Cultural: Vacations!

This is a repost of something I wrote 2 years ago.

photo from google images

When we first came to Poland from the USA, I wondered at everyone disappearing for so long during the summer! It seemed like no one stayed "home" during this time. It was just strange to me.

People headed to the beach, the mountains, or on 2 week trips out of the country. Kids went to camp far away from home, and then another camp at another place - sometimes gone almost the whole summer! It seemed they headed out of town for most of the summer and screeched back in just in time for school to start again.

It's true. It's still true.  Sometimes kids/teens schedule themselves something special to do the whole summer long - from trips with friends, to karate camps, Christian camps, horseback riding camps, scout camps.

There are many reason for this - but one of the biggest is that people who work "officially" (there are lot of part time or 'unofficially" employed people here) are given 25 vacation days a year standard (as opposed to only 10 in the USA).  

The second is that July and August are "off" from school as school is out on the fourth Friday in June and starts back on September 1.  The calendar is fixed, so it is easy for parents to plan trips. This also means that places are packed during these two months.

Karate camp! photo credit - google images

By now I'm used to it. I think it is super nice.

It means that lots of people are on the roads, but it also means that Warsaw is much quieter during the summer - so going downtown is easier and even getting around our little area is easier.

Many people go visit grandparents or parents who live away from the city during this time. There are specials to various tourist 'hotspots" like Egypt, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and various islands like Teneryfa, and even farther, more exotic places such as Asia including China and Bangkok.

This is a screen shot of a popular organizer of vacations here in Poland, Itaka, advertising last minute deals for good prices - from Bulgaria to Spain, to the Grand Canary Islands or Marsa Alam, Egypt. Lots of choices - good prices and it will be warm.

The pic above is from 2017. This one below is from this year - 2019. The exchange rate is about 3.79 Polish zlotys to the USD.

the Baltic Sea - June, 2015

Going with an organized tour is convenient because they seem to get great prices and it's almost always warm with lots of sun - something that can't be guaranteed here.

Many do stay home, here in Poland, though, as the Baltic Sea is a common escape - as Poland has a beautiful stretch of the Baltic. The negative is the weather - you never know if it will be warm. But even if it is cool, it is beautiful up there. We live about a 5 hour car drive from there and traffic can be horrendous as we don't have a great stretch of freeway direct from Warsaw up there.

We also have a popular region called the Mazury region  - or lakes region. There are many who love sailing and doing water sports on the lakes in this region.

photo credit - google images

There are plenty of people who go to various places in Europe as well, but the Polish zloty doesn't go as far in Western Europe as it does in places like Egypt or Turkey or staying at home in Poland. So.......while some do go west, it is a smaller proportion of people than those who go south, to the Mediterranean region/northern Africa.

And........now you know!!

If you hear someone from Poland went to Egypt on a vacation...it's not all that radical. Not really. It might end up being cheaper than staying at home!

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Have a great day - no matter if this finds you toiling at our job, or on a great day off!

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