Kraków

A warm spell during my business trip to Kraków last week and I had the chance to wander around the city for an hour. The area around Wawel Castle (above) is a very pleasant place to spend time during study breaks and in the late afternoon. Kraków is lucky that the river runs much nearer the city centre than in Warsaw and is a little more convenient to access by foot. The green, landscaped banks help to make this an enjoyable place to spend time.

Above: the Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) in the Market Square as the light fades. Some 500 years ago, this was the focus of trade in the area and Eastern traders would visit the city to sell spices, silk, leather and wax. Merchants from Kraków would meet to sell and export their own wares which included textiles and lead, as well as salt from the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine.

As I drove down ul. Zwierzyniecka on my way to the Sheraton, I noticed that this is one of the few places where trams and cars share the same space. Below: the view in front of my car – this tramline on Zwierzyniecka was the first to be laid in Kraków in 1913.

Below: St. Mary’s Basilica from ul. Floriańska. Every hour on the hour, a trumpet signal called the ‘hejnał’ is played from all four compass directions from the top of the taller of the towers. Mid-bar, the trumpet breaks, commemorating the original 13th century trumpeteer, who, while giving the alarm before a Tartar invasion, was hit in the throat with an arrow. An eerie sound, no matter how many times you hear it.

Spring is close…I can smell it.

Terrible stamina when it comes to blogging, so I apologise. I shall be more mindful.

So, what’s new? Well, I have new car which is quite exciting for me given that I spend almost two hours a day in it. A very comfortable and quick Volvo with automatic gearbox and a damn good stereo. The only downside is the cream interior, which as pleasant as it is when wearing a suit, it’s not so muddy-boots-in-the-back friendly when the kids are in tow. Rubber mats and plastic sheets covering the entire back of the car seems to be the solution.

And the BBQ is officially out of the garage! Yes, last weekend saw the first grill of the season and we opened it with some good steak and Polish white sausage, accompanied by garlic butter filled mushrooms and grilled courgettes. Very pleasant indeed given the fleeting +20C temperatures.

The trampoline was also built and the kids had their friends around for home-made pizza on the Saturday. It’s good to see them outside in their t-shirts again burning energy and enjoying a little sunshine. It lightens the mood and relaxes the mind when the sun’s warming rays are felt for the first time after the winter.

But apparently it was not to last. The past few days have bizarrely seen snow storms again and temperatures fall to below +4C, albeit the sky cleared this afternoon giving way to blue skies and weak sunshine. I think most people considered yesterday a day for shopping (urgh!), and for us, followed by ice-cream and a kid’s movie on the sofa in the late afternoon.

Irrespective of the incoming cold spell, the BBQ will remain out and the chairs on the terrace. We must remain optimistic that Spring is here and all this rain is to ensure a lush garden and green grass for the months ahead. Which reminds me. I need to service my lawnmower.

Czachówek: nice place, but a bit quiet.

So there I was, sat on the 18:05 from Warszawa Centralna heading home, silently proud of the fact that I had managed to use Polish public transport two days in a row without incident when, from out of nowhere, complacency set well and truly in.

Locating where along your journey you are in winter whilst on a Polish train is not the easiest task. With windows caked with ice on the inside (providing zero visibility), coupled with the lack of any tannoy or signage informing of the next station…the pitch black darkness outside….and the carriage packed with people, and well, your journey is run on your watch.

It takes 40 minutes from Centralna to my local station at Zalesie Górne (I now know this to be true as I have travelled by train twice this year!), during which time hoards of commuters usually disembark at Piaseczno. Not today! Everyone stayed on board looking quite relaxed and seemingly in it for the long haul. Which they were. To Radom.

By the time I realised that the 40 minutes was up (and closed the rather interesting photography magazine I was reading), I was two stations further down the line at a very isolated and very cold little station called:

So I called my devoted wife.

Stranded traveller: “Am I far away? Can you pick me up please?”

Devoted Wife: “Sure thing honey, I’m packing the kids now and I’ll be there soon”.

Stranded Traveller: “Can you hurry please? It’s -11C”

Devoted Wife: “I will” (and these next words should have rung alarm bells) “but I don’t have a GPS”.

So I waited. On my own in the middle of freezing nowhere. One train did pass on the way back to Centralna (35 minutes after I arrived), but by this time I was fully commited to wait for my family to bring me home. In short, I stood for an hour on the platform listening to dogs bark, babies cry and cars drive past feeling quite the foreigner.

