Friday, 22nd of December 2023 [107]
My last 3 posts were rather serious and full of reflections. I got some stuff off my chest and I increased my physical activity to give my myself a well needed enegry boost. Starting each Friday with a run has become that one habit I keep onto no matter what. It really sets the mood for that day and keeps my energy up at a nice level.
I had a nice, healthy breakfast and then ventured out to a nearby town - Gliwice. I had some errands to run with a bank, which I postponed for days, but today was the day to sort that out.
My first stop was at the Kantor - Currency Exchange. Iโve already spent most of my cash that I exchanged when I arrived in Poland and today I went there to exchange whatever I had left and spoil myself a little, cause why not? Iโve also made sure to take tons of pictures for #MarketFriday by @dswigle
The price for GBP was not as good as a few days ago, so I was happy that I exchange most of my money then, as I got better value for my Pounds.
Next to the Kantor was that one cafe which I remember from 20-30 years ago. Iโm happy it was still there after all those years. I love seeing all the new nice buildings and more workplaces for Polish people which I notice upon each of my visit back home, but coming back to some old places that have โalwaysโ been there is also nice.
The dessert display is also there, as it always has been. Full of colourful traits that temp people walking by.
Flowers outside the cafe were slightly sad after the recent freezing temperatures I guess, but todayโs sunny day brought them back to life a little. Cause you knowโฆ #alwaysaflower ๐
Looking to the other side of the road I was the comic store which I discovered during my last visit in Poland. I remember purchasing one part of the comic, which I read the same evening and came back to get another 4 parts of it. I think I read one more part once I got back home and then I forgot all about them. So no more buying comic books until I read that first lot till the end!
โRajโ was the next shop I walked past. In English it would say โHeavenโ which is supposed to be a heaven for bag lovers. There are tons of bags there for sure, but from the 2 visits inside I learned that in such bag overload I can never decide which one I like or want and these days I practice โless is moreโ attitude which is great for my wallet ๐
I took loads of pictures of this beautiful town, which I will most like show in another post, but here, under the excuse of showing a few more shops you can see the beauty of the old buildings in Gliwice. Theyโre as tall inside as outside, which makes shopping in them feel like youโre on the ball.
At the bottom of one of them is Rossman. A beaty products chain store. One of the first chains that show up in Poland and you can find one of those almost in every single town/city in Poland. I used to go there a lot, but recently I found a unique little store which I prefer, as I can often find products there which I canโt see elsewhere.
โOutlet kosmetycznyโ is the name of it and as every year in the past 2-3 years I left it with a bag full of supplies for the next year. The prices there as the name suggest are very reasonable.
Another shop I discovered this time round is a second hand shop that Iโve never seen before. The sign outside said โbe green, shop second handโ. I nearly walked past it as I donโt often buy clothes in second hand shops, but then I rememebered that my friend Laleh always finds some gems in those. Iโve already visited many shopping centres and stilk didnโt find a new jumpsuit for NYE.
Lo and behold! In that very shop I have found a really nice jumpsuit. Not sure Iโll wear it for NYE per se, but Iโll wear it for many dance parties for sure! I might drop another 2 kg first as itโs a bit tights around my arms.
Of course most shops were already decorated for Christmas. Just 2 more days left till Christmas eve. Not much to look at in this shop, but I loved the reflection of the building on the other side of the street I managed to catch on this picture.
Bakery had a full on decorations too! Not sure if itโs for Christmas or rather NYE with all those baloons, but I had to cross the street to take a closer look at it.
My Godess! The smells coming out of it were divine, but I was brave and decisive about keeping to my healthy habits. I ate way too much bread while in Poland and I suspect it being the main culprit for the comeback of hives on my body. I had to take a quick picture and go away fast!
Next window had white and blue xmas tree.
And one of many โLombardโs on that road was tempting shoppers to buy some second habd items and/or come it to get some money in exchange for some valuable items they might want to sell.
GCH - Gliwickie Centrum Handlowe was once the only shopping centre in town. I spent many hours of my youth there, looking for some nice clothes. On the other side of the road was a much cheaper street market. That one is no longer there, but GCH added another level in the basement, where many of those sellers from the repurposed street market found a place for their stalls.
I decided not to stop there on this occassion. I had to go to the bank first, which btw turned out to be closed for redecoration and I had to find another branch which coincidentally was located in another shopping centre. What a bad luck, hey ๐
Before I left the main street of Gliwice, a lady selling pretzels was tempting me with one of my favourite treats, but no, no more bread for me.
In Forum Shopping Centre the first 2 shops that welcomed me from the C entrance were 2 of my favourite shops. How could I rush to the bank and walk past them? Although Iโm not sure what it is with my old favourites that I canโt find anything I like in them ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ Ok, ok, I already bought a shirt in Sinsey yesterday and I liked a jacket in Mohito, but they didnโt have a size Iโd like.
Apart was once a jewellery shop I could spent long time in and either dream or buy stuff, but these days I rarely wear any jewellery, apart from my one favourite necklace.
