The Path Less Traveled: Eastern Europe Edition

EASTERN

EUROPE

EDITION

Findoutwhy

travelersare

swappingWestforEast.

ThePathLessTraveled

BackpackingTheBaltic•RigaCentralMarket•TatraMountainsNational

Park•CitySpotlight:Warsaw•SnapshotsofSouthernPoland•

GlobalGrub:TheTastesofEasternEurope+more

2

DiveintoLatvia'sediblecultureatoneofEurope's

largestmarkets,theRigaCentralMarket,locatedin

Latvia'scapital.Locatedjustastone'sthrowfrom

downtown,behindthemainbusstation,thousandsof

vendorssetupatsunrisetofillthestomachesof

Latviansandtouristsalike.Sellinganythingyouneed,

andotherthingsyouneverimagined,RigaCentral

Marketisamust-seedestinationfortravelers.

Contents

64

RigaCentralMarket

pg.

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

Marketgoerssiftthroughpilesofproduce

insideoneofseveraloldzeppelinhangars

inwhichthemarketishoused.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

3

DiveintoLatvia'sediblecultureatoneofEurope's

largestmarkets,theRigaCentralMarket,locatedin

Latvia'scapital.Locatedjustastone'sthrowfrom

downtown,behindthemainbusstation,thousandsof

vendorssetupatsunrisetofillthestomachesof

Latviansandtouristsalike.Sellinganythingyouneed,

andotherthingsyouneverimagined,RigaCentral

Marketisamust-seedestinationfortravelers.

Contents

64

RigaCentralMarket

pg.

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

Marketgoerssiftthroughpilesofproduce

insideoneofseveraloldzeppelinhangars

inwhichthemarketishoused.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

4

WARMUPTOWARSAW:

FindoutwhyPoland'scapitalisgettingbumpeduptravelers'lists.

18

FEATUREDARTICLES

BACKPACKINGTHE

BALTIC:

GetinsiderinformationonwheretogoandwhattodoinandaroundtheBalticStates.

NATIONALPARKSOF

EARTH:

TakeaphotographicjourneytotheTatraMountainsNationalParkinPoland

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

28

44

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

RIGACENTRALMARKET

DiveintoRiga,Latvia'ssprawlingcentralmarket.

54

SNAPSHOTS:

SOUTHERNPOLAND

PiqueyourwanderlustwithphotosofSouthernPoland'spastoralparadise.

70

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

5

7

THEUNIVERSE,TRAVELANDSELFAletterfromtheeditor.

8

SEEINGREDSovietsouvenirsfrom

Tallinn'sRussianMarket

9

BROKEBACKPACKER

DIYsouvenirsforbeer

drinkingbackpackers.

10

LANGUAGEFILESAnoverviewofthemost

widelyspokenlanguages

ofEasternEurope.

77

DILLBREADAquickeasyrecipefora

dillinfusedbread.

81

PIEROGIWhipupabatchofoneof

EasternEurope'smost

ubiquitouscomfortfoods.

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

InThisIssue

12

MUSEUMOFTHE

MONTHApeekintoRiga,Latvia's

epicethnographicmuseum.

14

ARCHITECTURE

DESTINATIONTallinn,Estonia'sOldTown

haspreservedsomeof

Europe'sfinestmedieval

buildings.

16

BESTBEACHESOFTHEBALTIC

FindoutwhichBaltic

beacheshavethemostto

offer.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

76

GLOBALGRUBAbriefintroductiontothe

cuisineofEasternEurope

andmultiplerecipestobring

theEastintoyourkitchen.

78

BORSCHTAsimplerecipeforoneof

Slavicculture'sculinary

staples.

82

SZARLOTKAAPolishtakeonrusticapple

pie.

6

Contributors

PUBLISHER

EDITORINCHIEF

EDITORIAL

AmandaDerocher

AmandaDerocher

CreativeDirector

Author

AmandaDerocher

AmandaDerocher

ART

DirectorofPhotography

ArtDirector

PhotoEditor

SeniorDesigner

ProductionManager

MattDewald

AmandaDerocher

MattDewald

AmandaDerocher

AmandaDerocher

HOWTOREACHUS

WEBSITE

www.linguistsontheloose.comTWITTER

@linguiststravel

[email protected]

©2015byLinguistsontheLoose.AllRightsReserved

Reproductioninwholeorinpartwithoutpermissionis

prohibited.ImmersedintheWorldisaregistered

trademarkofLinguistsontheLoose.Printedinthe

UnitedStatesofAmerica.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

OTHERPUBLICATIONS,ANDPRINTCOPIESAVAILABLEAT:

www.blurb.com/user/store/derochera

7

consciousness? A desire to conquer the unknown? Totransformourperceptionof reality?Tofillavoid left inourselveswhenourspeciessettleddown?

Weare the leaveson the tree.Tiny fractalsofabiggerpicture obscured to our perception. Each one of ustraveling through time with only one set of eyes; justone of over 7 billion hearts, minds, bodies. Singularlyincomplete. Tiny pieces of a multifaceted puzzle thathangs glittering in space, light years away from otherconsciousness.

Iwonderwhat other eyes see in everymoment, how Icould see the world if I could reside in every mindsimultaneously. What different worlds would I see?WouldIstillsolovetheworld?

I have always felt as a fractal, a small insignificantcreature consumed by the undeniable scale of reality.Fractalsall look thesame fromafar. I amyou,andyouare me, placed in different bodies, different realities,arbitrary details causing perceived individuality.Languageoftenfallsshortwhendescribingtheconceptofself.Isearchotherlanguagesandculturesforamoreaptideaofselfandtheuniverse.

Iyaric-anEnglishdialectofJamaica,blendsthe ideaofself with that of unity. The poetic pronoun I and Irepresents more than English can describe.Grammatically,thepronounisusedasIandalsowe,buttranscends the physical plane. I and I represents theconnectionbetweenthespeakerand thedivine,akindof Jamaican namaste. I and I represents equalitybetween humanity, the connection between everyindividual and the rest of humanity, the assertion thatwithouttherestofhumanityonedoesnotexist. IandIrepresents the connection of an individual to theuniverse, since without the universe there is noindividual.

I travel to better understand who I am, and what itmeanstobe.

OntheUniverse,Travel,andSelf

StepsofachurchontheoutskirtsofSzczawnica,Polandprovideaquietspotforreflectionwhilewatchingthecloudspaintthemoonlitsky.

AMANDADEROCHEREditor-in-Chief

Why do we travel? What primordialallure does travel hold to ourspecies? A glimpse into thenomadic era of our collective

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

8

SEEINGRED

SovietsouvenirsfromTallinn'sRussianMarket

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALDPHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

SpillingoutfromadisheveledtrainstationinTallinnyouwillfindtheRussianmarket.HarshSlavicsyllablescutthroughtheair,tablesfilledwithfilthygoodsfilldirtpathways,littleglass-windowedstandsoccupiedbyglaringRussiansarefilledwithsovietspoils.Pastpilesofoldclothes,oldmilitaryuniformsaresoldpiecebypiece,badgesofmilitaryhonoraremonetaryvalue.

Littleshopsfillthesidesoftheaisles,hidingsecretsdeepwithin;wakeuponSoviettimewithaStalinalarmclock.Europe’ssinisterhistoryisforsalehere:Nazi

memorabilia-badges,uniforms,knives,cigarettecases,andthingsthatneverneededtobeadornedwithswastikas.Needapassport?Youcanbuyonehere.

FortheSovietsoldier,acigarettecasewasamust,sowasaflask.VendorshockreprintsofSovietpropagandaposters,whilegrandmotherstrytosellyouoldshoes.Othershavepilesofwildmushroomsandalpinestrawberriesforsale.

Don’tmissit;rumoristheyareplanningonreplacingitwithanupscalemallsoon.

Cigarettecases,pins

anddefunctSoviet

passportsareamong

someofthegoods

youcanfindhere.

Europe's

sinisterhistory

isforsale

here.

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

9

Bottle capmagnetsYouknowallthose

beersyou'redrinking?

Ifyou'reinEurope,the

capsareboundtobe

filledwithcolorful

intricatedesignsina

myriadoflanguages.

Whenyoufindcapsin

yourpockets,don'ttoss

'em,hangontothem

andturntheminto

magnets.

Supplies:Supplies:beerorsodacaps

magnetsthatfitinside

glue(likeE6000or

gorillaglue)

Sandwichgluebetween

thecapsandmagnets,

letdrythoroughly.

Stickonthefridgeand

marvelathowyou

actuallyremember

whereyoudrankthat

beer.Cheers!

Beer LabelCoastersFilledwithstylized

imagesofhops,wheat,

goatsandmore,beer

labelsacrossEurope

areminiworksofart.

Mostlabelsarepasted

on,andwhenthe

condensationtakes

overtheoutsideofyour

bottle,startpeelingthe

edgesuntilthelabel

cleanlypeelsoff.Some

labelsputupmoreofa

fight;ifyoucansoak

thebottleovernight,

morestubbornlabels

willslideoff.Letlabels

dry,tuckthemina

booktokeepthemsafe

onyourtravels.

Thisisalsoagreatway

tousesomeofyour

travelphotos;forphoto

coasters,replacebeer

labelswith5x7"photo

printscutdowntosize.

Thereareavarietyof

waysyoucancutthem;

full(aspictured),

Polaroidstylewitha

stripofwhiteatthe

bottomwhereyoucan

addacaptiononaslip

ofpaper,orusea

cuttingtemplatetocut

outshapeslike

triangles,hearts,

PHOTOBYMATTDEWALD

circlesandmore.

Supplies:Supplies:Beerlabelsorphotos

Ceramictiles,wooden

squares,oranything

whichcouldbeusedfor

acoaster(logslices

wouldbenicetoo).

Gluesuchas

ModgePodge

Acrylicsealer(one

whichwillrenderit

waterproof),orvarnish

Paintbrush

Applyathincoatofglue

ontocoaster,laybeer

labelinplaceandgently

smoothontocoaster.

Lightlyapplyanother

coatofglueoverthe

coaster.Letdry

completely,ideallya

BROKE

BACKPACKER

DIYSOUVENIRS

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

coupleofdays.Arrange

coastersclosetogether

tosprayallatonce.

Spraywithacrylic

sealerseveraltimesin

lightcoats,carefulto

notapplysomuchthat

itglobsuporruns.

