Polish fairy tales

Today's topic is fairy tales! Something light that you can read to children. Polish culture is rich in fairy tales and legends that are an integral part of the national identity. Today I will narrate two of my son's favourite fairy tales.

Smok Wawelski - The Dragon of Cracow  

Where we can now see the royal castle in Cracow was once the home of a good king who resided in a castle on Wawel hill. Because he was just, honest, and extremely smart about how to lead his people, he was beloved by every person in his country. One day, the reign was horrified by the tragic news. Unexpectedly, a large dragon descended from the sky and made its home in a big cave next to the king's castle. Terrible things have been happening in the neighbourhood ever since the day he arrived in Cracow. He regularly attacked farms and took cattle, lambs, or chickens since he needed large quantities of food every day. But he didn't think that was sufficient. After a while, he gave the order to the resident of the kingdom to bring to him one pretty young girl every morning so he could eat her for breakfast. Otherwise, he would burn the entire city with the fire coming from his belly. How could the people react? They had to consent. The poor king sobbed day and night as he witnessed his people suffering. He suddenly had an inspiration. The adventurer who had the bravery to come and defeat the monster would be rewarded with half of the kingdom and his lovely daughter as a wife. Many heroic young men were drawn to the kingdom and the princess, including warriors, nobles, and princes from other distant regions. Tragically, the dragon was more powerful and easily defeated them all. One day the dragon wanted the princes as his breakfast.

Unexpectedly, a young kid named Dratewka who lived and worked in Cracow and was a common shoemaker entered the castle. He was neither a soldier nor a nobility. The king was so devastated that he allowed him to attempt even though no one believed him he could fight the dragon. The young boy filled the skin of a dead sheep with sulphur and then skilfully stitched it together and attached four sticks that imitated legs. After finishing, he carried the "sheep" inside the cave and set it next to the entry. The creature was there when the dragon awoke in the morning, apparently waiting for him. He knew the princess was coming, but he figured he could start with that sheep. He devoured the meal without thinking it through. After a little while, something unusual inside his stomach began to happen. He hurried to the neighbouring river since he was so thirsty, and he immediately began to drink. He kept drinking more and more, but nothing could relieve his thirst. He drank nearly all of the river's water before blowing like a balloon with a tremendous "pop"! Every part of the kingdom could hear the noise. The king was delighted, the shoemaker received half of his kingdom and the princess was happy to wed her beloved prince. The shoemaker was crowned after the old king passed away and ruled for a very long time.

* Wawel Castle, located on the edge of the Vistula River, has been used as a royal residence for many years. The castle can be visited and inside there is a museum. Underneath the castle, there is the Dragon's Cave connected to the legend, which can also be visited.

Wawel Castle

Lech, Czech i Rus - The Polish White Eagle

This is the story of how Poland was created... Once upon a time, Lech, Czech, and Rus were three brothers who lived happily in their villages for many years, but as the families grew, they required bigger living spaces. The brothers chose to go out in different ways in order to look for new residences. Lech, Czech, and Rus spent days on the road with their armies. They travelled on horseback through forests, over rivers, and over mountains. There were no inhabitants anywhere, not even in a small village or town. They split apart on a mountaintop, each heading in a different way. Lech galloped straight ahead, down the mountain, while Czech and Rus turned to the left and to the right, respectively.  Lech witnessed a magnificent sight when he and his soldiers arrived at a site where a meadow surrounded a little lake. A big eagle soared over their heads as they came to a stop at the edge of the meadow.

It made large flying rotations before settling into its nest located high over a rock. Lech gaped in amazement at the stunning scenery. Sunlight from the red setting sun shone on the eagle's wings as it extended them out and soared back up into the sky. The rest of the bird was entirely white, but the wings appeared to be tinged with gold. Lech announced, "This is where we're staying." We'll name it GNIEZNO (the eagle's nest). It blossomed into the heart of his realm as a result of the numerous houses that he and his people built. With "People of the Field," they identified themselves as Polonian. They created a flag with a white eagle on a red background and flew it over Gniezno, which was designated as Poland's first ancient capital.

* In Poland, the Polish flag day is celebrated on 2 May. It is made of two colours: white and red. The eagle of our story, is today the coat of arms in Poland. 

