Majowka 3 - Holiday Memories

We are leaving Jaslo behind us and head towards south east, to the Carpathian mountains, passing by Krosno, Sanok, reaching Lesko and leaving it also behind. The architecture on the road introduces us to the fact that we are leaving the civilization.

From urban to country side, from bricks to wood.

From wood to old wood.

And then the road gets bumpy. However to my surprise not that bumpy as it used to be in the 90s. Our car struggles up hill, my husband drives carefully, I  note they have made some road renovation. Disbelief. We drive through  woods and small villages, till we reach a turn that you don't see. You have to know there is a dusty road beneath you going off the village street you are driving on. And it takes faith of my husband to turn the car right as I am recommending. It took faith in existence of the road each time my father would turn the car to the right at the very same spot, each summer. This used to be the beginning of the best part of holidays.

The bumpy dirt road shaped by the tires of cars gradually according to the rain falls and the mellow soil of Carpathian clay leads to the "mother ship". Tiny wooden house of our friends fished out of the lake. We arrived on the shore of the lake. The lake is artificial. The fill operation was finished in the end of the 60s. The water of the river San and Solinka flooded some rural villages. The house representing the architecture of northern Carpathian inhabitants crossed path drifting on the lake's surface with my father's friend Jerzyk paddling one day on the lake.

We spent in the house and around it countless happy holiday times. Jerzyk and his wife have two children, their daughter is my age. She was a perfect companion. Together we discovered nature around us, we had adventures in the wilderness and we found out that our parents can be fun sometimes, especially when they forget that they are responsible adults. 

"Your ass is not a rifle, it does not shoot precisely, if you have shit on the tray, clean it, my dear friend!" - this poem had always been on the toilet nearby.

The conditions were always spartan. This was a great holiday concept. The toilet used to be just anywhere in the forrest before the first toilet houses appeared. Still they stood in the forrest. The drinking water came either from natural springs on the slopes of the mountains or from the lake itself. You washed by jumping into the lake. The weather was always hot and stable in July and August. Only nights were cold as you are in Bieszczady, the Polish most south eastern part of Carpathian mountains. But this is what a fire place and sleeping bag is for. We ate sausages and potatoes made in the fire, or the "Kociolek" a sophisticated dish, all in one pot with meat and vegetables prepared in a special kettle directly in the fire place. Jerzyk's wife Goska would take us children to the woods to collect mushrooms.

We were surrounded by vegetation. Rare flowers would grow here as well as all the popular plants. Due to warm climate and relatively low setting, the most of the trees are hornbeams. When a summer wind goes through the green hills, you hear a choir of leafs whirring and you see a forrest changing into a different shade of green as the leafs are brighter on the flip side.

We came to visit Telesnica in May 2013, without telling anybody, Jerzy and family weren't there. We were lucky though - the interface between civilization and wilderness, a pub on the lake's shore was open. If the pub is open, there will be food, there will be beer, there will be some floating device to rent, there will be all required information provided.

What we needed was warm meal, drinks, a possibility to hire a boat and information concerning the condition of the condition of she local recluses.

"U Bolka" is a spacious and very well equipped place. A bar at the shore of the lake can be also a hovel. But this place has games, dance floor and a menu card with a variety of dishes. And this is where we got all we needed.

First of all I run down the hill and jumped into the green water. Only then I realized how indifferent I became to water's temperature. The few people on the shore where stunned. For southern Polish understanding of water, mid-May is no time to swim in lakes. Six years of living at the Baltic sea changed my personal limits of tolerance towards cold water so I enjoyed having the lake all to myself. 

We hired a paddleboat from Bolek. We placed my mother on the back together with our luggage and started paddling. Holidays had not started yet (they start in Poland a month later) so the shores were absolutely solemn and the mountains untouched and quiet. I have pilotaged us from the shallow water of the end of Telesnicka bay into the open space. Just amazing how I exactly remember which spots are shoal and therefore tricky to navigate. It has been eleven years since I have been there.

The end of Telesnicka bay is marked by Telesnicka gate, the lake opens here. Although the lake is never really open, as the water squeezes itself through valleys and hills in a zigzack, forming the trousers: two legs, the dam being the belt. When the surface of the lake is so still, the silence of the landscape is overwhelming.

To the opposite of the Telesnicka gate, you will see one of the three islands of the lake: the Stone Island. The left side is steep, the right side enters shallowly the water surface - a perfect shore to dock to and make a pick nick with the whole family. It has been concern of our parents we would fall on the steep side into the water when wearing rubber boots. We almost never did. Morelka did, but it was a different shore. She got off lightly.