Notes:

Whileacrylicsealerwill

workforanytypeof

coasterbase,varnishis

bettersuitedtowood,

ceramictilesdemand

acrylicsealer.

Ifusingwoodasabase,

beforeaddingphotos

youcanlightlyburnthe

woodwithapropane

torchtocreateanaged

effect(asseenonthe

Kozelcoaster).

10

LANGUAGEFILES:EASTERNEUROPE

Europeisamosaicoflanguages,andEasternEuropeisnoexception.Slaviclanguages

dominateEasternEurope,withover315millionspeakers.Slaviclanguagesareapartofthe

Indo-Europeanlanguagefamily,whichaccountsformostofEurope'slivinglanguages,withthe

exceptionofisolateslikeBasqueandFinno-Ugriclanguages.

TheSlaviclanguagefamilyisfurthersubdividedintoEastSlavic,SouthSlavicandWest

Slavic.OneofthemostobviousdifferencesbetweentheEastSlavicandWestSlavic

languagesisorthography;WestSlaviclanguagesemploytheLatinscript,whileEastSlavic

languagesuseCyrillic.SouthSlaviclanguagesusebothscriptsdependingonthelanguage,

andtheculture'shistoricaltiestoeithertheRomanCatholicChurch,ortheEasternOrthodox

Church.Bythe7thcenturyA.D.Proto-Slavichaddifferentiatedintolargedialectalzones.

LinguistspostulatethattheSlaviclanguagesdivergedfromtheirproto-languagelaterthan

anyotherlanguagegroupintheIndo-Europeanfamily,onaccountofwidespreadsimilarities

betweenfeaturesoftheselanguages.

TheBalticbranchoftheIndo-Europeanfamilytreeisamatterofdebatebetweenlinguists;

manylinguistsbelievethatBalticandSlavicaretheclosestrelatedofanygroupwithinthe

Indo-Europeanfamily,duetothehighnumberofisoglosses(featuresdefinedbygeographic

boundaries)withinthephonology,morphologyandsyntaxoftheselanguages.Itiscommonly

acceptedthatbothSlavicandBalticlanguagearederivedfromaProto-Balto-Slaviclanguage,

althoughBalticlinguistsrejectthisdespitethelackofevidenceofauniqueProto-Baltic

language.

InadditiontoSlavicandBalticlanguages,oneRomancelanguagehassurvivedsinceRoman

timesinEasternEurope:Romanian.TherestofEasternEurope'slanguagesbelongtothe

Finno-UgricfamilywhichisunrelatedtotheIndo-Europeanfamily.Finno-Ugriccontains

Estonian,Hungarian,Finnish,Samiandothers.

11

TheaboveillustrationsdepictthelanguagefamiliesofEasternEuropeandthemostwidelyspoken

languagesoftheSlavicandFinno-Ugricfamilies.Thisisbynomeansanexhaustivelistofallthe

languagesofthesefamilies,therearemanyotherlanguagesnotrepresentedintheseillustrations

thatarespokenbyfewernumbersofpeople.

12

LatvijasEtnogrāfiskaisbrīvdabas

muzejs,Riga,Latvia

JustoutsideRiga,Latvialiesoneof

Europe'sfinestmuseums.Riga'sOpenAir

EthnographicMuseumshowcasesLatvia's

historyin3-Dformat.Situatedonthe

edgeofalake,inrollingpineforests,

nearlyamillenniaoftraditional

Latvianarchitectureispreserved,

reassembledintolittlevillages.

Craftsmendemonstratetraditionalarts

andskills,andthenoisesofthe21st

centuryaredrownedoutbynature.

MUSEUMOFTHEMONTH:

13

Anarrowpathleadstoafishingvillage

reassembledattheedgeofthelake.Here

traditionalLatvianfishinggear,suchas

netsandspearsareondisplay.

Manyhouses,barns,saunas,shedsand

otherbuildingshavebeenreassembled

heretogivevisitorsaglimpseinto

everydaylifeofthepast,suchasthis

diningroompicturedabove.

Dozensofhistoricalwoodenchurches

fromallaroundLatviahavebeen

painstakinglytakenapart,and

reassembledhere.

Birchbarkcanisters,shoes,ornamentsand

morecoveramake-shifttablenearasmall

workshopwhereacraftsmandemonstrates

techniquesformanipulatingbirchbark.

15

ARCHITECTUREDESTINATION:

TALLINN

TuckedintothehustleandbustleofEstonia's

capitalTallinn,laysoneofthecountry's

greatestattractions.AUNESCOWorld

HeritageSite,Tallinn'sOldTownfeatures

someofEurope'sbestpreservedmedieval

architecture.Inthemainsquare,theTown

HallhousesKrugInn,anestablishmentthat

hasbeencontinuallyopensincethe1500's.

AncientwallsandpassagessurroundOld

Town,andmedievalbuildingsaretuckedhere

andtherenexttohipclubsandrestaurants,

othermedievalbuildingsnowhouseclubsand

restaurants.Despitecenturiesofoccupation,

andWWIIbombings,Tallinn'sOldTownhas

stayedmarvelouslyintact,atestamenttothe

craftsmanshipofmedievalarchitectsand

builders.

ThesundescendsbehindtheTownHallona

warmsummerevening.

Medievalbuildingsaretuckedhereandthere

withinOldTown,nestledinnexttomorerecent

architecture.Proudofit'sheritage,OldTownhas

manyshopsdevotedtomedievalcultureand

products.

Opposite:Top:TwotowersmarktheentrancetoOldTown,nowamajortouristattraction,thisareais

teemingwithsouvenirshopsandrestaurants.Middle:St.Catherine'sPassage.Bottom:InteriorofKrugInn,

insidetheTownHallbuilding,hereonecaneatelksoup,pies,andotherEstonianspecialtiesallinthe

ambianceofanauthenticmedievalInn.

16

Coastlinespanningsevennations

surroundstheBalticSea.Refreshingly

briskcomparedtothesoutherlywatersof

theMediterranean,hereiswherenorthern

Europe'ssummervacationsunfold.Atthis

latitudeinsummer,unendingsunsetsfill

eveningswithcolorfulskies,whilethesun

dancesforhoursonthehorizonbefore

risingagain.Gdanskanditsbeachresort

neighborGdyniaboastsomeoftheBaltic's

finestbeaches;cleanseamlesslyunending

stretchesofsandandrockyoutcroppings

thatmeetthelongbluelineofsummer.The

coastlineispepperedwithrestaurants,

hotels,shopsrentingadventureequipment,

andstandssellingamber.Withlesscrowds

andlowerpricesthanWesternEurope,the

beachesoftheBalticareoneofEurope's

bestkeptsecrets.

BESTBEACHESOFTHEBALTIC:

GDANSKANDGDYNIA

17

Coastlinespanningsevennations

surroundstheBalticSea.Refreshingly

briskcomparedtothesoutherlywatersof

theMediterranean,hereiswherenorthern

Europe'ssummervacationsunfold.Atthis

latitudeinsummer,unendingsunsetsfill

eveningswithcolorfulskies,whilethesun

dancesforhoursonthehorizonbefore

risingagain.Gdanskanditsbeachresort

neighborGdyniaboastsomeoftheBaltic's

finestbeaches;cleanseamlesslyunending

stretchesofsandandrockyoutcroppings

thatmeetthelongbluelineofsummer.The

coastlineispepperedwithrestaurants,

hotels,shopsrentingadventureequipment,

andstandssellingamber.Withlesscrowds

andlowerpricesthanWesternEurope,the

beachesoftheBalticareoneofEurope's

bestkeptsecrets.

BESTBEACHESOFTHEBALTIC:

GDANSKANDGDYNIA

18

Warmupto

Warsaw

Poland'shumble

capitalisfinally

gettingthe

attentionit

deservesfrom

travelers.

Photo:Thereflectioninawindowofan

upscaledepartmentstoreshowsacityscape

ofAlejeJerozolimskie,oneofWarsaw's

busiestdowntownroads.

19

Warmupto

Warsaw

Poland'shumble

capitalisfinally

gettingthe

attentionit

deservesfrom

travelers.

Photo:Thereflectioninawindowofan

upscaledepartmentstoreshowsacityscape

ofAlejeJerozolimskie,oneofWarsaw's

busiestdowntownroads.

20

CITYSPOTLIGHT:WARSZAWA

Poland'scapitalisbecomingahotspotfortravelers,andforgoodreason-withtrendyrestaurants,myriadsofmuseums,acitybeachandcheapbeer-Warsawiswhereit'sat.

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Warsawisa

fascinating

patchworkof

differenterasof

historyjuxtaposed

togethertoforma

moderncity.

21

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

FAST FACTS ON WARSZAWA:FAST FACTS ON WARSZAWA:

POPULATION:

1.7 million

FOUNDED:

During the 9th century, a fishing village which would

become Warsaw was established on the banks of the Wisła.

FAMOUS FOLKS:

Two of Warsaw's most famous folks are Marie Sklodowska

Curie and Frederic Chopin

LATITUDE:

52⁰

AVERAGE SUMMER TEMPS:

75⁰ F

AVERAGE WINTER TEMPS:

30⁰ F

CITY SYMBOL:

Warsaw's city symbol is a mermaid (pictured opposite) with

a sword and shield, legend has it that early settlers saw

her swimming in the Wisła (Vistula).

ROADS TO KNOW:

Aleje Jerozolimskie, Nowy Świat and Świętokrzyska are

three of the main roads you'll want to familiarize yourself

with as a visitor to the city.

22

WHERE TO STAY:

TamkaHostel,NewWorldStreetHostel,ChmielnaGuesthouse.Allthreeoftheselocationswillputyouintheheartof

downtown,withinwalkingdistancefromdozensof

attractions.

Evenhostelsdowntowncostonlyaround$15/nightforadormbed.

Guesthousestyleplacesdowntownstartaround

$50/night.

OtherdowntownhostelsincludeEmmaHostel,CameraHostel,Okidoki,HostelPuffa,JumpInHostel,andHostel

Helvetia.

WHERE TO STAY OUT

LATE:

Aswithanycapital,Warsawhasplentyofplacestoparty,tryINDECKSmusicclub,1500m2club,Cafe

Kulturalna,Osircafe,Klapsclub,Hustawkamusiclounge,Powiekszeniemusicclub,Nowy

Wspanialycafe-bar-club,orPlanBclub.

