GUEST'S GALLERY: Beer and Stump

Image courtesy of Pete Tunnicliffe

Poles love to drink beer...but unfortunately they don't always throw their bottles away!

GUEST'S GALLERY: Forest Track

Image courtesy of Pete Tunnicliffe

This is the railway track through Barbarka Forest. Today it's rarely used.

Treetop Fun!

With the weather generally be great at the moment...Barbarka forest is once again inundated with tourists. The main attraction is this treetop assualt course. With it's array of ropes and flying foxes...divided into different levels of difficulty...it is guranteed fun for the whole family!!!

Low-flying Russians!

Was out exploring the Barbarka forest last weekend...when all of the sudden this low-flying Russian-built Antonov An-2 plane flew overhead...it was so low that it felt like it was going to scrape the trees (though am sure the pilot still had a perfectly safe altitude). Guess the plane was heading towards Toruń's airfield.

The Polish Art of Mushroom Picking or How to Avoid Getting Bitten by Hundreds of Mosquitoes!

With the damp weather comes pros and cons. The good thing is that this year there are thousands of mushrooms in the forests. However, the bad thing is there are also thousands of hungry, blood thirsty mosquitoes lurking below the trees!!! This doesn't seem to stop the Poles who over the past few weeks have been wandering into their local forests eager to find the prized mushrooms!!! As you can see, yours truly also headed into the forest...but instead of bringing back a bucket full of mushrooms...I brought back a neck FULL of bites!!! ;-)

Woodland Retreat

Fancy a break away from the hustle and bustle of the big smoke? Then this new hotel deep in the Barbarka forest is a perfect place to relax. What's more...it's only 12km away from the hustle and bustle that is Toruń. Even if the hustle and bustle in Toruń is only really quite small. ;-)

Treetop Adventure

People come from all corners of Poland to try this exciting treetops assault course deep in the Barbarka forest (12km north of Toruń). Come and try it sometime...are you brave enough?

"That's not a mushroom Agnieszka!"

The caption says it all! Our regular guest Patrick Skipton up to his usual tricks again...this time in the beautiful forests north of Toruń.

Mushroom picking is very popular around September every year, when hundreds of people flock to the neighbouring forests, buckets in hand...trying to find some scrumptious mushrooms to take home. There are many varieties of mushrooms in Polish forests...and you must be aware of which ones are edible and which ones are poisionous. Cases of mushroom poisioning are still quite common each year here in Poland.

Towards Toruń

This view was taken yesterday evening from the village of Lułkowo looking towards the forest. The city of Toruń lies only 9kms, beyond the forest on the other side. It takes about 15 mins to travel by bus or 40 mins by bike!

Peek-a-Pig!

History killed off the wild boar in England (extinct from the 17th Century). Yet, here in Eastern Europe the boar is still very much in abundance. So much so that here in Poland, they have hunting seasons. Scattered around the Polish landscape, you can find these attractive lookout towers or hides, in which the hunters take their positions ready to take aim.

There are specific rules about hunting. Only professional hunters with licences can hunt. The hunting season naturally excludes the breeding season.

Boars are quite fearsome creatures and you certainly don't want to mess with them! Though, they are probably more scared of you than the other way around. A few years back, I was walking in the forest, when a wild boar literally ran right past me. Only last year, I was cycling through the forest, when I could hear loud grunting noises very close by!

The pictures show a typical hunting tower in a forest close to Toruń. The picture at the bottom, shows the muddy havoc created by wild boars. This is a very popular area for them, hence you can just spot the hunting tower close by in the distance!

A Sunday Stroll...

A Sunday stroll in Poland...really can bring you some real pleasures! Off a beaten track near one of the many forests lies this hidden little gem of a lake (or large pond)...complete with swans and a stork (out of the picture). There was even some kind of bird of prey (possibly a hawk) circling high overhead. It was like our very own Slimbridge*!

In a space of 2 hrs, we saw an abundance of nature...hares, boar tracks...even deer! What I love about Poland is that you can walk into any forest and on any land without the fear of straying off the 'public footpath' and getting arresting for trespassing...as is the case back in England!

Poland really is a wonderful place for lovers of nature!! Pure bliss!

*For those who don't live in England; Slimbridge is a wildfowl and wetlands centre.