Recently, on a public holiday the old "Trouble and Strife" was off swanning about in Southern France, for work, and I was stuck at home alone and a little bit bored. I decided to whip out the old Amsterdam and hit the paved world. I headed down the road Aleja Komisji Edukacji Narodowej, thankfully most commonly named KEN instead. I then vanished into to Las Kabacki, the Kabaty Forest. As the weather was fine there were people everywhere, the paths were filled more than the roads. I pedaled around looking at all the people, dogs, babies in prams, old people Nordic walking and teenagers walking while sipping from half litre beers.
Riding at a speed that must have been nearly the speed of light I needed oxygen and inhaled deeply. What is that smell in the air? It smells like pork and smoke. I followed the smell along with many other people and came to a little clearing. I was amazed by the numbers of people. They were spread out across a large area, from the tree lined fringes in makeshift bikinis, ie bras and underpants, through to small huts with tables and fire pits. There was music from stereos footballs flying about and people being unPolish. Yes, they were smiling, IN PUBLIC! Crazy!
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| Fire pits and huts |
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| A Granny parade |
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| The grannies keep on moving. |
It also brings me to another Polish thing, well actually it is also very British. Why do men feel the need to take their shirts off the minute there is some sun about. Mostly it is the rotund, the sweaty and the surprisingly hairless characters that do it. I find it a little disturbing, but maybe that is just me. Many, have said to me that as I am from Australia I should be used to people without clothes on due to the heat, but I really don't recall too many shirtless portly gents other than at the beach. It is like in the UK where as soon as there is a snifter of sun it is get the pasty bits out and make them red ASAP. If women were to do it, in Poland at least, there would be massive public outrage, grannies protesting in front of the presidential palace and burning effigies of Prime Minister Tusk. So why can men? Maybe some Polish boys can answer that one for me.
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| A shirtless man tends his fire in preparation for the adding of pork in casings. |
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| The nordic walkers smashing along. |
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| I pulled over to enjoy the serenity |
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| And was brutally attacked by wildlife |
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| The amsterdam looks resplendent in timeless black and white. |
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| I know it isn't Nowy Swiat, but this is deep in the middle of the forest, the trail is packed up ahead. |
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| The meal before Marty went to France, all sourced at the local markets, fresh, cheap and bloody delicious |
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