Poznan Perogis

Knowing Poland is famous for Chopin, Marie Curie and vodka, they should also add Perogies. I ordered Perogies at the first available opportunity. And even though there was a wait - as I mentioned earlier, never rush a Polish meal - the wait was worth it! Below is a recipe for anyone wishing to make their own. Enjoy!

Perogies
Filling:

8 to 10 potatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8-ounces)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8-ounces)
4 to 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
To prepare filling: Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Boil until tender. Reserve cooking water for dough.
Meanwhile, saute onion in a butter; set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Mash potatoes and place in medium-sized bowl. Add onion with the butter, cheeses and bacon; season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
Dough:

2 1/4 cups reserved potato water, cooled to lukewarm
2 eggs
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

To make dough: Combine potato water, eggs and oil; mix well.
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center. Pour water/egg mixture into well and stir until mixture is smooth.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times.
Place dough in well-greased bowl, turning dough once and cover. Let rest for at least 20 minutes to 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into circles with a large biscuit cutter or coffee mug. Fill with about 1 teaspoon of potato mixture. Pinch edges together so the seam is secure.
Place on baking sheets lined with waxed paper and freeze. Once frozen, place in a large zipper-style plastic bag to store.
To cook perogies bring a large cooking pot of water to boil. Remove perogies from freezer once the water has come to a full rolling boil.
Cook perogies in batches of 6 to 8 in boiling water. They are done when they rise to the water's surface. Drain well and place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped chives, if desired, and serve. Perogies also go well with sauteed onions and sour cream.
Makes about 8 dozen.

Note: Perogies can be fried or deep-fried

Show Down @ Midday

As will be my experience over the next few weeks, a majority of the 'Old Towns' have a central clock tower. Each tower has its' own unique hourly show. The town of Poznan has two goats butting their horns. As the legend goes, there were two animals who escaped a cook and were found fighting each other at the town hall tower. Other than the spectacle of watching the clock tower, just people watching is fascinating in itself - especially considering the number of people who turn up to watch the tow fighting goats.

Lively Celebrations

On August 15, 2007 I was witness to the celebrations of the Feast of the Assumption. With performances from Polish and Middle Eastern dancers, it was certainly a colourful and lively celebration in the Old Town Poznan. I just love the image of the Polish Girl checking all the details of her national dress.

Dogs of Poznan

You will not be surprised to see the addition of a page dedicated to dogs. I saw these two dogs sitting by their owners who were tending their stalls. Obviously each dog is used to this routine, and some their creature comforts.

Poznan, Poland

Poznan was a lively start to my time in Poland. I did not realise how big the city actually was, it has a population of 557,000. The beautiful Old Town was bustling with markets, celebtarions and the anticipation of two goats butting horns on the hour atop the Town Square clock. Notice the decorated buildings surrounding the town square, plus the amount of people present. A very lively start to Poland.

Sanssouci Palace

Schloss Sanssouci is an UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in 1747 by Frederich the Great using rococo style, the palace is set atop a hill overlooking terraced gardens. The palace is painted a buttercup yellow, with cherub figures sprouting from the eaves. As you wander down the terraced gardens, there are crops of figs and grapes being grown in small individual glass houses. At the base of the garden is a large fountain - it was a pity we couldn't soak our feet the day we visited, it was so hot! - surrounded by Roman figures. Either side of the palace at the rear are two arbours of gold and black. The photo of the sun face (photo 1) shows a detail of each arbour. Interestingly, Frederich is buried 'out back' - his headstone has the potatoes placed on it, along with his dogs and horses.

Cecilienhof Palace - Potsdam, Germany

During a day trip from Berlin we visited Potsdam, and the Cecilienhof Palace. The is the place where Truman, Attlee and Stalin signed the Potsdam Agreement in 1945. The rest as they say is history. P.S. notice the beautiful brickwork used for the chimney's.

