October: Ustka and Bieszczady
Kalisz and Ustka
On the first weekend of the month, I traveled with my friend Gina and her host family to a seaside town called Ustka. Two hours into our eight-hour drive we stopped in a beautiful city named Kalisz. Here, Gina's host mother, Malgoscia, had to complete some work. While waiting, the four of us (Gina, Borek the dog, Darek the host dad, and I) visited a castle in the country.
Goluchow castle was built in the mid-1500s during the renaissance period and used for defensive purposes. In 1853 the owners remodeled in a French Renaissance style. Before the museum opened we explored the only a portion of the expansive grounds.
Something about the scenery, the stream and trees, and the lack of other people made me feel like I had traveled back in time to some wealthy French estate. When we got inside I found that the interior is just as gorgeous. Every room displays art from many western cultures including Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and everything in between.
After eating we picked up Gina's host mom. By the time we were back on the road to Ustka is was past 8 pm and we had 6 hours of driving to go.
The next morning we woke up late in the house we were staying in. Gina and I spent the first half of the day watching NCIS, the only thing on TV for some reason, and playing with Mop Dog. We never found out her real name but Mop Dog was the most infectiously happy and low to the ground creature I had ever met.
The real purpose of the trip was for Malgoscia to oversee the beginning of construction on a small cabin in the country near Ustka. This is where the adults had been all day. When they returned we all went into the town. In the US Gina and I are both accustomed to living near the ocean. After not being near water for over a month we were so excited to see the Baltic Sea. There was wind, sand, seagulls, and boats and we watched the sunset from the end of a long jetty. We also ate salmon, something else I was missing.
The next day Gina's host parents showed us more of the country outside of town. We visited the construction site
of the small cabin and a quiet beach nearby with purple sand. After meeting with some of their family friends we returned to town and to the beautiful beach we visited the day before. Gina and I dipped our feet into the water this time even though it was freezing. It was very refreshing. After frolicking in the sea, we packed up and returned to the center of the country sleeping most of the way.
Bieszczady Mountains
The following weekend I joined them again this time traveling in the opposite direction- south to the mountains. I discovered that early October was the greatest time to visit this region because of the turning colors of the leaves. Gina's host parents gave us a driving tour of the area. Darek loves the mountains and they have many friends who have second homes there some of whom I met. We stayed in the home of two of these friends. A beautiful cabin overlooking the lower mountains and a valley filled with different colored trees. They also had a pair of dogs who brought us a lot of joy.
In the morning we drove around more of the mountains and visited a dam on the San river. Next, we did something that seemed crazy to me. We drove to Slovakia to visit the Andy Warhol Museum located near the border. I didn’t realize that Andy Warhol’s family had lived in this small village in Slovakia and it is where attended several years of school. After only spending an hour in this other country we returned to the home for dinner. That night we attended a free concert in a place called Hipisowka (Hipi-sowka like hippy- I thought it was quite clever). The two musicians were playing drums and a didgeridoo and mixed it electronically. The whole experience had some strong Whidbey Island vibes.
After breakfast the next morning we set out. The day was spent hiking and searching for mushrooms. In the US we are taught to stay away from wild mushrooms. Even experts who are sure of what is right, make mistakes. In Poland, however, each person learns which mushrooms to pick and, when in the country, they do it on a regular basis. No one seems to have died yet. With 5 baskets overflowing we returned to the house. That evening we drove back to Lodz.