Warsawhasavibrantmusicscene,whichencompassesmanydifferentgenres,ask

aroundandfindyourcupoftea.

23

WHERE TO STAY:

TamkaHostel,NewWorldStreetHostel,ChmielnaGuesthouse.Allthreeoftheselocationswillputyouintheheartof

downtown,withinwalkingdistancefromdozensof

attractions.

Evenhostelsdowntowncostonlyaround$15/nightforadormbed.

Guesthousestyleplacesdowntownstartaround

$50/night.

OtherdowntownhostelsincludeEmmaHostel,CameraHostel,Okidoki,HostelPuffa,JumpInHostel,andHostel

Helvetia.

WHERE TO STAY OUT

LATE:

Aswithanycapital,Warsawhasplentyofplacestoparty,tryINDECKSmusicclub,1500m2club,Cafe

Kulturalna,Osircafe,Klapsclub,Hustawkamusiclounge,Powiekszeniemusicclub,Nowy

Wspanialycafe-bar-club,orPlanBclub.

Warsawhasavibrantmusicscene,whichencompassesmanydifferentgenres,ask

aroundandfindyourcupoftea.

24

WHERE TO EAT:

NowySwiat(NewWorldSt.)hassomeupscale

restaurants,traditionalKuchinas,breweriesandkebabjoints;somethingforeverypalateandbudget.

Foracheapmeal,hitupa"MilkBar"fordairybasedand

vegetarianmeals.Lookingforsomethinghigherend?TryAtelierAmaro,Tamka43,TheRotisserieRestaurant,orbistroPiataCwiartkafor

someofWarsawfinestdiningexperiences.

Justlookingforasnack?A.BlikleBakeryhasbeenonNowySwiatsince1869.

WHAT TO EAT:

Trychlodnik-acoldyogurtsoupwithbeet,cucumber,dillandmore.Polandisalandofmanysoups,otherclassicsincludeZurek-akielbasa

basedsoup,Flaki-madewithbeefstomach,andtheclassicsbarszcz.Forget

Americanstereotypesandtrysomeauthenticpierogies-therangeoffillingsiswider

thanyouwouldhaveimagined.Foraheartiermealtrybigos-hunter'sstew.

Tosatisfyyoursweettooth,findabakeryageta

szarlotka-polishapplepie,andwhenyou'rethirsty,findabrowar-breweryalong

NowySwiatforthefreshestbrews.

25

WHERE TO EAT:

NowySwiat(NewWorldSt.)hassomeupscale

restaurants,traditionalKuchinas,breweriesandkebabjoints;somethingforeverypalateandbudget.

Foracheapmeal,hitupa"MilkBar"fordairybasedand

vegetarianmeals.Lookingforsomethinghigherend?TryAtelierAmaro,Tamka43,TheRotisserieRestaurant,orbistroPiataCwiartkafor

someofWarsawfinestdiningexperiences.

Justlookingforasnack?A.BlikleBakeryhasbeenonNowySwiatsince1869.

WHAT TO EAT:

Trychlodnik-acoldyogurtsoupwithbeet,cucumber,dillandmore.Polandisalandofmanysoups,otherclassicsincludeZurek-akielbasa

basedsoup,Flaki-madewithbeefstomach,andtheclassicsbarszcz.Forget

Americanstereotypesandtrysomeauthenticpierogies-therangeoffillingsiswider

thanyouwouldhaveimagined.Foraheartiermealtrybigos-hunter'sstew.

Tosatisfyyoursweettooth,findabakeryageta

szarlotka-polishapplepie,andwhenyou'rethirsty,findabrowar-breweryalong

NowySwiatforthefreshestbrews.

26

WHAT TO DO:WHAT TO DO:

Museumsabound;theChopinmuseumisdowntownforthemusicallyinclined.OthermuseumsincludetheModernArtMuseum,PolishArmyMuseum,NationalMuseum,IndependenceMuseum,EthnographicMuseumandamuseuminhonorofMarieSklodowska-Curie.Warsawholdsmanyfestivalsthroughouttheyear;bothaMozartandaChopinfestivalamongothers.Largefestivalsareoftencenteredaroundreligiousholidays,andliketherestofEurope,WarsawhasaChristmasMarketopenformostofDecember,filledwiththesights,smellsandtastesofaPolishChristmas.

Forthehistorybuffthereisanopen-airmuseumpasttheUniversityonNowySwiatchroniclingWarsaw'sstrugglesthroughwarandoccupation.Likeheights?CrossthemightyVistulaandtakearideintheOrangeballoontoseeWarsawatsunset,andstopinandhaveabeeronthebankoftheriveratthecitybeach.

Admirethearchitecture.Warsawisafascinationpatchworkofdifferenterasofhistoryjuxtaposedtogethertoformamoderncity.AncientbuildingsmeldintoSoviet-eraboxes.WarsawisoneofEurope'sgreenestcapitals,parksandnaturalspacesabound,thereisalsoabotanicalgardenwhichisoftenoverlookedbytravelers.

27

WHAT TO DO:WHAT TO DO:

Museumsabound;theChopinmuseumisdowntownforthemusicallyinclined.OthermuseumsincludetheModernArtMuseum,PolishArmyMuseum,NationalMuseum,IndependenceMuseum,EthnographicMuseumandamuseuminhonorofMarieSklodowska-Curie.Warsawholdsmanyfestivalsthroughouttheyear;bothaMozartandaChopinfestivalamongothers.Largefestivalsareoftencenteredaroundreligiousholidays,andliketherestofEurope,WarsawhasaChristmasMarketopenformostofDecember,filledwiththesights,smellsandtastesofaPolishChristmas.

Forthehistorybuffthereisanopen-airmuseumpasttheUniversityonNowySwiatchroniclingWarsaw'sstrugglesthroughwarandoccupation.Likeheights?CrossthemightyVistulaandtakearideintheOrangeballoontoseeWarsawatsunset,andstopinandhaveabeeronthebankoftheriveratthecitybeach.

Admirethearchitecture.Warsawisafascinationpatchworkofdifferenterasofhistoryjuxtaposedtogethertoformamoderncity.AncientbuildingsmeldintoSoviet-eraboxes.WarsawisoneofEurope'sgreenestcapitals,parksandnaturalspacesabound,thereisalsoabotanicalgardenwhichisoftenoverlookedbytravelers.

28

Backpackingthe

Baltic:Abackpacker'sguidetothe

BalticCoastandStates

IfyouwanttoescapethecrowdedcitiesofWesternEurope,andspendless

moneyheadeast!EasternEuropehasmuchtoofferbackpackers;cheap

lodging,withevermoreboutiquehostelspoppingupinmajorcities,low

transportcosts,greatfoodatafractionofthepriceofthewest,andof

course,beer.Youcaneasilygetbyon$15-30/day,dependingonyour

location,dininghabits,andtravelingstyle.

29

Backpackingthe

Baltic:Abackpacker'sguidetothe

BalticCoastandStates

IfyouwanttoescapethecrowdedcitiesofWesternEurope,andspendless

moneyheadeast!EasternEuropehasmuchtoofferbackpackers;cheap

lodging,withevermoreboutiquehostelspoppingupinmajorcities,low

transportcosts,greatfoodatafractionofthepriceofthewest,andof

course,beer.Youcaneasilygetbyon$15-30/day,dependingonyour

location,dininghabits,andtravelingstyle.

30

POLAND

PolandisagreatplacetostartbackpackingEasternEuropeortheBaltic.Chancesareyou'llarrive

inWarsaw(flightstoWarsawareinexpensivecomparedtothepriceofflyingintoaWestern

Europeancapital).Warsawisagreatcitywithayouthfulpartyvibe,nomatterwhatdayofthe

weekyoucome,youcanusuallyfindsomeuniversitystudentsdowntoparty.Beaware,thatunlike

muchofWesternEurope,drinkinginthestreetsisprohibited,andisenforcedbystonyfacecops.

Bustingtouristswhoareignorantofthisfactisapopularpastime,soifyouwanttodrinkoutside

andplayitsafe,headdowntothecitybeach,whereyoucanlegallysipabeeronthebanksofthe

Vistula.

Warsawhasgreatbudget

accommodations;the

cheapestdankesthostelsare

about10USDanight,butgo

aheadandpayafewbucks

moreandyoucanfindamuch

nicerhostel.Ifyouarenot

intohostels,Warsawhas

plentyofboutiqueguest

houseswithalltheservices

andamenitiesyourequire.If

youself-cater,foodwillcost

younexttonothing,butoff

themainstreetsyoucanfind

amealforaround4USD.

Evenupscalerestaurantsareaccessibleonatravelersbudget,forinstance,amulti-coursemeal

fromatraditionalkuchinaonNowySwiatwithmultiplebeerswillcostaround$35.00.Beerisas

cheapasbottledwater,evenonNowySwiat(oneofthemaintouristystreets)youcangetaWarka

(Warsaw’sregionallybrewedbeer)forzloty($1.30).

Warsawisgreatandall,butifyouwanttohittheBalticSea,getyourselfdowntothetrainstation

andgetatickettoGdanskorGdyniaontheBalticcoast.WarsawisconnectedtotheBalticCoast

regionbybothtrainandbusservice.

33

GDANSKandGDYNIA-Gdanskwasravagedinthewarsofthe20thcentury,buttheinhabitantsso

lovedtheircitythattheypainstakinglyreconstructedittoitsformerglory.Gdanskisfullof

evidenceofSovietoccupationaswell;youcanseeitintheindustrialareasaswellasthebloc

housesontheoutskirtsofthecity.Therearemanystreetsfullofbeautifularchitectureinthecity,

someinterestingmuseums,andlotsoftouristythingstodo.ThereisplentyoflodginginGdansk

proper,butiftheBalticSeaiswhyyoucame,lookforlodgingwithinwalkingdistanceofthebeach,

orinGdynia.Therearetramsthatwilltakeyoufromtheheartofdowntown,uptothe

neighborhoodsthatmeltintotheBaltic.GdyniaisasmalltownonthecoastjustoutsideofGdansk.

