Ex navicula navis, and further travels of an idiot

Poland is Awesome, or why this blog has no posts.

2011-11-05T01:32:00.002+01:00

Okay, so this is what happened.

I went for a very long bike ride.

I was exhausted and had too many photos to take care of all at once.

Then, many other things happened. I got a job, I lost a job, I got sick, I got better. And last week I decided that I wasn't having fun with project 365 anymore. So, I gave it up. Four years and three quarters is quite enough!

I still take a lot of pictures, but I don't take them every day anymore. That's all that changed.

The bigger news is that I've started a hobby blog which I hope will turn into a professional portal some day. It's called Poland is Awesome:

It will contain all my stories and photos from my travels around the country, written with extra attention to detail and interesting facts and anecdotes. If you enjoyed learning a little bit about my country while you were reading this blog, then you should like Poland is Awesome. It's a light, fluffy blog, aimed at foreigners, in particular Western ones, who may be completely unaware of just how many awesome things one can see and do in Poland.

So, come and visit! Subscribe! Read! Comment! Ask questions! Learn crazy Polish words and idioms!

http://polandisawesome.blogspot.com/

The latest post is about All Souls' Day, which is the day when the cemeteries are open well past sundown. Oh, and did I mention there are lots of pretty photos?

Go check it out!

177/365: This is what I'm leaving behind

2011-06-26T22:57:00.002+02:00

177/365: This is what I'm leaving behind, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 26th

Well, only for a fortnight and half... but I sure feel bad. They're so cuddly. (and yes, if you're wondering, that cardboard box has been eaten. By both of them. Steadily, meticulously, they tear away at it.)

I will be camping, but I promise to make good use of that lovely android smartphone I have now. Keep an eye out on my twitter.

176/365: Village Party

2011-06-26T22:42:00.002+02:00

176/365: Village Party, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 25th

So, thanks to the power of Facebook, I know what parties are happening in town even though I never go and don't have many friends. I don't like parties. But I LOVE photo opportunities.

This gig was in someone's barn, with hay all over the place, that's why they called it a Village Party.

175/365: Critical Mass Łódź

2011-06-24T22:32:00.000+02:00

175/365: Critical Mass Łódź, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 24th

Critical Mass for June! I don't go very often, but I just felt like it this month. And they rode right past my house, so I didn't even have to ride up to the meeting point.

174/365: The bird

2011-06-23T22:24:00.000+02:00

174/365: The bird, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 23rd

Today was Corpus Christi. I didn't go see any processions this year. The city was really quiet when I went for a walk- it's a holiday, everything is closed, and since it falls on a thursday, a lot of people use the opportunity to take a long weekend.

173/365: Sewing machine

2011-06-22T22:19:00.000+02:00

173/365: Sewing machine, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 22nd

It is good to have friends with sewing machines and a kind heart. Sylwia fixed my trousers and attached extra loops to my bike bags. :)

172/365: Spinach, tomato, basil

2011-06-21T22:16:00.000+02:00

172/365: Spinach, tomato, basil, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 21st

I had a friend over. She bought spinach, then left without eating it. I detest spinach, but I also detest wasting food, so I camouflaged it in a tomato, pepper and garlic sauce. Yum. :)

171/365: A colourful day

2011-06-20T20:49:00.002+02:00

171/365: A colourful day, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 20th

The bike path along Jana Pawła is not very scenic, but always interesting in terms of colour.

170/365: Lodz Sewer Museum

2011-06-19T20:37:00.000+02:00

170/365: Lodz Sewer Museum, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 19th

The so-called 'Inner Tube' (Dętka) sewer runs in a circle under the Plac Wolności in Łódź, and was one of the first segments of the city's sewage system, built in 1926. It was designed by the british engineer William Heerlein Lindley (the younger Lindley) and the construction was supervised by local engineer Stefan Skrzywan. It's a large sewer, 187 cm tall and 1,5 m wide, and was used for water retention in the event that one of the connecting sewers needed purging.

169/365: Squish

2011-06-18T17:30:00.000+02:00

169/365: Squish, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 18th

One of the many abandoned buildings in Łódź (though there is at least one occupied apartment in this one still). Why is it folded over like that? I don't know. Maybe just for the sake of having windows.

168/365: What is better than strawberries?

2011-06-17T22:56:00.000+02:00

168/365: What is better than strawberries?, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 17th

Strawberries on waffles, of course.

167/365: Strawberries

2011-06-16T16:54:00.001+02:00

167/365: Strawberries, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 16th

At my favourite veggie and fruit vendor's. I snapped the picture, then bought half a kilo.

166/365: Waffles of the Eclipse

2011-06-15T23:50:00.001+02:00

166/365: Waffles of the Eclipse, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 15th

We didn't see the moon at all, but the waffles were yummy. (in this photo: Kasia and Antek)
We used my paternal grandmother Helena's (may she rest in peace) famous waffle iron, a German-made relic from my childhood and unbeatable versus the weakling low-watt teflon irons of today. :P

Then we sat on the roof waiting for the eclipse, but we saw nothing. Clouds!!!