Iโve already visited empik yesterday. Iโd gladly go again, but that would be another hour lost staring at the books, magazines and pretty notebooks!
Christmas deco was all around. Here a few trees before I drop some big bombs on you later. I meanโฆ baubles ๐
Or wingsโฆ what do you think about those wings? I think the look utterly amazing ๐คฉ And placed next to another shop I used to like, yet didnโt find anything nice in this time round.
Nail products are a must here in Poland. The pressure for always looking amazing is high in this side of Europe. Booking a visit at hairdressers or nail technicians has to be weeks if not months in advance. Hence why I only managed to get my nails beautified in the first week of my arrival and Iโm walking with grey hair despite contacting my usual hairdresser 1.5 months in advance. Every Polish lady has to look beautiful for Christmass!
Even the nail stations in this shopping centre were fully occupied. I didnโt even ask if there were any appointments. My nails are still perfect for now.
Speaking of all the ladies being beautifulโฆ something under the clothes ๐
Before we move to the children section full of all sizes, shapes and colours of entertainment for the little ones, including mystery packs.
Bouble Tea made its way to Poland too! Not that I want to try ๐
But there are other things I wouldnโt mind trying. Like loads of things here, but no, I am not willing to give in to the temptation.
Mouth watering yet? Mine sure was! Better letโs take a break from food and check out some other Christmas decorations. Huge ones I may add!
Just after passing these decorations I found a gold mine! I love TKMax, but this time round I found nothing there. This however is something like Polish version of tkmax - Half Price. Just like in Tkmax there were tons lf branded clothes and other products are reasonable prices. Finally in this shop I found what I wS looking for. Enough variety of leggins and sport bras that I had to pick and choose as I couldnโt take them all! Most in my (now much smaller) size.
After this very succesful visit in Half Price Iโd still stop and take pictures, but I had shopping overload and almost empty wallet ๐
Cinema City looked tempting too. We used to come here a lot with my ex husband when this shopping Centre was first opened.
Not this time though! Now I was starving and Food City looked much more tempting to me. The amazing smells coming from here were not helping!
I run quickly past McDonalds, KFC and kebab place, until I found these 2 food places at the end of the valley. Both served food which you could pick and choose whatever you like and then pay by the weight of the dish.
Out of the two one was Thai style and the other Polish. I decided for the latter and fill up my plate. I wish I captured what was on the plate, but I was way too hungry for that.
The morning run made me energetic, but by around 4-5pm there was not much of it left unless I ate something fast. I picked a healthy option with nice meat, lots of veggies and small amount of carbs, including buckwheet and cheese balls.
Food was delicious, prepared according to Polish traditions, which as you may suspect I miss while living abroad. It sure wasnโt as cheap as it looked at first. Maybe they added the huge plate to the weight ๐
After filling up my stomach with this delicious food, I was ready for the last lot of pictures, as well as my drive back home, including a stop and detour from the fuel station. Yeah, I still get confused driving on the right side of the road at times ๐
Back home I was very pleased and took some pictured of my haul for my besties that I will see on NYE and NYE eve! Laleh gave me orders to renew my wardrobe for my now snaller size and I think sheโll be pleased to see me in some of these ๐
| Camera: | iPhone11 |
|---|---|
| Photographer: | @fantagira |
Your day was full of activities and well spent, those places you stop over are well represented by those lovely pictures. Nice work.
!LOLZ
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Thank you so much fren!
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Ohhh it's nice to see shops with all those decorations, love them and I see you bought running clothes?๐ง You will look great ๐คฉ๐ Merry Christmas sis!
!LUV
!LOLZ most would probably wear these for running, but I will wear these for dancing. When theyโre older and worn out they will move to running shelf ๐
I was so bored looking at all the black leggins in other shops, while I love anything unusual. In this shop I took 9 items to try and took most of what I tried on ๐
Merry Christmas to you too ๐๐๐
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A broom closet.
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Yeah too much black things... bored, colors are life! ๐คโค
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You know it!!! ๐๐คฉ Black is classy, I love it too, but coloursโฆ Theyโre energising.
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Merry Christmas and
a Happy New Year!
Keep up the great work!
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Thank you ever so much Nina!
Happy holidays to you too ๐๐๐
Why this is a long and awesome walk, if I'm in there I might wish I have a lot of money to spend to some of those haha.
Yeah, I was surprised just how many pictures I took on this occasion. Turned into a lengthy post ๐ !LOLZ
Me too, sis! I wish I had more cash to get everything I liked from that shop, as well as other shops, but Iโm happy with what I found too ๐คฉ
Happy Christmas ๐
!PIZZA
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A penguin with a sunburn.
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Oh wow! You were busy! Half Price sounds a very tempting shop name! I do like to sometimes visit the cinema around Christmas time as it is usually quieter and good to enjoy a movie! Merry Christmas โ๏ธ๐
It was a good find that shop! I finally got some items I liked and at reasonable prices.
