Half Term in Poland

With our big plans for Christmas being refined daily (we're off to New York on December 19th to spend the holidays with Sam and Brent, our favourite friends and neighbours from Japan - for more adventures visit allieandrossinjapan.blogspot.com), October half term was a tough one to plan. We wanted to head somewhere on a 'small trip', nothing too far away or too pricey. So, we decided on a Ryanair flight to and from Gdansk, a seaside port village in Poland, famous for a steady amber trade, a massive uprising in Polish political history and the birthplace of the Solidarity Movement, which brought an end to Communism across Europe, and the site of the 'Post Office siege' during WW2...all of which we didn't know until we got there, so don't worry. I'm still just as culturally and geographically clueless as when we left Australia. For the most part, I plan our trips with one window open on ryanair.com, looking at possible destinations and one window on google, searching to find out where certain destinations actually are. Who the heck knows about Faro? Or Malaga? Poitiers? Not me. Sometimes I guess their general whereabouts by saying them aloud in an attempt at a regional European accent. If I mutter 'Rimini' to myself, and come out sounding friendly and waving my hands around, Aha! Must be in Italy. 'Carcassone' sounds like a snotty way to say Carcass. Cooking. Snotty/ Aha! Must be France. It's worked so far. 'Gdansk' I said to myself, found it hard to pronounce, knew it must be Polish. So, we headed to Poland for half term. We flew into a mini airport, as is the custom with ryanair (think Avalon, only smaller and with guards in army fatigues holding machine guns) and after quite the scrutiny from visa officials 'I zee you haf bin in Germany recently?' (see what I did there? Attempted to phonetically mimic a Polish accented guard? Unsuccessfully though - that reads like the man was choking and Swedish. Apologies) we took a taxi along winding roads into the little village of Gdansk, where we arrived at what i have come to call 'Free Cake Hotel' aka 'Best Hotel in the World'. The hotel we were staying at was 3 star and really quite inexpensive, but as we have come to notice in Easter Europe, hotel service is quite fantastic, despite the price. The hotel was lovely with big rooms, a central location, GREAT breakfast buffet, friendly staff...and did I mention free cake??? All day! In the foyer! Cake! We spent four days wandering around this lovely part of Poland and included a day trip to a famous castle town about an hour away. Gdansk itself features, like many European cities, an Old Town in amongst the new parts of the city. It has gorgeous old cobblestones streets with big frontages heavy stone steps, kind of a cross between New York Brownstones and Prague's ancient streets. The facades of the buildings are as colourful as Germany's but the architecture again is very similar to Prague and Vienna. One street, Mariacka Street, in particular is famous for its stores selling amber and the street is lined with glass jewellery cases, teeming with beautifully handcrafted objects. The Old Town was also the perfect place for antiques browsing and sitting on heated outside areas in front of street cafes; drinking hot chocolates, thick melted chocolate with a massive dollop of whipped cream, European style. We spent time wandering the waterfront, ate twice at a fabulous restaurant serving up Polish delicacies such as Pierogi (ravioli like dumplings with meat, potato and cheese fillings),podany z sosem żurawinowym (fried wheels of camembert served with currant jam and salad), Bigos (Polish stew of cabbage and meat) and Polish sausages, and spent time shopping and reading and just relaxing as well. The weather was cool but not cold, so it felt lovely to be out walking and seeing and experiencing somewhere brand new. Our day trip to Malbork Teutonic Castle was really nice too, though after an hour long trip in the most packed train ride we've experienced yet, we actually got there too late to do anything more than explore the grounds. The castle is HUGE and quite foreboding, despite its beauty. This is perhaps partly due to its role in WW2 as a POW camp, but I'm not sure. It sits on the River Wisla and was once home to the Teutonic Knights, a group of monks who went around slaying and converting people in the 1300s. They were given the land in Poland by a POlish King who wanted them to deal with Pagan Lithuanians but they were an odd bunch, who actually took over the amber trade in the region and slayed the people of Gdansk, who they were meant to be protecting at the time. Over time the castle was under the ownership of Russians and Polish and ended up as a Prussian Castle, the one the Geoffrey Chaucer mentions in passing in Canterbury Tales. Interesting place. Such a mammoth, 'in your face castle' but in such an odd area. It brought Ross and I, at the time, on to the 'Isn't Europe weird?' conversation that we have off and on on our trips. This thinking comes about when you notice the only thing near this famous castle is a rundown mini golf centre and a McDonalds. And poorly dressed Europeans. But, the castle was great and Ross added Poland to his 'eat a cheeseburger in every country of the world' quest. Job well done.

