Polish Vodka?

Thanks Fredrik,

I like historical architecture, although stonemasons and stonemasonry seems to be a dying trade, (no offence to head stone whittlers intended).

This is just up the road from where I live; it’s called Furness Abbey, proper “Hammer and Chisel” stuff.

A 700yr old Cistercian Monastery and only bettered by Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire!









Beano

Dear Mick,

My liver needs no sympathy! Even in Poland where the tendency to relax a bit might have freed me up a little, I did not have so very much to drink. I would prefer one or two really good draft beers to a blast on half a dozen or more cans.

Equally I can see no reason to take more than one small nip of any spirit - Wiskey, Wadka, whatever - rather than drain the bottle.

What I think is quite important is to be ready, on those rare occasions, to sieze the moment if some good social drinking is to be done. Then the important thing is to remember to make sure the actual drink is of high quality. In terms of Wiskey, more along the lines of a single malt of Talsiker Eight quality than a blend like Bells. The same surely applies to wine. There is some dreadful rubbish about.

For example, with beer I almost always buy in glass bottles or on draft, because though perhaps one only has one or two glasses, it far nicer tasting than out of cans.

So I can promise you that you need have no fears over the health of my liver. I never take anything before supper time, unless someone asks me out for lunch which only happens very infrequently!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

Weight Training And Polish Beer!

Given the various threads this evening about the body beautiful and the CIA [apart from Doktor Fritz's wry observations!], I thought I would add something equally bizaaare. [sic: two 'a's but I had a couple Tyskie and a couple of Wyberowas as well so I can be forgiven, on this rare occasion I hope].

I have noticed a trend for people to try to build a superb masculine set of upper body musculature, and add to the weight on the scales, which seemed fairly pointless to me, not least becuse the use of anablics is part of the picture!

Eight weeks ago I was challenged to match such efforts, but I declined the prospect of body altering drugs. I think Tyskie and indeed any other beer will suffice! Ironically I gained more strength and weight than any other!

On this regimen, with about 150 press-up a day I have gained 5 kg, but have also fixed a long term ailment. I have always had a real back problem lower down, which is totally fixed by an approach to press-ups that involves a ram-rod straight posture. I could never have forseen this benefit.

Recently I have been doing deep press-ups with the assistance of the six volumes of Churchill's History Of The Second WW. Oh, and four other slimmer volumes, and a bucket to raise my feet to a higher level, which naturally rules out such a large number of press-ups as on the flat. I am up to over seventy like that, and it sure beats the muck out of drugs!

Tonight I would be lucky to manage twenty!...

On Monday I have a party in prelude to my forty-fifth in the subsequent week. Both I expect will be huge fun!

One side effect of the work outs has been that I have a lovely white cotton Indian shirt I can no longer do the top button up on! Shame really!

Fredrik

Primed and ready to celebrate my forty-fifth tomorrow, but whether there will be anything to say about it I would doubt.

[45 years old from 55 minutes ago Smiley]! Fredrik

Happy Birthday Fredrik

Beano

Dear Friends,

Sometimes a long anticipated party can be an utter disappointment, but this one was not planned in any detail. In fact I wondered if it would ever start!

At Three in the afternoon I served the most lovely, tasty, stew-like creation of my own recipe and devising! At Three next morning the party ended! And I really doubted anyone of us would be into work next day! Not one failute to do so! Great time and almost no side effects, and topically, at the end, we three quarters saw of a bottle of Pan Tadeusz! The preceeding beers had been a truly international selection!

Amazing stuff, real fine Vodka, as it never seems to give you a headache, though keeping the water intake up helps as does eating food as you go.

As a friends sent me in an email. "You are now officially middle aged! ..... "

Well it feels good to me! It was the best birthday since my eighteenth!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

Dear Friends,

This is a nice picture taken in Worcester when Frank [F] visited me the week after I came back from Warsaw. Actually this is quite reminiscent of what happened on my birthday!

Somehow I don't think this is quite a picture for System Pics 2007!

