Apologies for the lengthy absence – we were on holiday last week and this week has been about adjusting and sadly returning to normality. So, first impression of Paris? What a fantastic city! We hiked around for 4 days from late morning until late evening each day, avoiding the metro whenever we could to really try and capture the essence and feel of the city. It’s much bigger than I thought and far more crowded – although this may be due to the fact that we were continuously hopping between tourist traps. The Eiffel Tower was obviously extremely impressive and I took far too many photographs of it. Here’s one of them:
It’s an extremely photogenic city and I took over 700 photographs – the beauty of digital! That was the fun part – editing them into some sort of order and choosing the best is a little more arduous and time-consuming. Carrying my tripod around was a burden at times, but paid off when the light faded. We saw all the usual sights – Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, La Defénse, Montmartre, Notre Dame, the Pantheon, the Louvre… etc etc. When we did get tired (and lost) the metro system is extremely well developed and proved very useful. Our apartment was central and 5 minutes walk from a metro station.
We spent many happy hours sat in small, quaint cafés and restaurants, savouring the local cuisine (although we found a good Italian one night). Anything that said ‘Traditionnel” outside was bound to be a good bet. Leffe beer also proved to be popular amongst the male folk – a suitable cold refreshment for any time of the day…
The view from the second platform of the Eiffel Tower is quite spectacular. Unfortunately we arrived at 2230 and the queues for the top platform were still horrendous. Still, it’s not a bad view from this height and in the photo below, La Defénse, the main Paris business district in the background is clearly visible against the horizon.
The temperature was scorching all week, well into the 30s which made regular refreshment stops all the more important. I think the sheer number of people and traffic on the roads must add several degrees to the heat and even at 1am, the pavements were busy and scooters were zipping everywhere. No doubt the best way to travel in Paris and a scheme which should be encouraged in Warsaw! A scooter in Warsaw equals a death-trap, whereas it’s catered for in Paris and car drivers pay attention to them (I think they’re just outnumbered). Still, one of the biggest problems in Paris for the car driver seems to be parking. This is a very common sight on the side streets and by local accounts, perfectly acceptable.
I heard that Parisiens leave their cars in neutral so that they can be shunted about in order for other drivers to get their cars in, or out. The solution? This I think:
Even smaller than a Smart car! This one is parked between a pedestrian crossing and a major road junction. Still, it seems to blend in easily and practicality is key in this city!
I really have far too many photos to post here, so they can be accessed at my pbase account. They’re not all downloaded yet or correctly labelled, but I’ll work on it over the next few days/weeks. Meanwhile, here’s my favourite picture from the holiday, a carousel in motion not far from the Eiffel Tower.
Hope you like the pictures and I may post some more about our trip once the happy memories come flooding back.
To find out more about life in Warsaw – have a look at yellerbellydaily.
Every year Wianki Festival is celebrated throughout Poland and last night’s celebrations for Midsummer’s Day proved to be as popular as always. Thousands of people congregated on the side of the River Wisła where a huge stage had been set up and last night’s performers were Maciek Maleńczuk, Mat Pokora and Reamonn. Unfortunately due to a 2-hour train delay returning from Katowice, we missed Maleńczuk, but caught the rest of the show. The weather was perfect and not in the least bit chilly.
Here’s Mat Pokora performing on stage. He’s a French musician with Polish ancestry and managed a ‘dziękuję’, which pleased all the screaming 16-year old female fans in the audience.
Reamonn played next. The Poles know him from a song called ‘Supergirl‘ which was played on Polish radio back in 2000. I’d never heard of them, but the music was lively and befitting a summer festival.
Following Reamonn, a drum-based orchestra accompanied the fireworks spectacular which was one of the best I’ve seen. Perhaps this was because we were high on the bank and had a perfect view. Here’s a couple of shots I took with my G9 (without a tripod, hence the slight blurring).
The orchestra is housed on scaffolding in the bottom left of the screen (where the green grid is in the above photo). Królewska were sponsoring the fireworks and considering the length of time and amount of fireworks set off, I would say that the beer industry is one that isn’t feeling the crisis!
