Polish Mushroom Hunting, Wild Berries & Harvesting Honey

If there is one thing that immediately makes me think of a Polish autumn, it has to be mushroom picking.

It is such a Polish tradition that I honestly can't imagine growing up in Poland without at least going mushroom hunting a few times.

And of course, when we went back to Poland this summer, we had to do it too.

Well... It wasn't exactly the perfect time for mushrooms. 😂

But we tried anyway!

Mushroom Picking — A Very Polish Tradition 🍄

Mushroom picking is a big part of Polish culture.

It is something people have been doing for generations, and it is often a family activity. Parents take their children, grandparents teach their grandchildren, and somehow everyone seems to have their own secret knowledge about where the mushrooms are hiding.

And there is always that one person in the family who somehow finds mushrooms that nobody else can see.

Traditionally, people go very early in the morning. I'm talking about 5 or 6 AM.

Yes. On purpose. To go into the forest. To look for mushrooms. Apparently, serious mushroom hunters don't have time for sleep. They have mushrooms to find.

When the season is really good, you can apparently walk into the forest and within minutes already have several mushrooms in your basket.

Unfortunately, we were visiting Poland in mid-August, which isn't really the peak mushroom season.

The main mushroom season is usually later in the summer and especially in autumn, with September and October often being the best months.

And this year, the weather wasn't exactly helping us. It was HOT. We had temperatures over 30°C, very little rain, and the forest was quite dry. And mushrooms... Well, mushrooms like moisture.

So we were basically looking for mushrooms in a forest that was thinking: "Nope. Not today." 😂

Still, we were lucky enough to find some mushrooms. And we found quite a few chanterelles, or kurki in Polish. These are one of my favourite mushrooms, and we collected enough to take home and cook later.

So even though it wasn't a perfect mushroom season, I wasn't complaining.

We were actually pretty happy with what we found.

Adrian, on the other hand... At the beginning, he was enjoying himself. Walking through the forest. Looking for mushrooms. Checking what everyone else had found. But after a while... It was getting HOT.

And then came the question: "When are we going home?" 😂

We had already been walking around for at least two hours. And honestly, I couldn't really blame him.

Walking through a forest in 30°C weather is not exactly the most relaxing activity. Especially when you are wearing long trousers and long sleeves.

But unfortunately, you don't really have much choice. There are ticks. There are mosquitoes. There are all kinds of little creatures waiting for you in the grass and bushes. So even though it was hot, we were covered up. Which meant we were basically walking around the forest dressed for autumn... in the middle of summer. 😂

And Of Course... We Needed Berries Too 🫐

After mushroom hunting, we decided to look for something else. Wild blueberries. Or, more accurately, bilberries.

By this point in the summer, the season was already coming to an end, so the berries were pretty small. But that didn't stop us. My uncle had a very simple rule: We weren't going home until everyone had a full jar. 😂

So we started collecting. And somehow... I was the first person to fill my jar! Victory!

Except...

Adrian decided that my berries looked much more interesting than his. So he basically robbed me of my berries. 😂 And there went my full jar. 

Back to the forest I went. I had to collect them all over again. I'm not entirely sure Adrian was still enjoying the activity at this point. I think the heat, the forest and the berries had already become a little too much for him.

But hey... At least we got our jars filled!

Round Two... And Absolutely No Mushrooms 😂

A few days later, we decided to try mushroom picking again. Maybe we would have better luck? Nope.

Actually... It was even drier.

We walked through the forest and found almost nothing. Not even many of the mushrooms you definitely don't want to eat. 😂

At that point, we gave up.

I kept thinking how nice it would have been to come back in September or October, when the forest is full of mushrooms. Because that is when I really remember mushroom picking from my childhood. Cooler weather. Damp forest. And mushrooms everywhere.

The Next Day... Honey! 🍯

The next day, we had another very Polish activity waiting for us. Honey harvesting.

My uncle keeps bees, so we got to see how the honey goes from the beehive... to the jar.

And it was actually really interesting.

This was only part of the honey harvest because there were still plenty of framesin the hives that were ready to be harvested.

First, we had to uncap the honeycombs. Basically, the bees seal the honey inside the honeycomb with a thin layer of wax. So we had to remove that wax before the honey could be extracted. Everyone helped.

And my husband actually did a pretty good job! I think he was taking his new job as a Polish beekeeper very seriously. 😂

One thing I found really interesting was how different the frames looked. Some were light. Some were much darker. And no, it doesn't mean that the honey is dirty or bad. The difference comes from how the frames have been used. New honeycomb is light in colour. But when the same frames are reused over and over, especially when bees have raised brood in them, they gradually become darker. Over time, the wax can become almost brown. 

You could also see darker areas inside some of the honeycomb. Those were often pollen stores, which the bees collect and keep as food. So basically, the whole frame is like a little bee pantry. 😂

Once the frames were uncapped, they went into the honey extractor. This is basically a big machine that spins the frames very quickly. The spinning force pulls the honey out of the honeycomb. And watching the honey drip out was probably one of my favourite parts. There is just something about seeing fresh honey coming straight from the comb.

