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<\/a>a walk in \u017begary at 7 a.m. Why se early? Ask Maks!<\/p><\/div>\n
It was the first time I saw \u0141ukasz’ favourite place for what he calls a “total relax” \u2014 a place where he unwinds and forgets about problems connected with his work in Warsaw. The place is located in Suwalszczyzna, a region close to Lithuanian border where (however clich\u00e9 it sounds) time flows slower and at 9 p.m. you’re pretty sure that everyone and everything is fast asleep.<\/p>\n
\u017begary is a small village near Sejny \u2014 and for a dozen years or so \u2014 it\u2019s been oasis of peace for \u0141ukasz. For the last three years we have been going there together, sometimes a few times a year. This time we went with our little one for the first time. Even though he has already been to Mexico, Moscow, Istambul and travelled through most of Europe, it was \u017begary that turned out to be most problematic for him. Romek, the host who rents us the room has not improved its conditions for more than ten years and therefore there is no bathroom in the room, the carpet is falling apart (and the little one still likes to eat pieces of fluff sometimes) and I don’t even want to know how many people slept in the linen. But what can you expect for PLN 25 a night? \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Fortunately calmness of the village compensates lack of conveniences to the adults while dogs, cats and cows were a great compensation of a decent bath for Maks. He was training his dog sounds on all these animals, occasionally noticing that he\u2019s also able to sound like a cat or a cow J<\/p>\n
Getting to the point\u2026 What can you eat in \u017begary? My friend asked me before we left if they eat Lithuanian cold soup out there close to the border. She was joking but it turned out that they do. It’s \u0141ukasz’s favourite soup in hot weather.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Lithuanian cold soup close to the Lithuanian border<\/p><\/div>\n
But above all, they eat potatoes…<\/p>\n
<\/a>potato pancakes<\/p><\/div>\n
Potatoes aren’t consumed only in the form of pancakes. There’s a whole potato universe in the Lithuanian cuisine. They eat blintz with meat, sweet blintz, cepelinai<\/i>, soczewiaki<\/i>, potato kiszka<\/i> and potato cakes.<\/p>\n
We really love blintz with meat which are, contrary to the popular opinion (\u201cWhat have I eaten? Just two light pancakes\u201d) not light at all. Blintz are fried potato pancakes filled with well spiced meat and covered with a spoonful of thick cream. You can’t fake the taste.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Traditional blinz with meat<\/p><\/div>\n
I often choose the sweet version, also with thick cream. The sweet ones are not that popular in the area \u2013 you can try freshly fried ones in Go\u015bciniec which is located next to the road to Suwa\u0142ki \u2013 it’s a great dessert choice after a boletus soup. Sweet blintz are also served in the Skarpa restaurant in Sejny.<\/p>\n
Another popular local dish is cepelinai<\/i> \u2013 they look like giant pyzy<\/i> and are also filled with meat and covered in pork rind. Yet another \u2018light\u2019 meal so popular that it’s hard to find it in half of the restaurants. So if you come across them, order a portion right away.<\/p>\n cepelinai (in Polish “kartacze”) \u2014 my favourite name of the dish \ud83d\ude09<\/p><\/div>\n This time, probably due to hot weather, I chose a Polish dish as well \u2013 delicious cabbage rolls\u2026<\/p>\n Polishness close to the Lithuanian border<\/p><\/div>\n and something even better – dumplings with blueberries.\u00a0 I have to confess, I ate two portions. Maybe because of our little one who is normally a poor eater but this time was eating my dumplings vigorously\u2026<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>