POLAND

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're excited to discover more about today's country!
Today's country is: 

                                                                 
                                                              POLAND
                                                     (Polska in Polish)


Here is the Polish flag.


Here is the Polish map with its important cities.

As always on this blog you will discover this lovely country through the best things in life: sights, food and movies. Let's get started, shall we?



                                                   SIGHTS


Poland's size is: 312,679 km² in total. Pretty big country, isn't it?

According to the travelling website http://www.touropia.com , the TOP 10 Best Places to visit in Poland are the following:

1. Krakow
2. Warsaw
3. Gdansk
4. Wroclaw
5. Poznan
6. Tatra National Park
7. Torun
8. Bialowieza Forest
9. Lublin
10. Malbork

Unfortunatelly I have never been in Poland, but it's on my travel list!

Nature seems very present in the country side, and very beautiful, and on the big cities, it is the architecture that seems so lovely and authentic!



Here is a panoramic picture of the main square in Krakow.


The vivid colors of Wroclaw can heal any bad day away!


Tatra National Park, isn't it the perfect hiking spot in Poland?

So you now know where to travel in Poland to see historical building, and even where to hike. 
Now what do we eat?


                                                 
                                                   The Polish delights


Let's go meal by meal. And of course our day starts by having a breakfast! (breakfast: sniadanie)

Before getting into breakfast, I'd like to explain more deeply the way Polish eat because it is very different in terms of meals during the day:

Usually Polish eat 5 times a day:
1. a light / quick breakfast,
2. 10:00am second breakfast, usually a sandwich (sarnie)
3. 14:00pm lunch is late and very light, usually a soup
4. an afternoon meal
5. supper, usually late in the evening


A typical Polish breakfast consists of bread, cheese, raw vegetables, and not on the picture but there are also hard-boiled eggs and cold cut meats. Usually the second breakfast is a sandwich (sarnie) just like in breakfast but closed (so it can be packed into bags).

Now that they have had a great morning, Polish eat their lunch! (lunch: na obiad)

Here is some Rosol a typical chicken soup. Usually for their afternoon lunch, they eat soup with as side dishes vegetables or rice. The most famous soups are Zurek (potato, sausage and egg), Kapusniak (sour cabbage), Grochowka (thick pea) and Zupa grzybowa (mushroom).

Placki ziemniaczane (potato pancake) Potatoe pancake made with grated onion, carrot, parnsnips or other vegetables.

Finally here comes dinner. Dinner is the heaviest meal of the day!

Here are some Pierogies filled with meat and vegetables. These are a delight!

 

Kotlet schabowy Breaded pork and potato dumplings.

Bigos is a traditionnal meat stew with cabbage, sauerkraut, cuts of meat, mashed tomatoes, honey and mushrooms.

If you want good deserts, Polish tend to bake wonderful cakes (wonderful looking and delicious tasting!)

Here is a Christmas treat called Chrusciki.

Piernik the Polish Gingerbread with lots of different tastes.

Makowiec is served at Christmas and Easter.

Ok so now that we've eaten everything, it's time to relax in front of good old (or less old) movies!

                                                 
                                                  MOVIES

Here is a list of the best 10 Polish movies for movies lovers like me!

1. The Dybbuk, Michal Waszynski, 1937
2. The Ghosts, Eugeniusz Cekalski, 1938
3. The Last Stage, Wanda Jakubowska, 1948
4. Wajda's War Trilogie: A Generation (1954), Kanal (1956), Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
5. Eroica, Andrzej Munk, 1958
6. Dom, Jan Lenica and Walerian Borowczyk, 1958
7. The Last Day of Summer, Tadeuz Konwicki, 1958
8. Night Train, Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1959
9. Knights of the Teutonic Order, Aleksander Ford, 1960
10. Mother Joan of the Angels, Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1961

I think it weird that Roman Polanski the famous movie director has no movie on this top 10!

My favorite Polish actress is Carroll Baker.

Here we are for Poland! Hope you've enjoyed this beautiful country!

