An old Polish saying (powiedzenie, porzekadło) “Gdańska gorzałka, toruński piernik, krakowska panna, warszawski trzewik – najlepsze rzeczy w Polsce” (I will try to translate it as good as I can: “Gdańsk drink, Toruń gingerbread, Cracow women, Warsaw shoes – the best of Poland” – it is not the exact translate, but hopefully it will give you an idea how to understand this saying). What do people think of when they hear about Poland today? The first person people mention is Pope john Paul II, then “Solidarity” Lech Wałęsa. Some foreign visitors remember Frederic Chopin (in Polish Fryderyk Chopin) or Copernicus (Kopernik), while film enthusiasts know of Wajda, Kieślowski and Polański. 

For Poles the symbols of our country are the Wawel Castle (Zamek Wawelski), the stork (bocian), the bison (bizon, Żubr), religion (religia)and the Jasna Góra Monastery (Klasztor na Jasnej Górze), amber (bursztyn), known here as Baltic gold, and the Vistula River (Rzeka Wisła), the last great untamed river in the Old Continent. And of course, the eagle and the white and red flag of the nation and our anthem (hymn) Mazurek Dąbrowskiego.

William Joseph Showalter, who travelled in our country in early 20th century, wrote: “The ardent love of Poles for all things Polish is clearly visible to everyone who visits this land. They will tell you that their cuisine is tastier than that of Paris, the landscape the most picturesque you can find in any country, the language more melodious than any other human speech, that there is no dance in the world compared to the Mazurek and the most beautiful women and the most valiant men to ever walk the earth are the ones of their nation”

What do you think about when you here “Poland”?

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)