As I said yesterday, at work, to Tomek [another collegue from Poland, whom I shall not see until the New Year now, as he off for two weeks], "Make sure you have a Merry Christmas!!"

Same to you all! Fredrik

Bigos!

Dear Friends,

I have eaten a huge plateful of this glorious food for lunch. On its third day, which is supposed to be the best! I am shortly to be taught how to make it for myself, as apparently any recipe is really only half the story! Just like playing music then!

Only Heineken [one can] to go with it, sadly!

Happy New Year to Y’all! Fredrik

Brilliant day at work. Another record for output on an eight hour shift! Well there is a real something when I get with some Poles, for sure! Yesterday was awful [I am back on the Conserve, provisionally, as when the manager gets back, I no longer have a job there in the whole factory], so, topically, I am enjoying a couple of bottles of Tyskie, and have two Zywiec [most similarly said in Enlish as Jiviets] in reserve...

So my poor lunch should have been acompanied by such, and work would have been even finer...

ATB from Fredrik

PS: Even funnier is that I have been asked to join three [edit, I put four, but that was Freudian slip, I think!] Poles in a house-share, and the result will be much cheaper costs. I accepted, and there were smiles alround...

Another beautiful present from one of my two initial Polish trainees, who is better than me at cracking on with the work now, so I prep for his operation of the plant to really get through the work: A nice half litre of Sobieski [named after Jan III Sobiesky] who was intrumental in preventing the Turks over-running Vienna.

It will take a while to get to it, as I still have the Wyborowa from my birthday a month ago!

Even a toast at New Year hardly dropped it far! It requires a celebration to really get on with it! Moving to a more economically viable house shortly will no doubt prove to be the necessary spur!

Kindest regards from Fredrik.

[Smiley]!

Zubrowka! Quite right! But I can definately say the Sobieski will tickle your taste buds in a nice way! I opened my half litre last night and it is just soooooo nice. Just one nip is all it took to tell!

ATB fro Fredrik

In a world filed with doom I can report that a brialliant Polish Party occured tonight in Worcester, with no injury to anyone, or any hard feelings!

All hte best from Fredrik

PS: The most Polish beverage was Bank's Bitter! Remember that I am on an educatinal mission!

An indication of how good the time was had is the fact that I actually did not spot any of the spelling or typo disasters at all last night! In fact I was not quite sure that I had posted about it!

All the best from Fredrik

I have recently tried several Polish vodkas.

Wyborowa at 19 quid was at least as good as the more expensive one such as Belvedere and Potoski (the owner lives in New York). One phallus shaped bottle priced at 40 quid tasted distinctly ordinary.

Premium vodkas are 'bling' products i.e. all fur coat and no knickers.

Dear Warwick,

You should get your Wyborowa in Worcester [or better still in Poland where it is not much more than half the price!] where is is to be found for £13 or so for 0.7 litres.

Last night we had a few beers in the new house, but everyone was so tired that we more or less just went to sleep in front of Forest Gump!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

Distinctly "off topic" in part, but I have finally shared a bottle of the Smirnoff [with a Red Label?], and it surely has added razor blades! It was definately easier to down it than savour it. [No thick head though, type Smiley]!

All the best from Fredrik

Today I was given another one!

Absolwent, which means graduate, and it certainly has a lovely nose, but it has been consigned to the freezer ready for the correct occasion!

In fact we are going to have a traditional British Roast Lunch this Sunday, so I have to find a nice piece of beef for the occasion! I suspect a nice Claret will be the treat to go with it...

Then I am off to Spain for a week from the following Saturday, and will finally have the chance to sample a well set up Active set of SBLs!

After the return it is time for job hunting!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

Saturday evening saw the Absolwent off very nicely! One nearly empty bottle and three quite merry people! Sunday Lunch took a leave as a result.

Probably this will not easily be found outside Poland, but it splendid!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

quote:

n fact we are going to have a traditional British Roast Lunch this Sunday, so I have to find a nice piece of beef for the occasion! I suspect a nice Claret will be the treat to go with it...

