Late On Life

West Pomerania countryside

2010-10-21T23:21:00.007+02:00

Hello again, I'm posting this peaceful summer sky as a sort of cover of a new story of a new journey beginning on Late On Life. Having said our goodbyes to Italy it's high time to move on into a photo exploration of my August bike trip in the Northwestern tip of Poland - West Pomerania.
Skywatch Friday, being my favorite meme, is also a perfect opportunity to get back to posting after a period of shameless blogging laziness (actually I've been busy, busy, busy and then tired, tired, tired but that's no excuse from creative past-times so I'll stick with laziness).
Nice to see you again!

Podstolice

2010-10-05T14:36:00.035+02:00

I have a thing for country fairs, carnivals and all sorts of outdoor or better yet out of town events. So hearing about a china fair picnic in Podstolice I obviously wanted to go. The village lays about 40 km from Poznań and it's biggest attraction is a XIX-century manor house.

It's current owners are also Rosenthal's china representatives for Poland. They host many events and this one is open to public. I must say it is an excellent idea to present chine in a manor house. The displayed goods found their natural surroundings there.

The weather on the last weekend of summer was so lovely it begged for a trip away from the city and this event fell right into place. I must admit I went totally unprepared. Hearing the words 'china' and 'picnic' was enough to get me going (I have a bit of a collection of china). But I pictured a more down to earth country fair, smelling of sausage, typical carnival stalls accompanied by a bit of folklore china and perhaps an exhibition. What I did not expect was a posh elite event sponsored by such brands as Porsche and BMW.

So my most posh accessory was my shih tzu;) Having a puppy on your arm is a perfect conversation starter when you're strolling from one fancy china stand to another, wine-tasting or sampling fine coffee.

My fearless little fur-ball always wants to play with other animals no matter if their wild or tamed, big or small so when walking in the surrounding park we noticed the paddock I had to pull her away from the pony who seemed more interesting in nibbling on something.

It was really hard to keep her away as playing with the ponies was all she could think of. When I was distracted by liquor sampling, Elza managed to wrest away from me (which she never does) and run to the paddock. Fortunately, teaching her obedience paid off and I managed to stop her half way. A stressful moment but it made me proud at the same time. Elza managed to surpass her desires and followed my call.

The sky was so beautiful that day that I might of post this for Skywatch Friday but I'm posting it for My World Tuesday instead to show you one of the many attractions of the area around my city - Poznań.

Hope to see you there next year!

Sun sets over Europe

2010-10-01T00:12:00.010+02:00

Addio Italia.
When the time came to say farewell to Italy I was grasping it with my eyes through the plain window and I saw the most awesome thing: lake Garda. There it was, like the contours on the map, the peninsula of Sirmione, the place where I bathed just that morning, the bay of Salo... at that moment I was too glued to the window but that inspired me to take my camera out of the luggage compartment.

Don't you just love the clouds as seen from above. They look so soft and fluffy but firm I just want to jump in them.

Even the sunset looks different from above.

The evening is an awesome time to fly as the colors and light change while you cross over land.

Soon the colors transformed into light shades of purple.

And every now and then I caught a glimps of lightning stricking in the clouds. A magical, bit of scary but spectaculary beautiful sight!

Have a blisful Skywatch Friday!

Sirmione

2010-09-30T15:54:00.013+02:00

Sirmione is a little peninsula town on lake Garda. Just a 30 minutes or so ferry ride from Desenzano del Garda.
Here I'm pointing;) Maria Callas house.

Charmed by Desenzano you wouldn't expect anything better but it enchants you before you even set foot on shore.

Fortified by Della Scala family, the former port hardly stretches from shore to shore on narrow land, with narrow streets and not more then two storey high houses.

If you ask me which one I prefer more: the sea or the lake, I would go with the latter but all of them have their perks and those big sub-alpine lakes combine both. Sometimes you feel just like at the seaside and need to remind yourself you're actually by the lake. Plus you can take boat rides to other towns, you can't see one shore from another but the water is less salty and calmer then the sea.

This place was already valued by the ancient Romans who had their villas here.
All that sightseeing wouldn't be complete without a swim in the lake. Apart from the private and hotel owned decks and jetty's there's a public beach on one coast (the one on the other was currently under water due to it's high level). Here you can see the northern shore of Sirmione, looking up into the lake where many, many miles later it meets the Dolomites.
Hey! A word out to all my new followers. Thank you for joining. I encourage you to leave a comment. Let's get to know each other and that friend connect thingy doesn't take you to the blogger profile like it used to. So without your comments I can't visit your blogs.

Letters to Juliet

2010-09-28T09:30:00.005+02:00

Capuleti House, Verona.
[wordless Wednesday->]

Street Art Italia

2010-09-21T15:14:00.020+02:00

I kind off consider myself a street art collector. Well if you consider my files of street art photos from around the world a collection;)
All doors on this Milan street were, well vandalized...

...at least so it seems until you reach this one:

The first 4 photos were taken in Milan.

Here's some historic street art;) from Genoa.

And some present-day work.

I noticed this poster-like technique is getting more and more popular.

An interesting mural from Venice:

Mount Śnieżka

2010-09-16T15:59:00.018+02:00

Every year when summer ends I'm still in the 'traveling' mode but exotic journeys to warm countries don't appeal to me as much when I know I'll have to come back and deal with autumn weather. Fall is the time when I long for mountain hiking. So last weekend's goal was Mt. Śnieżka (1602 m amsl) - a majestic peak, Czech Republic's and Sudetes mountain range highest point.

When I was younger I didn't appreciate the architecture of that restaurant & observatory but now I love it's bravery and craziness. Too bad it's under reconstruction after last year's extreme weather damaged the upper disc and hence not quite photogenic at close range. But I found some charm in contrast of the grim darkness of it's shadowed slope and the peacefulness of that glider. In fact, I couldn't make the choice between the 3 photos so you get to see the whole flight;) I'm counting on You guys to tell me which shot is the best.

Mount Śnieżka as seen from below.

Have a happy Skywatch Friday!

Italy by night continued - Desenzano Del Garda

2010-09-15T17:12:00.020+02:00

In my last post I complained about our troubles with finding a place to hang out in the evening in Italian cities. We reached our third destination - Desenzano del Garda late again but I had a feeling our luck is going to change.

(click to enlarge the photo^)
After all Desenzano is not a city. It's a picturesque small town living of tourism. And lake Garda is one of those places where Italian city dwellers spend their summers.

All seemed quiet at first when we left the train station and rushed to the hotel before it closes the check-in.

Not wanting to repeat the same mistake that left as night-life-stranded in Genoa, we just left our luggage in the hotel room and headed downtown. Hunger is indeed a powerful motivator, more powerful then the need of showering off the 'journey dust.' I felt instinctively we must get to the lake, that's were all the action should be.
And it played out. Were it the power of positive thinking or past travels experience I don't know but as soon as we reached the shore we found plenty of bars, restaurants and of course gelateria's. Finding a place were the kitchen was still open was an additional challenge but there sure was nightlife. People strolling slowly, presenting themselves, fluffing up... At the end of the boardwalk there was this little roundabout where very shiny cars would circle in slow motion, making sure everybody notices the owners new toy.

PS. Funny thing about gelato, I noticed Italians prefer to eat it at night rather then in the shiniest sun like we do. At least they have a chance of enjoying it before it melts.

Genoa by night

2010-09-14T00:09:00.017+02:00

One of Genoa's main attractions, both night and day, is Porto Antico. A lovely historic district by the seaside. We couldn't figure out what that illuminated construction was until the next day. It turned out to be a fancy sightseeing lift from which you could admire the view of the city.

But all those nice illuminations couldn't stop us from feeling that the city is deserted. You see in Poland we have a stereotype of Italian nightlife starting late and lasting long. It's a popular believe here, that Italians go out in the evening to have hours lasting dinners that turn into night long fiestas.
Imagine our surprise when we arrived in Milano at night due to our flight being delayed, only to discover all the pubs and clubs were closed and the only opened places were gelateria's and shady looking bars. And it's not like the journey was exhausting so we were all eager to explore our destination by night.

Same situation in Genoa. We spent all day experiencing the wonders of Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure and it was rather late when we reached the city. Hoping for nice Italian late dinner we hit the historic center but Kebab shops seemed the only option. It wasn't completely deserted, however the only people you could meet were knock-off bags street sellers socializing 'after hours' or sleeping on benches near their work place.

