Mielno

Although I have been living in Koszalin for the last 2 1/2 months, this is my first entry about Poland.

Koszalin is great in one respect: It is close to the seaside and when the weather permits it, my roommates and I hop on a bus and go to the beach. Recently it has been quite cold and sometimes rainy, but even though the water might be too cold to swim, it is nonetheless enjoyable to sit on the beach or go for stroll alongside the sea.

The water itself is quite cold - it was even cold when it was still summer here and quite nice and sunny. I was told the Baltic Sea is generally quite cold, but 14-16°C is freezing.

The reason why I enjoy the beach so much is probably that I have never lived close to a sea or ocean. People here in Koszalin just see it as something normal, something that is there whenever they feel like going. However, for me this is exciting, I love the sea, the sound the waves make, the seagulls, the sand and the smell of the air. To be honest, it would probably be hard to enjoy Koszalin - a city which is basically void of any entertainment and feels 'dead' most of the time - without the ability to be at the beach in less than half an hour.