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French national dish - Snails

 

The snails used in the French dish are not the snails that we can find in our garden!!

There are two species of snails : the snails which come from Bourgogne "les gros de Bourgogne" (a French region) and the « petits gris » (little grey) much smaller.

 
The snails which will be cooked come from a breeding and not from a garden.

 

Preparation :

1.The snails have to fast during 8 days.

2.The snails are put on salt to soak, to dribble and to get ride of all that it is not good to be eaten.

3. They are mixed with salt and rinsed

4. They are scalded and put out of its shell.

5.We separate the things that we can eat and organs like intestines,…

6.Then, we have to cook them during an entire night.

(As this is a lot of preparation, you can always get the snails already prepared in a can)

 

Getting them ready to be eaten...

•The following days, the snails are cooked.

•We keep them in water which served to cook them until we want to eat them.

•Then we cook them with butter, parsley and garlic.

•After that we can eat!!!!!!!

When do we eat them ? 

•Snails are not a daily dish!!

•We eat it often for Christmas and for the new year. But we can eat snails for every other occasions... major occasions...

Polish war monument - The Anonymous Pedestrian's Sculpture (Pomnik anonimowych przechodniów)

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY 5

Category 5.War monument

NAME:„The Anonymous Pedestrian's Sculpture” (Pomnik anonimowych przechodniów)

Presentation by Dominik Jakubczyk

ARTIST: Jerzy Kalina

YEAR OF ORIGIN: was installed in the middle of the night in 2005 on the 12th December.

LOCATION: Wrocław, hike on down to the junction of Piłsudskiego and Świdnicka.

DESCRIPITION: The human figures in bronze, are falling into the pavement ... They hide in one place, in another go again ...

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HISTORY CONTEXT (Why we can call this monument a war monument?):

On a cold and snowy Sunday morning on December 13, 1981 the Poles woke up to find their country under Martial Law .The Martial Law was imposed by the Military Council for National Salvation lead by, then, prime minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski and consisting of 20 other high ranking military officers. They felt threatened by the members of the first independent trade union behind the Iron Curtin - the Solidarity (Solidarnosc). The Solidarity had been founded only 18 months earlier, in August of 1980 after several weeks of strikes. The workers had gone on strike to protest poor living conditions and lack of independent representation. With the birth of the Solidarity hopes were high that the new trade union would help to pressure the government to introduce economical reforms and ease restrictions. The government quickly realized that the Solidarity was a threat to the system. The Constitution stated that martial law could be imposed for defense or national security reasons. The Constitution allowed the State Council (Rada Panstwa) to impose a martial law while the parliament (Sejm) was not in session.  Although the parliament was in session, the State Council headed by Henryk Jablonski unconstitutionally passed the law under pressure from the military. Only one member of the Council, Ryszard Reiff, voted against the resolution. The vote took place in the early morning hours of December 13 while Martial Law was under way:  people arrested, restriction imposed. The State Council merely rubber stamped the decision of the military that took over the control in the country.  The borders were sealed, airports were closed and road access to main cities was restricted. Travel between cities required permission. Curfew was imposed between 10 pm and 6 am. Telephone lines were disconnected. Mail was subject to censorship. All trade union and other independent organizations were de-legalized. All TV and radio transmissions were suspended.

WHY I LIKE IT?: I saw this statue when I was in Wroclaw ...I really liked it ...In my opinion, it shows the situation in Martial Law time ...

People had to hide ... They lived in constant fear ...Looking at this statue, I feel the pain they felt...

People of bronze ... and yet showing so much emotion ...I like the design and emotional layers of the monument:)

Music by Jacek Kaczmarski "Mury" (one of the most famous political song in Poland)

 

French war monument - L'arc de Triomphe

 
 

The Arc de Triomphe was built in 1806. It is located in Paris on the "Place de L’Etoile".

It was after the Battle of Austerlitz that Napoleon first decided to build the Arc. The "Arc de Triomphe" was inaugurated on July 29, 1836 for the sixth anniversary of the Three Glorious Days. The Arc de Triomphe became an historical monument since February 6, 1896.

 

The Arc de Triomphe is now part of the Historical National monuments.

 

At its feet, there is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War. There is an eternal flame on the tomb. It commemorates the memory of dead soldiers during wars and it never goes out : it is revived every night at 18:30 by war veterans or victims of war.

Since 1923, the lighting of the flame which guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was done every night.There is 6 prints on the face of the Arc. It recounts the scenes of the Revolution and the Empire. On the tomb we can read : « Ici repose un soldat français mort pour la patrie 1914 . 1918 »

Czech religious monument - Saint Wenceslas Cathedral

 

Download Saint Wenceslas Cathedral

Polish religious monument - Saint Mary's Basilica in Krakow

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY1

CATEGORY 01 : RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS

St. Mary's Basilica  in Krakow

by

Anna M & Sandra B.

 

Once upon a time there was a town  a capital of an old medieval kingdom, and there was a temple ... like a jewel.

Krakow was the third of the Polish capital. It is a very important historical place for Poles. In Krakow, there is St. Mary's Basilica. It is a temple of the Christian faith. Two legends are associated with the basilica.

