Dziwaczne Odkrycia: The Polish Micronation, the Empire of Leblandia

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Jonny Blair

Yes, formed by Emperor Marcus Lebenciusz, welcome to the Polish micronation, the “wacaday republic” of the Empire of Leblandia. It’s a real country, they have their own money, their own government, they even have a website…and it borders Poland! http://leblandia.republika.pl So where does this all fit into my travel plans? Where is Leblandia? Am I Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: The Polish Micronation, the Empire of Leblandia[…]

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My First Polish Newspaper Appearance, A Feature in Gazeta Kociewska, Starogard Gdański

Posted on February 19, 2017July 1, 2020 by Jonny Blair

“Wow, congratulations on your article, I am proud of you!” – Karolina Kokosz. Before I renamed myself and started this new life as Northern Irishman in Poland, there was a sad period of time where depression kicked in and I got a bit public about it. During that time, in August 2016, I announced that Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My First Polish Newspaper Appearance, A Feature in Gazeta Kociewska, Starogard Gdański[…]

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My Visit to Polish Antarctica, Henryk Arctowski Station, King George Island

Posted on February 14, 2017August 29, 2021 by Jonny Blair

This is one of the most interesting and exciting posts on here to date and certainly suitable for a Quirky Encounter or a Dziwaczne Odkrycia. I was reminiscing on my visit to a part of Poland not actually in Poland! On this particular day, in November 2010, I visited Polish Antarctica, the Henryk Arctowski Station Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My Visit to Polish Antarctica, Henryk Arctowski Station, King George Island[…]

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring Krakow's Jewish Quarter

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring Kazimierz, Krakow’s Jewish Quarter

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Jonny Blair

Krakow is a tourist haven, a backpacker’s stop off point and a sombre former capital of Poland. While my love for Poland is hopefully clear by now, Krakow will take some “cracking” with me. I have been twice, but not been as inspired by this city as any of the other places in Poland I Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring Kazimierz, Krakow’s Jewish Quarter[…]

Read about Jonny's love for the capital city, Warszawa.

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My Song, “You Have Your Life (Warszawa Skies)”

Posted on February 7, 2017February 7, 2017 by Jonny Blair

“This; a present from Stalin’s Reign, but you have your life again” – Jonny Blair. Most people reading this travel blog will know me as a travel writer who lives in Poland (or for longer term readers, possibly from the now “dead as a donut”, ill-fated Don’t Stop Living), or simply as someone who writes Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My Song, “You Have Your Life (Warszawa Skies)”[…]

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My Polish Radio Debut with International Poznań

Posted on January 30, 2017June 27, 2020 by Jonny Blair

When my border train rolled me through Poznań back in 2005, I could not have known that 10 years later, 2015, I’d be in the city writing about it – a hostel review of Poco Loco, drinking Grzane Piwo with two local girls and touring some quick sights. However, it was now January 2017 and Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: My Polish Radio Debut with International Poznań[…]

Quirky Encounters: Touring Sand Dunes and Cycling Through the Forest at Słowiński National Park

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring Sand Dunes and Cycling Through the Forest at Słowiński National Park

Posted on January 17, 2017June 12, 2020 by Jonny Blair

Poland continued to excite, entice and inspire me as I toured the Pomerania Province in Summer 2016. During my time based in pretty Gdańsk, we toured an area by the Baltic Sea in Pomerania. It was all another spontaneous trip and I’ll share the story of how myself, Marina and Jack ended up in the Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring Sand Dunes and Cycling Through the Forest at Słowiński National Park[…]

Quirky Encounters: Irish Dancing in Gdańsk, Poland with Animus Saltandi and Dziewczyna w żółtych Spodniach

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Irish Dancing in Gdańsk, Poland with Animus Saltandi and Dziewczyna w żółtych Spodniach

Posted on January 8, 2017August 12, 2017 by Jonny Blair

“Tell me ma when I go home, the boys won’t leave the girls alone” – my favourite Irish Folk Song. Welcome to my Quirky Encounters series, Dziwaczne Odkrycia and this time believe it or not, I went Irish Dancing in Gdańsk, Poland with Animus Saltandi and Dziewczyna w żółtych Spodniach. The series will cover my Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Irish Dancing in Gdańsk, Poland with Animus Saltandi and Dziewczyna w żółtych Spodniach[…]

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring the Artistic Wall Murals in the District of Zaspa, Gdańsk

Posted on January 5, 2017June 13, 2022 by Jonny Blair

“Museums are dead, take a new art stance; Paint mass suicide on the aspiration diktat” – Manic Street Preachers. When you live in a city, you procrastinate a lot about seeing parts of that city, as you can do it anytime since it is on your doorstep. Gdańsk became my base in July 2016 and Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Touring the Artistic Wall Murals in the District of Zaspa, Gdańsk[…]

Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Cycling in Gdańsk with the Sexy Mika on The Road

Posted on January 3, 2017May 28, 2017 by Jonny Blair

When I arrived in Gdańsk in Poland in July 2016, I booked into the hostel Cycle On. Immediately from the title you get the idea that the guys that run the hostel, Piotr and Pawel are big cyclists. In my dorm room, by chance I met the lovely and damn sexy, Mika. Mika is a Read more about Dziwaczne Odkrycia: Cycling in Gdańsk with the Sexy Mika on The Road[…]