In truth I havenโt been in a cinema for years. Somehow I got out of habit of going, but yeah, at this time of a year it could be less busy โบ๏ธ
Thank you for stopping by and have an amazing Christmas time ๐๐
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Amazing! I enjoyed this Christmas shopping experience with you. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos and interesting stories. It's been a while since I've been out shopping LOL. This is really nice. Have a lovely and blessed Christmas and do enjoy the holiday weekend :)
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Oh, I almost missed this comment thinking it was a reply to my tipping command ๐
Thank you so much! I very rarely go shopping back home, but whenever I come to Poland I go on a little shopping spree ๐ I attempted a few of those, but didnโt find much, apart from yesterday, so I was happy I also took lots of pictures to memorise that happy time ๐คฉ
Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones ๐๐
Happy Sunday and Christmas Eve, @fantagira! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
Made in Canva
Thank you @tydynrain ๐ Have an amazing Christmas Eve too. In Poland itโs the day we celebrate the most!
You're very welcome, @fantagira, most certainly! Thank you so much! I appreciate it! Yes, I know a few places like that! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
Made in Canva
You're ever so welcome again, @fantagira, of course! Thank you! Enjoy it deeply! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
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Merry Christmas Monika.. I guess you already dropped some weight compared to your body figure before hehe..
Did you buy some chocolates? ๐
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Thank you J! Yes, I dropped 16kg already this year due to stress/health issues and changed diet to help with help. Now all my clothes are hanging on me, so I needed a few new things ๐
No, I didnโt buy any chocolate. I got loads for my family from UK though ๐คซ
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Thanks for taking us with you. I get a chance to see a bit of Poland. There were many temptations on your shopping trip. Good that you did not succumb to all of them. I love that photo with the buildings reflecting in it. The polish food looks tasty and whether or not you chose to lose weight- you look nice in the jumpsuit. I am a big fan of jumpsuit. Have a wonderful Christmas -enjoy to the max.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoying this shopping trip with me. I had to resist many temptations, cause I really see how my eating affects my health. Of course I wanted to drop some weight, but for the first time in my life I havenโt changed my diet and activity to drop weight, but to be healthier and the result it has on my weight is incredible.
Next year I will be quitting smoking for the same reason and hopefully for good this time ๐คฉ
Enjoy your Christmas activities dear Momo. I know youโre a busy bee ๐ ๐๐๐
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Aww that is the best way towards weight management- healthy eating. If we know our bodies and how it responds- that even better. You are doing g great.
I am busy but it is all very relaxing - like everything even this festive season is about balance - got me anyway.
Have a wonderful Christmas!!!
For me too! After the turmoil of traveling and hospital times, I started meditating again and there is so much more peace ๐ฅฐ Loving it ๐
My dad got all confused and thought it was Christmas eve today and started cooking only to find out itโs 23rd today and heโs ahead of time ๐
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Indeed you took tons of photographs! Thanks for giving us this photographic tour!
#aliveandthriving
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Haha ๐ I got a bit too excited taking all these and then it took me ages to write this ๐
!LUV back! ๐
!LOL
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Wow, that looks like you got in a lot of exercise too! Those are great photos, it's always fun to see the Christmas decorations! I hope you have a great holiday weekend and that Santa brings you something nice!
!DHEDGE
Oh yeah, I got a lot of steps, but I left my fitbit on charge after morning run so it didnโt record all my steps ๐
It was fun nonetheless and Santa already brought me an early gift in the form or snow covered world โ๏ธ๐คฉ I throughly enjoyed this early gift ๐
Happy Christmas to you! May the wishlist become your โhave-listโ at some point, including the big dreams! Not all at once though, that would be too easy and not fun ๐คฉ ๐ ๐๐
!BBH
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What an epic shopping tour of your old stomping grounds, @fantagira! I really like seeing all the different shops in town! I haven't been to a mall like that in years! I'm glad that you found some goodies for yourself! I hope that you have a beautiful Christmas, and an incredible New Year! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
Back home I very rarely visit places like this or go clothes shopping at all. I prefer to save some money and go shopping when Iโm visiting family in Poland.
Happy Christmas to you too fren ๐๐
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I very much understand, and I think it's marvelous that you're able to do that! Thank you again so much, @fantagira! Much appreciated! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
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All those activities have wiped me out well ๐๐
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Haha...I'm sure, they would tire me out too! Get lots of sleep! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
!ALIVE
Oh yes I did a lot of that! Proper xmas Hibernation ๐๐
Excellent! Between Christmas and New Year it's a marathon! ๐ ๐ ๐ โจ ๐ค
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We travel in different ways to the market for different needs or for essential items. Which we really needed. You go through extraordinary journeys and buy your essentials in the market that suit your needs. Also ate food which is very important for our survival. But the most important thing about our bazaar is to buy bargains. Through which we can have experience about this market. I hope that the Creator will always make it possible for you to meet all your needs with joy.
Thank you so much for stopping by. I wish the same to you as well as health and happiness this season ๐๐
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