Comments on: Warsaw roadworks – how to bring a city to its knees!

By: kuba

kuba — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:46:30 +0000

Scatts sounds like a great road trip for you.

I just spent my last two weeks translating memoirs from Stutthof. About 40 pages worth.

My daughter is coming from California for a visit.

By: Scatts

Scatts — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:02:44 +0000

Hi Jim, I can tell you what’s happening in my department at work (all Poles unless otherwise noted):

>We are going on a 3wk driving tour of Austria/Italy in August
>2 people have just left for the Polish seaside for 2wks
>1 guy went to Tunisia for 2wks in June
>The other Brit is going home to the UK for 2 wks in July but not because he wants to rather because his Polish girlfriend wants to visit the place
>The other two are not sure what they’re doing.

By: kuba

kuba — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:00:59 +0000

I got this from another blog.
So, how’s your summer vacation coming along? Are you having fun? Visiting interesting places and meeting interesting people?
And if you don’t have any wakacje this year, how are you spending your time?

Wakacje is a sacred tradition in Poland. The break might not be as long or as intense as in some other European countries, but still, it’s a serious business.

And from what I’m seeing, most Poles choose to spend their free time and hard earned money abroad. Tunezja (Tunisia), Egipt (Egypt), Turcja (Turkey) or Hiszpania (Spain) and Grecja (Greece). Last minute package trips rule! They’re cheap, so cheap in fact that even a poorly paid pani nauczycielka (Ms. Teacher) can afford a week in the sun in a semi-exotic land.

Why do Poles flock abroad instead of discovering their own country? Many reasons, but again, it all boils down to money. It’s simply cheaper to go on a last minute package trip where everything is included in the price than to try and figure out how to travel to some of the more beautiful corners of our own lovely country. Not to mention the weather – it tends to be better in those “exotic” lands.

Somebody has told me recently that for a family of four going to Tunisia makes more sense budget-wise than traveling around Poland. And oh yeah, they also mentioned the weather.

So here comes a question for my Polish readers (yes, I know you’re out there): tell us how you are spending this summer vacation. Are you staying in Poland or going abroad? And what influenced your choice?

So when the tourists come to Poland the Poles leave the country?

By: mark from liverpool

mark from liverpool — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:50:43 +0000

I live in warsaw my 21st country. Poland have 2 ways of working Slow And Coma so forget road works or buildings as day to day we see them standing around doing nothing.

Want something done quick get German,Dutch or British builders in.

So forget the road works. they will be done 2010 2011 MAYBE???

By: Polandian on Sunday #7

Polandian on Sunday #7 — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:33:13 +0000

[...] points by borrowing/buying a temporary bridge from the UK to re-open the “flyover” running from Mickiewicza into Andersa. Then immediately lost three times as many points by closing Plac Bankowy for 6 weeks from May [...]

By: stefonic

stefonic — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:08:34 +0000

In Wrocław, I framed a wooden house for a guy only 12 miles from my home. We worked 6 hours per day framing, and 3 to 4 hours per day driving to and from the sight. That was the last job I did in Poland. I was so frustrated with Polish roads (and drivers), I now work in Stavanger, Norway and commute to Wrocław for two weeks off every three months. I have driven all over the EU and Croatia, Poland I must say, has the worst roads and drivers in Europe, and that would include non EU countries too.

By: scatts

scatts — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:23:52 +0000

The trouble with the whole “live in the city” debate is that, in my world at least, things just aren’t predictable enough to allow them to dictate where you live. Firstly, these roadworks will be over eventually and when they are the 12km won’t be a drag. Secondly there’s the question of whether my work will remain where it is right now? Not exactly written in stone these days. Then there’s the issue of where Zosia’s schools are likely to be, not at all clear and it would be a shame to move into town to find that the school is out of town! Then we mustn’t forget that life is not completely about work and that it is nice to escape from the fug of the city outside of 9-5 Mon-Fri. of course, there’s many many questions around the type and cost of accommodation that’s available in the city. The exact interconnections of public transport routes and your current/future workplaces………..and so on and so forth.

That’s why I find comments like that to be pointless. Perhaps there’s a better adjective because I’m sure it was tongue in cheek anyway.

Pioro – no trains whatsoever near us. The best I can do is a 15-20 minute walk to Pułkowa where I might find a bus to take me to Marymoncka metro. The shortest option would be a 3 minute walk to the Wisła and then catch a boat taxi. Except there are no boat taxis.

By: boattown_guest

boattown_guest — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:03:35 +0000

Ok, I do wear glasses, but I don’t have a square pink face! :)

By: boattown_guest

boattown_guest — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:01:10 +0000

You should have a “tramwaj regionalny.” Its line starts and finishes in Lodz, it’s slower than when it was called only no. 11, not tramwaj regionalny no. 11. Driving in Lodz was really frustrating when they were changing the tracks, but it’s only Lodz, not the capital of Pl. On the other hand, isn’t it exciting? You never know what’s going to happen next;)

Always look on the bright side of life:)

By: Pioro-Boncza

Pioro-Boncza — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:54:46 +0000

Not to mention the environmental impact of your and all those other car engines running for 70 minutes just to make it across 12km. I’m not sure where you live exactly but would a suburban train be an option? I know there is a train from Bialoleka that goes straight to the center and I don’t know if they finished yet but the tracks were in the process of being modernized.