My name's Charlotte and I have a passion for travelling and documenting my adventures through writing and photography. Having lived in several countries and visited 30, I've seen a lot of the world, but still have much more left to explore! Here on this blog, I do full recaps of all my trips - big and small - and write about a range of travel-related topics. Hope you enjoy and find plenty of travel inspiration!
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Saturday, 8 January 2022
Travel Tips: My Top Five Mountain Destinations
Saturday, 20 November 2021
Country Guide: Poland
Name: Poland (in Polish: Polska)
Continent: Europe
Capital (and Largest) City: Warsaw (in Polish: Warszawa)
Language: Polish
Currency: Polish Złoty
Drives on the: Right
Time Zone: Central European Time
Adaptor Types: Type C and Type E
Description: Poland is a relatively large country in Eastern Europe, which borders the Baltic Sea in the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the south, as well as several other European countries. It is known for its historic cities, including Kraków, Warsaw and Gdańsk, and it's also a popular hiking and skiing destination.
Why You Should Visit: I had a really fantastic and memorable time in Poland when I volunteered there in 2019, teaching English with the Angloville programme. There are many beautiful places to see throughout the country (I only saw a few, but I would definitely go back in the future). In addition, the people are very friendly, and everything is cheap, so you're sure to have a great time!
Fun Fact: The world's largest castle (the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork) is located in Poland!
My Blogposts About Poland
- Kraków
- Volunteering in Poland With Angloville (Modrzewiowe Wzgórze)
- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Kraków)
- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Wawel Castle, Kraków)
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Kraków)
- Travel Tips: My Top Five Mountain Destinations (The Tatra Mountains)
- Charlotte's Travel Adventures is 5 Years Old! (Kraków)
Clockwise starting from top left: St Mary's Basilica, Kraków; Wawel Castle, Kraków; Modrzewiowe Wzgórze; Statue of Ignacy Jan Paderewski in Ciężkowice; Kraków Cloth Hall
Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!
Thursday, 22 August 2019
Volunteering in Poland With Angloville
On the first evening, I went to use the bathroom next to my room and found massive wasp-coloured bugs crawling out of the plughole! The only solution was to put a mug over the sink, close the door and never set foot in that bathroom again. Shortly after that, a massive spider appeared on the stairs. I'm really not good with insects, so I was seriously questioning whether I could complete the programme.
Luckily, as the week went on, I got used to staying there, despite finding out that someone who'd previously stayed in my room had supposedly been possessed by ghosts!
On the whole, the hotel was quite a weird place. The location was beautiful, but the following picture is kind of spoiled when you realise that the swimming pools were full of dirt and dead mice!
The food was also strange. One night there was a pasta dish that I avoided because I thought it wasn't vegetarian. It turns out it was vegetarian, but apparently the sauce was apple and cinnamon flavoured!
However, there were some things that I liked a lot about the hotel...
The dog (who we called Franek) was just adorable and so friendly. The family of kittens and their mum lived in an abandoned building near the cabin. They were more timid than Franek, but still very cute!
Finally, I will write a bit about the actual volunteering. We (the Native Speakers) did not have to formally teach the participants (Polish kids between 11-17 years old). The programme is based around conversation, rather than reading, writing and learning grammar. At first I found having to talk so much quite difficult, as I'm a relatively introverted person. But as the week went on, I found things got easier and more fun. The participants were a great group of kids, and I will miss speaking with them!
I also really enjoyed getting to know the other Native Speakers and the coordinators of the programme. I (sort of!) learned how to play the card game Mao, and had an amazing time singing and dancing at the talent show and the disco! I made lots of new friends, and I laughed more than I had in ages.
I only took part in one Angloville programme, because I didn't want to commit myself to more, in case I hated it. However, by the end of the week, I actually wished I had signed up to do another couple of weeks. All in all, it was just a brilliant experience!
My time volunteering with Angloville has given me more confidence and a bit more direction in my life. It made me realise that teaching English abroad as a foreign language is something I would like to do more of. So my plan is to become TEFL qualified and hopefully find some work in the near future. 😊