Bath, Oxford, Stonehenge (LateJuly, but it's taken me awhile...)

Right, it has been far too long (once again) but rather than starting with a negative, I’ll launch straight back in time to the start of our Summer. Firstly, I’m going to need to do a backtrack all the way to the beginning of August, when we headed on our first weekend of Summer on a gorgeous weekend tour of Oxford, Bath and Stonehenge. I’ll add some photos so you’ll see how glorious these places are, but first some context. A friend of mine who I first met while working at ‘Horror Harris’ when we first arrived here, suggested a tour group who do bits of London and surrounds and occasional trips to parts of Europe by coach, but without the usual Contiki-esque culture. So, wanting to see the famous and curious Stonehenge, experience Harry Potter’s dining room and see Jane Austen’s old haunts, we decided on a weekender with this group, stying overnight in the Hilton and seeing all three delightful places. We headed off on a Saturday morning, visited Oxford for the day, where we did Cream Tea (not Devonshire Tea because that would make the people of Devon, not unlike the resident of Champagne, very angry) visited the university and explored he old town. Oxford is a very quaint and beautiful old town, with famous sights including the pub where Bob Hawke famously drank a yard glass of beer (pre-Government) and other, infinitely more inspiring places too. The Christ Church buildings there are where Lewis Carroll got his inspiration for Alice in Wonderland. The hall there was JK Rowling’s inspiration for the famous Hogwarts Dining Hall, needless to say, that was a long line we had to stand in! The day was sunny and peaceful and we thoroughly enjoyed our wander through Oxford. That night we stayed in the Hilton, which was lovely, and met some nice people to enjoy our meals with, then the following day we squeezed in a half day trip to Bath followed by Stonehenge. I have to admit, I didn’t know Bath was going to be quite so incredible. As our coach hit the top of the hills surrounding Bath and we looked down into this city in the valley, I couldn’t quite breathe! It was like something out of a fairytale. The entire city of Bath is made up of street after street of local golden coloured Bath Stone. It is the most incredible sight from afar, then only gets better as you wander the streets. The city is famously the home of Jane Austen and host to an enormous Roman Bath Complex, the only natural hot spring source in all of the UK.The Bath Complex has been restored into a kind of museum where you can see how the Romans structured the building, the social bathing they did, etc. It is quite incredible. In Bath we sampled the famous ‘Bath Buns’ that are sold everywhere, oversized slightly sweet, savoury buns with your choice of fillings. Lovely. We headed home to London via the curious and astounding Stonehenge. Having not listened in high school History classes and not being very well versed on ancient mysteries, Stonehenge was a place I wanted to see, without quite knowing why! Justine, Liv, Ems, if you’re reading, you’ll recall our visit to the far less illustrious Glen Innes’ fake Stonehenge on our roadtrip all those years ago? Where it rained so much we had to repack the car in bathing suits? This is far better! Thousands of people make pilgrimages to Stonehenge ach year, and the site is teeming with tourists, but it is unmissable and brilliant and of course, a mind boggling mystery. Scientists and historians have all sorts of theories about it, but it does remain a mystery how ancient people managed to create an enormous henge out of ludicrously heay blocks of stone from incredibly far away, and why they bothered! The purpose of the henge, as well as how it came to be, are quite the mystery. The other thing that is quite interesting about Stonehenge is the mounds that surround it, something I had never even heard of. Surrounding the henge for quite a distance and numerous mounds. When they excavated these mounds some years ago, the skeletons of people and their riches, their animals, etc were found buried beneath. Quite amazing. Here’s some more info if you’re interested: Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.[1]
Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. One recent theory, however, has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200 BC,[2] whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC (see phase 1 below). The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC.