Polish flag with the coat of arms

Auschwitz-Birkenau

If one day you will visit Poland, and you are not easily impressionable, remember to grant a visit to Auschwitz concentration camp. This is not the typical museum from which you will leave with a light heart, but in my opinion, and as a plaque exposed in one of the blocks states: " THOSE WHO DO NOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT". And this is something that cannot be forgotten. 

I visited this place in October 2015, even if I was not really sure about it. However, this is one of the parts of history that I have always studied with interest, so I wanted to see what was there with my own eyes, and years later, I still remember those trembles during the tour. This is the largest among the Nazi concentration camps and it is located in the city of Oświęcim. It is divided into two parts not far from each other, the first one Auschwitz, and the second, Birkenau extermination camp. In this place, around 1.300.000 people were deported, most of them Jews, and 1.100.000 of them lost their lives. At the entrance of the camp, you can find the famous words in German 'ARBEIT MACHT FREI', which we can translate as 'work sets you free', and from there you can start your tour.

ARBEIT MATCH FREI at the entrance of Auschwitz 

As this is a big space with a lot of blocks and each one with its history, I might suggest, if you go there to book a guided tour, which is available in different languages. During the visit, you can see how the people imprisoned here lived, how they were treated and the jobs they were forced to do. Upon their arrival, they were assigned an identification number, and a triangle on the uniform, that indicated the 'crime' for which they were reclused. Those who were too old or unsuitable for work were sent directly to the gas chambers with the excuse of a 'shower'. Children also received the same treatment as adults and were subjected to medical experiments, how the block 10 can confirm. In block 5 instead, we can find all the personal belonging like shoes, suitcases, glasses and other things, of which prisoners were deprived. In block 4, in addition to the miniature project of the gas chambers and crematoriums, there is a room in which is strictly forbidden to take pictures, that collects all the hair of the imprisoned woman. I still remember the feeling on my stomach walking out of that room. In other blocks, you can see cans of Zyklon B, which was used to kill prisoners in the gas chambers, toilets and dormitories, their uniforms, photos and other pieces of evidence. 

Prisoners' s belonging

Outside block 11, which was the block of the punishment, we can find a yard with the 'death wall', where many people were shot.  

Death wall

Once the visit to the concentration camp is finished, you can move on to the extermination camp Birkenau, reachable with a shuttle, and at your arrival, guides will ask you to walk all the way through and try to understand the agony of the prisoners. To build this sub-camp, Nazis destroy several houses of civilians living in that area, which was a strategic point to them due to its proximity to the railway, therefore facilitating their logistic operations. In the first place, Birkenau was meant to be a prison for soviet soldiers, however, become a place for mass elimination, with four gas chambers and crematoriums. 

Entrance of Birkenau camp

Once arrived at the camp, the prisoners were subjected to a period of quarantine to avoid the spread of infectious diseases, however, the living conditions were not better than the people in the nearby camp. In November 1944, to cover up their crimes, the Nazi commanders ordered the destruction of all evidence including the gas chambers, sheds and storehouses. During your tour, if you will get enough close to what is left, you can still smell burning coming out from the ruins. In January 1945, when the Nazis realized that the Soviet forces were close, they began to evacuate the camp with the 'death marches', forcing 60,000 prisoners to move to other camps. 90% of Auschwitz prisoners lost their lives in Birkenau. Today Auschwitz-Birkenau is a memorial visited every year by thousands of people to pay respect to all those who suffered in this place and has become a UNESCO heritage and symbol of the Holocaust.

Some more pictures of the camp

Ruins of the gas chambers

Uniforms

Carriage used to transport prisoners

Polish food

 This post is dedicated to the typical food of this country. Polish cuisine is quite varied, and it is also different from region to region. Another feature is that it is influenced by other countries due to the numerous invasions suffered by Poland in different historical periods. As an Italian girl, the first time I tasted polish food, I was sceptical, but over time, I learned to appreciate all the flavours. In my opinion, it is a very hearty food, which I think is linked to the fact of the low winter temperatures. However, what I admire most, is how much polish people dedicated their attention to the food, using mostly fresh and local products. A bit like in Italy!! My favourite dish, which I also learned how to cook, are the Pierogi Ruskie, which are dumplings stuffed with potatoes and a cheese called 'twaróg', cooked and garnished with smoked bacon and onion fried in the pan. However, there are many variations for the filling, which can be with sauerkraut, mushrooms or meat. We also find the sweet version, that can have a fruit filling.

