The organization of the European football championships will bring both short and long term effects for the Polish tourism industry.

Campaigns promoting Poland abroad (kampanie promujące Polskę za granicą) will have a positive effect, long term (długoterminowo), in changing the image of Poland internationally.

Over the next 2 to 3 years, the organization of Euro 2012 should bring a noticeable increase in the interest of foreign tourists to Poland.

This will contribute positively to the development of infrastructure (rozwój infrastruktury), such as airports (lotniska) and connections to city centers (połączenia do centrum miast), motorways (autostrady) and express roads (drogi ekspresowe) and public transport (transport publiczny).

But soaring hotel prices during Euro 2012 have left many with empty rooms during the championships.

In some hotels, even five-star, only 30 percent of the rooms have been reserved.

A similar situation observed in Austria four years ago [when Austria and Switzerland co-hosed the championships] but this was not taken into consideration when setting price levels.

Many Poles have put off plans to travel within Poland until after the matches are over in early July. I will be traveling in Poland during that time, so I will have my personal experience, which I will share with you in July!

And what do you think? What are pluses and minuses of Euro 2012 for Poland according to you? Please share your thoughts with us in comments below:)

Ingredients:

2 cups white, dry kidney beans

1 large onion, diced

1 garlic cloves (minced)

3,4 peeled and chopped tomatoes (can of minced tomatoes is optional)

2 medium sausages

1 cup smoked bacon (cut into ½ inch to 1 inch strips)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

Thyme, paprika, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Clean the beans. Place in pot and add 3 times more water than beans. Cover and let stand at least one hour or overnight. Boil for about an hour in the same water.

In separate pot, caramelize the onion and sausages along with the bacon. Add tomatoes, garlic, sugar (optional) and all seasonings. Cook for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Mix everything with the beans. Allow to cook for another few minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Smacznego!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Poland wants to join the eurozone, but there is still a lot to be done and the eurozone has a lot of homework to do.

Minister Jan Vincent-Rostowski says the eurozone must be “repaired” and that there is more work to be done. Half the job has been done, but Poland is still not entirely out of the woods.

He says at the moment there is no real safety (bezpieczeństwo) when problems arise in the eurozone and there needs to be fewer restrictions on the European Central Bank (Europejski Bank Centralny), for example when it comes to buying government bonds (obligacje rządowe).

“We feel that the so-called firewall is inadequately large and we feel that the freedom of action that the ECB thinks it has is inadequate,” minister said.

But despite the difficult economic climate (trudna sytuacja ekonomiczna) engulfing much of Europe, Poland’s economy is continuing to grow.

According to Vincent-Rostowski, between 2008 and 2011 Poland achieved a cumulative growth of almost 16% — double that of the EU’s second fastest growing economy, Slovakia.

Regardless of Poland’s growth, the country is enacting a policy of austerity (polityka zaciskania pasa). Vincent-Rostowski sees this as the most important part of the country’s fiscal policy (polityka fiskalna). He says Poland will reduce the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product this year, and is almost certain that they will eliminate “excessive” public debt (dług publiczny).

The finance minister believes his country is well placed should the eurozone’s economic prospects improve, or even if they weaken, saying that scenario helps Poland’s export performance.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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Running is great. Not only is it an effective way of keeping fit (skuteczny sposób na utrzymanie zdrowia), staying in shape (trzymanie formy) and coping with stress (radzenia sobie ze stresem), it is just so accessible. Unless you take your running seriously, and are striving towards beating your personal best, there is really no need to shell out on specialist running gear; an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts will do the job. The only investment that you need to make is a decent pair of running shoes (and a properly-fitting sports bra for the ladies), and you’re ready to go…

Running is so easy to fit into a busy schedule, whether you choose to set yourself up for the day with an early morning run at sunrise, or prefer to wind down after a hectic day with a gentle jog in the evening, if you are determined to feel the benefits of regular running, you’ll be able to squeeze it into your day one way or another. And if you find yourself away from home on a business trip, don’t worry – simply pack your running shoes, and go exploring. Hotel staff should be able to point you in the direction of safe and scenic routes to explore.

Poland has no shortage of beautiful places to go running – from costal paths along the Baltic coast in the North, to challenging off-road tracks in the mountainous regions of the South, as well as scenic trails along the side of lakes and through forests. Even if you find yourself in a city, you shouldn’t have to look too hard to find an interesting urban route or park where you can enjoy a gentle jog – or something more strenuous – at the same time as exploring new surroundings.

Every year, thousands upon thousands of runners who apply for a place in the world-famous London, Boston and New York marathons fail to secure a place, however if you are determined to take part in a marathon, and test yourself on 26.2 mile (42 km) route, why not sign up for a marathon in Poland? Most major Polish cities host a marathon, or at least a half marathon, and unlike some of the more over-subscribed races in the world, you should be able to secure a place quite easily.

The running calendar in Poland is really quite rich. You could run a marathon almost every weekend if you wanted to – you could even run three in one week if you wanted to. Many marathons in Poland are organised and financed by regional governments, rather than solely by sponsors, as in many other countries. This keeps the cost of participating low, and makes taking part accessible to everyone.

Wherever you decide you run, and whatever time you complete the course, as soon as you’ve collected your medal and posed for photographs at the finish line, you can relax for a couple of days – enjoying massages to help your muscles to recover, and of course rewarding yourself with plenty of tasty Polish cuisine. After all, you’ve earned it!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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