Have you ever been in Poland? Visited Krakow or Warsaw or even hiked in Tetra National Park?

Tryed Makowiec? 

Don't hesitate to comment on my blog! 

Want to see which European country is next? Then come back next week!!

Have a lovely week, and let's fly through Europe together!

PS: This week the bonus video is a wonder to the eyes!

DENMARK

Hello Everyone!

Hope you had a great week and that you are excited to discover about another European country!
Today's country is: 

                                                                 
                                                              DENMARK
                                                     (Danmark in Danish)


Here is the Danish flag.

Here is the Danish map.

As always on this blog you will discover this lovely country through the best things in life: sights, food and movies. Let's get started, shall we?



                                                   SIGHTS


Denmark's size is: 42,925.46 km² in total.

According to the travelling website http://www.touropia.com , the TOP 10 Best Places to visit in Denmark are the following:

1. Copenhagen
2. Aarhus
3. Odense
4. Bornholm
5. Skagen
6. Roskilde
7. Aalborg
8. Elsinore
9. Gilleleje
10. Ribe

To be honest, I never travelled to Denmark, but I wish I would!
These destinations seems terrific!


Who wouldn't wish to visit Odense's Castle?


See the lovely colours of Copenhagen, the capital city?

Now that we know where to travel, WHAT DO WE EAT?


                                                   
                                                   Eating Danish food

Let's go meal by meal. And of course our day starts by having a breakfast!

Porridge is the most traditionnal breakfast in Denmark. It is made with grains, like rye, oats and barley with fruits. There is the øllebrød that is made with leftovers, ryed bread and beer. The most traditionnal porridge in Denmark is the one they traditionnaly make for Christmas:  risengrød.


Usually bread is also consummed for breakfast. Denmark is well know for its breads.

Sometimes, danish upgrate their breakfast even more with typical danish pastries known as wienerbrød in Denmark and known as "Danishes" in the whole world. I have tried these and I DEFINITELY recommend everyone to try it!

Let's get into lunch! In Denmark, luch are usually cold and fast.


Here are example on the most common luch in Denmark: "Smørrebrød" These are sandwiches topped depending on your choice that contains everything you need for a meal! Doesn't they look so good?


If you don't have time to prepare your lunch, you can always buy some "pølse" the streets of Copenhagen! This is a sausage in a bread (as traditionnal american hot dogs), but these are dressed with mustard, ketchup, remoulade, pickles, raw and crispy onions and filled with a creamy herb dressing! Such an upgrade to the classic hot dog.Finally we can eat warm for dinner!


Here are some "Frikadeller" the danish version of meatballs.


Here is "Stegt Flæk" the most famous danish hot dish. This is basically pork fat in parsley sauce served with red beets, potatoes and parsley sauce.?Now that our bellies are full, we can relax in front of artistic pieces.
                                                   

                                                  MOVIES

Here is a list of the best 10 Danish movies for movies lovers like me!

1. The Hunt (Jagten), Thomas Vinterberg, 20122. The Word (Ordet), Carl Theodor Freyer, 19553. The Celebration (Festen), Thomas Vinterberg, 19984. Babette's Feast (Babettes gaestebud), Stephane Audran, 19875. King's Game (Kongekabale), Nikolaj Arcel, 20046. In a Better World (Haevnen), Susanne Bier, 20107. Pelle the Conqueror (Pelle Erobreren), Bille August, 19878. After the Wedding (Efter brylluppet), Susanne Bier, 20069. The Bench (Baenken), Per Fly, 200010. Nightwatch (Nattevagten), Ole Bornedal, 1994

My favorite danish movie director is Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives)



Here it is for Denmark!Denmark seems so beautiful! Have you already been there? Seen these films? Tryed Danish food?Don't hesitate to comment on my blog!Want to see which country is up to next? Then come back next week!!Have a lovely week, and let's fly through Europe together!



PS: In bonus this week I wanted to share this funny video with you: