After getting a good night’s rest at PTTK Murowaniec, our next stop was PTTK Roztoki, and then it was off to Dolina Pięciu Stawów Polskich (The Valley of Five Polish Ponds), which is a couple of valleys to the east of where we were. We had a long hike ahead of us, and unfortunately, it was our first day of real rain. We made our way through the forests and valleys, which offered a very different perspective of the mountains compared to previous days.
Tag: Poland
Project quite likely: Day 3
Day three and once again, snow putting our original plans to rest, however we still had an achievable aim, finding a peak >2000m which wasn’t covered in snow. So we turned our attention to Dolina Gąsienicowa, specifically Kościelec (‘Caterpillar valley’ and ‘the church’)…
Project quite likely: Day 2
The first full day of the trip, and we planned on this being a big one. This would be the day we set out to head up Rysy (via Morskie Oko), the highest peak in Poland, something that’s been on my bucket list since I first saw it in person 10 years ago. However as they often do, things did not go to plan…
Project quite likely: Day 1
As with most trips, the first day was an early one, heading over to Stansted airport for the first flight out to Kraków. Aside from the usual chaos of getting through Stansted, we had an uneventful journey (exactly what you want). We then picked up the car (quick and easy service from odkryj-auto.pl) and drove down to Zakopane.
The mountain call: Project quite likely
There’s a unique thrill that accompanies planning a hiking trip, especially when it involves conquering bucket list mountains and exploring awe-inspiring routes. As you dive into the world of trip preparation, the anticipation builds, particularly when you find yourself glued to webcams, almost daily tracking the snow as it recedes from the mountains. The hope of timely snowmelt, opening up trails for your adventure, adds an extra layer of excitement. In this blog post, I’m introducing Project quite likely.
Driving in Poland
Driving for many is a normal part of every day, it’s not something you tend to give much thought to. However, anyone who’s driven while abroad/on holiday knows driving in another land is not so simple!
Mushroom hunting
I’ve always enjoyed the process of growing or collecting my own food, whether that’s tomatoes, apples, other vegetables or even rabbits from the garden, but one thing I’d never explored was mushroom picking. It’s always seemed complex, risky and something people always have horror stories about. However in recent years we’ve gone out as a family with my father in law while visiting Poland, where this is much more common to the point where at the right time of year, everyone is out at their favourite patch. During these trips I learnt that while mushrooms are complex (There are roughly 15,000 species of fungi in the UK!), it’s possible to learn while being careful what can be taken safely, but more importantly I learnt that the process/experience is just as enjoyable as the eating.
Polish food
An alternative name for this post could be “how I gained a few kilos”, but that aside it would be impossible to write a series on Poland without at least one post about the food. Not only because food is a topic worth discussing in any description of a place, but also its one of my vices, hence the aforementioned alternative title. So here is my best attempt at doing justice to the Polish cuisine.
Polish weddings
So I thought for the first entry in the series I’d go with what is probably a common way for people to experience Poland, a wedding. Being from the UK, and having a nice and diverse environment, weddings of friends are often a reason for people to travel to somewhere new, and Poland is no exception. It also happens to be a real fun way to experience Poland and some Polish traditions, certainly some I’ve enjoyed.
Closer to home I’ve been to weddings of close family members, distant family members, friends and friends of friends. I also worked at a wedding venue in my holidays while studying for over 5 years. So I’ve been able to see a pretty broad spectrum of weddings in both style and substance. I did feel at one point like I’d seen all there is to see with weddings, but I was pleasantly surprised when I realised at my first Polish wedding that there was still more to see. Continue reading “Polish weddings”
Critique in situ
This is undoubtedly something that is obvious to many, but for those it’s not, it may help.
Critiquing your shots straight after you’ve pressed the shutter button is something I’ve realised that I have started taking for granted (having recently dabbled in film), and honestly, not been doing enough. Now, I’m not talking about chimping, checking blown highlights or any kind of quick glance at the back of the camera. But a true critique, does the shot have those leading lines, contrast, or subject position you was trying to achieve.
I’m sure I’m not alone in getting home and looking at some images and feeling like they just don’t match what I could see in my mind when on site, taking the picture. Continue reading “Critique in situ”
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