Poland

     Cześć, viewers.

     Last night, I experienced Poland.

     For dinner, my mum made kielbasa and cabbage, and my Great-Grandma Charbonneau née Natorski's pierogies.  Mum made her own version of them, by mixing together a few of the traditional fillings.  She included mashed potato, cottage cheese, onion, mushrooms, and chopped bacon.  After boiling them, she pan-fried them with butter.  She also made a dark, dense gingerbread cake to go with dinner, but although I only had a little, this cuisine is very filling, so I stuck to a cup of coffee with dinner, and saved the cake for later.

 

     Unfortunately, I don't have any films set in Poland, so I watched clips of Polish films on youtube.com.

 

     I started with The Pianist (2002).  Although the filming was done in Germany, the story is set in the Warsaw Ghetto, in Poland.  It's very graphic and intense.  At one point in the film, the main character Szpilman, played by Adrien Brody, plays Chopin's Grand Polonaise brillante, and it's absolutely breathtaking. 

 

     Then I watched clips from Schindler's List (1993), which was filmed in Kraków.  It is also very intense.  I found it all the more so when I discovered that Schindler and the events in this story were quite real.
                            
                             
     Then, for a more cheerful change of pace, I watched bits of a Polish romantic comedy called Cudown lato [Wonderful Summer] (2010).  It seemed like a nice story; unfortunatly, there weren't English subtitles, so I could only guess at what was being said.

 

 

     While I watched movie clips, I had a snack, consisting of a couple of the leftover pierogies, pickles (or ogórek kiszony), and sauerkraut, and a cup of blueberry tea.

     Then I made a traditional Polish beverage made from boiled fruit called kompot.  Usually dried fruit is used, but whatever is on hand may be used, and sugar and spices may be added.  I made mine with apples and strawberries, a bit of cane sugar, and cinnamon and cloves.  Since it can be served hot or cold, I tried it both ways.  I think I prefered it hot; it tasted like strawberry-apple cider.

     Then I decided to experience both modern and traditional Polish music, so I listened to Polish pop and rock, and then traditional polka music.  Misa was in my room at that point, and I danced an impromptu polka with him.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of that.

     Some time later, I had a couple of slices of very dark rye bread with salt.  Apparently, bread is a very important part of Polish culture.  Welcoming with bread and salt (chlebem i solą), is a traditional gesture of hospitality.

     While I ate my chlebem i solą, I looked at pictures of castles in Poland.  I want this one.

     Then, I listened to Chopin's noctures.  There is no composer I like so well as Chopin.  My favourite of his nocturnes is Op. 9 No. 2.  I never get tired of hearing it.  Here's a link to listen to Chopin's complete nocturnes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V60USaluxGA&feature=related

     While I listened, I had a piece of my mum's gingerbread cake, and a cup of spiced hot chocolate with espresso; a sweet ending to my Polish adventure.