The most important information

*  Is the second largest church after Wawel, the most important place of worship in Poland;

  * It is about 80 m (262 ft) tall;

*   It was built in 13th century;

*   It is famous for wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss;

*  A characteristic feature of the church is the bugle call played every day at midday;

History

*     Krakow's original St. Mary's Church was destroyed during the 13th-century Tartar raids. It was rebuilding began relatively soon after.

*   15th century -  Veit Stoss carved an enormous wooden altar.

*    18th century – interior of Basilica was changed to Baroque style;

*    19th century – liquidation of cemetery;  is built St. Mary’s Square;

*    18th April, 2010 in the basilica there was a funeral of president couple – Maria and Lech Kaczynscy.

Polish national industry - Wieliczka

 

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY 7

National Industries

Wieliczka

By Paweł W.

There is a story about princess visiting Poland.

It all started with her arrival to this place.

Legend: Princess name was Kinga. She was a very important person not only for Poland. When she was visiting THIS place it was meant only for visit but it became much more important than everybody thought. It started when she threw her ring into one of the deserted shafts which made the beginning for THIS place.

Can you guess where are you now?

Let me give you a tip: This place was transporting one of the main goods to whole country.

Still not idea what it can be? Look at this people residing there for a very long time.

Ok here is last tip then: It was connected with underground activities.

If you still don’t know what it is I will tell you: Salt Mine!!!  It was very important for country because of the very high salt prices (you could buy small village with just lumps of salt).

Salt mine in Wieliczka:  The Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. The mine continuously produced table salt from the 13th century until 2007 as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. It is believed to be the world's 14th-oldest company still in operation. The mine's attractions for tourists include dozens of statues and an entire chapel that has been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. Mine main purpose is to give a lot of fun to other people not only those from country. It has even prepared simulations for interested ones to show how does it look when somebody must work underground for such a  long time. Tourist meaning:  The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 300 km long. It features a 3.5-km touring route for visitors (less than 1% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes historic statues and mythical figures. The oldest sculptures were carved out of rock salt by miners; more recent figures have been fashioned by contemporary artists. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, so that the carvings resemble unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look that many visitors expect. Interesting thing:  In this mine there wasn’t only salt that we could find there or simulations about working employers but also there was a very beautiful lake full of salt that looked almost like from some kind of fairy tail. Opinion: Firstly I want to say why i chose this mine as an industry place even when it’s not exactly industry we think about. I thought it would be very good to show industry in some other way because it was after all one of the most important place in my country.

So in conclusion I think it is very interestind place for now because of it’s originality. I like part about EVERYTHING made of salt because I have never seen anything like that. I was also surprised about how long it was working and how effective this work was.

Polish Actress - BEATA TYSZKIEWICZ

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY 12

CATEGORY 12

BEATA TYSZKIEWICZ

 

 

by

 adrianna.n

 

First Lady of Polish cinema:

Critics called her “Polish Sophia Loren” and “Catherine Deneuve of the east”

 

Beata Tyszkiewicz was born 14th August 1938 as a daughter of count Krzysztof Tyszkiewicz and Barbara Rechowicz .

In the days of her youth the socialism reigned in Poland. Polish aristocrats weren’t much liked as a part of the socjety. And because of her aristocratic roots she had a problem with getting into a school.

 Aspect:Where did he/she learn how to act

She had been attending the Polish Theater High School for a year. After that, she worked in Polish television.

As a sixteen year old girl she made her debut in the film adaptation of Aleksander Fredro’s novel “Zemsta”(revenge).

After playing in movies of famous directors, she gets an acting authority without any exam from Ministry of Culture and Art.

She appeared in over one hundread Polish productions and in German, French, Hungarian and Russian films as well. She is the only Polish actress who participated in a Bollywood movie.

Aspect:Fun fact

Lately she is one of the judges in Polish editions of “Dancing with the Stars”

Aspect:Family

She was married three times. With her first husband Andrzej Wajda, she has a daughter Karolina and with her third husband, Jacek Padlewski, she has a daughter Wiktoria, who gave her a grandson Szymon.

Aspect:Short description of one movie

“Lalka”(doll) is an adaptation of Bolesław Prus’ novel. The history of a wealthy Warsaw merchant Stanisław Wokulski, and his love for the beautiful but impoverished aristocrat Isabella Łęcka. Because of this destructive feeling Wokulski enters unfavorable agreements with aristocratic families, trying to helped his loved one. Ignoring good advices of his friend Wokulski is easily seduced by Isabella, who is flirting in a secret with her handsome cousin-Starski.