Oh, and I got a haircut that morning. Haircuts, much like bike rides and waffles, also help against a bad mood. Quod erat illustrandum:

165/365: Coal

2011-06-14T16:45:00.000+02:00

165/365: Coal, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 14th

I have central heating, but the neighbours to the left and right still use coal.
Also, I drew this today:

164/365: Empty room

2011-06-13T22:42:00.000+02:00

164/365: Empty room, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 13th

My last flatmate left. Now I'm going to rent the room out to a friend for a workshop.

163/365: Snailfingers

2011-06-12T20:52:00.000+02:00

163/365: Snailfingers, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 12th

Snailllllls....when I was small, I started a snail zoo. They all ran away.

162/365: Equality Parade / Parada Równości

2011-06-11T19:49:00.000+02:00

162/365: Equality Parade / Parada Równości, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 11th

Warsaw. Like Pride, but a little bit different. Postulates:

-civil partnership rights for gay and lesbian couples
-the introduction of a fair and neutral educational programme concerning life in a diverse society, with diverse sexualities
-government action against discrimination of LGBTs and other minorities
-expansion of the law concerning hate crimes to protect gender identity and sexual orientation
-a review of the laws concerning the protection of animals

161/365: Water sprite

2011-06-10T23:44:00.000+02:00

161/365: Water sprite, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 10th

Or the fountain in the Manufaktura shopping centre, if you want to be less mysterious.

160/365: Herbs at night

2011-06-09T23:25:00.000+02:00

160/365: Herbs at night, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 9th

I was tired after the bike trip, and that always means last minute, boring photos ;) Sorry.

159/365: Karst springs in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

2011-06-08T22:10:00.000+02:00

159/365: Karst springs in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 8th

There isn't a better remedy against a bad mood than a long and exciting bike ride. This time I decided to take a train South-East to Tomaszów Mazowiecki and tour the area, which is very picturesque with the Pilica river winding through it.

The picture above is of the karst springs in Tomaszów, the so-called Blue Sources. The light didn't lend itself to making the blue show up in photos, but the sand at the bottom, pushed out by the spring geysers, gives an idea of the colour.

There were also swans with their swanbabies!!

This was actually my last stop on the tour, right after the Pilica River Open Air Museum, where, among old millstones and river barges I saw these:

On the left, the T-34/85, supposedly the best of its kind in WW2 warfare. On the right, a rare prototype vehicle from the Luftwaffe, recovered from the bottom of the Pilica where it sank in 1945. It's the only one in existence, and it still works! The museum plans to give rides in it at some point.

They also had an old train station:

and a model of a floating mill:

The part of my trip that was supposed to be the most exciting turned out to be a bust- although a bust with a promise. The 14th century castle ruins in Inowłódz are no longer ruins- they are being reconstructed!

Which also meant that I couldn't walk onto the site and visit it. So, I took a walk around the little town and saw, instead, the church of St Idzi:

Or St. Gilles, if you will.Said to be built in 1086 by Prince of Poland Władysław Herman in gratitude for the conception of his son, Bolesław Wrymouth, but other sources say it is more likely to have been funded by Bolesław himself, around 1138. A statue of said father and son stands nearby:

Done with that, I went to seek out traces of the Jewish community in Inowłódz. Before the war they made up a third of the locals...before the war. Four hundred people, all gone.

This is a horrifying reality I keep encountering while touring my country- mere traces of a people who were once very much at home here. We all know about it, but...

Well. A curious memento of Jewish presence is an early 19th century synagogue:

It was badly damaged during the war, and used as a storage facility until its renovation in the early 80's. From then on, it was a library, and finally it was sold to a private owner who turned it into a store.

Yes, a grocery store.

The polychrome inscriptions are the only thing remaining from the original decor, and they are unique in being prayers for the Russian Tsar (the building dates back to times when Poland was partitioned and this area belonged to Russia). The southern wall has an inscription in Hebrew, the northern wall in Russian. The names of new tsars were painted over the old ones upon succession.

I asked the owner about the controversy of keeping shop in an old prayer-house. He claims to have spoken to authorities of the Jewish community in Poland about it, and that they do not consider it a holy place anymore since the Torah scrolls were removed from the building long ago. However, the synagogue is on the list of national artefacts and so the building and inscriptions must be preserved.

With a little help from the local librarian, I found my way through the forest and terrains belonging largely to a chalcedonite mine to another sign of Jewish presence in Inowłódz: the cemetery.

Built in 1820, it is now abandoned and difficult to locate in the forest- you have to do some mild trespassing. Most of it was destroyed by the Germans in WW2.

After the cemetery I took a shortcut (which, proverbially, made for a long delay) through the forest to the amazing bunker in Konewka:

The Anlage Mitte, another memory of the war, was built as an operative HQ for the Nazis. It was never used as such, but it's impressive nevertheless. The railway bunker is 380 metres long, and was meant to house two of Hitler's personal trains.

I suffered from a lack of tripod, but plan to come back again. The tour is kind of crazy, it leads down a ladder into the service duct, which besides being creepy, is dank, dark and dirty:

All in all it was a very nice ride, and I want to do it again- in better weather, light, and perhaps with some company...