To the left of the island, the shore opens into a broad meadow, on its foot vividly two boats parked. This is a good sign for us. It means Bross is at home. They have told us at the bar "U Bolka" that Bross is alive and prospering and he did not go for groceries into the next town today - his car stood parked in front of the bar (the Suzuki on one of the pictures above). Encouraged by this view of motorboat and the "Bundesmarine" we headed towards Bross' peninsula. 

I kind of walked up with a ticking heart - haven't been here for eleven years and you just do not want anything to change if you loved a place so much. Bross' houses and cars started to appear on the top - a good sign for start.

A Great Dane jumped in our direction - there is a 50 - 50 chance: either the dog is aggressive or not. The dog was not aggressive, it was just perfectly taking over the part of a non existing door bell on a non-excisting fence.

The inhabitants alarmed by the barking walked curious in our direction. The curiosity switched to disbelief and then to joy when they saw us. Indeed, they recognized the guests! I was impressed as so many people continue to come and go on this hill - on the other side, we really have been mid-summer reliable visitors for 15 years.

We used to rent one of the two holiday houses (to the right) and spend entire two weeks on Bross' hill. Greatest times ever. All day nothing else but swimming in the lake, making fire, playing with animals on Bross' farm, sometimes riding a horse, chopping wood, chasing lizards, eating simple things, drinking milk directly from the cow and a lot of sun all day long. You put on shoes only in the evening. At the night we sat for hours around the fire place, my father would play guitar, everyone would sing, and our parents would appear as cool people. Sky above us heavy of stars. Returning home from holiday, the effect was incredible - you stood in front of the mirror and would not recognize your own self: dark skin, crazy wild hair, new muscles, wild glance in the eyes. It is a place to man up.

In Bross' house not much changed either. At a first glimpse. Pictures, books, kitchen equipment… and then you find out there is internet on Sanna. Sanna is the name of this part of Telesnica, here 10 years ago mobile phones had no service. 15 years ago there was even less, if you were lucky there was a rudimentary radio communication with the post office in the next village Lobozew.

Bross and his girlfriend Ewa invited us to sit around the table. His girlfriend is much younger. When I was 15 she appeared on Sanna and her name was … Dorota. It was autumn and few months since our holidays passed when my father received a letter from Bross. Pan Krzysztof was informing us that Dorota's real name is Ewa and she used a fake name for the time she was underaged as she had run away from home. On the day of her 18th birthday she came up with the truth. She was not the first person on Sanna looking for luck and a new life running away from bitter poverty and unbearable family situation.

Ewa served us tee and water with syrup, Bross started giving us up dates on recent events on Sanna. We talked about topics that keep him busy apart of the household. My mother asked for Bross' book "Storm upon Sanna", an autobiography he published 2004. We kept on asking about the children and the farm animals. Bross' youngest children we know since they were born: Ula and Krzys. Ula was 19 last May, Krzys 17. Ula was in the very moment in course of applying for a study placement at the military academy in Wroclaw. She is a successful horse back rider and this is what she was since she was born.

You should not get confused by the number of vehicles standing on the porch of Krzysztof Bross - there is no network of roads connecting Sanna with the rest of the world. When I was a teenager, there was no road at all, apparently there is one dusty road now that one can use with good weather to get to Sanna. Otherwise you need to take a boat, you can walk by foot, ride a horse or take a small plane or a heli. Ula was born in February. My father received back then a letter from Krzysztof Bross with the story of her birth. Ewa was pregnant and it was all arranged for her to get to the hospital as soon as she gets her contractions. Krzysztof was supposed to use the radio communication to inform the post office in Lobozew which would call at hospital at Ustrzyki so they send a helicopter to pick Ewa up. 

Life has its strange ways - Ewa got contractions on the day of "Tlusty Czwartek", the last day of carnival when bismarcks in huge amounts are being consumed in Poland and not rarely there is vodka as a side dish. The post office crew was drunk. Bross was not able to contact anyone. He appeased Ewa that everything will be all right, picked veterinary specialist literature he owned and prepared himself as far as possible to receive the baby. He brought Ula safely to the world, called at the post office in Lobozew where a fresh and sober crew took over and they ordered the helicopter. They took Ewa and the baby to the hospital, the doctors told Krzysztof that he did a great job. He was exhausted and wanted to rest, but when the helicopter left one of the cows started to give birth too so he assisted this one birth too. Then he went to bed.

