Update!

This blog will continue as ‘Warsaw Daily Photo‘ which can be found here. All history, posts and comments have been transferred over, so it should look exactly the same.

Thanks for visiting!

Kinoteka

For an alternative cinema experience, why not try the Kinoteka located in the depths of the Palace of Culture & Science. Spread over several levels and accessed through grand corridors and chandalier adorned rooms, it’s a much more intimate cinema than you would usually find in a city centre. Of  course once the lights go out, it doesn’t really make a difference where you are!

Tiny Droplets of Rain

It’s still very stormy in Warsaw and most afternoons we have a thunderstorm or heavy rain. Last night was particularly ferocious and rain and high winds destroyed trees and caused chaos on the roads throughout Poland. The morning after, all you can hear are the soft droplets of moisture running off the trees and dripping onto the undergrowth. There’s always a feeling of freshness in the air and a few small signs left that the storm passed through.

Storm moving in…

This was the view skywards last night around 8pm – taken on the camera attached to my Blackberry (I miss my Canon!). The view to the right hand side was a mass of dark grey and moving in swiftly. It was still oppressively warm and I was clammy (there isn’t a nice word to describe it) before I even started to climb the 8 flights of stairs to our apartment because our lift shaft was flooded last week. Still, keeps me fit.  Beautiful sky though!

Commuter Train

I was out jogging along the railway line around 7pm the other day when this commuter train passed me on its way towards Ursynów and Konstancin, two large residential districts to the south of the city. Many people I know live outside of the city and use the good network of trains to commute to work in the centre. A slightly longer commute to work than I have, but then the vast difference in house and apartment prices makes up for it at weekends when you can relax in a private garden, as opposed to heading to the nearest park for some greenery and space!

Headstones in Arkadia Park

I was out with the boys in in Arkadia Park in Mokotów a couple of weeks back and came across these bodyless statues mounted on granite pillars. There used to be a mansion here which was destroyed during the war, but was used as a healing centre before the war broke out due to the medicinal properties of the spring water nearby (the statues commemorate the pioneers of the centre). Interestingly, Nestlè also used to have a discreet water extraction plant not far from here where they bottled it and sold it as natural spring water…from the “mountains” no doubt!

Daily Ups and Downs

I was on the 3rd floor of Złote Tarasy last week and happened to look down onto the escalators feeding the other levels. I quite like this shot as it sums up our daily lives – full of ups and downs and constantly being pushed from one point to another, often with no way of stopping or having the chance to pause and relax a little. It also sums up our need for shopping and consumerism – ZT is one of the more expensive shopping centres in Warsaw and yet always seems to be busy. Crisis? In Warsaw?

Warsaw Art

There are a few places in Warsaw where art is regularly displayed during the summer months. This is a show of photographs by various artists on the wall of the Barbican in the Old Town from a couple of weeks ago.  The World Press Photo ‘09 exhibition was recently in Zlote Tarasy Shopping Center which was also extremely good. As with all press exhibitions, there were many images to shock the public taken during conflict and bloodshed – not for the lighthearted or young. However, given the family friendly surroundings in the Old Town, no shocking images here.

Lolek

As my Canon G9 has just gone on the blink (internal screws become loose after a year apparently!), I will have to use a selection of archive photos for the next few days. This is one I took last week in Pole Mokotowskie of the Lolek Pub. Made to look very traditional, it has a great outdoor play area for kids, and serves basic but reasonable food mainly from a grill. For a stopover or as a place to meet up with friends for a beer at the weekend, it’s ideal. Lolek is an old Polish cartoon character and his companion ‘Bolek’ is a similar pub at the other end of the park. Here’s Bolek and Lolek in action saving the environment in a submarine…

Warsaw’s National Opera House

Built between 1825-1833, the Teatr Wielki (Great Theatre) has hosted ballet, theatre and opera performances for over 150 years. The first production held here opened on 4th February 1833 and was Gioacchino Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville’. Earlier this year we went to see ‘Manon Lescaut’ (in 4 acts!) by Giacomo Puccini as part of the 13th Ludwig van Beethoven Festival. The performance was very enjoyable and they thoughtfully translated the lyrics into English and Polish on a screen suspended above the stage. Admittedly, the champagne and caviar afterwards was a welcome addition!