The took place in Tawerna, on Monday evening, as is the custom here.
Before we went to Wioślarska Street, though, we ate delicious and huge (Slavic tradition) dinner in the ’Babooshka – Na Kruczej’ restaurant (www.babooshka.pl). The owner, Victor Plitkin, together with his lovely wife Dorota, welcomed us with eastern dishes. I couldn’t resist tasting delicious desserts I have never eaten before... yummy! (by the way, I went back there the following day – food is really good and the service is truly professional).
When we reached the meeting place, the room was already full. As is often the case, my presentation began with technical problems – the computer provided for the meeting would not read slides of my presentation in chronological order:( Hence, my presentation unleashed a storm. But you know what storms are like – I knew it would end, eventually, and I just needed to manage somehow by that time... The sailors from Warsaw (and more, even people who came from Wrocław) listened to an untypical, yet very real sea story. Now, I know that not everyone liked the distance I have to my own person and to sailing around the world. It turned out I can talk easily about my mistakes; that I like to share my experience with others so that they can learn on mine, not their, mistakes. My performance did not cause such an outburst of emotions for a long time, if at all! I am so much grateful for all the letters with your comments:) It is wonderful that some of us, thanks to such meetings as this one, get bolder in talking about their own seamanship dreams!
I wish Warsaw sailors (and not only them) many, many good days on the oceans!
And I hope that one day I will sit in the ‘Tuż za Horyzontem’ tavern and listen to their stories of how they have sailed around the world.