Our friend and personal guide later told us that we were in the 'wrong' district for night life. He also tried to explain that this is how Italian 'summer in the city' looks like. All of the cities middle and upper class were away in their summer houses by the lake and the cities were deserted. I say it was good for sightseeing - no crowds and no pick-pockets, just no fun if you're a late night eater.

A journey is about finding your own path

2010-09-10T03:38:00.020+02:00

I am a late bloom foodie and an even later bloomed home chéf. And thou I don't follow religiously the rule of eating local specialties I wouldn't just eat in the first available place where hunger strikes me. I try to turn this necessity of eating into an adventure, a part of traveling equal to sightseeing. Sometimes that means a lot of walking around before finding a place that grabs me. 

And I never listen to people's suggestions. (As in if you'd recommend me a restaurant you liked on your holiday, it would discourage me from the place. I don't mean not listening to your co-travelers wishes [I hope so]). To me traveling is all about discovering your own path, leaving your trace, personal discoveries, taming a previously unknown place and giving it your own meaning. I have no respect for Lonely Planet kind of guides and tips (thou I give them myself). Sounds kind of perverse right?

But in mine defense I'm not a total zealot about it. The key is to always stay open-minded, no matter what my opinion might be. And so I surprised myself on this trip to Italy by following our friends advice again and again. The fact that he's also a foodie who's been living in Milan for a few years now and a keen explorer of the area probably helped;) I'm really thankful for all his suggestions. I tried some of the best food in my life of my favorite cuisine, discovered places and dishes I would had never found by myself.
Thanks Łukasz!!!

"Not all those who wander are lost"

2010-09-08T00:04:00.009+02:00

It's raining outside and I'm missing the summer, missing all the possibilities, missing wandering the narrow streets and the places where even the street signs smile at you.

I guess those weeks of transformation are the hardest. When your memories of hot days and short sleeves are so fresh and one day it just stops and doesn't come back till April. And though it's the same thing every year it comes as a shock to me and I need a long time for readjustment.

So a test on how well do you know me. I'm complaining about the weather and everyday life, posting photos from my vacation and get nostalgic about wandering wherever you want. What could it be?

The answer is I'm planning a trip again. My safety net, my remedy for daily activities, my top thing to look forward to. A mini-vaca. Very short this time, just a weekend, but I'll get to hike a mountain and that's what's been on my mind recently.
Photos: 1 & 2 Santa Margherita Ligure,
3: Genua, 4: Desenzano Del Grada, 5: Sirmione.

Blog day 2010

2010-08-31T20:35:00.015+02:00

I decided to take part in this year's Blog Day.
Here are the rules:

Find 5 NEW Blogs that you find interesting
Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2010
Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31st) and
Add the BlogDay tag using this link:
http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2010 and a link to the BlogDay web site at http://www.blogday.org

Celebrate!

So here we go:
1. Obsessed with my shih-tzu by Mabel Rada
because I'm obsessed with mine and really it's hard not to for a shih tzu owner. And Cinny looks just like Elza only with a better hair cut.
2. A Blog about life in Switzerland by Francesca Matera
because this country fascinates me ever since I've been there and on this blog you can ready about interesting and well kind of ludicrous details of living in this nature paradise.
3. Golubka
because I can only relate. I am no ex-pat but if I compare my childhood memories to the place I live in today it feels like the world moved under my feet. And one way where that's so clearly visible is practicing a vegetarian diet. And because one great way of discovering new blogs is checking what your followers are up to.
4. Urban Gardens
because my balcony garden is about to get closed for the upcoming colder months any day now and the web will be my garden for the time being. Plus they have great tips.
5. Bracom Photoblog
because comments are another great way to discover new blogs and feast your eyes on excellent photography.
And that's my 5 newly discovered blogs for Blog Day 2010.

Retroitalia

2010-08-29T23:24:00.013+02:00

[all photos taken on the streets of Verona]

I was surprised by the number of city bikes in this hot area. A very Dutch approach, just no bike roads but still very cycle chic.

My eternal beloved. One day I'll have one.

But for the time being I'll stick to bicycles.

Cloudspotting

2010-08-26T18:40:00.014+02:00

Hello fellow Skywatchers.

Have You seen the BBC documentary Cloudspotting? It's a must see for for SWF participants I think. Besides plenty of lovely pictures the program rises the idea of appreciating clouds. And I had to admit that the most interesting Skywatch shots feature clouds. Like the one I spotted on my last trip to Holland.
Photo: Groningen, The Netherlands.
But then again the eternal blue has an appeal too.
Photo: Milan, Italy
Looking at my "clear sky photo" above I realised I like it so much because of the power lines and the latern so maybe we just like to see "something" in the photo and clouds make perfect models in sky shots.
To add another twist in this cloud reflection here's anther clear sky photo from Italy. Doesn't the sky make a perfect background? It makes the view seem almost unreal.
Photo: view of Sirmione, Italy.
What do You think? Clouds or clear skies? I leave You with this photo of Lake Garda.
Would it look better with a fluffy little cirrus placed diagonally to the sail boat?
Share Your thoughts in comments and look for this fascinating BBC documentary.

The travel bug?

2010-08-18T20:49:00.004+02:00

I may not be a total traveloholic but this summer travel fever has struck me high and I'm more then fine with it! So I haven't finished telling You the story of my Italian trip, in the meantime I've been on a bike trip in the Northwestern corner of Poland and now... the Netherlands it is!!! Quoting one movie trailer:
Sometimes You have to get away with the girls!
For a couple days in Holland.
See You soon!

The Golem

2010-08-16T22:40:00.015+02:00

The Golem has his own monument in Poznań to commemorate the little known fact that it's creator- Judah Loew ben Bezalel originated from Poznań.
Although this amorphous creature dates back to Biblical times the most famous Golem story comes from Prague where Judah Loew ben Bezalel also known as the Maharal created a golem to defend the Jewish district from antisemitic riots. The narrative may be considered just folklore but the creator is a real historic person. Born in Poznań, he studied in various yeshivas in Poland where he was introduced to Jewish mysticism. With time he became the chief rabbi of Moravia (Czech territory) from which he later resigned and founded his own yeshiva in Prague. In 1584 he obtained the position of chief rabbi of Poznań and perhaps even of all Poland. After 14 years he moved back to Prague and became it's chief rabbi.

So to join these places a monument of Golem was founded in Poznań. The statue was made by David Černý, a controversial Czech artist, who's works can be found in Prague and Liberec. Due to the often scandalous nature of his sculptures, Poznań is only the third European city to have his work permanently in public space. Not that we're so open or anything, there was actually a little scare among the city's conservatives when the decision was announced. But he must of have been aware of how much controversy art can cause in Poland because there's nothing remotely shocking in the sculptor.
That's it from me, have a great week.

Wishing to fly away

2010-08-14T11:12:00.005+02:00

House sparrow on Garda lake shoreline.

I welcome every summer with hope and joy. I dread it's end and upcoming months when all I do is wait for hotter days. My moods are strongly linked to weather conditions despite the real things in my life. And there are those days in late August when you can hear the autumn coming in the wind. Nights get chillier, flowers fade, fruits fall on the ground and fields are empty. Those days bring to my mind visions of hot chocolate, comfy blankets and lying on the sofa with a good book. But only a part of me finds comfort in that. Mostly I feel regret for the passing months. I can never get enough of water, the turquoise blue of the Mediterranean and the immersing darkness of Polish lakes, and all those aromas in the air. I can't even imagine going back to long sleeves and those layers and layers of clothes.
That's the thing about August, even the high temperature days like this weekend start and end chilly, windy and cloudy.
My only remedy for this feeling is traveling. Planning a journey is like a safe net keeping me from clinomania.
Thankfully I've got a cityscaped planned so I'll be fine. Till I'll come back.

My World, I love You

2010-08-09T13:51:00.010+02:00

Hey My World Tuesday blogers I wanted to take this opportunity to share with You this awesome movie about my city made by some young people, without the support of any institutions. It's been a hit in the net here for the last couple of weeks. In this short movie they used about 5000 pictures - quite a time consuming technique- so take a minute of your time to view it.

With all the praise they got after this little piece, they decided to make a second one. It had it's premier last Friday as a part of Tranzyt International Documentary Festival.

If You follow my posts about Poznań you might recognize a few spots. They really did a fine selection of places, the ones I like to show to visitors. And to You.

yet another hiatus

2010-08-04T01:01:00.004+02:00

but
no worries I'm just traveling again and I've got plenty more of Italy to show You and a lot of stuff in between plus all worthy things I'll see on the upcoming trip. It's high time to take my bike for the annual bike-only trip! Meanwhile I leave You with this photo taken in Milan.
Arivederci!