Confusing, but I’ve also added two other pieces of writing to the blog preceding this entry, even though the events written about came after this trip! They’re pieces I’ve written for the enjoyment of writing…something I had time to do over Summer.

Something I wrote about our Summer trip to the Lakes District...

For an Eye to Perceive and a Heart to Enjoy: The Lakes District
Alexandra Baker

“Let then the beauty be undisfigured and the retirement unviolated”. William Wordsworth, on conserving the Lakes District.

‘It’s known as the Lakes District, but there is only one lake. The rest are creeks or estuaries.’ I read this handwritten anecdote under the carefully drawn map hanging in the hallway of the pub, deep in the rolling hills and ‘middle of nowhere’ of Ulway, Cumbria, and muse quietly to myself. Cumbria has again enlightened me.

It is a birthday and a chance to celebrate away from busy London, that has brought me halfway to Scotland for the weekend. The Lakes District is approximately 5½ hours drive from London, 6½ if you (foolishly) choose not to take the M6 tollway and 7 if you head as far into the unknown as we have; to Ireby, a town with one pub, one store, and incidentally, no public toilets! There is, however, a stunning Victorian home set back from the road with a gentle landlady, a delicious home cooked breakfast and comfy old world furnishings, set against the backdrop of silence and grazing sheep. Despite the famous Summer busy season of ‘the Lakes’, Ireby is still undiscovered; offering the ultimate secluded, peaceful getaway.

The Lakes has been fodder for poets and novelists, a backdrop for films and mini series and this weekend, is a source of relaxation for me. Driving the backroads, stopping to allow sheep to nudge their families across the road, slowing for cattle and the occasional pony, rolling the window down to just breathe it all in, is like driving through my own personal English novel. The weather is unpredictable this weekend, clouds and rain interspersed with bouts of incredible sunshine. But all of it seems fitting. I am getting a taste of this place in all seasons. Roads that seem to lead to nowhere, sloping green hills, dramatic grey green mountains, and always, always the silence, broken only by the soft sound of sheep, conversing.

Our B&B host is a homely housekeeper who, despite our protests, heaves our heavy bags up the stairs with a Northern cry of ‘I’m made ‘a strong stuff’, then invites us into the lounge for afternoon tea. We settle in and coffee and homemade cake is all that it takes. I am relaxed and breathing the country air; my busy week in London forgotten. Later, we head 2½ miles down the road (“Close enough to drive or take a torch’ prompts our host) to Ulway and the ‘Snooty Fox’ Pub and Restaurant. It is here that we are treated to country hospitality and an excellent menu. Ours is the shared starter of homemade bread, chicken liver pate and apple chutney – delicious- followed by mains infused with local character and ingredients; Lamb in Sherry and Pork with Hearty Mash. Our meals are delicious and the company is lovely; locals keen for a chat, always beginning with a gentle ribbing: ‘You’re not from ‘round here, are yer?’

The following morning begins with a delicious ‘Full English’ including the sausages this area is renowned for. Though it is now known as ‘Cumbria’, this area was once ‘Cumberland’, a locality that woke up one morning in 1974 (laughingly, it was April 1st…) to find their area rezoned and renamed. The sausages, it seems, have never changed... After breakfast we head out to Orton, a tiny village that has made its way on to our itinerary because of its famed ‘foodies market’. We sample local hospitality, marvel at the gorgeous hunks of cheese, rich pates, and generous servings of cakes; the sweetest of which are baked by local women and labelled with cutesy lines such as ‘Glazed by Gloria’, ‘Whipped by Wendy’ and ‘Baked by Bernice’. We are struck by the prices; these are true farm door servings and prices, generous to a fault.