Still, could have been worse. Whilst waiting on the platform, I met a young Polish guy travelling back to Kraków who had got on the wrong train in Warsaw and ended up here. He was heading back to Warsaw to find the right train. So slightly reassuring that this isn’t just me, but a general inability by the Polish State Railways to deliver clear information to travellers.

Apparently my 5-year old son said to his Mum as they drove to pick me up…

“Mummy? Why do all the other children have a Polish Daddy and we have to have an English one?”

Good question, son.

First heavy snow of 2012

The initial day of snow inevitably takes commuters by surprise, no matter how well forecast. For the past few days, 4cm has been expected to fall last night and I cleared the drive this morning of exactly that.

With winter tyres and cars prepped for icy roads, the question is always whether to drive as normal, or consider the train. As the snow was falling gradually, I didn’t consider the roads would be blocked, so I headed out confidently (if not a little late) for the city.

I lasted 20 minutes before hitting a long tailback. Few drivers were turning around, but it didn’t make sense to sit in traffic for the next hour and a half, so I spun the car round – literally – and made my way to Zalesie Górne Station. A 5-minute wait, and I’m on the train with an ETA of 10am in the office.

Judging by the traffic this morning, tonight will also be busy on the roads as the snow is expected to fall gently all day. I wonder how many people will waste over 2 working hours sat in the car? Days like today are when working from home makes sense!

Born from experience

Energy abounding, emotions at new heights,
battles in fantasy worlds and lego ninja fights.
Inevitably one loses, red flashes of anger unleashed,
the defense mechanism kicks in, releasing two little beasts.

Newly developed voices to be heard, new sounds to explore,
the youngest laughing at the ridiculous and egging for more.
A shout of annoyance preclude giggles of glee,
“catch us if you can, but we’re fast – you’ll see!”.

Teamwork at play and the hunter becomes hunted,
a fleeing tail up the stairway and the pursuit becomes blunted.
Out of reach in the rafters, the cat’s eyes roam below.
Two little faces stare back, with a mumble of “next time, bro”.

Ice-cream and chocolate or pizza and fries,
a fight becomes amicable at the whiff of a prize.
To be good is a challenge, to be naughty is fun,
when the hawks aren’t watching, they’re always outdone.

Whether a punch on the arm or a dunk in the bath,
the love between siblings is a mischievous path.
But the beauty of childhood is that naivety blinds,
because the teachers don’t tell you that parents can read minds!

Watching the Wood Pile Deplete

A mild January has given way to a February deep freeze with last Thursday morning showing -25C as I left for work. A short walk down Krakowskie Przedmieście that evening from a car park opposite the Bristol Hotel to Skwer without a hat soon demonstrated how quickly the face can become numb. A mistake I shall not repeat again this season. My Suede Leather Aviator Hat (bought here) will now be worn whenever venturing outside!

The snow is surprisingly limited this year. The ground covering that remains is left from a brief snow shower several weeks ago, kept in a frozen state by the low temperatures. The day after it fell, the snow was not ideal given it was still +oC at the time, but Alex and I still managed to build a small snowman utilising various vegetables from the kitchen. Now all that is left is a solid lump of ice that refuses to melt.

This year we used a different supplier for our wood – the fireplace being the main source of heating for our house. On the one hand, the chunks of hornbeam are smaller and easier to load into the fireplace, but even after a season drying, the chunks still hiss out their moisture, taking longer to dry and generate heat. The 10 cubic metres we ordered are now down to 2, with the remainder of February and March to go. Next year, we shall order from a different supplier from the south of Poland. The wood is delivered much drier and the chunks are larger, but hornbeam will still be our number one choice. Our total heating costs for the house this winter will be less than 2000 PLN, a considerable saving over gas. Even with the small amount of electricity used by the wall heaters if we leave the house for the weekend or vacation, the cost savings generated far outweigh the ‘convenience’ of gas. Plus barrowing the wood every weekend from the storage pile to the veranda provides a reason to leave the house and flushes fresh air through the lungs – much needed after a week in the office.

A lush garden and smoky grill in the summer and a roaring fire in the winter – for me the perfect seasonal balance of country living.

English Cooking: Sausage Rolls with Apple & Date Chutney

I consider I have now acquired the taste for traditional Polish cooking and have some favourites, but occasionally I still yearn for some good old English country food. I also don’t venture into the kitchen very often, but having some spare time last week, I thought I would make some sausage rolls in preparation for a get together we had yesterday – including the sausagemeat. Here’s my step by step guide.

Step 1 – Chop into inch cubes 500g of pork shoulder, 500g of pork belly and 500g of bacon. Cut away and discard any fat from the meat.