ThisareaisreallypopularwithPolish,German,RussianandBritishtourists.Mostbusinessesinthis

areahavemenusinEnglishandserversthatspeakEnglish,soifyourPolishisn'tgreatyou'llstillbe

abletogetaroundfine.Thecoasthasbeenbeautifullydevelopedwithtourisminmind.Thereare

extensivebike,rollerbladeandpedestriantrailsthatfollowthecoastfromthemouthoftheriver

whichrunsthroughGdanskandemptiesintotheBalticuptoGdynia.Offthesepedestriantrails,

thosewhowanderintotheforestwillfindruinsofpostWWIIbunkers,meltingintotheearth.Near

Gdyniayoucanrentbikes,kayaks,andmore.Thereplentyoftrailsfollowingthecoasttocruiseon

abike.FreshfisharehauledindailyfromthewatersoftheBaltic,andarecheapandabundant.

Likeamber?Thisregionisrenowned

forit.Stormsaresaidtowashin

chunksofamber,buriedforeons

undertheseafloor,hintingatthe

massivepineforeststhatcoveredthis

regionbeforehumanssetfoothere.If

you'reluckyyoumightfindsome

smallpebbles,butthebeachis

combeddaily,sodon’texpect

handfuls.Ifyouaren’tluckyenoughto

findany,wanderintotheresortareas

wherestandafterstandsellsamber

jewelryglisteninginthesunlight.

ThepricesinGdanskareaboutthebestpricesforamberinthewholeBalticregion.Shopsindowntown

GdanskshowcasethefinestartjewelryPolandhastooffer,alongwithTiffany-stylelampsmadeoutof

amberchunks,andallsortsofcreativeobjectsmadefromthisiconicmaterial.Ifyoureallylikeamber,

makeyourwaytoMalbork,wherethereisamuseumdedicatedtoamber,showcasingsomeof

history’sfinestworksofamberart.Soifyou’renottotallyinlovewithPolandbynow,youmightas

wellheadondownthelinetothenextBalticState.Funfact;therearenotrainlinesthatconnect

PolandtotheBalticStates,soyou’llneedtotakeabus.Thebusrideislong,butismuchcheaperthan

flyingbetweencapitals.WarszawaZachodniaisthestationthatyouwillneedtogettofordepartures

toLithuania,LatviaorEstonia.ECOLINESoperatesbusesthroughtheBalticonbackpackerbudget

prices.

34

LATVIAThereisalottoseeanddoinRiga;Rigahassomefantasticarchitecturespanningcenturies,tonsof

museumssuitedtodiverseinterests,andanamazingcentralmarket.RestaurantsinRigaarenotas

cheapasWarsaw,althoughlodgingiscomparablypriced,soifyouwanttosavesomemoneyonyour

grub,hitupthemarketforsomeauthenticLatvianeats.

RigaCentralMarket(Riga

Centrāltirgus)isamust-see

destination;locatedbehind

thebusstation,themarket

spillsoutfromseveralold

zeppelinhangars.Tables

piledhighwithwild

mushrooms,cabbage,and

herbsgreetyouasyou

enterthemarket.Ifyou’re

hereinlateJunekeepyour

eyespeeledforvendors

withcupsofdeliciousalpine

strawberries,andexpectto

seefolksgearingupfortheJanusfestivalbywearingcrownsofflowersandoakleaves.Eachzeppelin

hangarisdevotedtoadifferentfoodgroup;onehasmeat,onehasfish,onehasvegetables,onehas

dairyproductsandbakedgoods,andthereisalsoadizzyinghangarfilledwithclothes,homegoods

andallsortsofotheroddsandends.ThisisalsoagreatplacetofindLatvianfolkart,vendorsselling

woolengoods,ceramicsandwoodworkabound.Ourtoppicksfromthemarketincludetheblack

breads,carawaycheeses,alpinestrawberries,chanterellemushroom,smokedfishandKvass.

Thebestlodgingisrightinthedowntownarea;thereislotsoflodgingoutsideofthedowntown,but

thefurtherfromdowntownyougothesketchierthingsget.Rigacangetprettysketchy.Avoidlooking

lost,oryoumaygetsomeundesirableattention.Rigahasalargehomelesspopulation,andaserious

alcoholproblem.AsfarastheRigaCentralMarketgoes,itishugeandpacked,sokeepyourmoneyin

asafelocationandpickpocketswon’tbeaproblem.DuringSovietoccupation,theUSSRtransplanted

lotsofpeoplehere,thereisalargeRussianspeakingminority,andtherearesometimesviolent

confrontationsbetweenLatviannationalistsandRussians,asatravelerchancesareyouwon’tget

caughtupinthese,butit’sagoodthingtoknowabout.

37

Ifyouwanttoescapethefastpaceofthecapital

withoutgoingfar,takeabusorthetramtoLatvijas

Etnogrāfiskaisbrīvdabasmuzejs,theOpenAir

EthnographicMuseumjustoutsideofthecity.Nestled

onthebanksofJuglasEzers,alakeoutsidethecity,in

rollingpineforests,youwillfeellikeyousteppedoff

thebusintoanotherera,traditionalLatvianlogcabins,

windmills,churchesandotherbuildingshavebeen

painstakinglyreconstructedonthegroundstogive

visitorsatasteoftraditionalLatvianculturethroughout

theages,preparetobebombardedbybeautifulfolkart

aswell.

IfyouwanttogetbacktotheblueoftheBaltic,takea

regionalbusnorthtoJūrmala,Riga’sbeachresort

neighbor.Lodgingcostsabitmoreherethaninthecity,

butyoucanwanderfromthebeachbacktoyourbed

withouthavingtoworryaboutcatchingabusbackto

thecity.Sovietindustryoncetaintedthesewaters,but

itisonceagainbecomeapopularbeachdestination,

Latviansassertthatthegovernmenthasstopped

pollutionandcleanedthewater,renderingitsafefor

swimming.

Whenthespiritmoves

youtoleaveLatvia,

headbacktothebus

stationinRigaandgeta

tickettoTallinn.Rigato

Tallinnisabouta10

hourbusride,andcosts

under$20.00.

TheECOLINESbusesare

justfine;minimalfood

service,airconditioning,

bathrooms,andRussian

spyfilmsplayingover

andoverontheTVs.

38

ESTONIA

Tallinnisthemoststreamlinedcapital

oftheBalticStates,withrightaround

onemillionresidents.Itfeltalotlike

Germany:clean,modern,blond,with

ancientarchitecturetuckedhereand

therebetweenhipclubsand

restaurants.Lodgingiscomparableto

WarsawandRigainpriceandquality,

althoughthepricesatrestaurantsand

mostotherthingsaremoresimilarto

WesternEuropethantheirBaltic

neighbors.

InthetouristyOldTownarea,inthe

mainsquare,thereisafantastic

restaurant;themapscallitKrugInn,

butthesignoutsidereads“III

Draakons”,thisplacehasbeenopen

sincethe1500’sservingupsome

traditionalEstonianspecialtiessuchas

elksoup,sausage,meatandvegetable

pies,locallybrewedbeers,cidersand

schnapps.

Thisisalsooneofthebestbudget

mealspotsyouwillfindinthisarea;

almosteverythingonthemenucosts

oneEuro,andtheambianceisunlike

anyplaceelseintown,plusyoucan

indulgeyourselfinwonderingwhat

washappeningthereonthisday

hundredsofyearsago.

39

ESTONIA

Tallinnisthemoststreamlinedcapital

oftheBalticStates,withrightaround

onemillionresidents.Itfeltalotlike

Germany:clean,modern,blond,with

ancientarchitecturetuckedhereand

therebetweenhipclubsand

restaurants.Lodgingiscomparableto

WarsawandRigainpriceandquality,

althoughthepricesatrestaurantsand

mostotherthingsaremoresimilarto

WesternEuropethantheirBaltic

neighbors.

InthetouristyOldTownarea,inthe

mainsquare,thereisafantastic

restaurant;themapscallitKrugInn,

butthesignoutsidereads“III

Draakons”,thisplacehasbeenopen

sincethe1500’sservingupsome

traditionalEstonianspecialtiessuchas

elksoup,sausage,meatandvegetable

pies,locallybrewedbeers,cidersand

schnapps.

Thisisalsooneofthebestbudget

mealspotsyouwillfindinthisarea;

almosteverythingonthemenucosts

oneEuro,andtheambianceisunlike

anyplaceelseintown,plusyoucan

indulgeyourselfinwonderingwhat

washappeningthereonthisday

hundredsofyearsago.

40

Tallinnisfilledwithmedievalarchitecture,andhasseveralmuseumsdedicatedtothesubject.Tallinn

alsohasanOpenAirEthnographicmuseum,whichismuchlikeRiga’s,althoughnotquiteaslarge.

Ancientchurchesdotthelandscapewiththeirsteeples.Inthedowntown/oldtownareathereare

souvenirshopseverywhere,aswellasartisanssellingallmannerofEstonianfolkart.Forgreatviews

ofthecity,headovertotheEstonianFreedomMonument,whichhassurvivedyearsofSoviet

occupation.Fromthere,thereisalargehillyoucanclimb,inthesummerthereareoccasionallyoutdoor

concertsuphere,andlocalstoutthisasthebestplacetodrinkbeer,sincethecopsdon’tliketoclimbup

it.FromhereyoucanseeoldTallinnmeltintothemodernstreetsandskyscrapersinthedistance.Ifyou

arehereinthesummer,theviewswillbegreatallnight,afterthesummersolstice,thesunbarelydips

belowthehorizon.

Fromthemainsquareofthe

oldtown,youcaneasily

wanderintotheCentral

Market,locatedoutsideofthe

trainstation.Itismuchless

impressivethanRiga’smarket,

butnonetheless,wortha

look.Itislessafoodmarket

andmoreofaRussianmarket,

sellingoldSoviet(andNazi)

memorabilia,second-hand

clothes,andlotsofdingyflea

markettypestuff.

Onthenot-totally-Russian

sideofthemarket,pilesof

wildmushroomscovertables,

bunchesofherbsscenttheair,

andgrandmothersselllittle

cupsofwildstrawberriesand

bundlesofherbs.Thereare

buildingswhereflieshover

overpallidproduce,andmeat

andfisharesoldwithcareless

abandontofoodhandling

standards.

Whenyouheadtowardthecoast,youwillseebeautifulblueBaltic

expanses.Thebestbeachesarenortheastofthecity,andcanbe

accessedviaashortbusride.Therearesomelargehotelsinthis

regionifyouwanttostayclosertothewater,andpathsweaving

throughthepineforestthatcaressestheedgeoftheshoreline.

