Spending holidays in the middle of the Polish countryside may not be on top of your bucket list but I hope that I can inspire you and maybe one day you will want to explore this real-life Arcadia as it does seem to me like this mystical, pastoral paradise of simplicity and happiness whilst being close to nature.
Over the last decade, I have been spending my summer holidays in Poland. I guess that’s the beauty of being an immigrant when you feel like you belong to two different worlds, two countries, and two homes which are close to my heart. In the last few years, I have also travelled around Europe and I enjoyed visiting other countries, meeting new people, learning about their cultures and even learning a few words in their language. It has always been part of my English Dream- to live in England but to have the freedom and finances to travel the world. Because I have very close ties with my family, each year in England I longed for those Polish summers and the time when I could visit my hometown – Chelmza to enjoy spending time with my mum, my dog and… myself in order to relax, to reflect and enjoy some ‘me time’ before going back to the big world of climbing up the career ladder, working hard, commitments and responsibilities. Spending some time in Poland has always given me a lot of much-needed peace and time to just be ‘me’ and doing the simple things which I often forgot about whilst living the busy and fast-paced life in England.
I wanted to share with you a few things that give me a lot of joy and happiness, even though they are..nothing special. But by being so…simple, I am sure they would give everyone a fair chance to appreciate their beauty, the abundance of nature, the joy of doing..nothing and the much needed time to gather energy for facing the pressures of our daily lives whilst working, commuting, looking after families, financial commitments, lack of ‘me’ time and daily pressures.
One of the most enjoyable moments of the day for me are the mornings. I love waking up after seven, or just before eight but not because I have to, but because I want to see the sunrise or the blanket of morning fog wrapping the fields. Having a cup of coffee in my hand, I love closing my eyes and breathing in the fresh air which fills my lungs, waking me up gently for the day to come. Views like this are pure joy for my heart and the overwhelming sound of..nothing is music to my ears. How can you not get a clear focus in your head when all you hear is your thoughts and nothing else..no need for any extensive meditation, just closing your eyes for 5 mins and breathing in the fresh air is enough.
When was the last time you walked up to a tree and… picked the juiciest and tastiest, bathed in the afternoon sun apple?
Never?
Well, it is one very easy thing to do in the Polish countryside as there are so many orchards with fruit trees that even neighbors themselves often exchange them; plums for cherries or pears for apples. If you decided to stay in the area, I am sure you would be able to experience picking your own apple from a tree and..taste the difference. It’s not the same as the one packed with preservatives in a supermarket.
Walking around open fields hearing nothing but the tractors in the distance or cows mooing (I think that’s how you say it in English 🙂 is one of the best ways to spend lazy, hot afternoons. All you need with you is a little blanket, a bottle of water and some snacks, or even better, freshly picked apples of pears. You can easily find a cozy spot to have a mini picnic on ( a lot of open fields!) and enjoy the views of the neverending sky above you.
Flowers are one of the most beautiful plants created by God in our ‘world garden’.
What amazes me is that ever since I’ve started to appreciate their beauty, I now find them everywhere. By the road, on the edge of a forest, in the meadows and I love stopping for one moment and simply admire their beauty. After all, they are also here for us so that we can enjoy the way they look, pleasing our eyes and how wonderful they smell. When was the last time you were thankful for the surrounding nature around you on your way to work or while taking your dog out? Maybe tomorrow you will notice on your path the wonderful plants and trees which you had never truly noticed before? Or maybe you did notice them but took them for granted and never truly appreciated their presence? Um?
Relaxing and having a chilled beer under a fruit tree may not be your typical way to ‘chill’ in the summer but trust me, you are really missing out.
My favourite Polish beer is Karmi, the dark beer which foams a lot when I drink it but it’s so sweet and moorish that I cannot say no to that simple pleasure. Especially when stretching my body on a sunbed in the warmth of the afternoon sun.
When you think about the countryside, do you think about the sunsets or the smell of freshly cut barley? This is exactly what the countryside means to me. The big, open space and being able to walk for miles watching the sun slowly hiding on the horizon and turning the sky into the most magical spectacle of light. It is that open space that makes me feel like I am free and alive, giving me so much of the very needed positive energy and peace of mind.
When I was younger, I rarely looked at a butterfly with excitement. After all, it was always just… another butterfly. Now that I spend most of my time in towns and cities, I almost forgot what butterflies really look like. Gorgeous, gentle and so colourful. When I notice one in the middle of a field, I have to take a picture of it and keep it in my holiday memories file.
Who knows when I will be able to see the next one?
Corn fields this summer turned into..gold. It was such a hot summer, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celcius that fields turned into one unified colour of gold. It is not usually that hot and summer weather in Poland can vary each year but whatever the weather, the beauty is still there.
It all depends on how we look at it and whether we see that beauty in everything we look at.
One of my favourite things to do in the summer evenings are bike rides.
What could be better than a cool evening breeze in your hair when you zoom through windy countryside roads covered in gravel. No helmet (even though it’s recommended, I have never used one here on country roads), a loose T-shirt and a mini skirt or shorts and off I go on my sunset ride. The straw basket is always useful in case I find some flowers by the road and I want to see them later on my bedside table. These bike rides are a great way to burn off the calories from the delicious Polish food and cakes before going to sleep!
Exploring the countryside and driving through small villages you never know what you are going to see. Just like when I found My Man! From a popular TV series called ‘Rolnik szuka zony’ or ‘The Farmer is looking for a wife’ came this idea, probably from the local farmers to celebrate the end of summer and finishing the crops season. This handsome gentleman was waiting for me on the side of the road. I just knew he was the One for me and had to have a picture taken with him 😉 He even had a classic bike for me. How can you not love Polish hospitality!
There is always one more thing for me to do before going to sleep each night.
Watching the sunset.
What really strikes me is the vastness of the huge sky which just doesn’t seem so big in the city, probably because of the tall buildings blocking my view. The show of so many shades of yellow, red, orange and blue, makes each evening its own theatre spectacle of light and colour. Every evening is a new magical experience and I am never bored with it. It is the idyllic, tranquil setting of days like this that makes me want to come back to my Polish Arcadia each year.
How to experience it:
Well, come to Poland!
This particular countryside area I have described is easily accessible from Bydgoszcz airport in just one hour drive. I usually fly Ryanair from Stansted Airport and in two hours, I find myself in my own heaven on Earth. I guess this heaven can be found on every corner of our beautiful planet but also here, in the idyllic setting of the Polish countryside. We just need to be able to see the abundance that surrounds us wherever we are.
Read my memoir ‘Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream’ on Amazon now:
