and he took private lessons. They went really well (as long as he doesn't have to turn, as he says).

Lukasz shows Francis how not to fall off the cliff:

After a pretty exhausting day, we went back to Brescia for dinner. This was of course the thing I was looking forward to the most. Food. I had Polish Italian food in Warsaw before I left to prepare myself for this moment: my first proper meal in Italy.

And let's just say I got a little carried away. The menus are not in English, but luckily we get some pretty good training with the names of Italian foods in the US, so it wasn't a problem. I scarfed my skinny and crunchy breadsticks within 5 seconds (if you've ever been to Vince's in Seattle, you might appreciate the power of these skinny and crunchy pre-meal breadsticks). Then I ordered some very meaty beef carpaccio (it was super thick like the teriyaki beef you find in Hawaii), a whole pizza (I brought Lactaid, because, I mean, I'm in Italy), and shared a pasta dish with Franny. It was all very good. I could definitely eat the raw beef with rice as a meal and be happy (and also probably ridiculed), and the thin crust and the fresh toppings on the pizza were superb (the anti-Pizza Hut). The only surprise is that it didn't come sliced (which I guess is normal). I had to work for this pizza. If I was in the pizza slicer business, I'd move to Italy and make a fortune. Italians are said to be lazy (no offense, but that's what Wikipedia says), so cutting their pizza for them seems like a great business plan.

A random observation is the way that they hold up 3 fingers. If you have seen the movie Inglorious Basterds you might know what I am talking about. Apparently, you need to hold up the 2 "peace" fingers and the thumb to signal three. I tried to do it in the American way, and the guy thought I was saying 4. Even with hand signals things can get lost in translation!

Don't do this:

Do this:

Another observation was the behavior and service of the staff at this restaurant. So far in my European experience, the service hasn't seemed to be too urgent or attentive. The staff usually lazes around like they have nothing better to do. This place was completely different. The hostess showed us to our table in a speed walk. I actually had to jog to keep from losing her. The servers zoomed back and forth with the same sense of speed and urgency that New Yorkers have when navigating through mobs of tourists in Times Square. Everytime we asked for something, we had it within seconds. A lady even spilled our beers because she was moving so fast (so maybe that is a downside). It was actually kind of nice to have service that cared about paying attention to us. We didn't feel rushed; just important.

The pizza we had on the second day was probably even better than the first. Nevermind the fact that it looks like a hot dog pizza. Actually, maybe it was better BECAUSE of the fact it was a hot dog pizza. (By the way, this pizza should be an American staple...our 2 favorite meals combined into one!).

The tiramisu was also AWESOME. It was more puddinggy than cakey (although it did have a few lady fingers buried in there). This is now my favorite kind. I only eat puddinggy tiramisu from now on.

All this made for a nice first experience in Italy, which will definitely be followed by other trips to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome, and many other places. Now I just have to find more time for it!

Ps. An 8 minute cab ride was about 25 Euros, which is ridiculous!!! At least it was a Prius, so we were saving the planet.

A couple pics of Brescia. Don't ask me where the people are: