It was time to visit our second home in Grajewo. We've spent so much time there since we arrived in Poland that it sure feels like our second home. We haven't seen Marzena and the family since just after the new year so it's been over two months now. We were all due for a change of scenery too so this trip was a must, even if only for a few days. A day before departure, we stopped at a local mechanic shop to get the Nissan ready for the long 6-hour, 370 mile drive. It was due for an oil change and since we were at it, we also replaced the air filter as well. I happened to have an extra one that I shipped here with the car. One thing I noticed here in Poland is how expensive an oil change actually is compared to the U.S. The labor itself was only 50 złoty plus a 20 złoty tip for the mechanic (about $18 total) but the oil and filter are much more expensive than they are back home. I paid 288 złoty (About $75) for 5 liters of synthetic Mobil One oil and a premium filter. I purchased the oil and filter ahead of time at a local car parts store, similar to NAPA. Gasoline is also much higher here at almost double the prices over the U.S. Makes you appreciate those low fuel costs back home.
We made it in about 6 hours this time around, a new record, I think.
The following day we decided to take a day trip to Białystok. The city is an hour drive from Grajewo and we’ve never really explored it before so it was time to pack up the family and hit the road. The weather was great and we made the most of it. Artur used to live here for a few years so he knew the city well. With sunny skies and a tour guide, it was bound to be a great day.
We asked a random person to snap this photo of all of us next to the city sign. We got lucky because within about 15 seconds after this photo was taken, a large group of kids, probably on a school trip took over and surrounded the sign, jumping, yelling and playing. We were happy to let them have it.
I'd like to see this place in the summer when everything is blooming. We were told that there are dozens of gardeners maintaining these grounds daily in the summer. I can just image the amount of work that goes into that.
The zoo was sort of empty with very few animals in their enclosures. I imagine it gets busier in the summer months. The only animals that were abundant here were household chickens, yeah I couldn't make sense of it either. It was definitely a first for me to see chickens at the zoo. I didn't snap a photo so you'll have to take my word for it.
Besides the chickens, the European Bison was the highlight with a picture to prove it.
We built quite the appetite from walking around for a couple of hours and stumbled onto this place after some others were too crowded.
I never pass up an opportunity to take a photo of one of these signs. This was on the way home just about half way to Grajewo.
That evening Chef BoyarKamil made homemade pizzas. They weren't too shabby.
The next evening we made a bonfire but it was too cold to really enjoy it. Damianek braved the cold and helped to keep the fire going.
The boys showing off their coloring skills at Ciocia Ewelina's. I think this was after she made them Naleśniki.
As the say, time flys when you're having fun. We hit the road late and paid the price for it going through Warsaw. Traffic was backed up for miles with several accidents. On the bright side, we scored some decent sushi in Grójec to take home for dinner/supper that evening.
March 18, 2025
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