WELL WEEKEND: I drove a new Toyota SUV to Masuria and experienced true Nomad Dining

Even though this trip isn't spontaneous, having been planned weeks in advance, I can't wait. Nor is it a personal journey—it has a specific professional purpose. However, it promises to be a leisurely and thoughtful one, and the destination is picturesque, delicious, and... original (and perversely so). I'm going to Masuria to experience culinary nirvana amidst the glow of flames and the aroma of smoke.

Straight from the Fire , the project in question, is the first dinner of its kind in Poland, a Nomad Dining experience. The idea came from the West and combines a specific yet temporary venue with local culinary products and a distinguished chef's signature menu. I'll be taking Marcin Budynek, who runs the Fisza Concept Tavern in Augustów, on a sensory journey. This time, he won't host me within four walls, behind white tablecloths, but under the open Masurian sky at a table made of unfinished wood. He won't use sous vide or technologically advanced ovens to prepare the dishes, but rather a grill and fire, transforming local produce into fine dining dishes.

Toyota Land Cruiser / Well.pl, photo by Michał Leja

Toyota Land Cruiser - the perfect companion for trips out of town

All of this in just over a day and several hundred kilometers. For now, I need to pack the car. It's hard to imagine a better companion for such a journey than a new Toyota Land Cruiser. This Japanese off-road titan is (almost) the perfect tool for expeditions both near and far, on and off-road. The plan for the first night was simple: I'd spend the night wherever I was staying, with no specific destination in mind. I was hoping for an evening by the fire and a starry sky. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out – it's been raining since early morning, and common sense prevails – I'll spend the night in a comfortable hotel bed.

Toyota Land Cruiser / Well.pl, photo by Michał Leja

In the morning, I set off for my destination – Siedlisko Morena in Stare Juchy. I have plenty of time, so I'm in no hurry. I also don't have to concentrate on keeping an eye on the road, as I'm traveling in tandem with the crew of another Toyota, which uses a navigation system that selects all roads, except the main ones. It's a perfect test of the car's capabilities and usability.

Toyota Land Cruiser / Well.pl, photo by Michał Leja

There's something soothing about taking your time traveling through the wilderness. My thoughts return to my favorite book:

- It is very possible that a person feels his existence only when he feels on his skin the touch of a nameless space that connects us with the most ancient times, with all the dead, with prehistory, when the mind was just separating from the world and was not yet aware of its orphanhood - writes Andrzej Stasiuk in "Jadac do Babadag".

Time passes slowly as we roll in tandem through the northeastern part of Mazovia. The paths lead along dirt roads to Kurpie Zielone. We rarely use the asphalt, for example, to see the unicorn statue in the village of Jednorożec. Further towards Mazury, we pass through Kadzidło, the regional capital, and Łyse, famous for its gigantic Easter palms.

We slowly approach our destination. The landscape begins to undulate, and water becomes increasingly visible in the basins. The term "Land of a Thousand Lakes" is a significant understatement, as it is estimated that there are approximately 3,500 lakes (over 1 hectare in size) in the entire Masurian Lake District .

Toyota Land Cruiser / Well.pl, photo by Michał Leja

The slowly shifting horizon, the leisurely drive, and the sun shimmering with a thousand sparks reflected in the ponds lull me into a meditative state. I think of what Henri Cartier-Bresson once said when asked after a visit to Moscow in 1954 why he traveled there by train:

Neither my wife nor I enjoy flying. It's too fast, and you don't see the gradual changes that occur when you go from one country to another.

My radius is less international, more inter-county , but my imagination scales the experience as if I were traversing at least half of Asia. The Toyota, in which I could travel the entire world, rocks patiently, traversing paths obliterated by recent downpours. Neither mud nor loose sand impresses it. Off-road driving programs allow you to choose between several unstable terrain types, and if the approach or departure angle is particularly steep, I can engage Crawl Control (off-road cruise control) or Downhill Assist Control (DAC), which maintains a safe speed on very steep descents without locking the wheels and maintaining full steering control. Under the hood is a 2.8-liter turbo-diesel engine renowned for its reliability , producing 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque. Drive is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The 20-inch rims are shod with Dunlop Grandtrek 265/60R20 tires. This is a road tire designed for large SUVs and won't handle off-road like an A/T, let alone M/T, tire. However, it performs well on asphalt, where Land Cruisers spend most of their time anyway, but also on weekend trips out of town that include dirt roads.

Toyota Land Cruiser / Well.pl, photo by Michał Leja