On the map, as usual, the planned route is in red, the actual ride in blue:

View Okolice Pilicy in a larger map

158/365: Bad day

2011-06-08T00:10:00.000+02:00

158/365: Bad day, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 7th

Very bad, horrible, no good at all, punch-a-wall and kick-a-trashcan kind of day.

157/365: Zulka checks out the new safety railing

2011-06-07T00:16:00.001+02:00

157/365:Zulka checks out the new safety railing, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 6th

I made it so she could sit on the windowsill without sliding off.

156/365: Evening Stalkers

2011-06-07T00:13:00.003+02:00

156/365: Evening stalkers, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 5th

I keep special treats in that drawer. They both want some.

155/365: Lodz by night

2011-06-05T19:50:00.000+02:00

155/365: Lodz by night, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 4th

On International Neighbour's Day, Antek, who is not really my neighbour, called and said 'wanna come up to the roof?'

I did.

(he's got a hammock up there, too. So sweet.)

154/365: Dairy Shop

2011-06-03T21:02:00.000+02:00

154/365: Dairy Shop, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 3rd

That is what used to be here, according to the sign. The writing down the side says cheese, eggs, butter, bread. I don't know how old this is but the grammar makes it seem dated.

153/365: Movies make you act crazy

2011-06-02T23:58:00.000+02:00

153/365: Movies make you act crazy, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 2nd

We went to see Pirates, against all reviews and recommendations (I just wanted to see the ships). It wasn't that bad! Better than part three, certainly. And somehow it made us completely hyper.

152/365: Children's Day

2011-06-01T22:04:00.002+02:00

152/365: Children's Day, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 1st

It's children's day today. Runaway balloons all over my street!

151/365: The castle ruins in Besiekiery

2011-05-31T23:00:00.001+02:00

151/365: The castle ruins in Besiekiery, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 31st

What a sight. I read about these ruins in a guidebook to castles in the Lodz voivodship, and decided to make them the destination for my first 100+ km bike trip. (yes, it hurt, and yes, it was worth it.)

The village of Besiekiery itself is very small- a few houses, a small school, but it dates back to the 13th century. The name suggests that its original settlers were Scandinavian- viking mercenaries in the service of our first dynasty of kings, the Piasts. 'Besiekr' is a nordic word meaning 'man wearing a bear skin'. But in Polish, 'siekiera' means axe, and so there is also a legend about the devil Boruta (who also dipped his claws in the history of the nearby Royal Castle in Łęczyca) striking a deal with a local noble that would allow him to collect the man's soul if first he built him a castle without the use of an axe- without a siekiera. In Polish: Bez siekiery!

What the poor devil didn't know was that one of the labourers was named Siekierka...

But that's only a legend. The castle is a little younger than the settlement, having been built around the year 1500. It used to have a large tower which held the main gate and a chapel, an open courtyard and a three storey house in the back. It was modified several times over the years, but has been abandoned since the mid-19th century.

Currently, the municipality is gathering funds to revitalise the ruins and make them a safe and welcoming tourist attraction. So far they've strengthened the remainders of the main house and rebuilt the moat. There's a little beach, but swimming isn't a good idea as there is a lot of duckweed and leeches. Yuck!

Oh, another interesting thing about this castle is that it's home to a pair of storks.

They come every year to build their nests on top of the ruins. Storks are very popular in Poland, we consider them to be one of our national symbols.

The stork is a bird that brings luck, and it's very good to have one on your property- they say lightning will not strike where a stork has his nest. And because storks like high places, many landowners will set up a special post or build a platform on top of the barn roof, or in the branches of a dead tree, to encourage storks to make their nest there.

I saw more than one stork on my way to the village. It's the season!

On the map, red is my planned route, blue is the actual path I took. Some of those roads weren't roads at all! Google Maps doesn't know everything ;)

View Łódź - Besiekiery in a larger map

150/365: Tomorrow

2011-05-30T23:46:00.000+02:00

150/365: Tomorrow, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 30th

Epic bike trip coming up. Too busy to shoot anything more decent, but tomorrow's pictures will be glorious.

149/365: Games

2011-05-29T19:31:00.000+02:00

149/365: Games, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 29th

Someone was having fun here. Kids in the city are creatures of great invention!

148/365: Flowers at the Green Market

2011-05-28T19:28:00.000+02:00

148/365: Flowers at the Green Market, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 28th

Tinted marguerites, and my neighbourhood beyond them.

147/365: Strawberry

2011-05-27T19:25:00.000+02:00

147/365: Strawberry, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

Another evening of staying at home. And this will ALSO go into my breakfast shake. Strawberries are in season and cheap as dirt, I always eat massive amounts of them in the summer. And then none for the rest of the year- who wants oversized, tasteless, imported and overpriced fruit?

146/365: Banana

2011-05-26T23:00:00.000+02:00

146/365: Banana, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 26th

An evening of being tired and not feeling like going outside to shoot. These bananas will go into my breakfast shake. :)

145/365: Red bicycle going to Rogów

2011-05-25T23:36:00.001+02:00

145/365: Red bicycle, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 25th

I like cycling.

The problem is finding people who want to cycle with me. I'm in that awkward bracket: not hardcore enough for most enthusiasts, too hardcore for my casually biking friends. So, when I plan a trip somewhere, I usually end up going alone.

