Part 3
Looking back on my most recent visit to Poland, I’ve made a few random observations I’d like to make in my final two columns about the trip.
Amazing churches
One of the first things visitors to Poland notice is the churches. No surprise, right? In a country about the size of Arizona, there are an estimated 10,000 Roman Catholic churches, ranging from huge Gothic brick basilicas to smaller wooden structures. Many are centuries old and kept in superb condition. Though the vast majority of Poles consider themselves as practicing Catholics, even most of those who don’t consider these churches to be cherished cultural and historical landmarks.
At some of the churches I was able to walk up the steps to reach the towers. Perhaps the most memorable was St. Mary’s in Gdańsk. For a couple of złoty you can climb the 400 steps on a primitive and narrow spiral staircase to the top. Now, I wouldn’t advise you to try it if you have knee problems or suffer from claustrophobia. Also, keep in mind that the journey back down is even more treacherous. However, the view at the top is spectacular.
Seeing mermaids
To me, one of the coolest things about Polish cities is the colorful, distinctive symbols they have. For Warsaw, it’s the syrenka, a mermaid armed with a shield and sword. There’s a statue of her in the Old Town, as well as others throughout the city. It’s also on the coat of arms.
Poznań is famous for the Poznań goats (Koziołki poznańskie), two mechanical billy goats that butt heads every day at noon on the Renaissance Town Hall clock tower. Gdańsk is represented by Neptune, the god of the sea, symbolizing the city’s connection to the Baltic Sea. One of that city’s icons is The Neptune Fountain in the town square, built in 1633.
The city of Szczecin’s symbol is the Griffin. The mythical griffin has the body, tail, and back legs of a lion, combined with the head and wings of an eagle, and it has been the historic emblem of Szczecin and Pomerania since the 13th century.
I saw a lot of mermaids at Warsaw’s annual Mermaid Parade, celebrating the city’s official symbol. It’s part of a mermaid-themed family-friendly festival featuring colorful floats designed by different districts, street performers, dancers, orchestras, and live music. Everything about the festivities was outstanding, from the fantastical costumes to the beautiful music.
Underrated?
Gdańsk was one of my favorite stops, a multi-cultural city that has a unique history. Over the years it was ruled over by factions of Poles, Teutonic Knights, Prussians, Lithuanians, Russians, and Germans again until the end of World War I. Then it became a city-state (the free city of Danzig) under the protection and oversight of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, before returning to Poland after WW II.
Located on the Baltic Sea, it’s a beautiful, colorful city with numerous attractions. Gdańsk was also the birthplace of Solidarity, and had museum commemorating the movement that changed history. It also has the Gdańsk Shipyards, where Solidarity began.
Paper or plastic?
People traveling to Poland often ask, “How much cash should I bring with me?” My answer is that, other than tipping and shopping at flea markets, I really didn’t need cash. Just make sure that you have a card with no foreign transaction fees.
When paying, the payment terminal might recognize your card as foreign and ask if you want to pay in USD or PLN. Choose PLN, or Polish currency. If you are billed in USD you’ll pay a poor, arbitrary exchange rate.
Even though Poland is a member of the European Union, it has not replaced its currency, the złoty, with the euro. Poland has argued that keeping the złoty allows that country to set its own interest rates and, if need be, devalue the złoty during economic crises. That, Poles maintain, was a crucial buffer that saved it from the 2008 recession.
Czy mówisz po polsku?
One of the biggest concerns of tourists to Poland is not being able to converse in Polish. However, don’t worry if you’re not bilingual. Poles are now required to take English lessons early in school, and their fluency is impressive. So, you should be able to communicate with most of the people in English, though maybe not the older Poles. Back in the day, Poles didn’t have to learn English, but instead were given Russian lessons.
That being said, you can get along fine with just speaking English, but trying to converse a bit in Polish can be fun.
Stork paradise
You may not know this, but Poland is considered a stork paradise, and is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s white stork population. The bird is highly valued in Poland and often celebrated as a national symbol of good luck and fertility.
The storks build large nests on rural rooftops, chimneys, and utility poles, often with the assistance of humans. Tens of thousands storks nest in Poland, and Poles celebrate White Stork Day on May 31. In late August the iconic birds will fly to the Mideast and North Africa for the summer, and then return to Poland in April.
Little frogs
In Poland, Żabka is a chain of convenience stores with something like 11,000 locations throughout Poland. Żabka is a Polish word that translates as “little frog.”
Similar to 7-Eleven, they sell everything from coffee, snacks, and toiletries. On Sundays, most large supermarkets, shopping malls, and retail stores in Poland are closed. Convenience stores like Żabka are allowed to remain open, as are restaurants and gas stations.
Żabka also has launched stores called Żabka Nano, which are open 24 hours a day and operate without staff or checkout areas. Customers tap their payment card at the entrance or use the Żappka app to open the door, pick up items, and leave. Video cameras and AI are used to identify the goods taken and charge the customer.
Next: Final random thoughts.