After extraction, the honey is filtered to remove small pieces of wax and other bits. And finally... It gets poured into jars.

That's it! 

From the bees... to the honeycomb... to the extractor... and finally into the jar.

Another interesting thing is that honey doesn't always look the same. Some honey can be very pale, almost white. Some is beautiful golden yellow. And some is much darker, almost brown.

The colour and flavour depend a lot on which flowers the bees collected nectar from. So different plants can give the honey completely different flavours and colours.

And honestly... Polish honey is SO good.

Maybe I'm just nostalgic. Maybe everything tastes better when you know where it came from. But I absolutely love it.

And every time we visit Poland, we bring a few jars back to Taiwan with us. Because apparently, going back to Poland means coming home with half a suitcase full of food. 😂

Little Sum Up

This is one of the things I really enjoy about visiting my family in Poland. It's not necessarily about doing big tourist attractions. Sometimes it's just... going into the forest with your family. Looking for mushrooms. Picking berries. Helping with the honey harvest. Eating something that came from the garden.

And spending a few hours doing things that people in my family have been doing for generations.

Living in Taiwan, I obviously have a very different everyday life now. I can go to a supermarket and buy pretty much anything I need. I don't have to wake up at 5 AM to look for mushrooms.

And I definitely don't need to walk through a forest in 30°C heat wearing long sleeves and long trousers. 😂

But when I go back to Poland, I actually really enjoy doing these simple things. Even when Adrian is complaining that he's hot. Even when we don't find any mushrooms. Even when I have to refill my berry jar because someone decided to steal mine.

These are the kinds of memories that make our trips to Poland special.

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Our Polish Summer: Gardens, BBQs, Family and a Wasp Adventure 🇵🇱☀️

After surviving the journey from Taiwan and all the excitement and problems, it was finally time to actually start our holiday.

And what better way to begin summer in Poland than... Preparing the swimming pool! 

A lot of my family lives in the countryside, so no matter where we went, there were always gardens, fruit trees and vegetables growing around us.

For someone coming from Taiwan, where you can easily buy pretty much every fruit and vegetable imaginable, it was still nice to see where so much of the food actually comes from.

Summer is also the time when the gardens are full of life. There were fruits, vegetables, flowers, bees and all kinds of other insects flying around. We also helped out in the garden and picked some vegetables ourselves.

It was one of those simple summer activities that doesn't really feel like an activity at all - you just go outside, pick some vegetables, walk around the garden and enjoy the weather.

Of course... All those flowers and insects were about to become a little too interesting for us. 🐝

The Wasp

This is where our Polish adventure got complicated very quickly...

On literally the second day in Poland, my husband got bitten by a wasp.

At first, it didn't seem too serious. The swollen area was only about the size of a coin. But then things started getting worse. He developed a fever that lasted for two days, and the swollen area kept getting bigger.

Eventually, we decided that we needed to see a doctor.

The problem? We weren't staying near a large city.

We were in a smaller town, where there was basically one hospita. On top of that, going to a regular family doctor wasn't exactly straightforward because my husband doesn't live in Poland.

So, hospital it was, but we had to wait until Friday night.

And this is where we got to experience another part of Polish life that I definitely did not miss.

First, we had trouble registering him as a foreign patient. The nurse was not particularly friendly, and the whole process was unnecessarily difficult.

I won't even get started on some of the things I overheard while they were answering phone calls...

Eventually, we managed to get through registration and see the doctor.

The actual doctor visit was very quick and straightforward. Maybe too straightforward.

We basically heard: "Cannot. Cannot. Cannot."...many, many times.

There was also a problem getting the prescription because my husband didn't have a Polish ID number.

At one point, we were even told to go outside. And honestly, I reached the point where I had to ask:

"So what happens to foreigners in Poland when they are sick? Do they just die because they don't have a Polish ID number?"

That finally seemed to motivate them to look for a solution. And, long story short, we eventually got what we needed.

My husband got a shot and a prescription. 

Then came the next challenge: finding the one pharmacy that was still open.

Because apparently, getting the prescription is only one part of the adventure. 😂

Luckily, we found an open pharmacy, bought the medicine and, thankfully, a few days later everything was back to normal.

So that was our relaxing first week in Poland.

Welcome home! 😂

Time for a Polish BBQ 🔥

Once the wasp drama was finally over, it was time for something people love doing during the summer... A BBQ!

Now, I know for many people this might sound completely normal and maybe even a little boring. Because in Poland, a typical BBQ can be very simple: Put some sausages on the grill. Eat sausages. Done.😂

In Taiwan, BBQ is a completely different story. Especially around the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is basically Taiwan's unofficial BBQ season.

There are a million things you can put on the grill - meat, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, all kinds of marinades... You can make the whole thing into a giant feast.

