Today, we got to go back to a tiny, secluded Polish village. Where old ladies sit on the porch and remark everyone and everything that passes by. According to our host, from the way we look (very out of place speaking English in our bike clothes and riding bikes) we could not ride from one side of the village to the other without word spreading faster than the ride. Furthermore, everyone would have guessed that we were going to their house because she is the only one that hosts couchsurfers/foreigners in the village.
So here we are in Dabrowa!
It is beautiful here, the countryside is rolling and extends for miles in every direction. Our host, Joanna, lives on a large plot of land with her parents - who are very active farmers. They raise chickens for both meat and eggs, and rabbits for meat (but a little too cute to think about eating, even though I may have had a taste).
About 95% of what they consume as a family is either raised and grown on their land by themselves, or comes from a neighbor (i.e. milk or honey). And they have some incredible food. Upon arrival, her mother presented us with a huge plate of pirogies, a type of ravioli filled with potatoes, herbs, and cheese. Everything was made by hand - the wheat grown and self-ground to make the dough, the potatoes picked this morning because they are currently in season, herbs from the garden, and cheese made from the neighbor's cow.
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| Incredible plate of pirogies awaited us upon arrival. We are extremely spoiled, and Polish hospitality is wonderful |
They do not sell any of what they grow on the land, but they use it to pay other people in the region for supplies and other services. Joanna's father is a mechanic and is extremely handy. The house is filled with gorgeous wooden furniture and wood decorations all developed by him. During the year, they stock, pickle, and otherwise store all of the food they produce and either eat it or give it out during the winter. Their storage room is meticulously organized and labeled by year and product.
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| Graham is in locally-produced food heaven. All of these jars were planted, grown, and harvested by the hands of Joanna, her parents, and any helpful neighbors who came by to help |
Farming is hard work! Joanna told us during the summer she can wake up at 5am and not get back from the fields until close to midnight. It is a lot of work, and we just got to experience the best part - which is enjoying the fruits of the labor. Although we would have liked to help, all we were able to do was pick some tomatoes, keep the chickens at bay, and also drive her father's hand-made tractor around.
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| Joanna's father, Jasiek, built this tractor from spare car parts, discarded household parts (some water pumps), and his own welding handywork. |
Joanna and her friend, Goscia, took us for a walk in the hills to check out some of the views and see some other fields above the town. The views are expansive and since it is the end of the harvest season, the valley is filled with smoke from people burning some parts of their fields for maintenance. We have noticed this while biking the last couple of days - the roads have been very hazy with smoke creating a kind of mist that settles everywhere. While hiking in the hills, we were vigiliant to watch for wild pigs which are all around the area. Not to worry, Joanna has only been attacked twice.
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| Joanna's friend scoping out wild pigs in the fields |
After a fine evening of conversation, cherry wine, and some traditional Polish dance demonstrations (Graham and I were able to show off our knowledge by dancing the Zinnia Gorale and her parents showed us up by dancing a speedy polka (Polka in Polish actually means a Polish lady).
As usual, it will be tough to say goodbye. But for now I can just sleep on it.
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