Just back from an assignment in Poland . Been in several cities and places there . The country left me an impression of youth , dynamism and modernity . If some european countries are 
on the decline , certainly not Poland .
It is both a modern country with a booming economy ( as it seems ) and a quiet and traditional one . What strikes the visitor is everyone , from all age , has a cell phone , internet cafes are common and affordable ( 3 Zl an hour , or 0,7 Euro ) , and young people are often fluent in english .
War has left big scars , with many historic city centers reduced to several blocks , then come the drab housing blocks built in the 50's and 60's , that they happily sometimes recently painted with nice colors . And even what looks like historic city centers have often been rebuilt from scratch after complete WW2 destruction .
The unsuspecting tourist may think this part of town never suffered that bad .
Churches are in use , even on weekdays and services are held at different times of the day . It is not uncommon to see young women and men enter to join the assembly .
Their train system is efficient . The fastest train , the IC ( Inter City ) is the equivalent of our "train corail" in France , except the service is better . A young woman does all the train at the beginning of the journey with a cart to serve for free: bottled water , coffee , tea , with a biscuit bar .
French retailers are massively present here , all the big names ( Carrefour , Auchan , Leclerc, Geant , Leroy Merlin , Castorama ) have built supermarkets in most suburbs of polish towns . But small retailers like the many kiosks that were in use in the communist times are still there , selling all kind of things . In the cities , an avid consumering culture has taken hold , with gleaming commercial centers here and there and all the usual brand stores seen elsewhere in Europe .
I discovered Poland has an exceptional shoe industry with many different designs & styles . I bought some and am now a fan of polish shoes .
They love dogs , that are often muzzled ( by law I presume ) .
Good food . I discovered I was a sea mammal when I began to eat marinaded small fish, maybe sprats , called " Moskaliki " . Just could'nt stop ...
They sell that for example in the food department , for about 8 Zl a kilo , or 2 Euro . First bought 100 gr , then came back for another 200 gr when I found them ...
One of my fave restaurants had something called " Nalesniki z Serem ", wich are rolled pankakes with cheese and raisins inside . This tastes like central european cheese cake . So good ...
Many restaurants keep the " bar mleczny " style of the communist era . Simple affordable eateries where you bring yourself your dishes with a tray at your table and at the end leave plates & stuff at the kitchen window .
Beer of course is the beverage here. By 1/2 liter you can enjoy many different local brands . A few names : Piast , Tyskie , Tatra , Lech , Okocim ... Many good beers among them .
A picture I made in one of the hotels I stayed in . I like the soviet/communist flavor of the place . You have to come soon in Poland to experience these last old fashioned hotels . The country is changing fast and they will be replaced by the usual predictible international standard accommodations .
