It is always enjoyable and relaxing to spend summer holidays at the seaside. Whether it is warm and dry or cold and wet, you can always find something interesting to do there. Every summer we go to the same seaside resort, which once used to be a fishing village only. Now it is a big attractive recreation place with numerous recreation centres, attracting big groups of holiday makers and tourists from Poland and other countries, especially Germany.
Our favourite holiday resort is located in a pine forest which grows on sand [?].Two types of accommodation are offered. You can either stay in a rest-house, which is only a few steps away from the beach or you are invited to book a place in one of wooden chalets. In the village it is also possible to find a single or double room in guest houses, which are run by local people. If you decide to have camping holidays, you may pitch a tent or live in a caravan on a camping site which is also very close to the sea. Hovever, it is a good idea to make a reservation well in advance because during the peak season there may be no vacancies. The forests growing here, in connection with fresh sea air, full of [?], create specific, healthy microclimate which is believed to cure some illnesses caused by urban life.
The seaside resort is situated in the Vistula Spit. It is a peninsular stretch of land which has the lenght of about 50 km (Polish side) and the width of 600 to 2000 m. It cuts the Vistula Lagoon off from the Bay of Gdansk.It has been created for thousands of years by winds and the Baltic Sea, mainly out of sand carried by the river. The Vistula is the longest river in Poland at 1,047 km (678 miles) in length. The river is divided onto two separate branches that constitute the river [?]. The eastern one reaches the Bay of Gdansk.In Gdansk the western one is divided onto several separate branches that reach the Baltic Sea at different points, the main branch reaches the sea at Westerplatte, the place of the first major battle in the invasion of Poland in 1939. It is interesting to know that until the 13th century, the spit had navigable straits in the middle. Nowadays Poland discusses the project of digging a [?] through its part of the spit, in order to regain direct access to the Baltic as the only natural port is controlled by Russia.
The majority of holiday makers spend their time sunbathing on the beach or swimming. If you want to protect yourself from direct sunshine, what you need is a sunshade. If you are exposed to the heat and the light of the sun too much, remember to wear sunglasses and a straw hat or another kind of headgear and also rub sun-tan oil in well because otherwise you will put yourself at a risk of a sunstroke. In some places deck chairs or sun loungers are available. Different types of beach chairs always wait for you to provide comfort and protection from sun, wind, rain, and sand.
If you are keen on swimming, you need a swimming costume or bathing trunks and possibly a bathing cap and a bath towel. Some people use inflatable beach mattresses for swimming. For their children, some adults use inflatable rubber animals which have shapes of dolphins, sharks etc. Red and yellow buoys mark places that are dangerous for swimmers or they show how far they may go. On the notice board you can see basic information about weather conditions.If the flag is white, it means swimming is allowed. If the flag is red, it means swimming is forbidden, for example [?] are too big, the wind is too strong, water is contaminated, the temperature of water is below 14°C and in a few other cases. If there is no flag, it means a lifeguard is absent.
A walk along the beach is pleasurable and refreshing. especially a long walk in the case of a long beach, for instance from one seaside resort to the next. Fortunately, our favourite place is well-known for the fact that the beach is long and wide and it is not very crowded. When and where the sand is not too hot, people often walk barefoot on the beach, because of the pleasant feeling of sand on their soles and between their toes. The best beach walking areas typically are near the shoreline, where the sand is wet and more comfortable to walk in. Everyone will also enjoy walking with their bare feet in the water. If you go for a walk along the shore, you can collect [?], stones or try to look for [?]. Children enjoy making mud pies and building sand castles, especially. They also like to fly kites or play with rubber rings. Both adults and children enjoy playing beach ball or other games as well. When the evening comes, some people watch sunsets and after the dusk falls some others watch red lights beaming from [?].
A place which is very popular among holiday makers is called a [?]. The term refers to different types of walkways over water, supported by piles or pillars. They range in size and complexity from a simple lightweight wooden structure to major structures extended over a mile out to sea. The longest wooden object of this type in Europe is located in Sopot and it is 515,5 m long.
Another typical structure often to be found at the seaside is called a [?]. It is one of the most common and effective methods of coastal defence against transportation of sediment. It is a structure which runs perpendicular to the shoreline. It extends from the upper foreshore or beach down towards the sea, usually at right angles to the sea. It is usually made of wood, concrete, or piles of large rocks.
If you are interested in recreational boating, go to a bigger town where you will hire a boat or a yacht. They are all kept in a sheltered [?] called a marina. Marinas usually include ground facilities such as parking lots for vehicles and boat trailers. They may be owned and operated by a private club, especially yacht clubs - but also as private enterprises or municipal facilities.
If you are interested in sightseeing, go to a bigger city and you will visit a sea port there. You will see a place where ships are loaded with the help of big cranes. It is called a [?].It may be constructed parallel or perpendicular to the bank of a waterway. It is also the place where passengers wait for embarking. A landing place for ships is called a wharf, which commonly comprises a fixed platform, often on pilings. They often serve as interim storage areas with warehouses. While embarking and disembarking, ships have to be moored with a rope or line. The same is true about loading and unloading.
The Vistula Spit is an ideal area for a great rest in summer. All people will enjoy the peace and quiet on long and clean beaches. Unique landscapes and extraordinary nature will bring back wonderful memories and will make them come back to the same place many times in the future.