In Poland, it's often much simpler. Sausages. Sometimes some meats. But we decided to make some side dishes to go with them, so our BBQ became a little more interesting.

And honestly, there is something really nice about sitting outside in the Polish countryside, eating grilled food and spending time with family.

Of course, the kids had their own plans. Because apparently, having a swimming pool nearby wasn't enough. It quickly turned into a... WATER FIGHT! 💦😂

What started as innocent swimming escalated very quickly. At one point, it honestly felt like a war was happening. Everyone was attacking everyone. There was absolutely no mercy. Meanwhile, I was standing there thinking... "The water is way too cold for this." 😂

So while everyone else was having fun in the pool, I decided that watching the water fight from a safe distance was a much better idea.

Visiting Family 

Going back to Poland also means one very important thing: Visiting family.

Luckily, most of our relatives live only around half an hour away from each other, so visiting different family members wasn't too difficult.

We spent a lot of our time driving around, visiting relatives, sitting together, talking, eating and just enjoying being together. And because it was the end of summer, it was also harvest season. Driving around the countryside, we could see agricultural machines working in the fields.

The harvest was already happening in many places, so some fields were completely empty. But luckily, we still got to see some wheat growing. And honestly, I was happy about that.

Last year, it felt like every time we looked outside, the weather was gloomy and the sun disappeared ridiculously early. This year was much better. We could actually sit outside. We could play in the garden. We could ride bikes. We could spend time outdoors instead of hiding inside a building all day. 

And for Adrian and my husband, there was another interesting part about Polish summer... The daylight! They were both surprised that at 9 PM it was still bright outside. And then, if you wake up at around 4 AM... It's already getting bright again!

For me, this is completely normal because I grew up with it. But for someone used to Taiwan, where the days are much more consistent throughout the year, it can feel pretty strange.

Polish Summer Weather 

The weather was actually quite nice most of the time. Mornings were usually cool and comfortable, and during the day the temperature was pleasant. There were, however, a few days when I started seriously missing air conditioning. Or at least... A fan.

Because yes, Poland can get HOT. Sometimes temperatures can go over 30°C, and during particularly hot periods they can even approach 40°C. And the funny thing is that air conditioning isn't nearly as common as it is in Taiwan. So when it's 30-something degrees outside and you are sitting inside thinking: "Where is the air conditioner?!" ...you might have a problem. 😂

There were a few days when it was honestly difficult to stay indoors because it was simply too hot. So suddenly I was missing Taiwan's air conditioning. I never thought I'd say that while on holiday in Poland!

An Odpust 

We also went to an odpust, which is a traditional Catholic parish festival, usually held around the feast day of a church's patron saint.

When I was younger, I remember these festivals being much more exciting. There would be inflatable slides, merry-go-rounds, little roller coasters, games, food stalls and lots of other things for children.

There were always crowds of people, lots of noise and plenty of excitement. So I was actually really looking forward to taking Adrian to one.

But... I was disappointed. It felt much quieter than I remembered. There were still plenty of stalls selling toys, clothes and other random things, but there weren't the big attractions I remembered from my childhood.

No roller coasters. No inflatable slides. Much fewer children. Much less noise. And honestly... It felt a little boring.

Maybe it's because I was remembering it through the eyes of a child. Maybe these festivals really have changed. Or maybe I've just gotten harder to impress. 😂

Either way, I was a little sad because I had been looking forward to showing Adrian the kind of odpust I remembered from when I was young. One thing that was still there, though, was the food.

And you can usually find an obwarzanek - a traditional ring-shaped Polish baked snack that is especially common at fairs and festivals.

So at least we had something to eat! 😂

Remembering Those Who Are No Longer With Us 

Of course, coming back to Poland also means visiting family members who are no longer with us.

Going to the cemetery and lighting candles on their graves is something that has become a normal part of our visits to Poland. It's a quieter part of the trip.

After all the family gatherings, BBQs, swimming and playing, it is also a reminder of the people who were once part of our lives but are no longer here. We went to visit their graves, light candles and spend a little time there.

Simple Summer Days

Looking back, I think most of our days were actually quite similar. And honestly... That's what made them nice. We would play in the garden. Swim. Have water fights. Ride bikes. Pick vegetables. Visit family. Eat together. Then do it all again the next day.

There wasn't always some big attraction or exciting trip planned. But after living so far away from my family, being able to spend these simple days together was actually quite special.

And compared with our previous visit in Poland, this year felt much more like a proper summer holiday.

We could spend time outside. The weather was better. The sun stayed out much longer. And we weren't constantly sitting indoors waiting for the gloomy weather to pass.

And Then... An Eclipse 🌑☀️

There was one more thing that made this trip feel a little more special. An eclipse.

We waited and watched for about an hour as the Moon slowly covered part of the Sun. It wasn't a total eclipse, but it was still really interesting to watch. Everyone was waiting and looking up, watching the Sun slowly disappear.

It was one of those little moments that wasn't necessarily part of our holiday plans... But somehow became one of the memories we'll remember. 

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