Step 2 – feed the cubed meat through a mincer, extracting any fatty strands where possible.

Step 3 – finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and 2 large onions. Fry half the onion and half the garlic with a tablespoon of muscovado sugar to caramelise, and add to the minced meat.

Step 4 – add 2 tsps of thyme and 2 tsps of black pepper with a little salt to the meat mixture. Combine all the ingredients together and blend thoroughly with your hands.

Step 5 – roll out some puff pastry thinly into a flat rectangular shape and lay the meat mixture until you are able to roll the pastry to create a tube, sealing it with beaten egg. Trim off any jagged edges with a knife.

Step 6 – cut the roll into sections about 2 inches long and place onto a baking tray, nipping two small holes in the top with scissors. Brush each parcel with egg.

Step 7 – cook on 200C for 20-25 minutes until the meat is cooked and the pastry is golden brown! Eat whilst warm if possible, although cold is also good.

You can also introduce two grated apples into the mixture which adds more moisture to the meat. My substitute for this was to make a few jars of Apple & Date Chutney which complements the dish with a hot, spicy and sweet flavour. Here’s the recipe I used:

APPLE & DATE CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
1kg stoned, dried dates
4 onions (about 500g)
4 large cooking apples (about 1kg)
125g dark muscovado sugar
180g black treacle
1 pt cider vinegar
1tsp salt
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp ground mixed spice (if available)

Finely chop or mince the dates, onions and apples. Add to a large saucepan and add all the other ingredients. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 hours until the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately. The above makes about 8 x 250g jars. Best served after two weeks, although we opened a jar after two days and it was still pretty good. I shall be making more of these in the future as they make very good snacks and are deemed a curious addition to the Polish party table!

New Year’s Day Walk

Blue skies, early morning sunshine and a thin covering of frost – the perfect opportunity for a stroll before breakfast. The last few days have been overcast and drizzly, so the need to catch the sun’s rays is strong. I’ve also missed getting out and about with camera in hand.

Many people stayed at home last night, including us. At midnight the street outside filled with neighbours, welcoming each other into the New Year, clinking champagne glasses and setting off any remaining fireworks. Always a pleasant atmosphere as optimism fills the air of a fresh start and new thoughts and hopes.

As we walked, there were a few signs that the party had finished late. Discarded bottles and firework rockets occasionally littered the roadside, and shutters and blinds remained closed in the houses we passed. For many this will be a day written off, but for me, the absence of people on the streets makes the walk all the more refreshing.

Happy New Year to all and wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!!

Camouflaged Cat

When we acquired our new pet, we tried to ensure that he had all the right accessories to ensure he felt at home. One of which was a lovely, warm cat bed with fur lined interior. A complete waste of money as it turns out, as he prefers the fruit bowl half full of green lego…

Someone also warned us that cats and christmas trees don’t mix. As much as we have tried to discipline Sparky, it seems climbing the tree, grasping some tinsel in his jaws and then leaping off the tree and bombing across the room into the study has become his favourite ‘game’. The result is that our once colourful and bright christmas tree now looks abused.

Still, in between shooings and banging the newspaper on the floor just short of his little fleeing tail, I took this rather cute shot of him peering out from the branches with an obvious look of contempt. He knows that he will be forgiven.

Glorious festive food!

Rosół, barszcz, pierogi, kiełbasa, makówki, bigos, zupa grzybowa and sernik. Yes, we’ve eaten them all over the past 7 days! As well as a few English additions including mince pies, pork pies and home-made Christmas cake. Do I feel as fattened as the Christmas goose? Absolutely. Speaking of which…

This rather well glazed goose fed our family of 12 on Christmas day nicely, leaving little room for the dessert, or so we thought. A platter of home-made cakes appeared shortly after the main course, prompting everyone to gorge on their festive favourites. For me, it will always be good old-fashioned Christmas fruit cake; a recipe passed down through generations of my family and now adopted by my wife. Whoever said that the way to a man’s heart is via his stomach was spot on.

Below: The finished Christmas cake with holly and ivy jointly created by my dear mama and my wife a week before Christmas measuring ca. 10 x 10 inches. We shall eat the final slice tonight which shows that even a cake this size does not last long.

Meals in Poland over Christmas are always laden with a variety of meats. The breakfast platter consisted of a selection of cold-cuts of sausages and hams, mixed with cheeses and fresh bread. Simple, yet hard to resist for a meat-eater such as myself.

As 2012 approaches, yet again, it is time to set a few restrictions on my food intake if I am to play a reasonable game of squash in January. The time of lazy days is passing and a regular exercise regime beckons…