Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #19

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #19: Winter Fashion Accessories

It is unseasonably cold over here in Warsaw right now.  We have highs of -17 degrees Celsius (which is about 0 degrees farenheit).  Although I braved ten Chicago winters I have never quite felt a cold like this one.  It is bone chilling and gets to the core of your body.  Its so cold that the minute you step outside and take a breath you can feel ice crystals forming in your nose.  And, the cold weather has shut down the outdoor fruit and veggie market near our house as the produce (and workers) cannot be outside in this weather for long periods of time.  Needless to say Charlie and I are taking quick walks and hoping this bitter cold ends soon. 

One of the only bright spots of the cold is watching all of the Poles dress for it.  They are seasoned pros and bundle up.  I have never seen such an amazing variety of fur hats before.  They come in every shape and color you can imagine and there seems to be one rule - the bigger the better.  And, even all of the men wear them too.  While at first thinking they looked a little over the top they are really growing on me. I might have to invest in one for the winters over here. 

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #18

Awesome Thing About Living in Europe #18: Oscypek

Oscypek is one of our favorite Polish delicacies.  We like it so much that we brought some home to share with family at Christmas. 

It is a smoked cheese made from the salted sheep milk (don’t buy imitations made from cow’s milk) and formed in traditional wooden forms. Oscypek is an absolute “must taste” when you visiting Polish mountains. Very tasty when served with red wine and grilled.

It is produced in the original form of small, spindle-like blocks with typical regional decorating pattern. Oscypek is one of tourist attractions of Polish mountains. You can eat it as cold or hot (grilled and served with the cranberry). Fresh oscypek is really tasty.

The first mention of cheese production in the Tatra Mountains dates back to the 15th century, in a document from the village of Ochotnica in 1416. The first recorded recipe for oscypek was issued in 1748 in the Żywiec area.

Before Poland voted to join the European Union, some Polish Eurosceptics warned that oscypek could be banned in the EU due to its use of unpasteurized milk and its production by unlicensed farmers. No action has been taken yet against the sale or production of the cheese.

source

To all of our Travel Snob Friends...

Warsaw has been voted in the Top 10 Places for Travel Snobs....so come on over!  And check out the article below.

Top Ten European Cities for Travel Snobs Article