As long as the lake is not frozen, Bross usually uses the water way to get groceries and people to his hill. He belongs to few people around the lake who have a special permission to drive a motor boat. The shores of the lake are very soft. To avoid waves and acoustic waves of destroying the coast line, it is not allowed to use motor boats. For a bigger capacity of the load, Bross attaches to his motor boat the green long boat called "Bundesmarine" (yes, it has a German name) where families with kids and dogs and loads of luggage can find a place and get to the Bross' peninsula. This is how we always got a ride when we rented Bross' holiday houses.

To get up the hill, Bross uses the tractor with a trailer - not only for holiday guests, also for the groceries. Due to the logistical challenges his kids are very good horse back riders and especially Krzys is a motor cross champion. Ula got very famous in Bieszczady for riding on the horse to school from the beginning of the primary school. No doubt, the kids are tough - I remember how Ula was being taught to climb the ladder before she learned to walk - the ladder is the ersatz for staircase between ground floor and first floor in their little house.

The heart of the venture is the home made supply of energy and water - construction handmade by Krzysztof who is an engineer. Additionally to accumulator and water pump (water from a spring close to the house), there is a photovoltaic project in progress - he showed us around with pride. Especially because my husband is German, Krzysztof wanted to introduce the foreign guest to the local technologies of his kingdom.

Krzysztof remembered very well how much I always loved horses. He told us that he does not have cows nor sheeps anymore, his farm animals are horses, the dog and a few cats. He keeps Konik polski - it is the name of the breed. These horses belong to the so called primitive breeds with primal markings along their back and very resistant health condition. Small and friendly to children. Ula takes them with her to participate in horse back riding competitions, the tourists can also use them. Krzysztof decided to pick one of the horses from the meadow and bring it to me. We really did not want to trouble him but when Krzysztof sets an idea in his head, he is not stoppable anymore. He took his crutch and walked up the hill. Krzysztof has always had problems with his hip - since I know him. But he always has been unstoppable nature as well, now when he is 70 nothing changed. After a while we saw him horse back riding on the top of the hill. 

How did he get on the horse? He just jumped on it with his 70 years. But Osiolek (this is the name of the horse and it means "donkey") wouldn't go. The horse responds exclusively to Ula and is a lazy nature, prefers grazing upon carrying around people. Osiolek had however underestimated the spirit of Krzysztof Bross. Krzysztof jumped off the horse and dragged him whether he wanted or not to his porch. Bross' animals usually had funny names - sometimes with a good story in the background. I remember the cow "Pomylka" meaning "misunderstanding" - when she was born she was considered a bull at first. He used to look for Pomylka in the forrest calling "Pomyleczka!" which is diminutive of the original name.

I just got reminded of Beata and Baska when Bross was saddling the horse for me. Beata was a 20-year-old girl, back then when I was here as a teenager. She run away from her family and poverty and hired herself as Bross' helper. She had a boyfriend Frank who was also helping on Sanna. I admired Beata who would be a very good rider and also herself strong as a horse. She was a role model, being able to take care of farm animals, cooking, driving a tractor, chopping wood and many other things, day in, day out. She took care of the horse named Baska, a friendly palomino-colored mare. She took the horse to take a bath in the lake at sunset and would ride on it into the lake. Nothing more impressive for a teenage girl. Beata and me used to write letters during the winter time. We lost contact at some point. Beata moved away from Sanna. But Krzysztof still is in touch with her - we called her from Sanna and she was very happy to hear my voice again.

Leaving Bross' peninsula behind

Once I sat on Osiolek, I felt all happiness of the Earth. Needless to say, Osiolek did not make one single step with me. Our time on Sanna was running out anyway. We had to be back at Bolek's bar before the darkness and even earlier - before the sun hides behind the hills. As soon as it happens it gets cold.

We have paddled back, sun in our back. I jumped once again into the lake in which I learned to swim over 25 years ago. We just got to Telesnica Oszwarowa on time to get a warm supper at "U Bolka" and  jump into the car heading back to Jaslo. 

"No route available" - said our navigation system when we got into the car. But if you know that there is a road you got here on, you just turn around and drive back. I am really glad that gps is still perplex in this part of the world. 

Next day we were already walking in the crowded streets of a big city - in Cracow. And we accidentally ran into Jerzyk and his family. Morelka who I did not see for the last eleven years and me were really happy to be able to talk to each other again. Now we are in touch via Facebook and cell phones. It feels good.

In 2014 in May our son will be born. I hope I can take him to Jezioro Solinskie soon.

"God takes a good care of me and doesn't let me be lonely, when one woman goes, another comes within a month"

Krzysztof Bross, May 2013

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Holiday memories