The Devil's food
Following last week’s BBQ and a delayed reaction to my New Year’s Resolution (yes, 6 months ago now), I’ve managed to visit the gym twice last week, and in fact the same the preceding three weeks. Once you start a fitness regime and it gets into your head that it’s one of life’s small requirements to keep healthy and reasonably fit, it becomes very hard to find the balance. I’m talking about my unbalanced obsession with junk food on a Friday night, not my obsession with the gym. Some people just aren’t concerned about their state of fitness , but I really would like to be.
As you get older, time has an effect on the body as your metabolism slows down and turns everything you eat into fat. When I was at university, I actually did quite the opposite to most and instead of spending lazy afternoons drinking beer in the pubs, I spent most free afternoons at the gym. Large steaks were consumed for lunch and a sensible diet was followed. Couple this with practising martial arts twice a week and I was considerably fitter than I am now – a result of time and youth. Now I have a problem. Wifey loves sweet things and unrelentingly makes extremely good desserts (such as the banoffee pie we had last weekend) and my will just isn’t strong enough to resist. My point is – how do you find that balance between losing a little flab and still enjoying your food. My colleague at work nibbles on carrots at his desk, and generally skips lunch. Is this the answer? I hope not.
Some interesting and quite demoralising facts.
- 10 minutes on the running machine equates to roughly 100 calories burned.
- The body needs at least 30 minutes to start burning fat – and it starts with the fat around the heart and works outwards. This means it takes a long time before it reaches anything visible from the outside.
- 1 Jaffa cake = 56 calories. Yesterday in a business meeting, I had 6. And I wasn’t even under stress.
- The body needs an average of 2500 calories a day to function, but most of that is taken up in daily meals.
- To lose 1lb a week you need a negative calorie balance of 500 calories per day.
- Sitting at a desk all day moving your fingers on a keyboard just makes you lethargic.
Does any of this make sense to you? It all seems black and white, but try sticking to a diet and finding enough time in the week to do enough exercise to make these calculations beneficial for the body. It’s bloody hard work! Am I making excuses?
Right, the family’s away, so I’m off to the gym.
It’s that time of year again, when the BBQ is brought out of the garage (or imported from the UK in this case – 600 zl cheaper!) and friends are invited around for kiełbasa, kaszanka, karkówka, udko kurczaka, burgery, sałatka and banoffee pie (not Polish, but a rather successful addition). The amount of meat consumed is considerable (bad timing when it comes to the photograph) and yesterday afternoon we all pleasantly stuffed ourselves with fine wine and good food. This week will therefore be a vegetarian week and, apart from the very thin slices of ham in my lunch sandwiches, we will not be eating anything that once rolled in mud, ate grass or was previously known as ‘Daisy’.
The kids had a great time too and Benji was introduced to his first hammock experience. He had so much fun navigating his way on and off it, over and over again, that we were blessed with many hours of peace and quiet until he eventually pushed one of the other children off it and we had to put a stop to his “fun”.
This has to be one of the most hazardous jobs I’ve seen and I don’t think its particularly well-paid in Poland. When I arrived at the office this morning, the window cleaners were already out on the neighbouring building. We often share the lift with them, and they really do look prepared to climb a mountain; kitted out in ropes, helmets and various clips and buckles. The gear looks the same, albeit without the large rucksac or crampons. Considering they’re abseiling and climbing a 26-storey building, I imagine the warm clothing is quite similar, although probably without the North Face sponsorship or the helicopter ride to first base. Note the crane at the top of the building which is a permanent fixture and supports the pulley system the climbers use. Some skyscrapers use cradles or platforms, but this is the only method I’ve seen used here.
If you look carefully, you can see a small wooden bench seat which the climbers sit on. They carry this around with them as part of their gear and all seem to have their own bespoke ones. An interesting question is where they get their water from. I’ve seen them carry buckets, but this seems to blend into insignificance when you consider the number of windows they have to wash – and the distance they would need to climb to refill them!
A few weeks ago, a Polish freeclimber climbed the Marriott building without any ropes or support. I missed it, but the full story with photos can be found here.
It’s Corpus Christi today which means that most people left Warsaw yesterday to make it a long weekend and enjoy the good weather in more picturesque parts of Poland. For those who stay in Warsaw, the city becomes an altogether much more pleasant place to spend time, as all the traffic disappears and the city becomes eerily quiet.
