Staying Put in Przemysl

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28/08/2023

We coughed up another £7.40 for the camper stop. I did another load of laundry. Then we wandered into town. You’d never guess, but Przemysl is prnounced shirmish, as in skirmish! As well as the guide books, I’d found an online article about the town so had the main attractions pinned on a map. We attempted to climb to the castle, but a sweaty 36C real feal defeated us.

During WW2 the town was split into two along the River San. This is one of the Russian defence bunkers … the Molotov Line … Stalin’s N S defensive line before taking on Germany
One third of the population had been Jewish. This is one of the two surviving synagogues. In a bad state of repair.
Nothing remains of the Jewish cemetery. Totally reclaimed by nature as no surviving families to tend to it.
Cathedral belfry. We tried twice to see the cathedral and crypt. First a service and then a wedding.
Local saint statue … guardian angel of Poland. He predicted 2 world wars, Poland gaining independence and a Polish Pope.
Award winning ice cream parlour and raspberry lemonade refreshment stop
I did the newly opened underground tour … through cellars of the square and then along 150m of sewers. Not much to look at, but lots of interactive screens and a very good audio guide.
A bear is the city emblem and apparently bears do live in the woods not too far away.

We’d been recommended a restaurant so joined the queue. Got chatting to mother and son, Grace and Nick. They asked if we’d like to share their table. They had emigrated 30 years ago, whilst the USSR didn’t issue passports. Who you know and a brown envelope sorted passports. Grace with two small children didn’t relax until the plane took off. Over a couple of bottles of wine (French), we asked questions.

Poland had been partitioned for 123 years by Russia, Germany and Austria, and I wondered how Polish culture and national identity had survived. They still spoke Polish, and underground schools taught history, etc. A very Catholic country, where abortion is still illegal. 3 women have recently died from sepsis as doctors were not allowed to abort foetuses that had died. An election is due on 15th October, and it’s expected that the right-wing government will be ousted. Rental property and hotels here are full. Journalists covering the war and Ukrainian families live here have pushed up prices. Similar to Germany, many Ukrainians come once a month to collect their refugee monies and then go back to the Ukraine to spend it. Poland does produce some wine, but it’s generally sweet. The availability of medical care was compared between Canada, Poland, UK and Greece. Poland is no longer a poor country, but has a positive GDP and is attracting a lot of investment. A memorable meal … one of those moments in time.

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