Althoughthebeachisthemaindrawinthisarea,therearealsosome

publichikingtrailsthatmeanderfromthebeachintothewoodsalong

theriver.WhentheBalticisalittletoocoldtoenjoyaswim,headto

thisarea,theriverismuchwarmer.

43

Tallinnisagreatjumpingoffpointforexplorationofthisregion.Therearealsosomebeautiful

nationalparksoutsideofTallinn,thereisalotofinformationaboutorganizedtripstotheseareasat

thehostels.Theseparksarenotaccessiblebybusortrain,sounlessyoucanrentacar,anorganized

touristhewaytogo.LahemaaNationalParkisoneofthemostpopularinthearea.Andifyou’dlike

toseewhat’sacrossthesea,forabout50Euro,youcantakeaferryacrosstheGulfofFinlandto

Helsinkiandbackforadaytrip.ThereisalsoalotofinformationabouttripsfromTallinntoSt.

PetersburgandMoscow;sinceRussiaisnotintheSchengenZonethesetripscostabitmoredueto

visafees.

IfyouareleavingTallinn

byair,youwillmost

likelyberoutedthrough

Helsinkitoyour

destination.Theflight

fromTallinntoHelsinkiis

beautiful;itonlytakes

about20minutes,the

planestayslow,andyou

canwatchtheemerald

islandsofpinetreesand

bouldersstrewn

amongsttheglittering

blueoftheBaltic,

eventuallyturninginto

peninsulasjuttingout

fromFinland.

44

NationalParksofNationalParksofEarth:Earth:

StraddlingthePolish-SlovakborderisoneofEurope'shiddengems;

theTatraMountainsNationalPark

ArticlebyAmandaDerocherPhotographybyMattDewald

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

45

the Tatras. Containing nearly

one hundred peaks and rocky

crags, and covering an area of

785 square kilometers, the

Tatra mountain range is

nestled into the heart of

southern Poland and northern

Slovakia. Yet the Tatras are

minuscule when compared to

the scale of the Alps or the

Caucasus, but in this

mountainous microcosm exists

some ofEurope'smost striking

beautyanddiversity.

The Tatras are traditionally

divided into three parts; The

High Tatras- which contains

themosttypicalalpinehabitat.

TheWesternTatras-whichare

at an elevation 400 meters

belowtheHighTatras,andthe

Belianske Tatras- which are

more calcareous in nature

located at the north-eastern

edgeofthemountainbelt.

Geologically speaking, the

Tatras are composed of

crystallinerock;mainlygranite

and gneiss, and sedimentary

rock; limestone, dolomite and

sandstone.TheHighTatrasare

composed of granite, while the

Western Tatras are formed of

gneiss and crystalline shale,

while theBelianskeTatras are

formedofsedimentaryrock.

Cave formations are common

on the Polish side of the

Western Tatras; one of the

deepest explored descends 768

meters, and contains 9.2

kilometers of caverns and

corridors. Scientists estimate

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAA

theageofthegraniteandgneiss

forming themountains to be at

least 400,000 years old, while

the sedimentary rocks formed

during the Triassic, Jurassic

and Cretaceous periods as

marine sediments from a long

vanished sea that once covered

the region. Over the millennia,

tectonicmovements shifted and

foldedtherocks.

The ice age gave rise to the

shape of the Tatras which we

seetoday,icesculptedthepeaks

andvalleys,hollowingoutstone

bowls, that after the ice

retreated,werefilledwithlakes,

suchasMorskieOko(Eyeofthe

Sea).The largestglacial lake in

the Tatras is Wielki Staw

Polski, clocking in at 79meters

deep.

In the Tatras, the winters are

long, and the summers are

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAA

Anexampleofasub

alpineforestwithinthe

TatraMountains

NationalPark

ising out of the

C a r p a t h i a n

Mountains that cut

across Europe are

AAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAA

R

short. It is said that winter

begins in mid-October on the

highest mountains peaks, and

doesnotsubsideuntillateMay.

Yet winter is still a popular

seasonfortourismintheTatras,

drawing skiers from all over

Europe.TheTatrasexemplifya

particular micro climate due to

the mountains' winds, which

sweepsdownthemountainsinto

thesurroundingvalleys.Yetthe

wind, weather, soil and sun

haveshapedadistinctivemixof

vegetationandanimallife.

Vestigialplantlife,animalsandbirdsbring

usclosetothelegendsoftheancienthistoryof

theearth.-FerdinandGoetel

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

48

Over1500varietiesof

floralplantsblanket

theslopesofthe

Tatras,ofthese1500,

twentydonotappear

elsewhereinthe

Carpathianmountain

range,andfourare

uniqueandendemicto

theTatras.

Climaticzonesalso

reflectthefloraofthe

mountains;stretching

upto1500metersare

thesubalpineforests,

above,stretchingto

1800metersisthe

upperedgeofthe

forest,wheredwarf

sprucetrees

interminglewithbirch,

stonepines,and

mountainash.

Above1800meters,the

dwarfforestsmerge

withmountain

pastures,whichhave

beenhistoricallyused

forgrazingsheep.At

2300metersthezone

ofpeakscommences,

yetevenhere130

speciesoffloralplants

havebeendocumented,

45ofwhichcanbe

foundatthetopsof

mountainspeaks.

Wildlife also reigns at

this altitude; some 30

varieties of bear are

recorded in these

mountains, along with

deer, chamois,

edelwiess, marmots,

squirrels and many

otheranimals.

Marmots were nearly

hunted toextinction in

these parts; their fat

beingseenasacure-all

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A

remedy by the local

inhabitants. Luckily,

around the turn of the

20thcentury,marmots,

along with chamois

were given legal

protection to ensure

theirsurvival.

Archaeologists have

uncovered evidence

that this region was

inhabited during the

Roman era, and even

much earlier. Recently

archaeologists have

uncovered artifacts

which prove that

inhabitants of this

region were making

sheep's-milk cheese

nearly8,000yearsago.

This cheese is still a

popular component of

the region's cuisine

today, and can be

found throughout the

region sold at roadside

stands. This cheese

differs from other

Polishcheeseinthatit

is formed in ornate

molds and then

smoked over various

types of wood to

achieve different

flavors.

The culture of this

region has been long

isolated from the rest

ofPoland,givingriseto

adistinctdialect.Even

today, this region is

viewed as having one

of the most authentic

cultures, unspoiled by

globalization.Lifehere

still revolves around

the cycles of nature

andfarming.

MORSKIEOKO("Eyeofthesea")Tuckedhighwithinthe

Tatrasglittersthisglaciallake,whichattractsthousandsof

visitorseachyear.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................................

49

Over1500varietiesof

floralplantsblanket

theslopesofthe

Tatras,ofthese1500,

twentydonotappear

elsewhereinthe

Carpathianmountain

range,andfourare

uniqueandendemicto

theTatras.

Climaticzonesalso

reflectthefloraofthe

mountains;stretching

upto1500metersare

thesubalpineforests,

above,stretchingto

1800metersisthe

upperedgeofthe

forest,wheredwarf

sprucetrees

interminglewithbirch,

stonepines,and

mountainash.

Above1800meters,the

dwarfforestsmerge

withmountain

pastures,whichhave

beenhistoricallyused

forgrazingsheep.At

2300metersthezone

ofpeakscommences,

yetevenhere130

speciesoffloralplants

havebeendocumented,

45ofwhichcanbe

foundatthetopsof

mountainspeaks.

Wildlife also reigns at

this altitude; some 30

varieties of bear are

recorded in these

mountains, along with

deer, chamois,

edelwiess, marmots,

squirrels and many

otheranimals.

Marmots were nearly

hunted toextinction in

these parts; their fat

beingseenasacure-all

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A

remedy by the local

inhabitants. Luckily,

around the turn of the

20thcentury,marmots,

along with chamois

were given legal

protection to ensure

theirsurvival.

Archaeologists have

uncovered evidence

that this region was

inhabited during the

Roman era, and even

much earlier. Recently

archaeologists have

uncovered artifacts

which prove that

inhabitants of this

region were making

sheep's-milk cheese

nearly8,000yearsago.

This cheese is still a

popular component of

the region's cuisine

today, and can be

found throughout the

region sold at roadside

stands. This cheese

differs from other

Polishcheeseinthatit

is formed in ornate

molds and then

smoked over various

types of wood to

achieve different

flavors.

The culture of this

region has been long

isolated from the rest

ofPoland,givingriseto

adistinctdialect.Even

today, this region is

viewed as having one

of the most authentic

cultures, unspoiled by

globalization.Lifehere

still revolves around

the cycles of nature

andfarming.

MORSKIEOKO("Eyeofthesea")Tuckedhighwithinthe

Tatrasglittersthisglaciallake,whichattractsthousandsof

visitorseachyear.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................................

52

foughtinthevalleys,andtheremotemountainsandcavesservedasahideoutfor Polish and Soviet forces. Today numerous plaques and statuescommemoratethemoresinisterhistoryofthisregion.

Tourism in the Tatras dates back hundreds of years. The earliest account ofoutsiders visiting these mountains was in 1556. By the 1800's, thrill seekers,explorersandscientistsfromalloverEuropewerecomingtoclimbandmapthemountains.Inthelate1800'sthefirstskiresortsbegantoopeninvillagessuchasZakopane.

Zakopane, a small city nestled at the foot of Mount Giewont, is the heart oftourismintheTatras.Duringthelastcenturyithasbeenextensivelydevelopedfor tourism, receiving millions of visitors from Poland and abroad every year.Filledwithtraditionalhighlandarchitectureandancientlogchurches,Zakopaneexudesanairofwhimsy, and the feeling that timestands still here.Here lacecurtainsgraceeverywindow,andwindowboxesarefilledwith redgeraniums,hereeverydaylifetakesplaceagainstthemajesticbackdropoftheTatras.

Despite thedevelopment, oneneednotgo faroff thebeatenpath tofind theheart of the Tatras. At every turn, hiking paths and rockywaterfalls greet theexplorer,whilelittleredsquirrelswithtuftedearswatchyoufromthetrees.