Skywatching in Genoa

2010-07-29T15:18:00.009+02:00

Clouds greeted us as we emereged from the subway at Piazza De Ferrari. It was actually a very hot day (34^oC, that's 93^oF)and those few clouds and narrow streets of Genoa(shadow!)made sightseeing bearable in this heat. But just in case it would get colder somebody provided a cape for the rider.

Clouds in Porto Antico made the view even more spectacular.

This impressive giant ship is a prop that was used in Roman Polański's movie Pirates (1986).

It's really huge! Seeing it with your own eyes makes you understand how big and complexed ships were in those times.

It instantly reminded me of this intro from a Polish 1980's tv show.

The scenes are from another 1980's movie but the theme is the same;)

Boats of Portofino

2010-07-27T23:55:00.010+02:00

The shore of Portofino might be one of the most photographed in Italy.

It's actually a little port village hosting tiny rowing boats next to luxurious floating estates,

and yachts.

It became popular with the rich & famous in the late XIX century and still is.

There were some REALLY, really big boats. The kind that symbolizes 'lifestyle of the rich and famous' in Mamma Mia's interpretation of Money, Money.

So big you need another boat to get on shore. (I took this opportunity to take a paparazzi like shot- what do you think?)

The bay is harbored by cliffs providing an excellent view point. Like Castello Brown, that used to defend the port.

Now it's a quiet and peaceful resort where tourism surpassed fishing as Portofino's main source of income.

But there still are a few fishing boats in use.
With a view like that life couldn't be more beautiful.

Join in on Watery Wednesday fun by following the logo->

Vespa vespa vespa vespa ti'amo!

2010-07-26T00:26:00.004+02:00

[click ^ to enlarge]

Milan street stuff (not a toilet)

2010-07-23T17:57:00.002+02:00

A post inspired by this.

Milano modernismo

2010-07-22T21:15:00.005+02:00

First off the skywatch shot:

The sky on a extremely hot day that later ended in a barely noticeable storm. Plenty of tram lines made this sight even more interesting for me.
I've developed an eye for modern architecture thanks to this blog: Modernistyczny Poznań (scroll down for English)

How does an IKEA stole fit into that?

This building I passed a couple of times never getting the right light but I wanted to shot it anyway.

Hope you enjoyed this mini tour of Milan's less famous architecture.

Parco Sempione, Milan

2010-07-22T00:04:00.003+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Watery Milan

2010-07-20T23:30:00.012+02:00

It's been a long time since I posted for Watery Wednesday but it's the summer that turns me into a water creature. We were in Milan when Europe was struck by a massive heat wave and water is what we needed. I didn't see anybody entering the fountain at Piazza Castello though. It must be illigal.

What I did see however was an impressive selection of knock off bags.

What's the Brandenburg gate doing in Milan? It was there first. Arch of Peace built in 1817 - 1838 in honor of Napoleon marked the coronation of Ferdinando I as king of Lombardy-Venetia. Designed by Luigi Cagnola, it used to serve as the city entrance.

The high temperatures actually made sightseeing easier as all of the city inhabitants were away on a beach somewhere the streets were free of crowds. And if needed we could always grab a drink but the ones who needed water most were the plants:

Espana vs. Oranje

2010-07-19T20:17:00.014+02:00

On the night of the big game in Milan the supporters of both World Cup finalist's countries gathered at Piazza Della Duomo. It's great to be traveling at times of world events as you get another perspective then from your home couch.

Staging a corrida.

Doing the Lambada dance.

Seeing the huge difference in attitude between the outgoing Spaniards and self-centered Dutch I decided to cheer for Spain. You could just see they're having more fun while Holland's fans seemed to feel a bit uneasy with the whole commotion. At least judging by those fans, Spain deserved to win...

...and so they did!

But what mattered the most was the beautiful place where I witnessed that.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

2010-07-19T01:11:00.009+02:00

One of the three biggest attractions of Milan, conveniently placed between the other two. Not just another shopping center.

The place is very much vibrant and alive, unlike some outdated architectural masterpieces, but I was too smitten by the design to pay any attention to the shops themselves.

Interesting facts: the designer Giuseppe Mengoni died the day before the official opening when he fell from a construction while personally supervising the finishing touch works. 10 days later the king Vittorio Emanuele II, to whom the gallery was dedicated to, died (8 days after the opening ceremony).

Everything fascinated me about this place:

from the Piazza Della Scalla entrance...

...to the Piazza Della Duomo,
...from the decorative floor...

...to the glass roof.

Can You spot the flower pots?

Making sure I'll come back by turning around on bulls balls.

On this trip I follwed all the 'site superstitions'. Time will show what will come out of that.

Just came back from....

2010-07-17T23:09:00.005+02:00

[Picture: shop window in Genova]
What a busy month it was! I've been socially & culturally hyperactive and scored some work. I took a little vacation after that but the good news is I've got 3,3 gigabytes of photos! Plenty to show You in upcoming posts!

I told you I've seen wild boars

2010-06-28T20:21:00.017+02:00

They may be behind a fence but those are truly wild boars.
I've seen a lot of wildlife around my house in the past year. Wild boars, the European deer, foxes, common pheasant and now hedgehogs but it was always after dark. Until one afternoon last week I was coming home when I met mama boar with 3 youngsters.
There were a few people watching but the boars were interested in me because of my dog.

Even the youngsters.

From time to time they make a trip into the city.

This bunch was chased into a garden of an agricultural institution until the police could arrive to support their evacuation.

Elza, the bravest little dog, was very keen to met them and I had to hold her really tight so that she would not get too close. And I have her to thank for all the wildlife encounters of the last year. If it were not for our moonlight walks I wouldn't have even known how many creatures venture to human habitats around my home.

When the policed arrived they stopped the traffic and the boars were chased off in the direction of the river plains. There goes mama boar.

Followed by her youngster.

And the second one.

The third kid liked the garden so much it didn't want to leave. The police and people from the agricultural institution chased the piglet around the garden for about a half an hour. It was an eventful walk home.
For more stories from around the world click on the My World Tuesday logo->

A matter of perspective

2010-06-10T20:02:00.002+02:00

Flock meeting a bird of steel.

Floodwatch 3: Near Chrobry Bridge

2010-06-01T12:43:00.019+02:00

More shots from Saturday when the peak of the flood wave on the river Warta reached Poznań.
Municipal Police cordoning the levee from pedestrians.

Never in my life have I seen such high water level of Warta.

The ducks seemed to enjoy it.

Those buildings are in risk of collapsing because of a local shady developer who was supposed to renovate the retaining wall that regulates the river beneath his apartment complex.

Here's a photo taken last fall so you can compare the 'normal' level of Warta.
Enlarge the above photo if you need so you can see two concrete steps on the embankment that's usually high above water. That's water over the higher step, very near the bridge:
People asked by the municipal police to leave the levee.

Another set of 'before and after' shots.

As you can see water doesn't even go there when the river level is 'normal'.

I'm saving the nicest reflection shots for the weekend meme and a couple of flooded recreational houses still to come.

Flood watch part II

2010-05-31T00:32:00.021+02:00

It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday and I spent all day outside along the river Warta. I went to various places but the most interesting views where much closer to home.

My street sort of leads to nowhere. It ends before a railway mound and turns into a simple dust path going through a meadow.

I took my dog for a walk and when we reached the railway overpass there was so much water and so much closer then I expected.
So this is how the flood 'border' looks like. It's very dump and full of puddles that suddenly turn into one big water reservoir.

Rails were placed so high they can still be used.

Elza and I climbed this very narrow stairway...

...to get on top of the railway embankment and get a better view of the situation.

The blue arrows show where the river was (behind that tree line) before overflowing and the red x marks the spot where I had a BBQ picnic on the beginning of this month.
To see the difference you have to enlarge the photo below. On the left you can see the railway overpass above the floodplains from the furthest point I could get to with dry feet. On the right the same meadow on May 1st as seen from the river bank with dry land and the overpass in the background.

One more photo of the meadow in it's normal state taken last fall. The path is some where under water now.

I've got plenty more shots and will post them by location with the 'before' shots so come back soon.

Flood watch part I

2010-05-29T10:10:00.015+02:00

There's a spot in Szelągowski Park where my brother and I come regularly to check on the Warta river. Now it became much more crowded. Including the official watch by law enforcement.

