Poland

The ferry from Karlskrona lands in Gdynia, a small seaside town that boasts the world's longest wooden pier. This picture is actually from the final few hours of the trip waiting to return home, which is why I look so Authentically Polish.


The night before we left I found out that there was an ultimate tournament going on a couple hours south in the city of Bydgoszcz. After an astounding email turnaround time, especially for an ultimate player, Lucjan replied and told me I was welcome. So first thing off the boat I jumped on the train and went to meet my team, Astrodisco. We had a great time (4-0!), and it was awesome to see the spirit of the game alive and well on this side of the world. These guys take spirit seriously, every game ended with an arm in arm circle and what seemed like some solid heckling.



Tuna asked if long johns under shorts were the uniform for Ultimate...

The city of Gdansk is an amazing place. I admit that Bydgoszcz was a bit disappointing architecturally speaking, largely square gray concrete. However, the Poles in Gdansk (and in Bydgoszcz, actually) informed me that the ugliest town in all of Poland is in fact Bydgoszcz. Gdansk in contrast was very regal, and a great walking city. We also had fantastic food (perogies and borscht!), and the restaurant proprietors seemed to delight in giving the goofy foreigners vodka for aperitif and digestivo with every meal.

I didn't find anyplace, however, offering Polish Sausage...

Actually, it's pronounced "Lek".

During All Saints day, thousands of people go the graveyard to decorate their family tombstones with candles and flowers. We went to one of the biggest cemeteries in Poland with a new Polish friend (see below). It was amazing, like walking through constellations. In this case especially pictures feel inadequate in their failure to capture the scale. It took us nearly two hours to see half of the cemetery, and the entire place was glowing bright.

I met Michal through couchsurfing.org (highly recommended site!) and though I didn't sleep on his floor, he was an excellent guide for myself and the crew. He was the one who told us about this graveyard, then showed us how to properly drink and saunter and identify gypsy graves.

Ferry to Poland

On Halloween weekend 8 of us took the ferry to Poland. Much to our good fortune, there was a live band on the ferry, as well as a dance floor and cheap booze. Good fun was had by all. Especially by me when the vocalist channeled Mini Fresh and rocked the blow up guitar.

Good to see the proactive approach to sanitation by the kitchen staff.

John and Giulianna struggled with the interactive mix and match game, the boy beat both their scores combined, and I waited for the three Curious Georges to come alive and devour them. Those eyes followed you... this is almost got filed under frightening things.

The majority of the passengers on the boat were truckers, and they appreciated the band, dance floor, and cheap booze very much. Their enthusiasm for the final countdown rivals even the mighty John Hammertoes in a kareoke box. I want to invite checkered shirt guy to every wedding I go to from now on. Or at least steal every single one of his moves.

Halloween

Halloween was interesting this year, with the ferry halloween party, seeing trick or treaters in Poland and Sweden, and my second straight year as a "zombie", which I feel has replaced "ghost" as easiest/lamest costume. But I was short on options. Our new found frisbee friends (see poland post) took us to a great house party. Ola, at left, was dressed as Marylin Monroe. When I pointed out that she died of an overdose and not zombie attack, Ola said "Anything happens on Halloween!" Too right. By the way, the white on our faces is pounded up chalk. I was hesitant, but when you're already going as "zombie" you have to make some sacrifices.

Trick or treaters I met outside my house on the way to the ferry...

More trick or treaters, who were kind enough to indulge me in some translation. I think "Gudies" sounds far more onomatopoeic that "treats" for what it's worth.

Wannas Art Gallery

Wannas is a very cool art gallery in a rural area about 2 hours from Karlskrona. Situated on an old dairy farm that is still in production, there are dozens of installations in old outbuildings and throughout the forest grounds. All of these pieces were tagged with small placards just as they would be in traditional art galleries. I regret forgetting to take down names, so that now I cannot give credit where it's due.

There are several of these ceramic stumps throughout the park.

It is a very cool scene, to be wandering through the woods and come upon, say a mass of floating clear balloons. Or a small cottage with no door and sounds of laughter coming from inside. Or a matte black rock. A tree with pants on. The hidden speakers calling "mama!" throughout one section were delightfully unnerving. Good stuff. I would have recorded more but for my camera, which is incredibly frustrating to operate. The sea water inside it is like a poltergeist, turning it on and off, taking pictures or refusing to do so, all on its own.

This is an apartment, but without walls, floors or ceilings, or a building. Just all of the plumbing and electric.

And here is a bronze statue relieving herself whilst taking in the lovely view.