AGlimpse

intothe

Tatras

Onecouldsay

thatthesearethe

perfectmountains,

forinasmallarea

theycombineso

manyfeaturesof

themountainworld

whichastonishand

captivatemanthat

onewouldhaveto

traveloverhalfthe

globetofindand

collectthem.-

FerdinandGoetel

hesemountainshavealsoplayedan importantrole inPolishhistory.Due to their isolation, they were a hideout during WWII from Naziforces,althougheventuallyNazitanksrolledintotheregion.SuppliesweresmuggledfromHungaryandSlovakiaintoPoland.Battleswere

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

T

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

1

53

Scrubbypinesdominatetheplantlifehigh

onthemountains.

Sunlightfiltersthroughtallpinesinthis

subalpineforest.

TherockyshoreofMorskieOkodares

visitorstodiptheirtoesinitscool

crystallinewaters.

Silhouettesofpinetreesloomoveramisty

valley,beyondthevalley,arockycrag

conquersthesky

Oneofthenearly1500typesoffloral

plantswhichareharboredthismountain

paradise.

ThelodgeatMorskieOko,builtduringthe

firstwavesoftourisminthemid1800's.

3

6

1

2

5

4

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

2

3

4

5

6

54

THEMEATHANGARatRigaCentralMarketissureto

makeanyvegetariancringe.

RigaCentralMarket

alpinestrawberries

explodewithflavor.

Pilesofherbs,both

familiarand

unrecognizablesit

bundledontables,

waitingtobetaken

hometoperfumethe

kitchenasdinneris

prepared.Yearround,

throughrain,sleet,

snowandsunshine,

RigaCentralMarket

openstocustomers,but

nowinsummer,the

marketisinitsglory.

Duringthesummer

solstice,thefestivalof

Janusiscelebrated.At

themarket,vendors

sellfloralcrownsfor

theladies,andoakleaf

crownsformen.Some

standsaresocrowded

bypeoplethatone

cannotseewhat

desirablesareforsale

there.

Themarketseemsto

sprawlforever,

sometimesintidy

rows,sometimeswith

noregardtologicand

organization.Beyond

theendlesstablesof

vegetables,suddenlyit

seemsasifyou’ve

enteredagreenhouse.

Plantsofallsortsare

forsale;fromvegetable

startersandherbs,to

tropicalhouseplants

andariotous

assortmentofflowers,

thegrowingseasonis

shorthere,and

everyoneseemstobe

carryingabeautiful

planttotakehomeand

nurture.

Spilling out from

s e v e r a l

d e c o m m i s s i o n e d

zeppelin hangars,

tables filled with fruit

and vegetables greet

you as you enter the

market. Artists sit at

stands selling

intricately knitted

sweaters, socks and

mittens in dazzling

colors and patterns,

rich ingeometric floral

motifs and ancient

pagan symbols.

Woodworkers sell

hand-carved combs,

spoons, trinket boxes,

and ornaments, all

adorned with

traditionalLatvianfolk

art. Potters sell their

ceramics,whichlookas

iftheymighthavebeen

pulled from a wood-

fired kiln hundreds of

years ago. Baskets

hang from other

stands, as the basket

maker demonstrates

her techniques to

passersby. The

occasional artist sells

small paintings of

Riga’s most famous

monuments.

Languagesfloat

throughtheair,this

maybeLatvia,but

hereRussianis

bombardingyourears.

Asyoupushfurther

throughthecrowds,

babushkassellpilesof

wildmushroomsand

littlecupsfilledwith

wildalpine

strawberries;afraction

ofthesizeoftheir

cultivatedcousins,

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

55

THEMEATHANGARatRigaCentralMarketissureto

makeanyvegetariancringe.

RigaCentralMarket

alpinestrawberries

explodewithflavor.

Pilesofherbs,both

familiarand

unrecognizablesit

bundledontables,

waitingtobetaken

hometoperfumethe

kitchenasdinneris

prepared.Yearround,

throughrain,sleet,

snowandsunshine,

RigaCentralMarket

openstocustomers,but

nowinsummer,the

marketisinitsglory.

Duringthesummer

solstice,thefestivalof

Janusiscelebrated.At

themarket,vendors

sellfloralcrownsfor

theladies,andoakleaf

crownsformen.Some

standsaresocrowded

bypeoplethatone

cannotseewhat

desirablesareforsale

there.

Themarketseemsto

sprawlforever,

sometimesintidy

rows,sometimeswith

noregardtologicand

organization.Beyond

theendlesstablesof

vegetables,suddenlyit

seemsasifyou’ve

enteredagreenhouse.

Plantsofallsortsare

forsale;fromvegetable

startersandherbs,to

tropicalhouseplants

andariotous

assortmentofflowers,

thegrowingseasonis

shorthere,and

everyoneseemstobe

carryingabeautiful

planttotakehomeand

nurture.

Spilling out from

s e v e r a l

d e c o m m i s s i o n e d

zeppelin hangars,

tables filled with fruit

and vegetables greet

you as you enter the

market. Artists sit at

stands selling

intricately knitted

sweaters, socks and

mittens in dazzling

colors and patterns,

rich ingeometric floral

motifs and ancient

pagan symbols.

Woodworkers sell

hand-carved combs,

spoons, trinket boxes,

and ornaments, all

adorned with

traditionalLatvianfolk

art. Potters sell their

ceramics,whichlookas

iftheymighthavebeen

pulled from a wood-

fired kiln hundreds of

years ago. Baskets

hang from other

stands, as the basket

maker demonstrates

her techniques to

passersby. The

occasional artist sells

small paintings of

Riga’s most famous

monuments.

Languagesfloat

throughtheair,this

maybeLatvia,but

hereRussianis

bombardingyourears.

Asyoupushfurther

throughthecrowds,

babushkassellpilesof

wildmushroomsand

littlecupsfilledwith

wildalpine

strawberries;afraction

ofthesizeoftheir

cultivatedcousins,

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

56

Furtherandfurther

themarketsprawls,now

morepermanentstands

popup,theyarefullof

homegoods,andodds

andendspots,pans,

towels,plasticutensils,

madeinchinastickers

everywhere,dishes,c.d.s,

andclothes.

Themarketmeltsintoa

seaofpolyesterclothes

withhideouspatterns,

Russiat-shirts,and

scowlingRussiansselling

knivesandbootleg

movies.Blockybuildings

whichsurroundthe

peripheryofthemarket

houselittlebusinesses,

includingahostel,what

couldonlybethe

sketchiesthostelintown.

Thisisjustthesea

surroundingthereal

market;insidethe

hangarsiswherethe

maineventhappens.

Thehangarshaveeach

beendesignatedtoa

particularproduct.

Insideone,butchered

pigsarepulledaroundon

carts,womenstand

behindlongglass

counterssellingany

meatimaginable.Pilesof

pig’sfeet,headsand

otherpartsaredoledout

intoplasticbags.Froma

distance,withintheglass

countersallonecansee

isred.

57

Furtherandfurther

themarketsprawls,now

morepermanentstands

popup,theyarefullof

homegoods,andodds

andendspots,pans,

towels,plasticutensils,

madeinchinastickers

everywhere,dishes,c.d.s,

andclothes.

Themarketmeltsintoa

seaofpolyesterclothes

withhideouspatterns,

Russiat-shirts,and

scowlingRussiansselling

knivesandbootleg

movies.Blockybuildings

whichsurroundthe

peripheryofthemarket

houselittlebusinesses,

includingahostel,what

couldonlybethe

sketchiesthostelintown.

Thisisjustthesea

surroundingthereal

market;insidethe

hangarsiswherethe

maineventhappens.

Thehangarshaveeach

beendesignatedtoa

particularproduct.

Insideone,butchered

pigsarepulledaroundon

carts,womenstand

behindlongglass

counterssellingany

meatimaginable.Pilesof

pig’sfeet,headsand

otherpartsaredoledout

intoplasticbags.Froma

distance,withintheglass

countersallonecansee

isred.

58

Inanotherhangarglasscases

arefilledwithcheese;cheese

coveredinherbsandcaraway,

inmyriadsofcreamytones,

somesolid,otherssoft,many

wrappedingrapeleaves.On

theothersideofthishangar,

breadispiledhigh;carawayis

king,gracingmostloavesof

breadasaflavoring,orjusta

garnish.Loavesofheartyblack

bread,withadeepeartharoma

arecarriedbymostcustomers,

othersoptforsmallrolls.Cases

filledwithbucketsofpickles,

olivesandotherpreserved

vegetables.OtherLatvian

staplessuchaspotatosalad

aresolddelistylefromhuge

tubs.

Alongtheinsideperimeterof

thehangarvendorssell

pastriesandcakes,fromthe

mosthumble,totheincredibly

elaborate.Asmallcaféarea

wherehightableswithno

chairsaresetupisfulloflocals

downingcoffeeoverapastry

andlivelyconversation.Fake

flowersdecoratemanystands

throughoutthemarket.

Otherglasscasesarefilled

withtoiletrieslikeperfume,

hairdyes,herbalsupplements,

deodorant,andtanningoil.

Litersofsodaandbeverages

arestackedhighonany

surface.Othervendorssella

plethoraofcleaningproducts.

Hereandthere,youspotthe

greencrosssymbolusedall

overEuropetodenotean

apoteka-pharmacytuckedinto

anunassumingcornerofthe

market.

59

Inanotherhangarglasscases

arefilledwithcheese;cheese

coveredinherbsandcaraway,

inmyriadsofcreamytones,

somesolid,otherssoft,many

wrappedingrapeleaves.On

theothersideofthishangar,

breadispiledhigh;carawayis

king,gracingmostloavesof

breadasaflavoring,orjusta

garnish.Loavesofheartyblack

bread,withadeepeartharoma

arecarriedbymostcustomers,

othersoptforsmallrolls.Cases

filledwithbucketsofpickles,

olivesandotherpreserved

vegetables.OtherLatvian

staplessuchaspotatosalad

aresolddelistylefromhuge

tubs.

Alongtheinsideperimeterof

thehangarvendorssell

pastriesandcakes,fromthe

mosthumble,totheincredibly

elaborate.Asmallcaféarea

wherehightableswithno

chairsaresetupisfulloflocals

downingcoffeeoverapastry

andlivelyconversation.Fake

flowersdecoratemanystands

throughoutthemarket.

Otherglasscasesarefilled

withtoiletrieslikeperfume,

hairdyes,herbalsupplements,

deodorant,andtanningoil.

Litersofsodaandbeverages

arestackedhighonany

surface.Othervendorssella

plethoraofcleaningproducts.

