(06.07.2025-09.07.2025) On Sunday, I—along with 35 million other residents of Poland—received the following text message from the RCB Disaster Management Center: "Starting July 7, the Border Guard will implement controls at the German and Lithuanian borders for entry into Poland." Hmm, a year ago, the RCB warned me about a severe storm with strong winds and heavy rainfall, but now the upcoming border controls are being listed alongside earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, etc.? It doesn't affect me, as I'm traveling west from Lublin. One would think so, but when I arrive in Poznań, I notice the relatively high number of kebab shops, barber shops, and Orient markets. Obviously, there is a demand for them, and the streetscape has indeed changed; it is much more diverse than elsewhere in Poland—too diverse, many would say, and the announced border controls have something to do with it. However, a striking number of German senior citizen groups have come to Poznań unmolested and populate the Old Market Square and the Old Town, which is therefore better visited in the early morning hours. As a contrast, lost places offer exactly the opposite, and you can even find them in the center of Poznań. It's one minute to midnight, because the areas of the old gasworks and the old slaughterhouse are cordoned off and construction is in full swing. The weather is deteriorating. Rain, diversity, German senior citizens, large construction sites – it all seems very familiar to me, so I might as well drive further west, says my wife!