In the afternoon, grey overhanging clouds give way to glorious sunshine and, if possible, the view across the hills as we drive down secluded country backroads is even more beautiful. We head first to Cockermouth, a quaint village with a sad recent history, known predominantly as the home of English poet William Wordsworth. Wordsworth has always been a drawcard for this village, and for all of ‘the Lakes’, which he described as: ‘"A sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy". In November 2009, this town that sits at the mouth of both the River Cocker and the Derwent River was flooded, destroying town Christmas decorations, stores and stock and, as is evident even now, the livelihoods of many townspeople. It is uplifting to see childrens’ clumsy drawings in store windows with catchphrases such as ‘Cockermouth is back on its feet’, but the feeling of sadness is still apparent in this town as it rebuilds itself. We explore a little before the road leads us away from Cockermouth to the bustling village of Keswick.

Keswick is famous for its access to the Lakes via the launch that leaves from its shore. A ride includes unlimited on and off stops at all moorings; like a sightseeing bus on water! The town welcomes us with noise and vigour, a market in the town square, and most importantly, a pub serving lunch all day. We choose local ales and the Ploughman’s Platter, seemingly a bargain at 5.95, a generous serving of bread, local ham, four different cheese, salads, relish and sliced apple…but the locals inform me that this is for the tourists. In Winter, the same dish will cost me just 3.95! I tell them what I’ve told the other friendly locals I’ve met so far, ‘I guess I’ll have to be back in Winter!’

…And I mean it. The Lakes offer exploration for all seasons. The grey clouds and rain paint a broody, Yorkshire moors image, while the sun offers up ‘BBC mini series beauty’ in the little villages we pass through. This is a glorious place, whatever the weather, and I’m keen to return once more.

We head home the following day armed with an alternative sightseeing route to explore as we head back to London, hand drawn by our host, and a vague plan to explore Stratford Upon Avon or Warwick Castle or even Oxford on the way home…but that, is another English story.

A piece I wrote about Germany...

Over Summer I had time so I started to do a bit of writing...though clearly not on this blog! I chatted with the editors of the Australian Times recently and was offered a post writing as their 'Secret Teacher'; the illustrious role of remaining unnamed on your weekly articles, fessing up regularly about what life in London schools is 'really' like. The offer was tempting as I have so many good stories to tell, and had I stayed in one of my previous schools I would definitely have taken it on, but I love my new job and would do nothing to jeopardise it...plus kids at my school never do anything close to what might happen in a 'normal' London school! So, long story short-ish, I've been doing lots of writing lately, and thought I'd post a couple of things here... photos to come later :)

Romantische Strasse – Germany’s Romantic Road
Allie Baker

In selecting a place for our recent Summer break, my husband and I had one main goal – to ‘do’ a bit of Europe, but to get out of the cities. European cities offer amazing sights, incredible one-off experiences and excellent nightlife, but the peak of tourist season in a major European city? Not my cup of tea. Many friends had recommended Germany, and a further knowledgeable friend mentioned ‘Romantische Strasse’, one of Germany’s most famous and, according to several brochures ‘most beloved’ touring routes.

The ‘Romantic Road’ is a scenic drive through parts of Bavaria and various Medieval towns and villages throughout Germany, linking up the two major cities of Frankfurt and Munich. The route usually begins in Frankfurt, but my husband and I began our trip in Munich, heading South toward the alps, then looping up and heading to Frankfurt. Why? Cheap flights! How? Rental car. The rental car brought us amazing freedom and flexibility, and for us, made the ‘Romantic Road’ our own.

Our trip began early on Friday morning, leaving Munich airport in our rental car armed with a large road map of Germany and some trepidation. Myself having never read a foreign road map and my husband having never negotiated a left hand drive/right side of the road, we were in for early excitement and shall we say, “domestic unrest”. Our first challenge was to head in the correct direction, and after trying hubby’s enlightened suggestion to ‘follow the signs to Munchen’ for the whole day, based simply on the fact that we knew it meant Munich, we settled instead for helpful directions from a petrol station attendant, and we were off!

