30/08 – 01/09/2023

We exercised before leaving our riverside pitch. And no ill effects from our vodka tasting of the previous night. Lucky, methinks.

A 3.5 hour drive to get to Tarnow, with a lunch stop. Had to buy a few bits from a supermarket for lunch … with no f/f, I am really missing my homemade soup, which I portion up and freeze … normally.

We were both tired on arrival at Tarnow. Now, that might have been the vodka effect! Or it could have been the morning’s exercise. We pushed ourselves out for a quick wander and cold drink before heading off to the intended overnight. However, a leaflet from the TIC showed a few sights worth staying overnight for.

Our city tour proper started with the Roma museum the next morning. The founder was Roma, so it was ‘Roma’nticised but interesting. I hadn’t realised they originated from North India. Only recently have their dialects been moulded into one official language and books in Roma printed. A sign declared that Roma may be cheats and thieves, but they’ve never set off bombs or started wars. Fair point.

300-500,000 Roma were exterminated by the Germans in WW2; about half the Roma European population. It was not initially recognised, mourned, or recompenced, like the Jewish murders, as there was no central Roma organisation. Until 1971, when the first international Roma conference was held in …. Orpington, Kent. A flag and a hymn were presented. With time, the World Roma Union was represented at the United Nations.

A short drive away was zany Zalipie. A straggling village of homesteads. About a hundred years ago, inhabitants started painted the interior and exterior of houses, barns and fences with folk art. To keep it going, a competition has been held since 1948 for the best painted house. We saw a film where school children were being ‘forced’ (with smiles) to paint in the traditional style. We visited a homestead museum of a famous local painter and then drove around the village, spotting other painted properties. Bit of a samey zany style, to he honest.

Our overnight was Lake Tarnobrzeg. We drove past the beach and bar area to a viewpoint. Nice and quiet, we thought. I took Corrie for a walk to another viewpoint. Saw an estate car parked up with its boot open. Didn’t think anything of it. Why would I? Broad daylight in a public park. Once I realised what the young couple were up to, I veered off … fast! At 9pm, a disco across the water started. Fortunately, the music wasn’t offensive. Unfortunately, it didn’t finish till 1pm. Could have been worse, but then cars were in and out of our car park – probably to engage in similar activities to what I’d stumbled upon earlier. So, not the best night’s sleep. And not in a good way!