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 There are no polar bears Poland. This is just one of the things we learned when we sat down with some London-based Poles for a beer or two. Words by Debbie Ward. Photographs by Tony French.
SINCE POLAND became part of the European Union four years ago, Brits and Poles have become better acquainted than ever, thanks in part to cheaper flights back and forth. But what do they really think of each other, and are the stereotypes justified? To find out, we took five London-based Poles to London's Bar Polski (a place none of them had ever visited) to discuss life, the universe and pierogi dumplings.
OLA: In England you can now go to a Polish church, visit a Polish restaurant, buy Polish food and the only difference is you're paying in pounds, not zloty.
KAROL: I think the perception of Poles here is generally good. They constantly report that we are hardworking.
KRYSTYNA: .which is surprising because we don't have that reputation at home. Maybe it shows if you pay people a decent wage they do their best. Everyone I know wants a Polish cleaner or builder.
ALEX: Everyone I know wants a Polish girlfriend!
KAROL: I think maybe some assume we still have Communism in Poland and are part of Russia; that we are not part of Europe and are totally unindustrialised.
KRYSTYNA: Some think that we use the Cyrillic alphabet and that we are a small nation; in fact we have a population of 40 million - people find that surprising.
 KRYSTYNA ADAMEK From: Katowice Age: 34 Occupation: Chartered accountant Time in the UK: 15 years. "I get back to Poland about four times a year." Favourite thing about the UK: "I love the fact that it's so cosmopolitan and multicultural."
Misses most about Poland: "Obviously family and friends, and snow." |
 KASIA KMIECKOWIAK
From:Poznan
Age:28
Occupation: Administrative assistant for skin care charity the British Association of Dermatologists.
Time in the UK: Five years
Favourite thing about the UK: "I like shopping here."
Misses most about Poland: "My family, the food and friends. I can buy Polish food here but still, it's not the same as my mum cooks."
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 ALEX TRZASKA
From: Warsaw
Age: 29
Occupation: Nanny
Time in the UK: Three years.
Favourite thing about the UK: "It's so laid-back compared to Poland - there's not the same pressure for women to get married and have babies."
Misses most about Poland: "My family, my cat, the food, decent beer and decent vodka."
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 OLA BLASZKIEWICZ
From: Wroclaw
Age: 23
Occupation: Tourism student on internship with Polish Tourist Organisation
Length of time in UK: Three months
Favourite thing about the UK: "London's so multicultural: you can find a little bit of China here, a bit of Asia and of Poland. I don't like the crowds though."
Misses: "Family, the food and not having to stand in queues."
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 KAROL HABIAK
From: Wroclaw
Age: 24
Occupation: Tourism student on internship with Polish Tourist Organisation
Length of time in UK: Three months
Favourite thing about the UK: "The multiculturalism and how you can find everything in one place in London - different shops, different shows."
Misses: "Definitely family and the tranquillity, it's so hectic here in London, too much hustle and bustle."
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 ALEX: Because the Pope was Polish, some British think we are in church bowing down all the time.
OLA: .and that we have really cold weather, but in fact we have beautiful summers - hotter than the UK.
KASIA: I met an American once who asked me, "Is it true there are polar bears in Poland?"
On tourists visiting Poland
 KAROL: In Poland, tourists go to see Krakow, Warsaw and Zakopane.
ALEX: And Auschwitz and the [UNESCO] Wieliczka Salt Mine.
OLA: They know that we have a lot of World Heritage sites.
KRYSTYNA: And they expect cheap alcohol.
ALEX: .and pretty girls!
OLA: I think they tend to drink too much when they visit Poland.
ALEX: The police find English men sleeping in fountains.
KRYSTYNA: I think we can handle our drink better! We don't drink as fast as English people. We like to drink a lot, but we take our time.
ALEX:: We don't drink to the point where we lie on the pavement.
KRYSTYNA: Tourists tend to buy Communist relics that we would quite happily get rid of, and they go to places that Lonely Planet tells them to.
ALEX: Tourists visit churches, but don't go to worship.
KRYSTYNA: We would go skiing in Poland, but that's something that tourists don't really think about. Also the Baltic Sea, it's a beautiful coastline - but the sea is freezing! The whole Masuria district in the north of Poland we call "land of a thousand lakes". The east part is very popular with tourists, but the west is not and that is probably the more beautiful, even though there is no big tourist infrastructure.
KAROL: A place that is really underestimated by tourists is Bieszczady National Park, south-east of Krakow, near the Ukrainian border. It has forest, mountains, bears and you can go wolf watching.
KRYSTYNA: In Bialowieza National Park, in the north-east of Poland, there's a bison reserve and a village nearby on the corner of Belarus where there's a mix of Christian Orthodox, Catholics, Jews and Muslims living together and you can visit mosques and synagogues. You would go from Warsaw.
KAROL: If you have the chance in your life to visit a Polish wedding, don't miss it!
ALEX: In the mountains they can go on for three days of dancing, eating, etc
The conversation then moved on to food
 OLA: In Poland you should try pierogi dumplings.
ALEX: .and Polish sausage.
OLA: .smoked cheese.
KASIA: .Kotlet Schabowy, what you would call schnitzel [breaded pork chops], meatballs and bigos, a kind of sauerkraut with meat in it. KRYSTYNA: You should try white borsch or zurek, which is a soup you have in a bowl made of bread.
EVERYONE: Mmmm!
ALEX: Remember to keep cash with you because you can't pay everywhere by card, but beware of pickpockets. And if you are going to ask directions, a lot of young people will understand English. You don't need to speak LOUDLY and S-L-O-W-L-Y!
KASIA: When they go to Poland people will be made very welcome.
ALEX: Just be open-minded.