But this Thursday evening it rained so heavily we were the only ones out there. The Municipal Police stayed hidden in the car, we were snapping and I said "We're like those tornado hunters." Quite a thrilling experience.

The next day water was higher. The path way where we take walks is all under water. On Thursday there were just puddles. And you can see the tree I used as cover to take rainfall shots - can't get there now.

That tree line used to be on the other bank of the river. Now the floodplain behind it is covered by water.

On Friday there were plenty people coming and going to Szęlągowski Park to witness this nature phenomena with their own eyes. With kids, with dogs, on feet, on bikes, by car... Can't blame them as I was one of them.

This poll barely comes out of water. It just has a very long reflection.

It's a beautiful day today but the river level is still rising. Stay tuned for more shots.

The power of whining and the alley of dandelions

2010-05-27T21:39:00.019+02:00

Just last week I was complaining about non-stop bad weather when sun decided to show itself to us for a few brief moments. This week I got to wear short sleeves, ride a bike for just the second time this month, show off my legs, spot a perfect rainbow, lead sightseeing and so on - summer fun. There's still rain pouring but at least it got interrupted. And I suspect it's all thanks to me being unable to take it anymore and whine to you about weather in my last post;)

In case you're wondering what's that white stuff, it's dandelion seeds.

In those brief moments of sunshine I stumbled on a massive colony of dandelions on my way from work. Dandelion seeds blown by the wind where flying densely in the air. And You can see the reason why I prefer to walk back home in the background on the right.

Like a weekly vicious circle it's gray & wet again now. The flood wave has reached Poznań and it's peak is expected on Sunday but I am not worried. I guess I trust in my city's preparation. Meanwhile what I have for Skywatch Friday is a another attempt to capture the rain shot.
More flood watch photos coming soon.

Before the rain

2010-05-20T18:16:00.009+02:00

I took this photo of the recently restituted statue of the Greek goddess Hygiea on the last sunny day - the 30th of April. Yes, it's been 20 days of rain, gray skies, dark clouds and low temperatures. Weather may be viewed as the ultimate filling the silence subject but I find myself overly influenced by it. Not that I'm meteoropathic or something, it just swings my moods. Ugly days suck out my energy and willingness to do anything.

Ok, no more winning about myself when this meteorological situation causes real damage and hurt. A giant flood wave runs through most of my country. Poznań is usually safe from this but I empathize with the people from the South and Central Poland. And I start to wonder if it's the new Ten Plagues. First the plane crash, then Eyjafjallajoblablabla, now flooding...
Above image found at gover.pl

"I'm back "

2010-05-17T21:53:00.013+02:00

That's what the statue could off say. The monument of the Greek goddess Hygieia is back in it's place after 4 years. Like some other monuments of Poznań this lady moved around a lot for a statue. When the monument was erected it rose controversy because her looks were based on the monuments founders wife- Konstancja. It changed locations before finally settling down on Freedom Square. When the place was renovated she was stored in a warehouse and again rose the discussion about the location. But she came back, just slightly pushed to the left.

Speaking of statues of Poznań they had a hell of a weekend. Last Saturday Poznań's football team [don't you dare say soccer] won the master title of all Polish clubs [something like that]. Anyway they're the best now and the fans came to celebrate in the Old Market. Endless masses of waisted men signing & shouting. It was the biggest assembly the Old Market has ever seen and I'm not exaggerating one bit. The crowd kept getting bigger and so they started to climb on medieval town houses, the Renaissance city hall, fountains and statues. Like monkeys in the jungle.

The poor lady below lost her hand and she's not the only one who lost a limb that night.
The worst thing is the city officials are so hooked up on promoting sport they actually invited the fans to celebrate in this tight historical sight. Not to mention it was Museum Night and several cultural institutions had to close down due to the arrival of these hordes. I guess as long as we got EURO 2012 they don't care about European Capital of Culture 2016.

Not your typical clouds and blues Skywatch Friday

2010-05-13T21:56:00.003+02:00

I changed the Skywatch angle to capture the rain, after all there's no defined line where the sky starts right? After the longest, snowiest winter came the rainiest spring. Can't take it anymore. The ugly weather is bringing me down and takes out the energy to do anything.

Persistence

2010-04-27T19:55:00.003+02:00

[shh, wordless wednesday]

Planeless sky

2010-04-23T12:39:00.002+02:00

How very weird it was this week - knowing you're under a cloud of volcanic ash, seeing nothing but the blue, clear sky and the nicest weather this year. If it were not for modern media this geological event would go unnoticed on the continent. Probably no one would notice the planes are missing from the sky. A major problem for many businesses, travelers and companies was invisible for people that had nothing to do with flying. And that's the weirdest part of it - how a fact only perceptible in media affected our lives to a scale of a crisis. Very sci-fi.
Btw. it's my 28th birthday today.

Mourning sky

2010-04-15T15:47:00.012+02:00

All over Poland there's mourning flags everywhere.

It's overwhelming.
We're not the flag berrying people. You won't see this much white & red even on national holidays or at the time of football games.

It's a weird time. Seeing caskets everyday. The more time passes new grim facts come to light and it all gets more horrifying. The details of the identification process, still not finished for some. Hearing journalists more often using the term 'human remains' instead of 'bodies'. Watching a truck load of coffins yesterday in Moscow being brought on board a huge C-17 Globemaster - a plane borrowed from NATO because the aircrafts in the possesion of Polish Army can ONLY[!] take on 9 coffins. Only. Special kind of coffins had to be expressly bought in Italy because Poland only had 10. Only. The delivery truck had problems in Austria because such vehicals aren't prohibited to travel at night there. Special permission was granted after state intervention. At Moscows Domodedovo International Airport every casket was dressed with Polish flag and brought on one by one saluted by the honorary guard. The same scene happens 30 times and it's still not even half of the victims. In the background a regular Emirates airplane is prepering for take off. I can only imagine what the passangers inside felt witnessing this scene. When the NATO plane lands in Warsaw 30 empty catafalgues await. After the ceremony a procession of 30 funeral vehicals rides of together on the streets of the capital. That was the most visiual realisation of the magnitude of the tradegy and still I beared in my mind it's not even half of the victims. Today the same procedures took place with 34 other victims. And it's still not all of the tragically deceased. I am waiting for all of them to come home.

Saturday 10.04.2010

2010-04-12T16:14:00.016+02:00

Late evening at the Katyń memorial in Poznań.

The magnitude.
Foreign media tend to focus on the death of the president Lech Kaczyński in the tragic plane crash. Poland is shuttered not only after that but because this plane carried the official state delegation with the most prominent officials on board and no one survived. Hearing about any plane crash is terrible but usually all you know is the number of victims, however big, an anonymous number comes down to one, one plane. This time it's a list of names with faces we all knew. Whether we agreed with them or not these people were guests in our daily life through the tv screen. The crew and the passengers, head of state and ordinary people, relatives of officers executed in Katyń, highest military commanders next to security personnel, right-wing conservatives next to left-wing liberals, Catholic next to Eastern Orthodox, veterans of politics next to up-coming stars, presidential candidates of opposite parties, civil officials next to MP's, pro gay next to homophobic forever united in death. People thanks to whom I live in a free democratic country. A feminist who fought for gender parity in elections died with some of the most active female politicians...
The ones I admired...

...and some I ridiculed.

A stewardess, a student.

Son and nephew of officers killed in Katyń massacre in 1940. I recognized his name immediately because his uncle kept a journal in soviet captivity to the very last moment and thanks to his notes my family found out the fate of one of our ancestors also killed in Katyń.
Leszek Solski.
A young lawmaker terribly scared of flying.
All now united by the very last sentence in their biographies:
died on 10th April 2010 near Smolensk.

10.04.2010

2010-04-10T20:33:00.008+02:00

Happy Easter...

2010-04-02T18:43:00.002+02:00

...to those who celebrate it.
And a nice weekend for those who decide to get away for these few days as do I.

This bunny display can be found in the Old Brewery.

Kaziuki

2010-04-01T15:56:00.008+02:00

Kaziuko mugė is a traditional Lithuanian fair held in Vilnius on March 4th. For a few years now it's also been held in Poznań on Sunday following the original date. As it often falls before Easter it' s not just about folk arts and crafts but mostly to stock up on Easter decorations.
What you see below are 'palms' - on Sunday before Easter Church goers should bring them to mass. It commemorates something to do with Jesus and palm leaves but since they were not easily obtainable around here in the olden days, people handcrafted their interpretation of palm leaves themselves. The tradition lives on, only now people buy them rather them make ones.