But this time, the trip wasn't my idea. "Let's go to Rogów," my friend Kasia (in the picture) said. "Let's go to the Life Sciences Arboretum." Only, of course, the minute I said yes, the planning fell to me. And planning is odd when you can't gauge the endurance of your group. Already, there were complaints. "Eight in the morning? Why do we have to leave that early?"

"Because it will be boiling hot by 11 am, and because it's thirty miles, and I can't see you going faster than eight on average."

And because I only know half of the way there. But, I didn't tell them that.

I plotted a route, strapped my new Android phone to the handlebars for GPS assistance, and hoped for the best.

We got lost, of course. Pro tip: when the opening of a trail is guarded by a headless Jesus statue, don't follow it. It's a very, very bad trail.

The next trip I'm planning will be lonesome. Apparently no one wants to bike sixty miles to see the ruins of a gothic castle.

Things we saw along the way were a WWI cemetery hidden in the forest in Wiączyń:

...a village called Moscow:

Apparently the local lord took part in Napoleon's failed Moscow Campaign, and when he returned, he named the village Moskwa.

We crossed a terrible slippery log bridge over a swamp:

...then cycled through the Windows XP background...

...until finally, Rogów!

...with beautiful Azaleas:

...a pond full of lilypads, frogs, and fishies:

The woodcut typography used in the arboretum signposts is worth a mention. Look at the 'transparency'!

It was a good day. Here's the map. Orange trail is what I had planned, blue is our actual route.

View Wycieczka do Rogowa in a larger map

144/365: Strawberry Milkshake

2011-05-24T11:17:00.000+02:00

144/365: Strawberry Milkshake, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 24th

Two handfuls of strawberries, a banana, a cup of kefir, two ice cubes. Blend. Drink. Know that life has meaning.

143/365: Garlic abundant in Warsaw

2011-05-23T22:19:00.000+02:00

143/365: Garlic abundant in Warsaw, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 23rd

"There is garlic flowering at the Grzybowski square!" my friend told me, excitedly, after coming back from a Jewish Dance Workshop. The square is in the old Ghetto area and there was a festival- I missed it, I was at a different folk fest across town.

But at least I could go take photos of the garlic.

142/365: Carving workshop

2011-05-22T22:12:00.000+02:00

142/365: Carving workshop, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 22nd

A year ago, on Palm Sunday (photoset here), I met mr Staśkiewicz, a folk artist. He promised to make me a hurdy-gurdy.

A year is a long time to wait, but I caught him at a folk picnic in the park- what luck that I was in Warsaw that weekend. He promised he'd get to my dream drehleier as soon as possible. But he's so busy with workshops and fests...carving saints and birds...repairing basolias and surdinkas and countless other folk instruments I've never even heard of.

But I won't stop whining about my hurdy-gurdy until I'm turning the crank.

141/365: Sigismund

2011-05-21T21:50:00.000+02:00

141/365: Sigismund, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 21st

In Warsaw for the weekend. Hello, King Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, monarch of the united Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until 1599! You're looking mighty majestic up on your column today.
He's got a nice view on the upcoming Euro 2012 stadium, too:

140/365: Deconstruction

2011-05-20T21:45:00.000+02:00

140/365: Deconstruction, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 20th

The EC-1 power plant, getting a makeover to become a culture and media centre. We're anxiously awaiting the results of this project.

139/365: Light up Lodz

2011-05-19T22:41:00.000+02:00

139/365: Light up Lodz, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 19th

A small happening by a street art group. "Our city is full of dark places," they said. "Let's light one of them up." They are trying to draw attention to good locations in Lodz which are not being used to their full potential. The space where they asked people to bring their lamps is a pretty decent stretch where trees grow, and there could be benches and grass, except now all that's there is dirt, dog poop and drunks peeing on the walls. So instead of a little park, a place to breathe and rest, we have a dirty, disgusting area which everyone avoids.

With the lamps, just for one evening, it became a magical place.

138/365: The brave of Kilińskiego #108

2011-05-18T21:19:00.000+02:00

138/365: The brave of Kilińskiego #108, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 18th

Sitting Bull visits Poland.

137/365: Wreck

2011-05-17T21:10:00.002+02:00

137/365: Wreck, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 17th

A random bike trip around the North-Western side of the city.

The route:

View Teofilów 17.05.11 in a larger map

136/365: Chestnuts

2011-05-16T21:05:00.000+02:00

136/365: Chestnuts, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 16th

Gdańska street, Łódź.

135/365: Bryll w Teatrze Nowym

2011-05-15T22:56:00.000+02:00

135/365: Bryll w Teatrze Nowym, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 15th

My dad speaking at the theatre around the corner.

134/365: Five Chickens

2011-05-14T20:55:00.000+02:00

134/365: Five Chickens, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 14th

Five chickens on top of the Poldrob chicken plant warehouse are just one of the things I saw when I took a bike ride to a part of the city I rarely visit- Widzew, in the East.
I also saw...

