I know I just posted yesterday, but I have to say I was inspired by some disco polo from the iPod. Yes, I am doing another disco polo referenced blog. In all fairness though, who doesn’t love disco polo? And this song in particular actually motivated me to finish a blog I have started and come back to several times, just never really finished. I know why now. It needed the music. It’s lato, and I hope you are all enjoying warm weather, cool breezes, refreshing dips in the water and all the merriment that summer encompasses. And with any luck, this summer, many of you will make it out to a plaża (beach) near to where you live.

When most people think of Poland, they usually don’t think of plaże (beaches). Which is unfortunate, because Poland has beautiful beaches! The Morze Bałtyckie (Baltic Sea) provides Poles and visitors with a beach-lined coast on its northern border. I would venture to say that the more popular spots are the three major cities that hone in the visitor travel; Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. They are all relatively close to each other, and many families I know have traveled there for summer fun. However, that is just one area of coastline right on Zatoka Gdańska (Gdansk Bay). There are also other cities, including Kołobrzeg (quoted in the disco polo tune below), Łeba, Jastrzębia Góra and Dębki. Again, these are just a few, and if you have visited a hidden gem not mentioned, please share in the comments section.

Because of their location to the north, the holiday season spans June to September. It’s not the tropics, but the water brings welcome refreshment to its visitors in temperatures that have been reaching forty degrees Celsius in recent years. There are beautiful white sand beaches, and it’s not out of the ordinary to find pieces of bursztyn (amber) dotting the coastline. My cousin recently went to Jastrzębia Góra with her family, and when I asked what the kids liked best, the answer was easy. “Woda była dla nich najważniejsza!” (The water was most important to them!) They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let this slideshow of photos speak for themselves. Gosiu, dziękuję serdecznie za zdjęcia!

If you are interested in visiting some of these beautiful Polish beaches, you can find additional information on the following websites:

Gdańsk : http://www.gdansk.pl/
Gdynia: http://www.gdynia.pl/
Sopot: http://www.sopot.pl/
Kołobrzeg: http://miasto.kolobrzeg.eu/
Jastrzębia Góra: http://www.jastrzebiagora.pl/
Łeba: http://www.leba.pl/
Dębki: http://www.debki.pl/

To conclude, I am going to post the disco polo song that just brought this post full circle for me. I have a great love affair with disco polo, and this song ALWAYS gets me movin’ and in a summer mood! So enjoy some Lato from zespół Skaner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5D78ZfSiOs

Do następnego czytania…