We hit the swimming pool with the boys first thing this morning at 0930, and pretty much had it all to ourselves which was absolute bliss! No queues for the slides and as much splashing and throwing children around without having to watch who you’re throwing them at as you like – a rare event indeed. After a short break at lunch, we hitched the child seats to the bikes and headed towards the River. To give you an example of how quiet the roads were at 1430 today, here’s a photo of the junction of Idzikowskiego and Sobieskiego, one of the main routes into the city from the south and more often than not, queues of traffic move down here at a snail’s pace.
Photo 1
Our main aim was to reach the Siekierkowski Bridge which provides great views of the city centre and is easily accessed by well-marked cycle paths. For a city renowned for its terrible roads and cracked pavements, the cycle paths are surprisingly well maintained and in great condition.
The Siekierkowski Bridge, opened in 2002, is 500 m long and 33 m wide and supports six lanes of traffic. Warsaw has a total of 7 bridges which span the River Wisła connecting various districts on the east and west sides, but this one is the newest.
Photo 2
The city skyline can be seen to the north-west of the bridge, but unfortunately we arrived at a time when it wasn’t at its most photogenic. The sun was overhead, creating a haze which prevented any clarity – but here’s the photo I took anyway which gives quite a nice perspective with the calm, but notoriously turbulent River in the foreground.
Photo 3
On our return journey, we crossed a different bridge further towards the centre, which although not as impressive to look at, gave a great view of Warsaw’s only beach. Yes, there is one and topless sunbathing is apparently commonplace when the temperature soars. Today obviously wasn’t hot enough for this (I didn’t have my zoom lens attached anyway), although it still seemed quite popular as a place to relax, switch off and enjoy listening to the mellow sound of traffic rumbling over the bridge.
Photo 4
No bike ride, walk or drive past is complete without a short stop at Malinova. By this time, the kids had been asking about ice-cream for approximately two hours and myself and L were ready for a break as well. Here’s yet another picture of an ice-cream from Malinova. Seriously, if you live in Warsaw and you haven’t visited this place yet, you really should. And then go on a bike ride to burn the calories off…
Photo 5
Here’s our general route, with the majority of it being on cycle paths or normal footpaths. Quite a nice circular route if you live in Mokotów, and with Warsaw being as flat as it is, not particularly strenuous. The blue numbers refer to the location of the photos taken above.
Thinking back, it’s very hard to remember the violence in a Tom & Jerry cartoon without smiling at the slap-stick humour of it all. It was pure class watching Jerry always get one over poor Tom and the various tools and implements he used to do it. I remember my parents letting us watch cartoons without worrying too much about what we were watching, as in those days (I’m not that old), it was mainly Disney and Warner Bros such as Bugs Bunny etc.
I can’t think of a time when slapping and crashing saucepans over heads in cartoons ever disturbed me enough to ask for it to be switched off. So what has changed? We have a few DVDs for the kids which are mainly Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks and which we consider to be ’safe’ for our kids to watch – as opposed to the Japanese, anime rubbish that fills most of the kid’s TV channels at the moment. But even these have somehow upped the stakes and, in my opinion, occasionally go a little too far when it comes to adrenaline packed action.
The latest film we bought was Madagaskar 2 and the film is great. Really funny and the kids love it – all except a few parts when the alpha-male is fighting a rival in the first few scenes. Alex always asks me to skip a few scenes as he thinks ‘Alex the lion’ (real character name) is getting hurt. I’ve tried explaining that it’s only a cartoon and no-one gets hurt, but he won’t have it. So why put these scenes in and if they have to, why make them so prolonged? Even for me the clip above goes on for too long, and I really can’t see what it adds to the overall enjoyment of the film.
We also bought them Kung-Fu Panda after much contemplation and in-store rejections, but Alex has only seen the first half of this and doesn’t seem to be too fussed about watching the rest of it. The grown-ups finished watching it one night and it does get rather violent towards the end – albeit with incredible graphics and great humour (more for adults than children). So this poses the next question – are they making cartoons too grown-up now? It’s one thing making a film that appeals to a wide audience and age-group, but if kids are too scared to watch it, is there much point making it animated? Technology can do wonderful things, but it seems to be becoming slightly out of control, and the strive to produce better graphics and challenge the artists is making films too complex to watch. Or is this another example of society being too acceptable of violence and assuming that action-packed films are all kids want nowadays? If so, I’m worried.