Hereandthere,youspotthe

greencrosssymbolusedall

overEuropetodenotean

apoteka-pharmacytuckedinto

anunassumingcornerofthe

market.

60

Someofthehangarsare

hookedtogether;enteringone

pullsyouintoalabyrinth.

Fromthedairyandbaked

goodshangar,onecan

meanderintotheothers,a

smallgrocerystoreappears

outofnowherewithinthe

hangarwithramshacklewall

buildaroundit.Insideyou

wouldthinkyouareina

regulargrocerystore,untilyou

lookupandseetheceiling

manymetersaboveyou.

Thecontentsofthehangars

aredwarfedbytheheightof

theceiling.Likeanindustrial

cathedral,flyingbuttressesare

replacedbywroughtiron

supports,stainedglass

windowsswappedoutfordrab

windowswhichletlightflood

intothespace.Asyouwander

further,ahangarfilledwith

vegetablesappears.

Unlikethevegetablestands

outsideofthehangars,these

onesareimpeccablyneatand

tidy.Littleshopslinethe

edgesofthehangar,theseones

filledwithbooze;glass

windowsfilledwithbacklit

bottlesglimmerinmany

colors,asherbalelixirsare

soldinside.

Sunlightcatchesjarsfilled

withaspectrumofmedus-

honey,fromdeepbrownto

lightamber,whippedhoneys,

wildflowerhoney,buckwheat

honey,cloverhoney,andother

namesjustbeggingtobe

translated.Otherjarsare

filledwithmysterious

infusions.

61

Someofthehangarsare

hookedtogether;enteringone

pullsyouintoalabyrinth.

Fromthedairyandbaked

goodshangar,onecan

meanderintotheothers,a

smallgrocerystoreappears

outofnowherewithinthe

hangarwithramshacklewall

buildaroundit.Insideyou

wouldthinkyouareina

regulargrocerystore,untilyou

lookupandseetheceiling

manymetersaboveyou.

Thecontentsofthehangars

aredwarfedbytheheightof

theceiling.Likeanindustrial

cathedral,flyingbuttressesare

replacedbywroughtiron

supports,stainedglass

windowsswappedoutfordrab

windowswhichletlightflood

intothespace.Asyouwander

further,ahangarfilledwith

vegetablesappears.

Unlikethevegetablestands

outsideofthehangars,these

onesareimpeccablyneatand

tidy.Littleshopslinethe

edgesofthehangar,theseones

filledwithbooze;glass

windowsfilledwithbacklit

bottlesglimmerinmany

colors,asherbalelixirsare

soldinside.

Sunlightcatchesjarsfilled

withaspectrumofmedus-

honey,fromdeepbrownto

lightamber,whippedhoneys,

wildflowerhoney,buckwheat

honey,cloverhoney,andother

namesjustbeggingtobe

translated.Otherjarsare

filledwithmysterious

infusions.

62

Beeswaxcandlescastin

hundredsofdifferentdesigns,

littlerabbits,kittens,flowers,

beehivesjusttonameafew.

Bundlesofdriedherbshang

fromotherstands.

Thenexthangarisdizzying.

Vendorssellclothes,jewelry,

homegoodsandmoreina

hangarsotightlypackedwith

vendorsthatyouhavetopush

yourwaythrough.Knock-off

pursesinallstylesandsizes

aresoldnexttowallsof

scarves.

Tinyaislesarefilledwith

merchandise,andsheets

covershopsthatareclosed.

Vendorswithbulkgoods

scoopasmuchoraslittleas

youneedoutofbucketsand

sacksbehindthecounter.

Colorfulassortmentsofdried

fruitsandnutslightupother

cases.

Ateashopalongtheedge

displayshundredsofvarieties

ofexoticlooseleafteasand

coffeesinjarsandtins.

Locatedacrossfromalittle

pastryvendoritseems

perfectlyplaced.

Importedcookiesand

chocolatesinhabitanother

standtotheright,where

womencrowdaround.Allofa

sudden,outofplaceamongst

thefoodtherewillbeastand

fullofbelts,walletsand

leathergoods.

63

Beeswaxcandlescastin

hundredsofdifferentdesigns,

littlerabbits,kittens,flowers,

beehivesjusttonameafew.

Bundlesofdriedherbshang

fromotherstands.

Thenexthangarisdizzying.

Vendorssellclothes,jewelry,

homegoodsandmoreina

hangarsotightlypackedwith

vendorsthatyouhavetopush

yourwaythrough.Knock-off

pursesinallstylesandsizes

aresoldnexttowallsof

scarves.

Tinyaislesarefilledwith

merchandise,andsheets

covershopsthatareclosed.

Vendorswithbulkgoods

scoopasmuchoraslittleas

youneedoutofbucketsand

sacksbehindthecounter.

Colorfulassortmentsofdried

fruitsandnutslightupother

cases.

Ateashopalongtheedge

displayshundredsofvarieties

ofexoticlooseleafteasand

coffeesinjarsandtins.

Locatedacrossfromalittle

pastryvendoritseems

perfectlyplaced.

Importedcookiesand

chocolatesinhabitanother

standtotheright,where

womencrowdaround.Allofa

sudden,outofplaceamongst

thefoodtherewillbeastand

fullofbelts,walletsand

leathergoods.

64

Astandsellshundredsof

differentsoaps,eachwith

differentherbssuspendedinside,

anotherstandnearbysellsherbs

andfolkmedicine.Ontheother

end,vendorssitbehindpilesof

cannedgoods;cannedfish,ham,

andothermysterieshidebehind

labelswritteninRussianand

Latvian.Somepartsofthemarket

seemtodefytheattemptat

organization.

Thelasthangaristhemost

pungent.Inside,fishandseafood

freshfromtheBalticfillice

coveredtables,whichdrainthe

fishinfusedwaterontothefloor.

Somestandsspecializeinsmoked

fish,bucketsofsmokedfishstand

oncounters,arrangedimpeccably,

beggingtobephotographedby

thosewhocanhandlethearoma

ofthishangar.

Crabsandprawnsflailonbedsof

ice,dreamingofreturningtotheir

oceanhomes,notknowingthey

willsoonbedroppedintoaboiling

potofwater.

Ononesideofthehangar,locals

lineuptobuyKvassfroma

vendorsellingitoutofagigantic

vat.KvassisLatvia’smost

popularbeverage,madefromold

ryebreadandraisins,lightly

fermented,andslightlyalcoholic,

ittasteslikeEasternEuropeina

glass,andonecanonlyimagine

thatitisoftenmixedwithvodka.

65

Astandsellshundredsof

differentsoaps,eachwith

differentherbssuspendedinside,

anotherstandnearbysellsherbs

andfolkmedicine.Ontheother

end,vendorssitbehindpilesof

cannedgoods;cannedfish,ham,

andothermysterieshidebehind

labelswritteninRussianand

Latvian.Somepartsofthemarket

seemtodefytheattemptat

organization.

Thelasthangaristhemost

pungent.Inside,fishandseafood

freshfromtheBalticfillice

coveredtables,whichdrainthe

fishinfusedwaterontothefloor.

Somestandsspecializeinsmoked

fish,bucketsofsmokedfishstand

oncounters,arrangedimpeccably,

beggingtobephotographedby

thosewhocanhandlethearoma

ofthishangar.

Crabsandprawnsflailonbedsof

ice,dreamingofreturningtotheir

oceanhomes,notknowingthey

willsoonbedroppedintoaboiling

potofwater.

Ononesideofthehangar,locals

lineuptobuyKvassfroma

vendorsellingitoutofagigantic

vat.KvassisLatvia’smost

popularbeverage,madefromold

ryebreadandraisins,lightly

fermented,andslightlyalcoholic,

ittasteslikeEasternEuropeina

glass,andonecanonlyimagine

thatitisoftenmixedwithvodka.

66

Heretherhythmsofdaily

lifeinRigaplayoutupon

astageforalltosee,

youngandoldcomefor

theirdailyprovisions,

othersearntheirliving,

andvisitorscanonly

wonderwhatsignificance

thisplacehastothose

whoselivesplayouthere.

Foodissoldasithasbeen

forthousandsofyears;

fromfieldtomarketto

table,withoutplastic

packagesandvacuum

sealedbags.Birdsflitto

andfroupintherafters

ofthehangars,withouta

careaboutthecommotion

goingonbelowthem.

67

Heretherhythmsofdaily

lifeinRigaplayoutupon

astageforalltosee,

youngandoldcomefor

theirdailyprovisions,

othersearntheirliving,

andvisitorscanonly

wonderwhatsignificance

thisplacehastothose

whoselivesplayouthere.

Foodissoldasithasbeen

forthousandsofyears;

fromfieldtomarketto

table,withoutplastic

packagesandvacuum

sealedbags.Birdsflitto

andfroupintherafters

ofthehangars,withouta

careaboutthecommotion

goingonbelowthem.

68

SOUVENIRROUND-UP:

RIGACENTRALMARKET

Skipthegimmickyshopsdowntownandfindthebestsouvenirsdirectfromthe

handsofartisansatthemarket.Standsexplodingwithfolkartabound,textilesintraditionalgeometricfolkpatternsreignsupreme.Latvianfolkartmakes

widespreaduseofpagansymbols,particularlythosedepictingthesunandotheraspectsofthenaturalworld.Pricesvarywidely(asdoesquality),peakingatthe

entranceofthemarket,soshoparoundbeforeyoubuy.

Ourtoppicks?

Textiles,ceramicsandwood.

TraditionalLatvianmittens:$15-40dependingon

design

Latvianfolksymbols$2-6

Handmadecomb~$6

Ceramicwhistle~$20,

Minivase~$6

69

SOUVENIRROUND-UP:

RIGACENTRALMARKET

Skipthegimmickyshopsdowntownandfindthebestsouvenirsdirectfromthe

handsofartisansatthemarket.Standsexplodingwithfolkartabound,textilesintraditionalgeometricfolkpatternsreignsupreme.Latvianfolkartmakes

widespreaduseofpagansymbols,particularlythosedepictingthesunandotheraspectsofthenaturalworld.Pricesvarywidely(asdoesquality),peakingatthe

entranceofthemarket,soshoparoundbeforeyoubuy.

Ourtoppicks?

Textiles,ceramicsandwood.

