Archive for December, 2010
Sexual minorities and tolerance in Poland Posted by Kasia on Dec 31, 2010
Though much has changed in the past 20 years, from those days when any subject to do with gender or sexual preferences was either never brought up or even taboo, Poland is unfortunately still far from being a tolerant country towards people who are perhaps different in their preferences or tastes. The current political climate…
Frederick Chopin’s Museum Posted by Kasia on Dec 30, 2010
If you are visiting Warsaw I want to encourage you to see one place located about 45 minutes away from there, especially if are a fan of Frederick Chopin’s music. The village of Żelazowa Wola is located 54 km from Warsaw, about 2 km from Sochaczew. It is here that Frederyk Chopin was born…
Skiing in Poland Posted by Kasia on Dec 29, 2010
Winter is here and that’s why I wanted to share some information with you about one of my favorite winter sports. I know that a lot of you have done some skiing all over the Europe, Canada and USA. But I have to say “Cudze chwalicie, swego nie znacie”. I guess the best translation would…
Sylwester i Nowy Rok Posted by Kasia on Dec 28, 2010
New Year’s Eve is the Day before the New Year, and the night in particular is marked by parties all around to celebrate and greet New Year, which may last till morning. Their origin is explained by a legend. According to Sybil’s prophecy, the end of the world was to take place in 1000, brought…
Bargaining and Tipping Posted by Kasia on Dec 27, 2010
Today I wanted to talk a little about bargaining while shopping and also about tipping in Poland. Price bargaining, officially known as price negotiation, is quite common when shopping in the markets or bazaars in Poland. There are official regulations which oblige shop or stall owners to show a price, but these are flexible and the…
Public toilets in Poland Posted by Kasia on Dec 24, 2010
The public toilets issue is still a ‘burning’ problem in Poland and not much has been done over the last 15 years during the transformation of this country to resolve it. It is not only a problem for tourists but also for people in the city who point out the lack of public toilet facilities and…
Szopki Krakowskie – Cracow Christmas Cribs Posted by Kasia on Dec 23, 2010
The most refined forms, the most opulent and beautiful ornamentation – these are the distinctive features of Szopki Krakowskie. They have been made by Cracow masters of carpentry and stone – masonry since the mid 19th century. The design of all these cribs as a rule refers to such historic Gothic and Baroque structures in…