...a factory gate:

a squirrel:

a laundry line:

and a classy hairdresser's shop:

133/365: The only thing I accomplished today

2011-05-13T22:45:00.000+02:00

133/365: The only thing I accomplished today, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

...was washing the dishes. Possibly because it was a May 13th Friday.

132/365: Nasty ceiling

2011-05-12T23:43:00.000+02:00

132/365: Nasty ceiling, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 12th

I swear, I'll get around to patching and painting it at some point. I just need to pick out a colour.

131/365: Shoe

2011-05-11T20:38:00.001+02:00

131/365: Shoe, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 11th

Found while walking through the wilderness with Guinness.
Other things seen:

Buttercups...

...a little garden...

...and a farm.

130/365: The Brontosaur of Mokotow

2011-05-10T21:11:00.000+02:00

130/365: The Brontosaur of Mokotow, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 10th

Chomp chomp chomp, eating away at the remainders of the ski jumping tower. It made horrific noises.

129/365: Zulka and Oli

2011-05-09T20:42:00.000+02:00

129/365: Zulka and Oli, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 9th

They are growing fluffy and strong, especially Oli, who is now bigger than Zulka and much stockier- his tail is long, he will be a big one!

I maintain that I had this mezzanine built for my own needs, but obviously the cats love it more than I do.

128/365: Brassica Napus

2011-05-08T20:22:00.000+02:00

128/365: Brassica Napus, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 8th

Or canola, if you prefer, the most common sight in fields at this time of year. We cook mostly on rapeseed oil here.

Makes for a very pretty backdrop when you're out biking in the countryside with no clear purpose or destination.

127/365: A lovely day

2011-05-06T20:57:00.000+02:00

127/365: A lovely day, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 7th

This is Źródliska Park, across the street from my old university and just behind the Cinematography Museum. We went there to see a collection of autochromes shot by the Lumiere brothers. They were amazing, and so was the weather.

We stopped at the park because my flatmate had some video art project she wanted to shoot using my other flatmate's Cheburashka doll:

And here is a tiny sample of the autochromes:

126/365: 96 years ago: a mural

2011-05-06T20:52:00.000+02:00

126/365: 96 years ago: a mural, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 6th

A mural by Urban Forms Street Art Foundation. They've been painting a series of murals all over Łódź over the last couple of years.

This one was across the street- it's clearly a bit older, but I don't know anything about it:

125/365: Storage

2011-05-05T20:42:00.000+02:00

125/365: Storage, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 5th

Sheds for people living in a building nearby. Instead of a basement, I suppose, and a garage. Cars aren't absolutely necessary in Poland (though useful, of course) so it's quite common not to own one. But you still need to store all your junk somewhere.

Oh, and I also saw this on that same bike ride:

124/365: Recycling

2011-05-04T20:39:00.000+02:00

124/365: Recycling, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 4th

Behind one of the big malls.

123/365: In May? Really?

2011-05-03T20:33:00.000+02:00

123/365: In May? Really?, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 3rd

The traditional Long May Weekend was probably ruined for a lot of people! You don't want snow falling into your barbecue.

Me, I was snug at home, and laughing like an evil person.

122/365: Work in progress

2011-05-02T20:30:00.000+02:00

122/365: Work in progress, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 2nd

Today was flag day. But I'm still achy because of my impacted wisdom tooth surgery, and I just couldn't bring myself to get out of the house. So I stayed in and drew my entry for They Draw and Travel.

121/365: Beatification

2011-05-01T20:27:00.000+02:00

121/365: Beatification, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

May 1st

Pope John Paul II was beatified today.

120/365: Abandoned Factory

2011-05-01T20:24:00.000+02:00

120/365: Abandoned Factory, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 30th

One of many disused little factories in Łódź. You just have to go into courtyards and peek around corners, and here's a chimney, there's a chimney...

This one belonged to a certain Wilhelm Lürkens, and was built between 1891 and 1909. It used a huge steam engine to produce knitted fabrics.

I stayed outside because I was alone, and it's not safe to go into abandoned buildings alone no matter how tough you are (I'm not very tough.)

And this is the owner's villa as seen from the back:

119/365: Painkillers

2011-04-30T20:12:00.000+02:00

119/365: Painkillers, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 29th

For after wisdom tooth surgery. Horizontal impaction, not fun at all.

118/365: A cuddle

2011-04-29T20:11:00.000+02:00

118/365: A cuddle, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 28th

My backpack is the best place to sleep on, because that means I can't go anywhere.

117/365: Kasia and the Butterfly

2011-04-28T21:58:00.000+02:00

117/365: Kasia and the Butterfly, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 27th

The Lodz Zoo opened a special butterfly exhibit. You're not supposed to pick up the butterflies, but if they land on you themselves, it's fair game. ;)
It was hard to take photos, because the butterflies prefer to keep their wings closed...

...and they favour the ceiling. But this fellow decided to stick with us for a while:

I got a photo with him, too. Made me think of milking butterflies in Glitch. :P

116/365: Zulka and the plants

2011-04-27T21:48:00.000+02:00

116/365: Zulka and the plants, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 26th

Which I was glad to see she did not destroy while I was gone.