TraditionalLatvianmittens:$15-40dependingon

design

Latvianfolksymbols$2-6

Handmadecomb~$6

Ceramicwhistle~$20,

Minivase~$6

70

Snapshots:SouthernPoland

TheMountainsofthePieninyParkNarodowyloominthebackdropasthesettingsun

illuminatesthistlesisasmallyardjustoutsideofSzczawnica.

SZCZAWNICAPOLAND-TraditionandmodernitycollideinasmallvillageinsouthernPoland(picturedaboveand

below)

71

Snapshots:SouthernPoland

TheMountainsofthePieninyParkNarodowyloominthebackdropasthesettingsun

illuminatesthistlesisasmallyardjustoutsideofSzczawnica.

SZCZAWNICAPOLAND-TraditionandmodernitycollideinasmallvillageinsouthernPoland(picturedaboveand

below)

72

Top:AfullmoonshinesdownonastreamoutsideofSzlachtowaPoland.

Bottom:HayisbaledasithasbeenforcenturiesinSzlachtowa.

73

Top:SzczawnicaPoland,SmokerisesonacooldayinearlySeptemberfromalargehousetuckedintherolling

pinehillsthatsurroundthecity..

Bottom:TraditionallookingcabinsactuallyhousesouvenirshopsonabusypedestrianstreetinZakopanePoland.

74

Top:SzczawnicaPoland-Achairlifttakesvisitorstothetopofthemountain,wheresheep,beeranda

tobaggonrideawait.Right:AsmallwaterfallonthehikefromŁysaPolanatoMorskieOkobeckonshikersto

comeandrestbesideit.Bottom:InsideabusfromSzczawnicatoZakopane.

75

Aboveandtopright:CliffsbankoftheDunajecGorge,wherehundredsofvisitorsadayrideoveritswatersontraditional

canoe-raftridessteeredbymenwearingfolkcostumes.TheraftridesnakesthroughPolandandSlovakiaforseveral

miles.BottomRight;Smokewaifsthroughrollingfieldsthatarefarmedwithage-oldequipmentandtechniques.

76

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

GLOBALGRUB:

TheFlavorsofEasternEurope

AlthoughculinarytraditionsvaryacrossEasternEurope,therearesomestaplesinterpretedintheir

ownwaybyeachculture.AsimilarclimateacrossEasternEuropemeanssimilarcrops:cabbage,onions,

beetsandpotatoesarethestaplesofEasternEurope'scuisine.Muchofthecuisineofthisregionhas

beeninfluencedbyJewishandRussiancuisines.FishisanessentialpartofthecuisineofPolandandthe

BalticStatesduetotheirproximitytotheBalticSea;cod,carp,herringandpercharesomeoftheBaltic's

mostplentifulfish.EasternEuropeisalsorichinforests;wildgamesuchasdeer,boar,hare,duckand

pheasantgracetheplatesofmanyfamilies'dinners.PotatoesanddumplingareubiquitoustoEastern

Europe,accompanyingmostmeatdishesinoneoftheirnumerousforms.Mushroomsareusedwidelyin

Slaviccultures,andforagingformushroomsisatraditionthatdatesbackthousandsofyears.Someof

themorefamouswildmushroomsgatheredacrosstheEastforbothfoodandmedicineinclude

chanterelles,boletes,chaga,pleurotusostreatus,andbirchpolypores.Anabundanceofwildmushrooms

hasledtoanabundanceofcreativityinthekitchenwiththeseforesttreats,mushroomsstarinmany

dishes,butarealsopickled,marinated,stewedandfriedassidedishes.

Vodka(commonlyspelledwodkaacrosstheEast)reignssupremeasEasternEurope'shard

beverageofchoice.Beerisanotherfavorite,oftennotperceivedasbeingalcoholicatall,sincestiffer

drinksarethenorm.Homemadealcoholsarealsopopular,onefavoriteincludesplumbrandy,knownas

winiakinPoland.Thefollowingrecipesaredishesthatarefoundbyvariousnames,innumerousforms

acrosstheEast.

77

QuickDillBread

Aromaticbreadscanbefoundinbakeriesallover

EasternEurope.Dillandcarawayaretwoofthe

East'smostpopularspices.

Thisbatterbreadcombinesthetwo,andonly

takesafewminutestowhipup.Yeastisoptional,

addingyeastwillimprovethetexture.Ifyouadd

yeast,allowthebattertorise15minutestoone

hour,butifyou'reinahurry,omittheyeastand

sticktothebakingsodaandbakingpowderto

leaventhebread.

Ingredients:

2and1/2cupsflour

1/2cupoatmeal

1/4groundflaxseed

4and1/2teaspoonsyeast

2teaspoonsbakingsoda

1tablespoonbakingpowder

2teaspoonsdillseed(ormore)

2teaspoonscaraway(ormore)

3tablespoonschoppedonion

pinchsalt

1cupplainyogurt

1/2water

2tablespoonsbutter

Inalargebowlcombinedryingredientsand

spices.Inasmallpancombineyogurt,waterand

butter,warmgently.Addwetmixturetodrymixture

andbeatuntilsmooth,addingmorewaterif

necessarytomakeastiffbatter.

Ifusingyeast,letrise,ifnot,bakeat350Ffor

20-40minutesuntilgoldenbrown.Bakeinloaf

pansormuffintins.

Servewithcreamcheeseoruseassandwich

bread.

78

Borscht/Barczsz

Borschtmaybethefirstfoodthatcomestomindwiththe

mentionofEasternEuropeancuisine.Madefrombeets

andanumberofothervegetables,eachculturehastheir

owninterpretation(orseveral)ofthisinfamoussoup.

Someversionscontainchickenorbeefbouillon,others

arevegetarian.Somearethick,othersarebroth-like,

othersareservedwithsmalldumplings.Thefollowingis

abasicintroductiontoBorscht.

Ingredients:

4beets

2carrots

Parsley

1smallonion

1clovegarlic

2Bayleaves

Butter

Allspice

Juiceofalemon

Salt,Pepper

Driedmarjoram

Directions:

Boiloneliterwaterinapan,addchoppedbeets,onion,garlic

andallspice.Cookonlowforabout40minutes.Addcarrotand

parsley,cookanother30minutes.Addbutter,saltandpepper.

Strainoutsolidsbeforeserving,sprinklewithmarjoramand

seasontotastewithlemonjuice.

Note:Manyrestaurantsserveborschtwithsugar,soy,lemon

juiceandspicesonthesidesothatdinersmayseasonitto

theirliking.

81

Pierogi

MillionsofpierogiareconsumedeverydayacrossEasternEuropefilledwithawide

varietyoffillings,primarilysavory,butoccasionallysweet.Thefollowingismoreofa

startingpointthanastrictrecipetofollow.Thedoughwillmakebetween20and40

pierogidependingonhowbigyouwouldlikethem.

Rememberthatwhencreatingafilling,ingredientsshouldbechoppedintoverysmall

piecesastonotprotrudefromthepierogi.

Pierogidough

3cupsflour

oneegg

2tspoil

pinchofsalt

1/2-3/4cupwarmwater

Onacleansurface,createawellinsidethepileofflour,addegg,oilandsalt,beat

togetherwithafork.Slowlybeginaddingthewateratablespoonatatimeuntilthe

doughisataconsistencywhichyoucankneadwithyourhands.Kneadforseveral

minutesuntilsmooth,letrestuntilreadytouse.

Divideinto20-40ballsdependingonhowlargeyouwouldlikethemtobe,rolleachout,

coverwithadamptowel,oneatatime,addatablespoonofthefilling,foldinhalf,and

pinchtheedgesofthepierogiwithyourfingers(orafork)toseal.Setaside,repeat

untilallarefilled.Prepareapanofboilingwaterwithapinchofsalt,carefullydrop

pierogiintothewater,cookingafewatatime,retrievewithaslottedspoon.Atthis

pointyoumayservethemasis,orfrytheminbutteroroiluntilbrowned.

Adelicioustechniqueistofryonionsinanampleportionofoil,removetheonions

whenbrownedtoperfectionandbrownthepierogisintheonioninfusedoil,thentop

themwiththeonions.

Fillingideas:

-whitecheese,meat,potatoes,cottagecheeseandonions(Ruskie)

-spinachandmushrooms

-sautéedwildmushroomsandonion

-cabbageandmushrooms

-buckwheatgroatswithonionsandcarrots

-lentilswithonionandmushroom

-fruitfillings:takefruitofyourchoice(strawberryandblueberryarepopularinPoland),putin

saucepan,cookwithsugartotasteandthickenwithflourorstarchuntilthick.

82

Szarlotka

Eachculturehasitsowntwistonapplepie,thisversionisarusticversionsimilartosome

foundinPoland.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1and1/2cupsflour

1/4cupsugar

8Tcoconutoilorbutter

watertocombine

Filling:

3-6apples

2tablespoonssugar

Zestofonelemonandorange

cinnamon

nutmeg

vanillaextract

Tomakethecrust,combinealltheingredients,andworktogetheraddingwatera

tablespoonatatimeuntilyoucanlightlykneadthedough.Rollintoaball,flatten,andput

betweentwosheetsofwaxpaper.Chillinfridge.

Cuteachappleintoverythinslices,removingthecoreandskinifyouprefer.Tosstheapple

sliceswiththesugarandspicesandsetaside.

Removedoughfromfridge,keepingitinthewaxpaper,rolloutintoalargecircle,aslarge

asyoucangetit.Gentlyremovethewaxpaper,andplaceinapiepanorothersuitable

dish.Cutofftheroughedges,rollintoball,reserve.Bakethecrustfor15-20minutesat

400F.Placethefillinginthecrust,layingtheslicesneatly.Takethereservedcrustcutoffs,

rollintothreelonglogs,braid,laythebraidinacircleovertopofthefilling.Bakeanother

20minutesorsoat400F,untiltheapplesaresoftenedandthebraidisturninggolden

brown.Servewarmwithascoopofvanillaicecream,orforalesstraditionalversionserve

withgoatcheese.Itisalsodeliciousservedcold.

84

“Wetravel,someofusforever,toseekotherplaces,otherlives,othersouls.”

–AnaisNin

EASTERN

EUROPE

EDITION

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swappingWestforEast.

ThePathLessTraveled

BackpackingTheBaltic•RigaCentralMarket•TatraMountainsNational

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The Path Less Traveled: Eastern Europe Edition

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