Apart from Easter decorations there's been plenty of ethnic Lithuanian snacks, traditionally made organic food etc. Like these large loafs of bread, from banana boxes;)

My dad's favorite pea soup from a army field cooker. This was the main dish served on outdoor occasions before the invasion of BBQ.

Lithuanian goods made half of the fair and were accompanied by the usual ethnically not related crap like grilled oscypek (my favorite) and pirates of... China.

But hey as long as everybody's having fun...
And though I'm done with all the Koala stuff I just had to shot this one more..

Farewell...

2010-03-26T15:56:00.003+01:00

...to the longest, coldest, snowy winter.
[Photo taken in Austrian Alps]
There's been plenty of false hope sunny days and painful snowy setbacks but it seems to be definitely over. It's been a blast, especially for Elza but we welcome the warm days cheerfully. Those last weeks before change of seasons are hard when spring seems to be just around the corner but cold holds it's grasp tight. And then when it happens, all goes so rapidly. You start a week in a winter coat and end with no coat at all. Forget the coat, today a long sleeve was too much! And I got the photo that shows it - some kids lost winter glove sank in springs warm sun.

A Perfect Day

2010-03-25T20:38:00.009+01:00

When it's cloudy below and sunny in the mountains you're the smart one to be up there.

But sometimes when You're lucky you get the absolute perfect weather on your vacation.

Deeply blue, spotless sky disturbed only by plane tracks.

Perfect sunshine all day long till the moon rises.

Happy Skywatch Friday!!!

The helicopter

2010-03-18T23:59:00.004+01:00

Every time I hear the ambulance siren it gives me the shivers. Hearing a helicopter approaching the slopes I thought someone got seriously hurt.

Turned out it was just for show. Some safety educating event for kids.

No broken bones this time.
Happy Skywatch Friday!

The skier

2010-03-18T16:01:00.002+01:00

Wordless Wednesday

Writings in the sky

2010-03-11T16:52:00.003+01:00

On bright, sunny days You could see there's heavy air traffic above the Lungauer ski region.

Looks like somebody flew straight to the top;)

"X" spotted on my way down to the village. I was always the one to head home last, using my time on the slopes to the max. On those last rides of the day the routes were empty, the only people I met were cabin & restaurants crew. Wouldn't mind leaving work on skies everyday.

Lines above Aineck.

PS. I'm still looking for a new blog title to replace the 'Just Like A Koala' one and the temporary 'Just Me'. Haven't come up with any ideas yet, I thought I ask you guys for some help. Anything comes to your mind after following me and knowing what's this blog is about?

Sking self-portrait number 1

2010-03-06T21:27:00.003+01:00

and a Shadow Shot Sunday contribution.
Have a great week!

YouTube - The Pierces - Boring

2010-02-20T18:57:00.000+01:00

YouTube - The Pierces - Boring
This became my 'Getting ready for Saturday night' theme. Despite the discouraging lyrics the beat gets me going.

One horn(y) camera critter

2010-02-19T17:53:00.005+01:00

I dreamed about one horned reindeers last night. If it were a figment of my imagination I might be worried but it's just my mind tossing images from my ski trip.

These two were a tourist attraction at Katchberg ski resert.
Have a fun weekend!

Elza is one year old!!!

2010-02-17T20:48:00.007+01:00

It's Elza's birthday today!!!

Thought it hasn't been a year she's been with me, my life has changed thanks to this tiny spark of happiness. I wanted a dog my whole life but had to be very patient till I'm a proper grown-up. And I would never expect such a wonderful, full of love and energy, always ready to make friends animal. I can take no credit for her smartness, sympathy to all people, inexhaustible joy, zero aggression and fearlessness. That's just how she is.

And to think that when I brought her home she was smaller then my palm, too tiny for her food bowl.

This is the photo that made me instantly fall in love with my future pet.

Funny thing I just realized today - she was born on Cat's Day. How ironic. This snowcat I found at my brother's yard.

And I never thought I'll turn into a crazy dog lady who dresses her pup up in dog clothes and bows but it's just too darn cute;)

Furry snowball

2010-02-13T17:15:00.008+01:00

I've been saying it all the time - I don't remember winter ever being this white and this long. And Elza has been really enjoying it. Every time I go out clubbing we take a moonlight walk when I come home so that both of us can sleep long in the morning. Last night it was really misty and there's been fresh snowfall. The white powder was so irresistible I dived in and made snow angels. My pup must of thought I'm going crazy;)

Elza is so tiny that she falls deep into snow which makes walking hard for her but she never gives up reaching her goal. One easier way she discovered to move around is using tire tracks. It's like a canyon for her;)

She loves sniffing in the snow and this hard winter makes animals wander close to human settlements in search of food so there's a lot to sniff around. We meet Roe Deers every night and some days wild boars and pheasants. Hard to believe all this happens in the city.

Elza with her new friend.If you could see those tails waving so cheerfully.

The white pup is 5 months old and is just changing his teeth so he had to stop playing every once in a while to nibble twigs.

Have a happy weekend!

Boom

2010-02-11T21:53:00.003+01:00

I love this photo cause the little cloud makes it look like a smoking volcano.
For more skies -> follow the logo->

My name is Ania

2010-02-10T03:34:00.004+01:00

Due to recent life events time has come for me to drop the spiritual animal act. I've changed my screen name to my real name, Ania. I've just wanted all of You my followers and fellow bloggers to know Ania is the same person formerly known in the blogosphere as koala. I'm still working on the new blog title, for the time being it's Just Me.

Still in love with the Alps.

2010-02-04T18:47:00.007+01:00

Skywatching from a mountain top on a cloudy day.

My nephew asked me what's it like to be in a cloud. I've told him he's just been there.

On days like this You have to go up above the clouds to get a little sunshine.
The view from Eineck peak in Lungau ski region. The peak it faces looks like an island lost in all those clouds.

Have a happy Skywatch Friday. If You want to join follow the logo->

Tripping ;)

2010-01-23T01:08:00.004+01:00

It's that time of the year again! I'm heading for my annual ski trip tomorrow!!!
I can't wait for my next trip the moment the one I'm on finishes.! This years destination of choice is Austria, Salzburger land, ski region Lungau.

Take care and see you (and your blogs) in a week!
Image source: salzburgerland.com

Farewell to Ikarus

2010-01-19T01:44:00.026+01:00

In my city we have a habit of making a fuss out of little occurrences that might go unnoticed anywhere else. We see them as an opportunity for celebration. When I say fuss I mean turning any occasion into a major event. Like opening a new elephant house or a new apartment complex. That's one of the things I love most about Poznań.

Image source: http://www.kmps.org.pl/
In this spirit, last Saturday we said farewell to Ikarus buses. I remember a campaign from not long ago mentioning that Poznań has the highest rate of modern buses in Poland. Maybe it's because we have two bus factories in the vicinity - the global MAN brand and our very own but also spread worldwide Solaris buses. Anyways, now there will be no old-school high entry buses at all. They were officially terminated out of operating. Just the high teched modern buses from now one. And so this making us proud occasion was marked with a parade of the turned down Ikarus buses.
The poster for the event below.

You see such things can only happen in Poznań. Making a parade because all of the public transport wheeled fleet is modernized!!!
Image source: efakt.pl
If you would like to know more on this classic brand found in more places all over world then you would think (like Tunisia) click here.
And so I say farewell Ikarus!

image source: wiki commons.
This has been a My World Tuesday presentation, to join in the fun click the logo->

Elza's New Years eve preparation.

2010-01-16T17:46:00.004+01:00

Elza right after we picked her up from dog hair dressing saloon and the day before New Year's eve. Looking classy like a show dog (thou I'm not into dog shows).

People tell me she looks unreal in this photo.

I'm keeping her coat long for these winter months but she still needs some minor cuts here and there every now and then.
Camera critters+Pet pride->

Where winter lasts all year

2010-01-14T20:45:00.019+01:00

The long over due (you already know my sorting problems), sneak peaked on more then one occasion skywatch post from Aletsch Glacier. So bear with me on another Swiss tour cause this collection of shots I just had to show.

At 23 kilometers (14.29 miles), the Aletsch Glacier is the longest ice flow in the Alps.*

It's the place to find ice & snow all year round.

Could it be more alpine then this?
It seems so unreal, even to me though I took this shot and didn't edited it in any other way then resizing.

