Lower Silesia is a completely new area for us. This year we went there for the first time and now we know that it wasn't the last time. We were there for a week with our children who need changes and attractions all the time. We decided to do something new every day. However, if we had been there without the children, we would probably have done different things. For starters, we went on hikes to the Szklarka and Kamieńczyk Waterfalls, Jurassic Park in Szklarska Poręba, a crystal glass factory called Julia, and Chojnik Castle. For me, the best thing was an attraction which, to my astonishment, cannot be found in every Tourist Guide: The Colourful Lakes, lately recognized by National Geographic Traveller as one of the new seven wonders of Poland.

Any careful visitor to the Szczecin and Wolin Island area has had a chance to see the Emerald and Turquoise Lakes. In my opinion however, their actual colours have been at odds with their names for some time, and the leaves which lie on the bed have caused the azure to be less and less visible. There is no such doubt when it comes to The Colourful Lakes. Their colours really significantly differ from typical, clear tarns, although I think that everybody can see different colours from those indicated by the names.

The Lakes are situated in Rudawski Landscape Park near Wieściszowice village. Four of them lie on the slope of Wielka Kopa. Back in the XVIII century a pyrite mine was situated here. In the XX century the extraction of this mineral ended and once again mother nature came into power in this place. The mine excavations were filled with water, creating picturesque lakes where the colour comes from the chemical structure of their walls and beds.

The long weekends and holidays are coming. A lot of us want a change of scenery, some rest and to see something new and interesting. The big Polish cities like Warszawa, Kraków, Poznań or Gdańsk are always attractive destinations. In each of them you can find places which will please our demanding children and areas which will guarantee a nice and reasonably peaceful rest. Every parent knows that there are few things as annoying and likely to rain on our parade as a whinging and boring kid.

Everybody who has been to the Old Town in Gdańsk knows that it is a picturesque place, full of relics, monuments, and charming corners. I think that you should see Długi Targ Street with the Fountain of Neptune, the Żuraw (crane) on Motława – which is the emblem of Gdańsk – and the museum dedicated to the people connected with the harbour. You should also visit Artus Court with the Historical Museum of Gdańsk, the Amber Museum and, in my opinion, the most beautiful little street – Mariacka, where you can find picturesque townhouses and galleries with silver and amber jewellery. This kind of walk is interesting and relaxing for adult visitors, but it may test the patience of even the most resilient children.

To those of you whose children have had enough of old walls and potsherds and can't eat any more ice-cream, I recommend taking a break and going to the Maritime Culture Centre near the Żuraw. Here you can let the children play while visiting the exhibition "People-Ships-Ports".

This year we spent our winter holiday in Tri-City. We lived within easy walking distance of "Monciak", i.e. the most popular street in Sopot, which is comparable to the well-known Krupówki in Zakopane. Thanks to that, the walk to the beautiful seaside and the pier lasted about 15 minutes. Everything would have been great but for an intrusive and mouthy lout who tried to ruin our holiday on the very first day. But that is a story for the another entry. We decided not to pay any attention to the boorishness, and slamming the door we started our stay in Sopot with a walk to the pier and beach. Strong frost, gathering dusk and a cold wind tried to cut our walk short, but we were tough and we hung in. Waves, rumbling wind and seagulls are the stuff of the Polish coast. In the summer we can add hot sand and a maze of windbreaks, but now, for obvious reasons, we didn't encounter this.
However, we are not made of steel, so we were absolutely freezing when we got down from the pier. Fortunately, we found a nice restaurant called Fish band. It was placed very attractively by the pier on the first floor in the left arcade. This entrance could be misleading. We saw a slightly subdued light and we thought that the restaurant was closed. We made our way inside where it was much better: light, tasteful, warm and above all - very tasty.
Though the menu predominately consisted of fish and seafood, in the restaurant you can also find a dish for people who don't like fish or can't eat them. We ordered fish soup - mild but with a strong fishy taste and a hint of horseradish.

What aspects of travelling are the most important for you? As well as adventures, excellent views, interesting people and amazing places, our heads are also occupied by thoughts of down-to-earth issues. Nice accommodation with clean beds, sparkling bathroom, and if you are in a place without a kitchen, also restaurants where you can eat tasty food. It is especially important for families with small children.

Adults often decide on a toast stall on the street, but with small children we try to find places with more healthy and traditional food. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and sometimes a kebab or other types of fast food are better than the best restaurants with vegetable soup or a crunchy pork chop with salad. If additionally we find a restaurant at an excellent communication point, near some tourist attractions and the bill doesn't make us dizzy, we should make a note of this place and pass on this especially valuable information to our friends.

During this year's visit to Trójmiasto we spent one day in Gdynia. We didn't have a lot of time, but we had to see the core repertoire near Kościuszko Plaza. I was surprised that although we were visiting Gdynia in February, both Dar Pomorza Museum and ORP Błyskawica were open for visitors.

We directed our first steps towards my children's favourite place, i.e. the Oceanarium. My son cracked me up when after the second hall with mock-ups and boards he asked me: "Mum are there any animals which move here?" The honour of the Oceanarium was saved, and my young man watched the living animals in the aquarium with an excited face. He especially adored the pleasant octopus and seahorses. Even the biggest attractions weren't able to drown out the rumble in the small tourists' stomachs. "Mum, we are hungry" became more and more insistent.

Fortunately, near the complex we found a place which answered all expectations of the hungry children and their parents. Tasteful, extremely clean, yummy and not too expensive. Pleasant and capable service, nice design and a facility for parents with small children top up the excellent image of Pierogarnia "Pierożek" in Gdynia.

This year during the winter holiday I came up with the idea of a family lunch on the beach. For obvious reasons, this is a difficult task to realize in February. Outside it was minus 6 and even the light wind and moisture created a chilly feeling. On a map of the Tri-City, which was given to us by a nice woman in the museum in Gdańsk, I found a restaurant which looked like it was nearest to the beach. This took us on to Gdynia Orłowo. The winter beach under a beautiful cliff entranced me at once. The Pier with icy puncheons and loads of ducks and swans swimming around looked picturesque. Silence and calm, which is rarely met here in the summer, encouraged us to take a walk. We didn't let the frosty weather defeat us and spent a lot of time soaking up the atmosphere of the winter seaside.

Although it was enchanting, our frozen noses and hands, and our children's rumbling bellies, forced us into the nearby restaurant – Tavern Orłowska, which really is placed on the beach. In summer you can eat lunch in the beachside open porch. Now it was closed, so we ate in the spacious but cosy dining room, with decorative maritime equipment. For small children, a big aquarium with lobsters was the centrepiece of the restaurant.

I don't know who invented hot winter tea, but it was what we needed the most at that moment. It was big and strong with orange, honey, cloves, cinnamon and ginger, served pleasantly in a round stein, which warmed our hands up nicely.