“Lithuanians flocked to Poland over the weekend to shop for
Midsummer and have fun. Travelers filled up their tanks with gasoline, amazed
at the extremely low price we paid. Lithuanians bought meat for shashliks for
2.5 to 3.5 euros per kilogram. Even strawberries were bought in boxes by the
arrivals, because the price of these berries is only 3 euros per kilogram.
They waited in line for an hour
On Saturday morning, Lithuanians tried to arrive at the
Polish border as early as possible due to the inspections taking place there.
Those traveling only to the nearest stores are advised to
get up as early as possible on Saturdays, then crossing the border will not be
a problem.
Although the line of cars seemed impressively long on
Saturday, in reality, around noon, it was possible to reach the Polish border
checkpoint in 15–17 minutes.
Two young border guards would just look at the cars driving
by and gesture to move on.
But those who drove in the afternoon, around 3 p.m., said
they had been standing in line for an hour.
Polish border guards checked cars selectively.
Older cars, 15-20 years old, with larger crews, received a
closer look.
Minibuses with darker-skinned passengers were immediately
pulled over to the side of the road.
However, families traveling or half-empty passenger cars
were let through, without even checking the identity documents of the arrivals.
Those returning from Poland did not encounter any
disturbances at all, they crossed the border in an instant.
Resting: In Poland, Lithuanians are looking for more than
just weekend entertainment; vacationers enjoy spending time by the lakes,
traveling by boats or yachts.
Resting: In Poland, Lithuanians are looking for more than
just weekend entertainment; vacationers enjoy spending time by the lakes,
traveling by boats or yachts. near lakes, traveling by boats or yachts. / Photo
by a reader of the daily newspaper "Klaipėda".
First stop - a gas station
Lithuanians living in the border area said that they go to
Poland for cheaper fuel, food, small purchases or just Saturday lunch.
Several Klaipėda residents who have been in Poland for a
long time could not help but be surprised by the fuel prices.
At the most expensive "British Petroleum" gas
stations in that country, a liter of diesel cost 1.44 euros on Saturday, and
gasoline - 1.4 euros. For 200 zlotys (47 euros), a traveler from Klaipėda was
happy to fill up with almost 34 liters of gasoline.
In our country, such a quantity would have cost about 60
euros.
“There is no crisis in Poland. Fuel prices are like before
the Iran war. They probably haven’t heard of Hormuz here at all. Only here
everyone is talking about the crisis, fuel prices are inadequate, and what our
government is thinking is a mystery. Why are the Poles able to control the
situation, and we are not? We have a Polish fuel factory operating, and the
price of diesel has been above the two-euro mark for so long. Even if you kill
me, I don’t understand what is going on in that Lithuania, why the government
looks at our people like garbage,” a traveler from Klaipėda loudly complained
in the parking lot of the Aldi shopping center.
When asked what else was making him angry, the man seemed to
burst out.
“Look at their roads. No potholes, no bumps or junctions.
You won’t find any unconscious “lying policemen” – speed bumps – anywhere here.
"Drive, for example, to Ryn (a town with 2,992 inhabitants in northeastern
Poland - A. A.), although the road is old and narrow, the asphalt is new, and
it is both safe and fun to drive. And what are the roads to the towns in
Lithuania? It's scary to look at. We don't have the government here, but some
kind of animals!" – the Klaipėda resident was angry.
However, he was at least happy that the Lithuanians managed
to build a new European road to the border – there is no longer such shame as
it used to be.
The sound-absorbing walls now at least cover the landscape
of Lithuanian sheds and slate roofs. This means that when we want, we can both
fix it and lay excellent asphalt.
“However, from the Garliava turn on the road towards
Klaipėda, the potholes start again, the asphalt surface is patched, patched,
the car wheels are pounding, because everything is done as if with the left
foot. And what has our highway to the port city turned into? Just potholes,
bumps, ruts. Does I. Ruginienė know how much a car trailer or articulated truck
costs?” – the person summed up.
Service: on Saturday afternoon, two young female officers
checked cars entering the country from the Polish side. Lithuanian cars are
usually not a problem for Polish border guards.
Service: On Saturday afternoon, two young female officers
checked cars entering the country on the Polish side. Lithuanian cars are
usually a problem for Polish border guards. / Photo by a reader of the daily
newspaper "Klaipėda".
Woman was delighted by a neckerchief
In the parking lots of Suwalki shopping centers that hot
day, the vast majority of cars were cars with Lithuanian license plates.
Only in the shopping centers furthest from the center were
there more Polish cars than Lithuanians.
In the Suwalki shopping center "Kaufland",
Lithuanian women, speaking in the Marijampole dialect, were delighted that they
had bought neckerchiefs for 14.99 zlotys (3.5 euros).