If the glacier were to melt, the water would suffice to provide every human being on earth with one liter of water per day for six years.*

The weight of the ice is calculated at 27 billion tones, which is equal to the weight of 72.5 million jumbo jets.*

Up to 20 centimeters (7.87 inches) of the glacier melts on a hot summer day.*

Over a short mountain summer from June to September this amounts to as much as 8 meters (26ft).*

Since it's last maximum extension in 1860, the Aletsch glacier has receded by about 3 km (1.86 miles) in length.*

In recent years the speed of the glaciers retreat has significantly increased.*

The enormous decrease can also be observed in the amount of meltwater that runs off.*

On a hot summer day about 60 cubic meters (196 cubic ft) of water run out of the glacier cave.*

This amounts to 60,000 liters or 5,000 crates of one-litter bottles in a single second.*

* - all the info noted from the signs at the site.

This photo we took as a contribution to a contest by a sports gear shop (it's supposed to feature a product purchased there). I'm surprised we haven't won.

For more Skywatching follow the logo->

Sharing is caring

2010-01-14T00:25:00.002+01:00

My friend found this and I had to share it with you. Winter makes us crazy and that's how some people in my city try to enjoy it - with a sleighing party pulled by a tram :)

My world is white

2010-01-11T20:28:00.007+01:00

I don't remember having a winter like this ever since I was a child. Sure there's snow every year but it either melted in days or turned into dirty mud the moment it hit the ground. Now it's not only freezing but there's fresh snowfall every day. Some days Elza & I can't find our tracks from the morning walk in the evening.

Saw this car Saturday night and it's owner must of gave up because the snow is still pilling on Monday.

The only other people as excited as I am about this weather are kids.

I watched this kid from my window and he didn't gave up. Hitting the same trash can every time;)

I defiantly am a summer person but any kind of weather extremities excite me. There's a certain feeling of uniqueness in the air, people are more friendly and helpful to each other and every time you get out there's a sense of adventure.

Hey fellow my worlders, please have a look at my new blog 365 Meals, No Meat and tell me what You think.
For more My World Tuesday posts ->follow the logo->

A couple of shots from my New Years trip

2010-01-07T21:25:00.008+01:00

I don't know why but I didn't take any landscapes shots on this trip. Not of the lovely village we stayed in nor of the peaceful view from our room. Just party portraits. Fortunately my boyfriend took my camera on a New Year's morning hike and I just slightly edited the photos.

Fellow skywatchers might be used to my recent approach to this meme where I post pictures taken from cloud level as a sort of alternative sky views. Well this time it's no Swiss Alps but quite smaller hills in the South of Poland, a division of the Carpathians.

And the sky is winterly milky.

"Lonely hunter"

While all of Poland and most of the continent was covered in snow we went to the mountains and it melted but you can't get rid of winter that easily and it was back after two days. Just when it was time to head home.

For more skies from around the world follow the logo->

Introducing my new blog

2010-01-06T14:31:00.006+01:00

I've got a new side project (don't worry this blog is save). It's a photo & self challenge and hopefully a delight for foodies. I aim to document my 365 meals of the year 2010 to provide an answer to a question I hear repetitively - What do I eat if I don't eat meat.
Some of you that come here regularly might be surprised that I start another blog when I don't make time for this one but fingers crossed my posts on life and traveling won't suffer. It's something I've been thinking about for a while and this New Year seems like a perfect opportunity. At the same time it grows out of the Just Like a Koala concept and deserves a separate site. So, please visit and enjoy:
365 MEALS, NO MEAT
http://eating365.blogspot.com/

My World Tuesday.. better late then never

2009-12-27T23:52:00.010+01:00

Every year in Poznań a Christmas fest is held on the Old Market Square. It starts off with the International Ice Sculptor Festival.

I took so many shots that picking a post quantity became one of the reasons for my long absences. So after long and painful sorting here are my favorite shots:

Take your time to have a closer look at them and let it be my compensation for the unplanned blogging break.

Team's USA sketch and piece at work.

The most unexpected tool - an iron.

Swan lake.
Imagine the sound from all that drilling.
So many tools...

I found looking at all the pre-finishing work far more interesting then the lit up and ready sculptures.

Romania's abstract sculpture looked best at night.

Team USA's piece is ready.

Team Canada:

Poland:

A Polish-French ice sculpting joint venture:
(click to enlarge)

The funny thing is a dramatic change of weather preserved these lovely ice constractions probably for the longest time since the Ice Sculpture Festival has been held.

There were also stalls with Christmas goodies and heated wine...

The city Christmas tree - same one from the tv commercials.

Enjoy Your My World Tuesday and a Happy New Year!

First snow

2009-12-20T22:44:00.005+01:00

Oh yeah! It's been snowing all right!
Since Thursday our country turned into some winter wonderland, a very freezing one. But Elza is charmed by these new to her conditions.

She loves the snow and spends most of her walk with her head down in the ground and it gives her a sort of Santa Claus beard look.
"Look Koala, I'm a snowy ostrich."
Ha, found evidence there was spring here once.

On her first ever snowy walk she was running around looking for the end of this white stuff someone spread over our yard but then she got accustomed to the fact it's everywhere. Now she prefers running in the snow more then the cleared ground. Sniffing, munching, leaving first tracks on fresh fallen one and digging in the snow is so fun!

And I love observing this young creature experiencing seasonal changes for the first time!

***
This is a late addition for Camera Critters and Pet Pride. Check them out by clicking the logo->

Update

2009-12-15T19:49:00.002+01:00

Seems that I've jinxed this blog by telling You how uninspired photo wise I feel when winter hits the city. Although I spent last weekend freezing my hands off with my camera on a Christmas fest and took a bunch of pictures perfect for my World Tuesday I've failed to upload them on time. Their're still unsorted, unedited, unresized waiting for a chance next week...
And all that with no excuse. I'm only busy socializing, supporting friends etc. To make it worst the end of the year meets me with a financial crisis of my own, just in time for purchasing gifts;) All that Christmissy stuff just ain't fun without the opportunity for giving. And I really hated Dexter's season final.
But a lighter post is soon to come.

Zermatt

2009-12-07T21:10:00.004+01:00

Ski season is coming I'll be heading to Austria this (well next to be exact) year but if You're lucky enough to plan a ski trip to Switzerland I'd highly recommend Zermatt.

Not only the distinguish Matterhorn dominates the view in this town but it's snobby and posh with a little rural twist as anyone's stereotype of a Swiss ski resort.

To top it all off it's one of the most eco-friendly places on Earth. You can't get there by car. You either take the expensive train or leave your car in Täsch - the village below and use on of the local transport companies van. But this way you'll only get to the outskirts of town because - get this - no engine cars are allowed! Only electric cars can drive in Zermatt. Like those cute tiny hotel shuttles.

All this so that the pollution doesn't spoil the view of Matterhorn.

I found the town small enough to explore on foot. Besides the hotel district there's the old part of town with the traditional rural huts. Another interesting point is the cemetery of alpinists who didn't make it back from their attempts at climbing the Matterhorn.

Although it's possible to ski all year round from Zermatt, in the summer it makes a perfect starting point for hikes at the various summits around, offering different views of the Matterhorn and a variety of scenic routes.

Zermatt critters

2009-12-05T12:58:00.009+01:00

Zermatt is a lovely & posh ski resort that I hope to write about tomorrow. Meanwhile a sneak peak with a help of a few critters.

I was suffering with puppy withdrawals during our trip. Missing Elza made me spot canines everywhere and I was marveling those traveling dogs that were allowed to enter Switzerland.
Elza has a microchip & an EU pet passport but it had turned out that she doesn't meet the legal requirements because of her young age. The Swiss Federation has divided the world into A-list and B-list countries on the grounds of the presence of rabies. Supposedly we live in a infected country. Yeah, right, and polar bears run on our streets. Anyway, if you're a B-lister your dog has to undergo a series of tests on the effectiveness of their vaccinations. Test which are impossible to perform on dogs before the age of 7 months so they're just not allowed in.

An ode to the groundhog which we were lucky to see another day.

For more camera critters just follow the logo->

Skywatching high

2009-12-03T18:25:00.007+01:00

Ladies and Gentleman, I give You
the Matterhorn:

The iconic peak who's shape and timid beauty became the symbolic image to represent mountain tops of all sort. Remember when you were a kid and was assigned to draw a mountain peak? Seeing Matterhorn is like your childhood drawings came to life.

Many failed in attempts to climb it. Over the years it must of have seen plenty rescue actions. That day it was no different.

