4th of July Weekend in Poznan!

First U.S. flag raising, steam engine rides, St. Nicholas Church, and more!

This past weekend we stayed local, but got out to see our surroundings since Alexis had a four-day weekend, thanks to Independence Day. The weekend started off with a MWR event, which is an event for military personnel and their families. This event was special in that the first United States flag raising took place on the base here (and in the whole of Poznan), so it was special to be a part of that event.

The day went on with lots of great food, drinks, and games. There was soccer, basketball, tug-o-war, and giant bouncy equipment for the kids (and kids at heart) to play on.

There is another group deployed here, so we got to meet some of the incoming soldiers. We also met a few that were on their way out that Alexis had worked with when he was stationed here.

The weekend continued with tasting new eats at new restaurants, and mom actually cooked a meal for once. Haha! Chicken marinara pictured. Our new favorite brunch spot on Sunday’s is a restaurant called Parle which makes the most delicious eggs benedict and top notch espresso.

They also have a little play area set up in the back of the restaurant for the kids, so that is a nice break for us, and for Otis. 5-star! Yes, mom and dad, we will be taking you there! 😊

On Sunday, before we had our yummy brunch, we headed to St. Nicholas, the Orthodox church here in Poznan that is only 3 blocks form our house- so fantastic! We took the opportunity to have a letter translated, introducing ourselves to the priest. He definitely gives off some strong Fr. Vasili vibes, so for those that know what I am talking about, what a blessing!! The parish is booming with kids. There were four…Yes-FOUR! Churching’s this week. For those that don’t know what Churching is, it is a custom in the Orthodox faith where the newly born child (roughly 40 days old) makes their first entry into the church, and there are prayers of thanksgiving prayed over the mother for her health and recovery after childbirth. After a series of prayers, the priest carries the child through the church, introducing him/her to the parish and welcoming them to the faith.

I finally snagged a couple of photos of the church, and Otis had his first communion in Poland! Then, as Mihaela knows all too well, he made a b-line towards the blessed bread. Below, far right... what Mommy & Otis were really feeling during this photo session. 😄

The long weekend continued with us heading to Lake Malta, about a half hour transit ride from our home. The lake has served as a professional rowing lake for the European Olympics, and has a professional ski slope as well. There are numerous playgrounds, ropes courses, and sidewalk carts with ice cream, drinks, and small bites throughout the entire 3.5-mile loop around the lake. Oh, and don’t forget your 2-zloty coin(s)! Many of the public restrooms, even in the malls, require a small fee for using the facility. 2 zloty is the equivalent of 52 cents in USD, which is a pretty nominal fee, but thankfully I had Lex to inform me of this, otherwise I would have been pretty uncomfortable the whole trip. Hah!

The other attraction, that was of course a big hit with our little train enthusiast, was an old timey steam engine train that takes a short ride around one side of the lake. Otis was in heaven! He even got to enjoy some mango sorbet while riding. Yes, Gaga, I flipped out when they had mango sorbet (this is Otis’ FAVORITE).

It was a pretty special weekend and we look forward to sharing more as the weeks go by!

Also, the sunsets here have been marvelous!

With Love from Poland,

The Clods