Pierogi Ruskie

Polish gastronomy is also rich in soups, and here we find the famous Barszcz, which can be biały (white) or czerwony (red), the Rosoł and Zupa Grzybowa (mushrooms soup). There would be many other soups with different meats and vegetables, but the list would be endless. At the top of the ranking, for the finest palates, we find the Bigos, much loved by my brother, made of sauerkraut, meat and spices. This dish with an acid aftertaste has a very decisive and particular flavour.

Barszcz biały

Gulasz is a tasty meat stew, often accompanied by Placki Ziemniaczane, which are potato pancakes, and last but not least regarding the meat, we have Kotlet Schabowy and Mielony.  Moving to the desserts, I absolutely love the Sernik, a cake made with soft white cheese, comparable (not in taste 😜) to a cheesecake. Also, Pączki are delicious doughnuts filled with jam and most of the time prepared for carnival. 

Kotlet Schabowy

The list of foods mentioned above is not exhaustive, but if one day you decide to go to Poland, you should note these names down. In the meantime, below, I have attached for you the recipe of my mother-in-law for Pierogi Ruskie with which you can practice.

INGREDIENTS:

 DOUGHT 

• 
  2 glasses of wheat flour 
• half glass of water
• 1 egg                             

STUFFING

• 500g of boiled potatoes
• 250g of white cheese
• 1 onion
• 2 spoons of butter
• salt and pepper

My mother-in-law making pierogi

PROCESS:

1. For the cake, using the given ingredients, mix everything together and work on the dough until you do not reach a uniform and smooth consistency. 
2. Add the potatoes to the white cheese and the onion fried in butter, then mix it all together. Season it with salt and pepper.
3. Stretch the dough and with a help of a round glass create circles.
4. Put the stuffing on each of the circles and stick the dumplings together. 

ENJOY and SMACZNEGO!!

Zakopane

If you want to be enchanted by Poland, you certainly cannot miss visiting Zakopane. This hidden gem is located in the southern part of the country, on the Tatra mountains at the border with Slovakia. One post is not enough to describe how you can be amazed both in the summer and winter. In fact, this is one of my favourite places in Poland to visit, especially at Christmas when everything becomes more magical with the help of the snow.

Krupówki at night

Krupówki is the high street, and there, you can find many stalls selling the typical handcrafted product and the famous 'Oscypek', a smoked sheep's cheese that can be enjoyed accompanied by a berries jam. The street is also full of restaurants offering polish and local specialities, and in the evening, you can enjoy dinner with a shot of Wódka listening to the 'Goralski' music played live. Here below, I have posted some links to my favourite songs to listen to Goralski music: 

(189) Hej, szalała (Góralska piosenka ludowa | Polish Highlanders' folk song) - YouTube 

(189) TerazMy - Takiego Janicka - YouTube

(189) Baciary - Bystro Woda - YouTube 

Giewont  

 

If you like to hike, then this is the ideal destination for you in the summer. Through pre-established routes, you can get to the top of the mountains Kasprowy Wierch, Gubałówka and Giewont where you can enjoy a wonderful panorama and breath the best fresh air. If you are lucky enough and there is no fog, you can also admire the view of the town from the top of Gubałówka. For people unable to hike, you can get to the top of the mountains by cable car and enjoy the little trip surrounded by the nature.

Kasprowy Wierch

These mountains are also loved by the skiers, in fact, Zakopane is equipped with different ski resorts and Wielka Krokiew, a big ski jumping hill that hosts different competitions. Another place that can leave you astonished, is Morskie Oko, which we can translate as 'Sea Eye'. This a big lake surrounded by mountains and loved by all the visitors. To get to the lake, you have to walk a little bit, but once arrived you won't regret it, as the atmosphere is worth it all. As I have mentioned before, a post regarding this town is not enough as you have other beautiful attractions to see, so, if you like mountains and tradition, whether you prefer summer or winter, this is one of those places that is definitely worth a visit.