DAY 1
Our first stop was Fussen, an historic village nestled in the Bavarian Alps which is most famous for the 19th century Neuschwanstein Castle. This castle is perhaps better known as ‘Disney Castle’ and is a popular tourist destination in its own right. It’s an easy day trip from Munich and is most renowned because of its dramatic beauty and its ‘life imitates art imitates life’ story. The story goes that the palace was originally intended as the home for a reclusive King, who designed its interior with images reminiscent of fairytales and fables, such was his love for these stories. The castle is incredibly picturesque and like a fairytale castle that it became the inspiration for Disney’s famous ‘Sleeping Beauty’ castle. Fussen is a lovely village but as someone who loves to stay in more ‘out of the way’ places, I had chosen nearby Pfronten. In Winter, a bustling snowfield base, Pfronten in Summer is spectacularly beautiful and incredibly secluded. It was here that we stayed in a lovely Guesthouse and sampled a delicious ‘Gasthof’ meal. Gasthofs are never far away in Germany and offer hearty, traditional meals heavy on meat and potatoes and German hospitality, often served up by costumed waitresses. They make for a traditional and delicious experience.

DAY 2
Our second day of touring taught us that it is often best to choose places that aren’t top of everyone’s tourist to-do list. The small medieval towns of Landsberg and Donauworth were incredible, whilst the more famous, and significantly larger Augsburg was somewhat disappointing. These small towns provide gorgeous streetscapes, the occasional castle perched high on a hill, and always, a clocktower in the town centre. Our custom, when entering any of the towns on our map was always to ‘Head for that clocktower!’ where we inevitably found food and famous sites. Our second night’s stay was in Nordlingen, perhaps the most intriguing and stunning of towns we passed through. Nordlingen is a quaint cobble stoned illage that, when viewed from above, is laid out in an almost perfect circle. Surrounding the village is the drawcard for most tourists, a still complete city wall, which tourists can walk along for stunning views and a truly medieval experience.

DAY 3
Our third day of driving led us through the quaint village of Dinkelsbuhl, the first town to offer Schneeballen, tennis ball sized clumps made of densely wrapped pastry not unlike Italy’s Crostoli biscuits, and dusted in cinnamon and sugar, a delicacy of the area. This small village is central to the Romantic Road, and home to the ‘Romantic Road Association’. For this reason, alongwith the dramatic Medieval church that stands at its town centre, it is a popular and busy stop on the road. From Dinkelsbuhl we headed to perhaps the most famous town en route; Rothenburg Ob der Tauber, renowned for its beautifully restored and maintained buildings, stunning streetscapes, and limitless, rambling cobblestoned streets and alleys. It is not unlike a kind of Venice, without, of course, the water. Here you’ll find ample shopping opportunities as well as quaint restaurants and beer houses, walking tours and many, many tourists! The quieter town of Colmburg and its famous Castle Hotel ‘Burg Colmberg’ was our resting place for the night, offering a truly medieval experience, minus the pomp and tackiness. The hotel has beautifully appointed rooms, a buffet breakfast more generous than others encountered in Europe, and with its quaint décor and attention to detail, is an unparalleled and reasonably priced once in a lifetime experience.

DAY 4
The roads leading from Rothenburg towards Frankfurt are some of the most picturesque in the world. Endless rolling green hills, and further North, the wooded forests give way to the vines of the wine region. Rothenburg is a common day trip from Frankfurt and is usually visited via the historic city of Wurzburg, which lies in the centre of Germany’s wine region. This is where the Romantic Road crosses with other popular tourist routes including ‘The Wine Road’ and ‘The Castle Road’. Unfortunately for us, major roadworks meant we, among many others, missed out on this part of the road. For me, it means another opportunity to visit this stunning part of the world, for my husband, another opportunity to drive on Germany’s famous, slick roads!

For Further information on Germany’s Romantic Road see:
http://www.romanticroad.com/
https://www.romantischestrasse.de/?lang=uk

For information on Burg Colmberg:
http://www.burg-colmberg.de/