Despite the cloudy day I managed to snap a few shots of the famous mountain.
For all sorts of sky watching related posts follow the logo->

Master of the Lousanne fountain

2009-12-02T16:40:00.006+01:00

The lamplighter

2009-11-30T19:24:00.012+01:00

A sculpture by Robert Sobociński - a local artist & author of many monuments in our city.

Back in the days when street lights were powered by gas they had to be lit up manually. And so the lamplighter was a part of the city landscape. This monument commemorates that no longer existing profession. I like this new approach to statues were instead of glorifying kings, politicians and other historical VIP's we remember the daily life from the past.

I noticed how his face was sculptured to resemble the stereotypical East European labourer like in the Socialist Realism works so I played with the image a bit to make it more propaganda like.

PS. Remember the guy checking if it rains from the Green Street Square post? Well it's not raining much this November but somethings definitely falling.

For more My World Tuesday post from around the world follow the logo->

Autumn delights

2009-11-29T20:11:00.002+01:00

I've got stuck with a bunch of pears and no idea what to do with them when on one of my daily visited sites this recipe was linked.
Apart from pears you'll need sugar, cinnamon barks and powder, honey, butter, walnuts and a lemon.
1) Cut the pears in half and cut the seeds out.
2) Boil the pears with sugar, clove and cinnamon bark.
3) Take the pears out and make little incisions on the outer side of the pears.
4) Spread some butter onto the casserole and put in the pears. Incised side up.

5) Melt together one spoon of honey, one spoon of butter and lemon juice.
6) Add walnuts to the sauce.

7) Spread the sauce over the pears.
8) Spray it with cinnamon powder.

9) Bake in a preheated up to 180 centigrades oven for 20 minutes.
And voilà!

Serving options include vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
source

Sky hike

2009-11-26T21:14:00.007+01:00

Here I am complaining about nature losing it's colors on My World Tuesday post while this is the sunniest November I've ever seen. So I took my camera and set out on a sky hunt today. The first one came reflected in car window. Shot from inside a bus.

Although it's just a few solar hours a day, the light is so intense and strong like on a sunrise.

And it really brings out the yellow in this monochromatic season.
Whether it's in the leafless bushes and trees or the omnipresent cranes.
(Seriously, it feels like Berlin circa 2000 - cranes, cranes, cranes everywhere).

Another sky reflection hunt down.

Too bad the evening comes so quickly this time of year.

But I've always preferred sunset light. Today it painted this tree red.

For more sky shots follow the logo->

Bettmeralp

2009-11-24T22:50:00.008+01:00

You don't have to be flying to take this bird's view shots.
You just have to climb high in the mountains. I don't know about you but I get pretty tired and sweaty after mountain hiking and dream of a bathing. In Swiss Alps you can have both. I've introduced you to the grand Swiss lakes but that's not all what this land has to offer for water fanatics. There's plenty of small lakes up there, all safe and clear and there's nothing better on a mountain hike then going for a swim with all those views.

Look, there's even pedal boats and a beach volleyball court.
This country truly has it all!

This lake lays just above the village Bettmeralp - one of the gateways to Aletsch Glacier.
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The end

2009-11-23T18:55:00.005+01:00

The end of a season.

My world will immerse into gray from now on. No more colorful leaves on the trees, no reds, no yellows and the green will lose it's spark. Till March it will be cold, wet & dark only sometimes interrupted by all white going muddy. I feel so uninspired photo wise in those times. At least till Spring. By the way, I found this movie poster with the falling Jesus on Cathedral Island. A place packed with Church buildings. I wonder if it's a coincidence.
***
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Shih tzu + kids

2009-11-21T16:06:00.010+01:00

Most descriptions of the Shih Tzu breed say that they are good with children. What they really should say is that shih tzu are absolutely crazy about kids and need them around. Whenever Elza spots a kid on our walk she tries to pull me in that direction so she can say hello. It's hysterical seeing a pup seeking contact so much.

She likes them as much as meeting other dogs and is so smart that she knows all the things and places that mean kid presence. Like when we go to my brothers place and my niece isn't in sight Elza runs to her bed looking for her.

When I take my niece to the park Elza climbs into the lower compartment of the stroller when she's tired from the walk. We make quite a sensation riding like that.

And so when Elza sees a stroller she knows there's a kid inside and wants to climbe in. :)

Fortunatlly for all of us Elza found a companion in my niece. They make a great team, play, grow, learn & explore the world together.

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Lake Lucerne

2009-11-17T20:47:00.010+01:00

Watery Wednesday
I prefer the original name of Lake Lucerne - Vierwaldstättersee which means Lake of the Four Forested Cantons.

The view from Lucerne.

With the area of 114 km² it's the forth largest in Switzerland.

It's so twisted and bended with many bays and turns it makes a perfect destination for a steamer trip. That's also a neat way of getting from one town to another.

Could it be any more blue?

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St. Martin's Day

2009-11-16T19:33:00.025+01:00

Only in November, only in Poznań and Wielkopolska...
the Saint Martin's croissants.
The semi-puff pastry with a white poppy seed, vanilla, diced date fruit or fig, sugar, cream, raisins, butter and orange skin filling and topped with crumbled walnuts.

While the rest of Poland commemorates the National Independence Day on the 11 of November, we in Poznań celebrate St. Martin Day. A carnival is held on St. Martin's street and about 300 tones of St. Martin's croissants are eaten every year. Only certified confectioneries can sell them. The street is closed to traffic for St.Martin's parade and a street fair. The croissants are a medieval tradition rediscovered and redefined on the brink of the XXth century.

My other favorite street fest food - grilled oscypek cheese.

And then come the fireworks!!!!!!!!!!

I prefer our joyful fete to the dull and over patriotic events held in other cities. And it's far more spectacular as all of You who visited my blog on Skywatch Friday could see.

Some of the fireworks were even quite fitting for the Independence Day don't You think?

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Just a butterfly

2009-11-15T12:19:00.002+01:00

On an alpine meadow.

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Skywatching...

2009-11-12T17:10:00.004+01:00

...the outer space?

No, it's last night in Poznań.

Everybody was looking up in the sky but not for nature phenomena.

Want to know what's the occasion? Join me next Monday for My World Tuesday.

Meanwhile take your time to check other Skywatch Friday posts from around the World.

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Lake Geneva

2009-11-10T23:02:00.015+01:00

Watery Wednesday #1
Mountains aren't the only Swiss natural treasure.
I was equally amazed by the big blue lakes.
Lake Geneva is so huge there's over a 50 towns and cities on it's shores.
A view at Montreux.

The peaceful shores are perfect for an afternoon stroll.

But the best thing is the clear waters! The Swiss know nature is their best treasure and know how to preserve it. It's the most ecological, trash free place I have ever been to and quite inspiring in that matter. I can't say that enough because for a water fanatic like me the opportunity of taking a swim in any water you come across knowing that it's clean is perfect!

And I sure did! I can't imagine such conditions in any other place in Europe!

So clear you could just eat it;)

This fellow was having his fun too.

This is my first entry for the Watery Wednesday, for more scroll & follow the logo.

Simple symbols, hard issues

2009-11-09T19:40:00.014+01:00

Apart from it's 'practical' purpose the Berlin Wall became a symbol of the Iron Curtain. It's hard to find any simpler or having more impact thing to symbolize complicated political issues then a human made construction aimed to separate people from each other.
The Warsaw Ghetto wall.

Banksy's art on the Israeli West Bank barrier. Also called the Israeli Wall of Separation or Apartheid Wall.

So let me paraphrase Ronald Regan:
Mr Netanjahu tear down this wall!

Image source in order of appearance: wiki commons, britannica.com, news.bbc.co.uk, traveladventures.org

Swiss small town house

2009-11-08T22:29:00.002+01:00

Wouldn't mind living in a place like that. Imagine waking up to Alpine views everyday... ah winter makes me dreamy and nostalgic.

Sunset at Montreux

2009-11-05T19:51:00.006+01:00

I love the intense light of the sun just before it fades.

From the moment it's powerfully bright

till the moon rises

and until it all gets dark.

Am I becoming a sunset specialists? ;)

For all sorts of sky pictures follow the Skywatch Friday logo->

Old tombs.

2009-11-03T21:28:00.015+01:00

I saved this collection of photos from my last year's trip to Lviv, for the Day of the Dead. In a grim coincidence Ukraine is all over the news because of the flu epidemic now.

This is the historic Lychakiv Cemetery.

Both, Polish & Ukrainian notables rest there forever.

Deaths equality gets very visual when on one cemetery you've got SS members & Ukrainian Nationalist and Polish fighters that protected the city from Bolsheviks.