Marinated neckerchief steaks were sold for the same price.
The women were most pleased with them, even the meat in the marinade will
definitely be able to bring home intact.
Lithuanians bought
ribs for 14-15 zlotys (3.28-3.52 euros) per kilogram for Midsummer.
Chicken fillet was available for 13.99 zlotys per kilogram
(3.28 euros). A kilogram of chicken wings cost just 7.99 zlotys (1.87 euros) on
Saturday.
A pork shoulder was 11 zlotys (2.58 euros), and a kilogram
of ham was 12 zlotys (2.81 euros). A kilogram of sirloin cost 15 zlotys (3.52
euros).
Look at their roads. No potholes, no bumps or junctions. You
won’t find any reckless “speed bumps” here.
Advice on how to buy cheaper
Lithuanians who shop very often have already memorized the
fluctuating prices of certain products.
However, travelers who cross the border less often do not
always understand them easily.
Experienced shoppers are not stingy with advice for their
compatriots.
In the shopping center itself, some Lithuanians advised
others to change only the country in the app of a shopping center operating in
Lithuania and all discounts applied in Poland from this network will be valid
using the app that was installed long ago.
Lithuanians not only shop in physical stores, but also buy
online, and order parcels to frequently visited shopping centers where there
are parcel machines.
It is no secret that Lithuanians in Poland buy garden
equipment, furniture, building materials and even have their teeth fixed,
because dental services are much cheaper across the border.
Discounts on alcohol
On Saturday, the vast majority of travelers loaded various
goods into the trunks of their cars. They also bought alcohol and soft drinks.
A can of one of the most popular types of beer cost 4.49
zlotys (1.6 euros) at Aldi, but on Saturday it was on sale at a substantial
discount. When buying 12 cans of beer in a pack, the supermarket also offered a
discount of 14.4 zlotys (3.38 euros).
A bottle of Portuguese dry wine cost just 19.9 zlotys (4.67
euros) in Poland.
A bottle of water costs 17 euro cents.
The price of a liter of natural apple juice was generally
staggering – 2.29 zlotys (0.54 euros).
A 0.7-liter bottle of vodka, which is popular in Poland,
costs about 10 euros. A bottle of brandy of the same volume costs a little
less.
And the price of an 800-gram package of fermented cheese is
5.63 euros.
Some Lithuanians loaded their trunks with treats that were
clearly prepared for the Midsummer celebration – they even bought jars of
pickled onions so that they wouldn’t have to get their hands dirty. For onions
that they would fry with shashlik, Lithuanians paid 1.17 euros for a 290-gram
jar.
However, what shocked buyers the most was the price of
strawberries at the Suwałki market. 13 zlotys was being asked for per kilogram,
which is 3.05 euros.
They also carry empty containers
There are also buyers who travel to Poland not to visit
shopping malls, but to visit markets.
The market in Sejny is open on Tuesdays and Fridays, so
those who cross the border before seven in the morning rush to the markets.
Another Lithuanian destination is meat slaughterhouses,
where slaughtered meat is sold even cheaper than in shopping malls.
Poles there began to write in Lithuanian on billboards,
announcing that they buy meat from local farmers and offer even cheaper
slaughterhouses to buyers from Lithuania.
However, the greatest surprise is caused by those
Lithuanians who bring empty containers to Poland to return the deposit.
True, Poles do not accept cars full of empty bottles with a
smile.
The yacht is registered in Poland
Those who want to have lunch in local cafes in Sejny or
Suwalki are advised to look for daily lunch specials.
The prices of hot dishes vary around 15–20 zlotys (3.52–4.69
euros).
In more luxurious restaurants, the price of a hot meat dish
can cost around 50 zlotys (11.77 euros).
Another favorite destination for Lithuanians is a water
vacation in Poland.
Many Lithuanians who have purchased boats or yachts have
registered them in Poland. Therefore, Lithuanians spend a lot of time in
Poland's inland waters.
Traveling on lakes connected by canals is leisurely. And
even when mooring in a small port, visitors can enjoy a number of amenities.
Yacht clubs have showers and sinks for washing dishes for
free.
Hot lunches are offered to be delivered to ships for a
ridiculous price of 27 zlotys (6.34 euros).
Lithuanians choose not only Suwałki or Augustów for a
few-day vacation or weekend trip.
Travelers are discovering not only Gdansk, Sopot or Krakow.
Lithuanians are increasingly choosing Mikolajki, Rynė, and Lėcių for their
vacations.
A group of pre-retirement ladies said they had a great time
relaxing in Mikolajki, because this weekend in Poland was extremely hot and
sunny. It was only on Sunday evening that heavy rain hit this country.”
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