Aspect:At least one quote (in presentation)

Polish holiday - Christmas

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY 11

Category 11

Christmas

Dominika H

Let me tell you something about Christmas in Poland…

Christmas in Poland are the most solemn Holidays in our tradition which everyone are longing for. It is a time of giving each other gifts, meeting with the family ,friends and broadcasting customs and the tradition from generation to generation. In Poland, Advent is the beginning of Christmas Time. It's a time when people try to be peaceful and remember the real reason for Christmas. Christmas Eve is a very special time and it has unique atmosphere of warmth, when you feel like you are united with the whole world and all good souls. Christmas Eve supper called Wigilia or sometimes “Gwiazdka” is eaten after the first star appears in the sky and that is a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem. The supper begins with the breaking of the holy wafer. Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ and also as a symbol of forgiveness. The dinner table is decorated with a white tablecloth, under which people put a hand full of hay. On the table there is a one extra plate for an unexpected guest. The traditional Christmas Eve supper consists of twelve dishes representing the twelve months of the year. No meat is served during the supper, only fish, usually herring, carp or pike. Other traditional dishes appearing on the table include red borscht, mushroom or fish soup, sauerkraut with wild mushrooms or peas, dried fruit compote and kutia, a dessert especially popular in eastern Poland. Boiled or fried raviolis, Polish dumplings with a wide variety of fillings, are among the most popular Polish dishes. For the Christmas Eve supper, raviolis are usually made with sauerkraut and mushrooms. In Poland we have a few superstitions and predictions related to the holidays: One is the husk of the Christmas carp that we should keep in the wallet throughout the year which will give us more cash. We should not get up from behind the table during the meal. This ban doesn't concern the housewife or other serving person. We also believe that of this night animals speak with a human voice, but who will hear them won't live to the morning.

After Christmas supper, children are unpacking presents  and the whole family singing Christmas carols and at midnight people go to the church on the Midnight Mass, because they want welcome born Jesus Christ. Christmas Eve is extraordinary and people spend it on celebrating and being together with a family and friends. Except for some special types of jobs, nobody goes to work on this day, all the shops are closed. In Christmas Day and Boxing Day whole family go to the church and visits small replica of stable of Bethlehem. In the afternoon, the family come together once again and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Polish famous people - Lech Wałęsa

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY 10

Category 10

Lech Walesa

By Jakub K.

History

In August 1980 Walesa led the Gdansk shipyard strike which gave rise to a wave of strikes over much of the country with him seen as the leader. The primary demands were for workers' rights. The authorities were forced to capitulate and to negotiate with Walesa the Gdansk Agreement of August 31, 1980, which gave the workers the right to strike and to organise their own independent union.

In September 1981 he was elected Solidarity Chairman at the First National Solidarity Congress in Gdansk.

Wałęsa held his position until 13 December 1981, when General Jaruzelski declared martial law. Wałęsa, like many other Solidarity leaders and activists, was arrested

In November 1982 Walesa was released and reinstated at the Gdansk shipyards. Although kept under surveillance, he managed to maintain lively contact with Solidarity leaders in the underground. While martial law was lifted in July 1983, many of the restrictions were continued in civil code. In October 1983 the announcement of Walesa's Nobel prize raised the spirits of the underground movement, but the award was attacked by the government press.

In December 1988, Wałęsa co-founded the Solidarity Citizens' Committee. Theoretically it was merely an advisory body, but in practice it was a kind of political party and won the parliamentary elections in June 1989 . Wałęsa was one of Solidarity's most public figures; though he did not run for parliament himself, he was an active campaigner, appearing on many campaign posters. In fact, Solidarity winners in the Sejm elections were referred to as "Wałęsa's team" or "Lech's team," as all those who won had appeared on their election posters together with him.

In December 1990 in a general ballot he was elected President of the Republic of Poland. He served until defeated in the election of November 1995.

The greatest achievements

Establishment of of the first non-communist trade union behind the Iron Curtain in 1980.

Round-table talks that led to the first partially free elections in June 1989

NSZZ Solidarność Trade Union        

It was created by an agreement concluded in 1980 between Lech Walesa (Delegate workers) and representatives of the Communists. This ended a wave of strikes in August 1980

Polish landscape - Błędne Skały

PL PRESENTATION/CATEGORY 6

Category 6 Błędne Skały By Dawid Ś.

… have you ever thought… About a place where you can get lost?

About a place where you will go to… and never go back?

A place made by humans… to trap you for eternity?

...what about a place made by nature… a place which will never let you out?

WOULD YOU BELIEVE A PLACE LIKE THIS ACTUALLY EXISTS…?

 

 

BLEDNE SKALY

The Landscape

The name “Błędne skały” roughly translates into misleading rocks.

The name is made up after how the place is filled with all kinds of rocks which form multiple corridors that make it look like a labyrinth.

Location

Błędne skały is a place in the southwest part of Poland in Sudety środkowe of Mt.Stołowe. It’s placed near the border of Czech Republic, between Kudowa-Zdrój and Karłów. The place is 850m high, and it goes for 2.5km.

Creation

Thick layers of sandstone settled at the bottom of the sea. In the Tertiary they were lifted with Sudety mountains. Then the process of erosion began. As a result of different composition of single rock layers, spreading in 3 different directions, a few-metres deep corridors were created.

Interesting facts

The interesting thing is that the place was created only by nature, with no human interference whatsoever.  There are also many different types of rocks there and some of them even have their own names like Stołowy Głaz, Kurza Stopka or Kuchnia.

My opinion

I think the place is absolutely amazing. The idea of a naturally created labyrinth is one of the more interesting things nature can make. It really shows how nature can play with our world, to create all sorts of unimaginable things.