With special thanks to Bar Polski (11 Little Turnstile, Holborn, London, +44
(0)20 7831 9679), who provided beer and atmosphere to the proceedings.
W Polsce nie ma niedźwiedzi polarnych. To jedna z rzeczy, których dowiedzieliśmy, rozmawiając z kilkoma mieszkającymi w Londynie Polakami. Spotkaliśmy się przy piwie w Barze Polskim.
Od kiedy Polska stała się częścią Unii Europejskiej, Brytyjczycy i Polacy mają szansę lepiej się poznać. Ale co tak naprawdę o sobie nawzajem myślimy? Czy stereotypy na nasz temat są prawdziwe?
Ola Blaszkiewicz (23 lata, z Wrocławia): Teraz w Anglii możesz pójść do polskiego kościoła, kupić polskie jedzenie, zjeść w polskiej restauracji, a jedyna różnica polega na tym, że płacisz nie w złotówkach, a w funtach.
Karol Habiak (24 lata, z Wrocławia): Wydaje mi się, że nastawienie do Polaków jest tu generalnie dobre. Ciągle mówi się o tym, że tak dobrze pracujemy... Krystyna Adamek (34 lata, z Katowic): ... co dla mnie jest pewnym zaskoczeniem, ponieważ w kraju nie mamy takiej opinii. Może to dowód na to, że jeżeli człowiek dostaje godziwą zapłatę, wtedy bardziej przykłada się do pracy. Każdy, kogo znam, chce mieć polską sprzątaczkę i polskiego budowlańca.
Alex Trzaska (29 lat, z Wrocławia): A każdy, kogo ja znam, chce mieć polską dziewczynę!
Karol: Mam wrażenie, że niektórzy ludzie myślą, że w Polsce ciągle jest komunizm i że jesteśmy częścią Rosji; że nie jesteśmy częścią Europy i że jesteśmy kompletnie nieuprzemysłowieni.
Krystyna: Ludzie myślą, że posługujemy się cyrylicą i są zdziwieni, kiedy się dowiadują, że populacja Polski wynosi 40 milionów.
Kasia Kmieckowiak (28 lat, z Poznania): Spotkałam kiedyś Amerykanina, który zapytał mnie "Czy to prawda, że w Polsce żyją niedźwiedzie polarne?"
KATOWICE: Good for visiting Krakow, Auschwitz, the mountains and the south of Poland. Visit the old town of Mikolow, Pszczyna and its palace and take a boat tour through Tarnowskie Gory, a former lead and silver mine.
. Longman Bar (ul. Gliwicka 10, +48
(0)32 253 7862, www.longman.net.pl) A bar/club/restaurant that's a good bet on Friday and Saturday nights.
. Zloty Osiol (ul. Mariacka 1, +48
(0)32 203 5005) Possibly the only vegetarian restaurant in Katowice
. Pan De Rosa (Dolina Trzech Stawow, +48 50 131 7530) Some traditional Polish food and a pretty lakeside setting.
WROCLAW: Besides the Old Town, don't miss the Botanical Gardens and the Japanese gardens in Szczytnicki Park. Also, the giant Raclawice Panorama circular painting with special effects depicting a scene from the Polish-Russian wars.
. Kurna Chata (ul. Odrzanska 7, +48
(0)71 341 0668, www.kurnachata.pl) Cottage-style restaurant with typical Polish fare.
. Spiz (2 Rynek Ratusz, +48 (0)71 344 7225, www.spiz.pl) Micro brewery pub.
. PRL Pub (10 Rynek Ratusz, +48
(0)71 342 5526, www.prl.wroc.pl) Retro music and dancing in Communist-themed surroundings.
POZNAN: See the area around the old town hall, one of the oldest cathedrals in Poland on the small island of Ostrow Tumski and the artificial Lake Malta where you can hang out with the locals, catch rowing competitions, festivals, play golf or try out the dry ski slope.
. W Starym Kinie (ul. Nowowiejskiego 8, +48 (0)61 852 2241, www. wstarymkinie.pl) Popular music pub with live concerts and DJs
. Czarna Owca (ul. Jaskolcza 13, +48
(0)61 853 0792) Famous club with five differently decorated rooms.
. Blue Note (ul. Koscluszki 76-78, +48
(0)61 657 0777, www.bluenote.poznan. pl) Club playing jazz and other music.
WARSAW: Visit the oldest and biggest cemetery in Poland, the ghetto and the old streets where there are still WWII bullet holes in the walls. Don't miss the view from the top of the distinctive, Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science, built in 1955 as a 'gift' from Joseph Stalin.
. Restauracja Polska (ul. Nowy Swiat 21, +48 (0)22 826 3877) Renowned for good traditional food.
. Literacka (ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 87-89, +48 (0)22 829 8995)Arty hangout with Polish food and desserts.
. Blikle Café (ul.Nowy Swiat 33, +48 (0)22 826 66 19, www. blikle.pl) Historic café with famous cakes (pictured) and pastries.
 GDANSK: It's the birthplace of Solidarity (see page 40), so visit the Solidarity museum, also check out the oldest gothic cathedral in Europe. See the 500m long pier at nearby Sopot - built in 1927 and the longest wooden pier in Europe - and go to Hel, a pretty peninsula with sea on either side of you.
. Goldwasser restaurant (ul. Dlugie Pobrzeze 22) Named after the local liqueur served with real gold flakes.
. Harnas Restaurant (ul. Moniuszki 9, +48 (0)58 555 1437, www.restauracjaharnas.pl) Rustic mountain style hut serving hearty food.
. Viva Club (al. F. Mamuszki 2, +48
(0)58 551 6268, www.vivaclub.pl) Party right on Sopot's beach.
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