Hi Fredrik

Hope you have better luck than me - I laid on dinner for some friends on Saturday and decided to purchase from my local butcher - extremely popular it is too with people queued out onto the street. Must be well priced I thought. Wrong!! A rib roast cost me the best part of £45!!!

Maybe I'm just mean, but that was a shock!! Tasted great mind! Thyme & pepper basting worked well.

Peter

Dear Peter,

I had a pleasant meeting with my one ex-collegue today from the the Conserve. Since I left working for the company all the things I said that I thought would be necessary to get the production out that was being put on the plan have been implemented. More people and three shifts, and so he is on nights now. This meant meeting at lunchtime, after the first half of his sleep from seven till about eleven apparently. We had just three bottles apiece of Tyskie, and as I have never been used to an early drink I landed a cracking headache!

It is a shame that it took me to throw the toys out of the pram at work for anything to be done about the pressure of the production schedule. But it also shows that whatever else, the damn place was wrong for me. I am off t to Spain for a break for a week from Saturday, and hope to recover my equilibrium after that.

__________

On the matter of meat "on the bone" I always think it is very expensive. Even if you have a dog or two, beef bone is very expensive to buy and not eat for one's self. My favourite joint is really a nice piece of topside, which can be very good, but is hardly the dearest cut. You need a good butcher to guarantee good beef, and I used to patronise one when I shared a house with my brother till 1988. Every Sunday was the same. I would cook a huge joint of beef, which was eaten till about Wednesday. Cold beef is absolutely my favourite meat! On Mondays this was often accompamied by cold potatoes and pickle as well. Sounds old fashioned now.

The rest of the week was much less high quality, but this patern reflected the kind of farm house eating I grew up with. I am still very fond of liver, which was a frequent Thursday treat. Sweedes came striaght out of the ground, and potatoes straight out of the barn...

How times change. In those days a Pizza was an almost unheard of luxury! Chicken was a true rarity as well, though it tended to be grown on the farm and perhaps ten birds hand reared in a stable, and then their necks wrung and and dressed [plucked and gutted] by the very people who would eat them. Yes the world has changed.

It is a sad thought that the butcher always makes more out of meat than the farmer who grew it...

Kindest regards from Fredrik

Just been given a bottle of Zubrowska better known as Bison Vodka here with the grass in it. Apparently you should drink it with Apple Juice. First came across it about 37 years ago and enjoyed more than a few bottles then.

Frank said it! We simply had four nips of Vodka all week! Mind you that did leave out the wonderful Spanish wine and beer we actually did drink. Perhaps the temperature hovering round 20 degree C in the daytime had something to do with it. It got to 22 on Friday afternoon!! I have something of a tan on the top of my head where the hair ought to be!

Thanks for a grand time Panie F! I did relax, and yet plan to post a listening list! And a watching one! as wel as some thoughts on you lovely musical gramophone.

On Monday back in Worcester we made a massive "bigos" which actually defeated us! There was too much, but it was really nice especially today as you would expect. The third day is always the best.

On the Sunday afternoon I enjoyed a little too much Tequilla with my ex-collegue and very good friend Pawel W- from the Concerve Departement at my old employment! That was truly a funny experience, especially walking home the couple of miles afterwards and simulating soberness for my housemates! I found it in the UK though. There was none in Malaga airport!

Kindest thoughts from Fredrik!!

dear Friends,

This Lovely old Thread has rambled nicely to its "First Birthday." Thanks to all who have helped it along, sharing your own stories and excesses. To celebrate, I poured a little nip of Vodka [not Polish sadly] and enjoyed the thoughts about a few happy confessions in here!

Last night actually was a bit of a Polish party, where I shared a beer with my best Polish friend and his housemates. We watched a very odd DVD, but it made no sense to me, nor did it matter, given the quality of converstion!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

PS: Frank look out for those neigbours of yours! You are safe enough in Warsaw, but Bucharest is a bit different isn't it? Steady on the bends, as they say.