Daily Adventures in Strzelin
Enough with the mountain man stuff… let’s do something different!
Instead of reminiscing about past adventures in the Rocky Mountains, today we’ll have some travel fun. Since many of my friends in Texas and Idaho have expressed interest and curiosity in my new home, Ela and I decided to take you on a video tour. I’m confident this trip to town (as expressed in this compilation of short clips) will be both interesting and informative.
Town Square
We walk through Strzelin almost every day. We buy what we’ll use fresh from the markets, and search out whatever else we need around the house. The first stop is city center.
Cmentarz Parafialny
Ela is a modern woman who honors old-fashioned values. Almost every trip through town includes a stop at the cemetery. I wait outside while she visits her family and tends to their resting place.
Grocery Shopping
There are a few good-sized grocery stores in town that carry all the good food we need… including things we might NOT need but really, really like!
Banking in Poland
Just like back home, we sometimes need to refresh our supply of ready cash. In Poland, they accept zlotys (the local currency) or Euros (the standard European currency) at the businesses in town. Even though my Social Security and Amazon royalties are deposited to U.S. bank accounts, I can use the local bank to withdraw the money I need to spend abroad.
Church
Central Europe was home to the Crusaders as evidenced by the abundance of castles dating back through the Middle Ages. This is a Catholic stronghold… and most revered is Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who occupied the Vatican when Communism was overthrown. Though Communists don’t believe in religion, the local Poles continued practiced their faith during the Soviet Occupation in this lovely ol church in Strzelin.
Local Sklep
The big grocery store chains supply most of the food items we need, but the local skleps (stores) are an important part of the local economy. And many times, they are the only place we can find the specialty items we need…
Home Sweet Home
Finally! After two hours and 10-12,000 steps, we arrive back at our home on Broniewskiego Street. As you can see, our neighborhood is not significantly different than suburbia back home. (The only real difference is that no one steals your Amazon packages off the porch in Poland. LOL!)
English
Czech
Dutch
French
German
Greek
Polish
Spanish
Ukrainian
I love this, it’s a testament to the strong will of the Polish people. They have come a long way since they broke free from the chains of communism. A lot of people here could learn from their history, unfortunately so many think they know better than those that have lived through it.
.. can’t say it any better than that.
Thank you for sharing Pat & Ela – it looks beautiful there. Good, strong people that have endured despite Nazi and Soviet occupations. I’m always interested in the food and especially glad to see the small, independent shops. Where I’m moving to this spring there is a small grocery and general store – they proudly state that have everything you need but also somethings that you might want! Best wishes to both of you happy adventurers….
Thank you, Michael. Come visit sometime… we welcome you. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing, now I know why you love it so much. The town is beautiful!! It’s so sweet Ela goes to the cemetery to pay her respect to her family. You two are what makes my heart happy ♥️
Wow! Thanks for the heart-warming feedback. You make this work worthwhile 🥰
Thanks for the tour, Pat and Ela! It was especially good to hear your voice, Pat! (Is that weird?) High school was a loooong time ago, but I still feel so young and I bet you do, too! Enjoy every minute of your adventures together. I would love to know the backstory of how you ended up together in Poland!
Awwww, what lovely feedback, Donna! Thank you so much for taking time to comment. As regards the backstory, my next book will cover the time from my last hermit adventure through to the move to Poland. Thanks again… I appreciate you.