KaDeWa

KaDeWe is Germany's equivilant to Harrod's of London. Although it is well known as a retail store, it's sixth floor gourmet food emporium is its' drawcard. From my photos you can see the variety of products for sale, and no expense is spared. Only the best is availible.

Berlin Bears

The Berlin Bears are painted by artists from all over the world. Every single United Buddy Bear represents a United Nations member state.The bears are also a symbol of the desire for peace, freedom and international understanding. The photo of the bear on this page - thanks to Angela - provides an example of one such bear. They are located throughout the city, as individuals or groupings. I bought a souvenir 'Berlin Bear' from KaDeWe - the artist has used symbols, colour and text to represent the unique characteristics of Berlin.

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche

Situated in West Berlin, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche (church) stands as a reminder of the bombing by the British of 22 November, 1943. One tower remains of the original structure, beside is a modern church. Inside you are totally surrounded by brilliant blues, yellow and red stained glass styled windows. Inside it reminds you of midnight, as there is minimal light, allowing for you to enjoy the beauty of the windows. A focal point of the church is a statue of a Risen Jesus, glowing as the light reflects of the gold finish.

Building Sights of Berlin

I was surprised to see that Berlin possessed many classical styled buildings, even though now they were marked with bullet holes and chipped fascades. The city has seemed to 'embraced' the fact that there are physical signs of times gone by. Berlin is quite a large city, with many of it's landmarked spread out over an area of approximately 10km squared. There were many highlights, including the Brandenburg Gate, which marks the former east - west divide. Another interesting sight was the modern steel and glass structure - first photo - it is the narrowest office block in the world.

Trabant

The Trabant is an automobile formerly produced by East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Saxony. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to other countries in, but also outside the communist bloc. The main selling points were that it had room for four adults and luggage, and was compact, fast, light and durable. Despite its poor performance and smoky two-stroke engine, the car has come to be regarded with affection as a symbol of the more positive sides of East Germany (in former East Germany) and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant change for nearly 30 years.
The name Trabant means "fellow traveler" (Satellite) in German; the cars are often referred to as the Trabbi or Trabi, pronounced with a short a.
Since it could take years for a Trabant to be delivered from the time it was ordered people who finally got one were very careful with it and usually became skillful in maintaining and repairing it. The lifespan of an average Trabant was 28 years.[1] Used Trabants would often fetch a higher price than new ones, as the former were available immediately, while the latter had the aforementioned waiting period of several years.
(ref. Wikipedia)

Holocaust Memorial

What an opportunity to experience the Denkmal fur die ermordeten Juden Europas, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe ( english translation ). The memorial was created by Peter Eisenman. Using a grid pattern of 2711 'steale', the memorial covers an area of 19,000m squared. The foundation for this memorial is of course the Holocaust, but also for visitors to have their own personal experience whilst visiting, hence the narrow walkways - allowing only one person at a time to journey the paths. You will notice from my photos the contrast in the site of the memorial in relation to the background of lush trees. Along with the different heights for each column, the site is undulating - allowing for many perspectives throughout the memorial.

Berlin Wall

Many remnants of the Berlin Wall remain visible in the city today. We visited one the more well known sites and what is known as the East Side Gallery. As you can see from my photos the 'Wall' has been marked with artwork and graffiti - mostly making social comment on the culture and history of Germany. Situated directly behind this section of the Wall, you can view the Torture Chambers. They were placed underground so that the screams of torture would not be heard by citizens walking by. You will notice that there had been attempts to destroy the chambers, however now they stand as a reminder to past atrocities.

Checkpoint Charlie

Here you can see what appears to be an authentic 'checkpoint' situated in the centre of Berlin. However, it's just a little bit of fun for the tourists - a photo opportunity. However, it does give you a sense of reality in what was a tragic past. As you will notice, there are signs and symbols of pre-Berlin Wall, for example the ' You are now leaving the American sector' and the portrait of a German soldier.