115/365: Powązki Cemetery

2011-04-26T21:38:00.000+02:00

115/365: Powązki Cemetery, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 25th

This morning, our neighbours were going to the cemetery to visit a loved one. I went along with them, because Powązki is so beautiful. There are so many statues, and famous people buried there. And an aunt of mine whom I loved when I was small. I had a little bit of trouble finding her grave, but I did and left her a votive in blue glass.

114/365: Eggs for Easter

2011-04-25T21:32:00.000+02:00

114/365: Eggs for Easter, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 24th

In Poland, on Easter Sunday, the first thing you eat is a slice of boiled egg. You go from person to person, wishing them a happy Easter...and whatever else you want them to be blessed with.

Then you get to eat everything else.

113/365: Family and assorted friends

2011-04-24T21:27:00.000+02:00

113/365: Family and assorted friends, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 23rd

From left to right: Marcin, the Porzeziński Family (note Tosia hiding in the background), my dad, my mum, my sister and her boyfriend, imported from Barcelona.

In the photo, they are all standing by the Dominican Order Church, with their Easter Baskets in hand. Every year on Good Saturday, we take baskets filled with samples of the Easter meal to church where a priest blesses them:

They're a symbol of all the food that will be on our table that year. It's like saying grace before a meal, but with a long-term warranty.

Afterwards we go look at the grave in the church (where I don't take photos because people are praying) and then we fill a bottle with holy water from a barrel set out on the church steps:

Oh, and here's a bonus. My sister has a new boyfriend- David from Barcelona. Here they are in real life....

...and in egg form.

I am told he painted her and she painted him.

112/365: Mazurki

2011-04-23T23:27:00.000+02:00

112/365: Mazurki, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 22nd

Also some babas and wine, and a poppyseed cake. We made less than usual this year, because half the usual guests are over in Finland where my half-brother's daughter's husband relocated with his family to work on building a powerplant. So no great-grand-nephew or great-grand-niece will eat these, alas. Well, more for me!

111/365: Narcissus

2011-04-22T23:20:00.000+02:00

111/365: Narcissus, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 21st

I always say daffodil, but daffodils are a type of narcissus...it's so confusing.
Also in my mother's garden, some tulips:

Some of these, whatever they are:

...and the magnolia:

110/365: Crochet bicycle

2011-04-21T23:16:00.000+02:00

110/365: Crochet bicycle, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 20th

Weirdness in Warsaw.

109/365: Grandpa and Grandma

2011-04-20T23:14:00.000+02:00

109/365: Grandpa and Grandma, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 19th

On their balcony. Grandpa doesn't like his planters to be bare, so before real flowers bloom, he sticks in fake daffodils. The hyacinths are real, though!

108/365: The Kościuszko Mound

2011-04-19T23:10:00.000+02:00

108/365: The Kościuszko Mound, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 18th

This hill is an artificial mound erected in 1823 in honour of Tadeusz Kościuszko (Thaddeus Kosciusko for you American types), and it is modeled after the legendary burial mounds of King Krak and Princess Wanda. It's just over a thousand feet above sea level, and you can see the whole city from the top.

When construction first began, most of Poland was under foreign occupation and split into three territories, between Russia, Prussia and Austria. Cracow itself was a Free City, in theory an independent and neutral miniature country, though in reality it remained under the control of the three occupants and was represented by them in all foreign matters. The monument was financed and built entirely by donated money and effort of patriots from the occupied territories- you can see how symbolic the construction would have been to Poles living under foreign rule. Note that among many of Kościuszko's great deeds was the insurrection of 1794, a revolt against the Russian and Prussian occupation. It failed, but was a great and valiant movement of the people.

Soil was brought from many areas to add to the great mound, among them Polish and American battlefields where Kościuszko fought. In the picture you can see St. Bronisława's chapel, the site chosen for the mound being a hill already dedicated to her. A few decades later, the Austrians built a citadel around the mound and used it as a strategic lookout. Part of that citadel still remains and now houses a museum dedicated to Kościuszko.

107/365: Palm Sunday in Lipnica Murowana

2011-04-18T23:04:00.000+02:00

107/365: Palm Sunday in Lipnica Murowana, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

Remember how last Saturday I posted really quickly and didn't write much? It was because I was at my grandparents' place, with only cell-phone internet, and the visit was a stop on the way South to a little mountain village called Lipnica Murowana.

What's so great about Lipnica Murowana, you ask?

Well, every year, on Palm Sunday, they make these:

See, we don't have palm trees in Poland, so for Palm Sunday we have to improvise.

The palms are yet another tradition borrowed from pagan culture (and Lipnica even has a church built in the 12th century in a pagan Holy Grove, with the altar set on a pillar carved with a pagan god's likeness...serious history there:

...and of course that means it's colourful, joyful, and very creative.

But the very special thing about Lipnica Murowana is that the village holds a yearly contest for the tallest handmade 'palm'. And it gets VERY competitive.

Above, the second-tallest palm is raised, with great care and caution. Because there are rules that make this contest exciting. No nails or other metal elements can be used in making the palms- only wood, willow, reeds, green branches and paper flowers are allowed.