This is the quarter were Polish soldiers are buried. There used to be much controversy about it because they died in defense of a Polish city and when Lviv became Ukrainian naturally they didn't feel like praising those fighters. So that part of Lychakiv Cemetery remained closed for many years but that's officially settled now.

"To the Americans who died fighting for Poland in 1919 - 1920"

The saying "may You rest in peace" makes sense if you look at all this controversy over a little quarter of a cemetery. Now when it's all over it's peaceful like a park on Monday morning.

Sunset at Malta

2009-10-29T21:04:00.006+01:00

Malta is an artificial lake, rowing track & recreational area near the center of Poznań. A place to be for bikers, skaters, joggers... active people of all sort. Kind of like our own version of Central Park. And the similarity in name with the country is not coincidental. It comes from Sovereign Military Order of Malta known as the knights of Malta who used to own Church and land in this area.

For more skies follow the skywatch logo->
As for my dear skywatching visitors, just a short post this week so I encourage You to take your time to read my other posts below.

Getting around Zurich

2009-10-29T15:52:00.014+01:00

For a bank capital of the world Zurich is a relatively small city so getting around is quite easy but that doesn't mean people can't get creative.

Any of You following my posts might have noticed my slight obsession with old-school looking vehicles and bikes. I just find something colorful and pleasant for the eye in the fine looking or vintage means of transport. And You can't get more of these then in Switzerland. So here's a collection of shots from the streets of Zurich.

Ever since we crossed the boarder old fine automobiles were everywhere. There's even old-school bicycles.

Ups, looks like that one ain't going nowhere.

If You're not a bike fan You might try something else. Like this uncanny tricycle car:

A boat perhaps? With the Zurich lake and the Limmat you can reach quite a bit of places by water.

And of course, to my joy - vespa's.

With so much to choose from you're free to be yourself.

Last but not least, there's the Polybahn. A cabin car railway linking the Central station at the bank of Limmat with the school of engineering up on the hill. It literally comes out of a townhouse.
Swiss primary concern when it comes to moving around is keeping it green. You wont find many SUVs in this alpine state.

I laughed so hard I had to share this.

2009-10-27T23:20:00.007+01:00

Translation:
Poland
Here even the crisis doesn't work.

*****
The map shows the GDP in the second quarter of 2009. I like the description so much because it laughs from our habit of complaining all the time, no matter of the circumstances, and is an example of the kind of jokes we like - when our specific national characteristics make us the winner of any situation. Kind of cheering up jokes. Enjoy.
Image source: demotywatory.pl

Virgin Hill

2009-10-26T20:14:00.024+01:00

MY WORLD TUESDAY
(for other worlds click the logo->)
Supposedly living in a flatland leaves You with no trails to go hiking. But in my area You'll find plenty of places to go for a nature encountering trip. One of the routes we took goes through a primeval forest protected landscape sight to the highest point in the area. The Virgin Hill is just 143 meters high (470 feet) and it's a short walk - about 8 km both ways. The pup loves going on a hike with us because far from the dangers of civilization she can run freely.

It was blackberry season and everything tastes better freshly picked so we feasted as much as the thorny plant let us.

You may know other attractions of this primeval forest protected landscape - Puszcza Zielonka from an old post of mine - the Spring Snowflake.

The name of the Virgin Hill dates back to 1242 when this land was given to the Cistercian nuns.
But perhaps the biggest attraction is the observation tower located on the hill. It's 40 meters (130 ft) high. It's primary purpose is fire prevention but there's time for visitors and the view is spectacular!

That's as far a I went. It turned REALLY high and that's enough for me to get scared.

The city emerging in the background.

It was very windy up there (making it more scary). Unfortunately at that time the weather conditions were changing for worse, especially for photo purposes. No skywatch worthy shots.

So that's how it looks for birds:

***
On a side note. For those who come here more often and remember the post on wild river surroundings where I take my walks - I just stumbled upon a bunch of wild boars on my evening dog walk. Scary.

Swaderki

2009-10-22T22:39:00.007+02:00

Swaderki - a camping place by the lake in the Masuria area where I spent the last week of Summer holidays (well last for school kids).

And the sky was perfect! I could just sit for hours on the pier and marvel the view and how it changed with the Sun till it set and the milky stars later on.

And how the clouds seemed as they couldn't resist bathing in the lake Maróz.

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Fall countryside

2009-10-19T15:51:00.027+02:00

The inevitable end of summer.

The old 4 seasons distinction is a bit too narrow to name the annual cycles of nature for me.

There's the beautiful Autumn, full of warm colors and ready to pick crops.

When it's a bit chilly but not too cold for a bike trip to the countryside to marvel the wonders of nature like this field of tomatoes (I'm so used to the greenhouse grown ones that I was stunned by this view).

Then there's the grey, wet, cold & ugly Autumn as seen through the window now. This year's beautiful Fall was a very short one and so I'm even more glad I got to cherish those delightful sights in the wild.

There's a very long tradition of planting fruit trees along the country roads linking villages in Poland.

We're not quite sure where this custom comes from but my father and I feast on those country roads and no fruit ever tastes better then right after picking. Maybe it's purpose was to provide food for the wanderer?

This is the bike trip that brought us to the village where the Plum Jam Fest was held that You might remember from a previous post.

The village name is Mniszki which translated means Female monks.

Getting ready for the big event.

You can see the 3 stages of it's development.

From a XIX century farm village with a manor-house, through communist communal farming to modernity celebrating tradition.

Another village we went through, Prusim.

Located at the lake it attracts more city folk looking for a get away place.

It always amazes me how different it looks outside of the city.

All it takes is turning from the main roads to travel through time.
All those remote & time preserved areas where life goes on in a smaller pace appeal to me.

A deserted XIX century factory just outside Mniszki. I'm quite glad that big industries left those rural areas for more urbanized places and it's only the outskirts of the cities and speedway neighborhoods that bear that commercial ugliness. So there's still some untouched by time country beauty.

Hello puppy!

Pet stop;)

Geese of feather flock together.

That was My World.

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Elza 8 months old!

2009-10-16T15:09:00.016+02:00

Unbelievable! My little puppy turns 8 months this Saturday!
She still hates bath time but got a tasty treat afterwards.

Help! I'm wet.

Maybe I can lick it off.

She gets more patience with each bath and this time we tried out her new after bath robe.

She doesn't mind pet clothes and has no problem doing whatever she wants in them.

Oh the fun we had after bath playing with the one-eyed bear.

The bear's condition is a result of Elza's playing with him.

But it takes her months to actually damage any of her toys or my stuff she plays with.

Hello to all the Camera Critters and Pet Pride participants!

Aletsch part 2: Skywatch.

2009-10-15T22:41:00.006+02:00

We're used to looking up in the sky but what if you're in the clouds and the birds of prey fly below your feet?

So for this week's issue of Skywatch Friday I've prepared a sort of sky downward angle shots;)

These photos were taken on our hike to Aletsch Gletcher in Switzerland that I've teased You with on one of the previous skywatch editions. This trip was so full of magical picturesque views I've got plenty more shots I'm attached to so many more posts coming. And if You know me You know I'm not the one to downsize.

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August the 1st

2009-10-14T15:41:00.000+02:00

If You like events and want to go to Switzerland plan Your visit sometime around the 1st of August.

On this day the Swiss celebrate the Federal Charter of 1291:
The document set an alliance between the Three Forest Cantons which is the symbolic beginning of Switzerland as a state.

Now it's a day to show national unity and there are fiestas in every town. The best time to have raclette from a street vendor:

There's no insane laws about public drinking so the events take place outside. Usually at the main street or waterfront. If Your in a town by the lake, the boardwalk is where you should look for the party.

Just a helping hand.

With Europe being so multicultural now, everybody joined in the celebrations.

It was the only day when we could afford eating out and not in one but many places (well stalls) with various snacks & drinks to offer.

Later it was show time!
Fire works were most popular but some places prepared something different.
Looking at the air show in Montreaux:

There was a side of those events we enjoyed a bit less. The same everywhere commercial shit. Rackety crowds and made in China merchandise. Only this year there was more King of Pop tee's then Che Guevara ones.

Peruvian bands world domination reminded me of an episode of South Park on that subject.

And then there was this kid. Running naked in a fountain on a hot day while every body's watching the air show.

Just when You think nothing will surprise You. Splash!

On a more current note it got really ugly outside so I use reminascing about the Summer us my "I'm not ready for Winter" therapy and stay in denial.