Pivo the nodding tortoise

As a student I was once fortunate enough to study (environmental science) for a few months in Poland whilst completing my degree.

I was in love with a woman at the time still unsure of my sexuality & got lost whilst very drunk in a forest by a lake. I awoke to torch light from a rescue party. I was curled up under a tree wearing nothing but my underwear & a t shirt. They thought that in my unrequited love I'd throw myself into the waters!

We got drunk a lot, studied hard & visited some bizarre landscapes such as a forest park which was made up of inland sand dunes & hundreds of miles from any coast & stalked by lynx.

I also had chance to visit the Jurassic park like Bia?owie?a Forest The last remaining primeval deciduous and mixed forest of the European lowlands.

The reason its just like Jurrasic park is its surrounded by a fence with huge gates & only horse drawn vehicles are allowed in (we were privileged to be allowed on foot). It's huge & dark and mysterious & utterly beautiful.

A tiny gem of anachronistic forest.

Entering it is truly like travelling back in time. Human interference is kept to a bare minimum & primeval beasts roam free!

Wolves, bison, lynx & wild boar still roam as they have done since prehistory in this amazing place & it remains a UNESCO world heritage site for being unique.

If you have an interest in natural history & wildlife it's a must visit!

This nodding tortoise (named Pivo the Czech for beer) was a consequence of my trip & for the past 15 years he's sat on my mums dashboard nodding sagely as if to remind me of one of the most amazing times in my life so far.