Wires, ropes and lines from synthetic materials are also forbidden. In order to qualify in the contest, the palm has to stand upright without breaking, it has to be raised with no help from machines (hence the men in the trees guiding the lines, and those on the ground, pushing with special long forks), and the author must be able to wrap his hands around the trunk.

The palm in the photo above is the first prize winner, at 36.4 metres- that's almost 120 feet! I heard someone say the whole thing weighed about 600 lbs. It took about a dozen men half an hour to get it upright.

Here are some of the shorter palms, arranged around the statue of St. Szymon:

And this is me with the palms I bought. They were made by local schoolchildren:

...and Marta who went with me, chasing off a bee:

Here's the whole set on flickr. I took tons of photos. :

Palm Sunday in Lipnica Murowana

106/365: Candy Floss in Cracow

2011-04-17T22:29:00.001+02:00

106/365: Candy Floss in Cracow, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 16th

I'm in Cracow! But I didn't buy any candy floss. Don't like the stuff.

105/365: Breakfast with Monika

2011-04-15T23:09:00.002+02:00

105/365: Breakfast with Monika, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 15th

She's visiting from Berlin and wanted healthy yumminess.

104/ 365: Cloud

2011-04-15T23:06:00.001+02:00

104/ 365: Cloud, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 14th

A chance tribute to this cloud.

103/365: I don't feel like taking a picture today

2011-04-13T22:38:00.001+02:00

103/365: I don't feel like taking a picture today, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 13th

What the sign says.

102/365: Art Styl

2011-04-13T22:06:00.000+02:00

102/365: Art Styl, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 12th

Sometimes when you duck into a random courtyard you find your picture for the otherwise unremarkable day.

101/365:In the park

2011-04-12T21:58:00.000+02:00

101/365:In the park, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 11th

I ride my bike through the park part of the way to the stables. This used to be a large alder forest, part of it is now protected- a swampy terrain with trees up to a hundred years old.

100/365: Candles

2011-04-11T21:07:00.000+02:00

100/365: Candles, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 10th

This is the Lodz headquarters of the party from which our former President was elected. He died in a plane crash a year ago.

99/365: Asleep

2011-04-10T21:03:00.000+02:00

99/365: Asleep, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 9th

A drunk sleeping on the doorstep- a common sight in Lodz. At least he's sitting up and not lying in the street. So much for not reinforcing stereotypes...

A note on the flag- in Poland we have no habit of displaying the national flag without special occasion. I mention this because I noticed in the US, where many of my friends come from, the flag is everywhere, all year round. Over here, if flags are out, you can be certain that an important national anniversary or event is coming up.

In this case, the flag is up to commemorate the plane crash which took the lives of 96 of our kinsmen last year, including the presidential pair. The anniversary is tomorrow, on April 10th.

More here:Wikipedia entry on Tu-154 crash

The crash is a very sensitive issue- I won't go into too much detail but it is worth knowing that the officials on board were on their way to honour the 70th anniversary of the Katyń massacre, a series of mass executions of Polish citizens (mainly officers), performed by the Soviets through April and May 1940. Russia has denied this crime for an extremely long time, it's one of the bigger thorns in the relationship between our countries. Around 22,000 people were killed, and their fate kept secret for many long years.

And it would take many long years to explain all the symbolism, conflict, paranoia and anger that has been dividing this country ever since the Tupolew crash, so I won't even try.

98/365: Pretty

2011-04-09T20:54:00.000+02:00

98/365: Pretty, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 8th

This morning while I was asleep my flatmate decided it would be a good idea to put make-up on my cat.

97/365:Bean

2011-04-08T20:44:00.000+02:00

97/365:Bean, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 7th

Beans are just about the only plant that can survive my erratic lifestyle.

96/365: Zulka

2011-04-07T20:40:00.000+02:00

96/365: Zulka, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 6th

A fly flew in. You know what happens when that happens, if you have cats.

95/365: So many colours

2011-04-06T15:02:00.001+02:00

95/365: So many colours, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 5th

This is a recent site. Like most building complexes in Łódź, this one died slowly, first succumbing to decay, then to demolition, and now...it's in limbo. People dump their trash and walk their dogs out here, or drink in the corners.

Other things I saw in Łódź today:

94/365: Bottles on the wall

2011-04-05T14:55:00.000+02:00

94/365: Bottles on the wall, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 4th

In a dodgy little courtyard.

93/365: Daffodils

2011-04-04T14:52:00.000+02:00

93/365: Daffodils, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 3rd

It's the season for daffodils :)

92/365: Graveyard Votives for JP2

2011-04-03T14:49:00.000+02:00

92/365: Graveyard Votives for JP2, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 2nd

Pope John Paul II died six years ago at 9:37 p.m. , and every year since the anniversary is celebrated solemnly across Poland. These are graveyard votives placed at the foot of a statue of JP2 by the Lodz Archcathedral. Hundreds of people gathered there tonight to light candles and pray.

This year is particularly special as in May, the late Pope will be canonised- he will become a Saint. Saints are extremely important for Catholics as they act as a medium between the faithful and God- now people will be able to go to Church and ask John Paul II to appeal to God on their behalf. It is also comforting for many to have 'one of our own' join the saintly ranks. John Paul II was loved in Poland, not only as a Pope but as our devoted kinsman, a mentor to many generations, an accomplished poet and philosopher, and our champion in the free world. Perhaps most notably for Poland, he made great efforts to make the West aware of the situation behind the Iron Curtain, and his work helped bring an end to communism and the Soviet command in our country.

91/365: Prima Aprilis

2011-04-02T14:44:00.000+02:00

91/365: Prima Aprilis, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 1st

An uneventful April Fool's day. I took a driving class, didn't kill anybody. And then there was this flying cow carpet lurking in the alley.

90/365: Sleepytime

2011-04-01T14:41:00.000+02:00

90/365: Sleepytime, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 31st

A quiet evening at home.

89/365: Bathtime

2011-03-31T14:38:00.000+02:00

89/365: Bathtime, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 30th

Another visit to the Wiki stables. This colt apparently wanted a bath.

Other horses prefer a dust-bath:

But some join the colt in the water:

88/365: Catkins

2011-03-30T14:28:00.000+02:00

88/365: Catkins, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 29th

We cut some willow catkin branches the day we drowned the Marzanna, and they puffed up really nicely in an old bottle on my kitchen table. Catkins mean spring!

87/365: The unexpected farm

2011-03-29T20:20:00.000+02:00

87/365: The unexpected farm, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 28th

"Hello! Excuse me, sir, didn't you keep sheep, once?"

"Had to sell them! Paid more to the shearers than the wool was worth. Then I kept pigs, but some inspector came and told me the sty was dirty. That I couldn't get inside to clean it! Look! I fit right through. But the European Union says the door is too small. Stalin, he would send men to take some of the pigs away, but he didn't tell you the sty is dirty! He didn't tell you how to run your farm. Now someone's ratting on me, because they built their town palace next door and don't like the smell. So I sold my pigs, the sows and the boars, I sold them all, so-and-so came right over and loaded them up. Just two horses now, and the chickens, they come and go as they please. But no pigs. The pigs are gone. No more pigs!"

Behind me, in the padlocked barn, something grunted. I didn't say a word.

86/365: The Owl

2011-03-28T19:57:00.000+02:00

86/365: The Owl, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 27th

This used to be a cinema, the Gdynia cinema to be exact. It dates back to 1908. I can't find any serious sources but there are claims that the owl used to have glowing eyes. Now, it's nothing at all, although someone did give the building a fresh coat of paint, so maybe there is hope. Wikipedia has a picture of what it used to look like. I'm surprised I don't have one on file, I was sure I'd taken one before...

Image CC via Wikipedia.

85/365: Fridge

2011-03-27T19:45:00.000+02:00

85/365: Fridge, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 26th

With notes on what needs to be made before it goes bad. Which I didn't end up following anyway.

84/365: Beans

2011-03-26T19:44:00.000+01:00

84/365: Beans, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 25th

This is, hopefully, the beginning of a lovely bean curtain.

83/365: Cats

2011-03-25T19:36:00.000+01:00

83/365: Cats, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 24th

Every time my flatmate goes out of town, they take over her couch.

82/365: Sunset

2011-03-24T19:33:00.000+01:00

82/365: Sunset, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 23rd

A bike ride over the railroad tracks. I went to sign up for driving classes. I can't afford a car, but...

81/365: Another abandoned building.

2011-03-23T19:10:00.000+01:00

81/365: Another abandoned building., originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 22nd

I don't know anything about this one, sorry.

80/365: The Marzanna

2011-03-22T22:09:00.000+01:00

80/365: The Marzanna, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 21st

About to be burned and drowned in the Ner river. Goodbye, Winter!

Marzanna is the ancient pagan Slavic goddess of Winter. On the vernal equinox, we make an effigy of her, set it on fire and then drown it in the river so that Spring will come.

Although Christianity in Poland has worked hard to assimilate and conceal the multitude of wonderful pagan traditions within its Catholic celebrations, the drowning of the Marzanna persists despite many attempts to eradicate it. In fact it's traditional for pre-school children to make the effigy in class and then have a little field trip to drown her. The burning of Judas which was meant to replace it somehow never really caught on...and I am glad. Marzanna must die as the Winter cedes to Spring, but she will return next season to live again. Her burning is a symbol of the natural order, while tormenting a straw effigy of Judas only serves to translate guilt into angry righteousness.

I suppose the Church has to be content with the fact that we no longer greet Jaryła, the god of Spring, with dances and orgies...

So. I haven't done this in a while, for lack of good company, but this year I found two friends who thought it was a great idea. We made our Marzanna from wood, rags and hay, so she should decompose well. The Ner river is pretty dirty already, but there was no need to contribute to the pollution.

79/365: Half and half

2011-03-21T22:01:00.000+01:00

79/365: Half and half, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 20th

Warsaw Central Station, underground, Platform 3. The left side has been refurbished. The right side (except for the display) has not. As a long-time rider from this station I have to say the difference is striking. Light paneling on the ceiling instead of leaky, disgusting dark slabs, a blue, shiny and bilingual platform sign and electronic display instead of the old split-flap display, a raised texture safety band at the edge of the platform to keep blind people safe and make it less slippery...more is to come but it's already looking good.