Here’s some of the good stuff.
The cover of TIME Magazine - December 1980
Yesterday, Poland marked the 20th anniversary of the historic 1989 vote when Solidarity were voted in, marking the end of Communism. This was the first country to turn non-communist in the former Soviet bloc, and the 1989 vote paved the way for the spread of democracy throughout Eastern Europe. Lech Wałesa (an electrician by trade) was voted in as the head of the new party and celebrations are going on across the country to celebrate his victory and praise his leadership skills. Big names were present in Kraków yesterday, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Unfortunately the weather was terrible all day, and much of the celebrations in Warsaw were outdoors.
Poland now hits the press frequently with regard to this and as a foreigner living here, it is even more pronounced. As someone who had only heard the stories back home in Blighty about life under communism, it really strikes you when you realise that even your work colleagues of the same age have childhood memories of the strict routines and social control that went on in everyday life. Labour Day (1st May) is still celebrated here and taken as a Public Holiday, but my wife can remember attending the ‘manifestation’ parade where flags were waved and registers were taken of all those who attended. For those children who didn’t attend, members of the Polish United Worker’s Party would visit their homes and parents would be formally questioned, and even reprimanded for not doing their ‘duty’. Jobs could be lost and members were occasionally thrown out of the Party for not adhering to the rules. Scary stuff. Hard to imagine when you’ve spent your whole life living under a free capitalist system without state control.
The demonstrations in the Gdansk shipyards where it all started
The build up of Solidarity began 10 years before the final winning vote when prices were hiked and endless queues were commonplace to buy simple foods. Daily living became harder and it eventually culminated in strikes throughout the country. It started in Gdansk, but news spread through Poland and Wałęsa’s party gained followers all over. The coordinated nationwide workers strikes which followed paralised the country’s economy and created instability and further upheaval for the government. However, whilst finally agreeing to some demands, the Commuists still attempted to cut down the Solidarity party and a week before voting day, the Party was still banned in Poland. It was the Communist Party’s arrogance which allowed the elections to happen, as they considered Solidarity had no chance of winning and allowed them to take part. The result was that for the first time, a ruling communist party granted an opposition movement a decisive role in an effort to stem a deep economic and political crisis.
Last night, there was a concert in Gdansk organised by stars of the era, including German rockers the Scorpions whose “Wind of Change” became the anthem of the time. I listened to this song for years without knowing what it represented. The lyrics celebrate the political changes which were going on at the time across Eastern Europe.
I know this isn’t always true, but in my limited experience, it’s often the obnoxious and frequently rude individuals that seem to succeed and become top of their game. I consider myself a nice guy and strive to act friendly towards my fellow workers – a sadly futile and demoralising task . I enjoy a relaxed, but energised working environment, but sometimes the pressure builds. For the first time (and not without provocation), I lost it with a colleague today and told them exactly what I thought about them. A first for me ever – I really have never done this before for fear of the consequences. It felt strangely good.
I have always believed in the “avoid confrontation at all costs” approach to arguments and frequently hold my tongue when something is said against me or of which I disagree. This has enabled me to avoid bar brawls and getting my eyes scratched out by soon-to-be ex-girlfriends. I have known people who are mouthy and arrogant and who enjoy picking fights. Problem is, there’s always a bigger guy out there and odds are you’ll meet him one day down a dark alley.
So what was the reaction? Surprisingly positive. I lost it, but I really tried not to be rude (defeats the object of ‘losing it’, I know), but I think they understood my point and it was clear that this had been building up for some weeks. Afterwards, it felt like a thunderstorm had passed overhead and the air became clearer and everyone could breathe more easily. I was spoken to differently and with a little more respect. Perhaps there will be some comeback in the next few days, but I’m ready if there is.
It’s sad that this has to happen, but I’ve seen it many times with colleagues in the office and perhaps this is part of positioning yourself in the workplace. I heard a saying once: “you are as you are perceived to be” and perhaps if some respect is asked for, it will be shown. An interesting thought and one I am sure plenty of people will disagree with. The trick is being a friendly guy, without letting yourself become a door mat for someone to walk over.
Office politics is a game and it would seem that each boss is more challenging to overcome than the previous one!
I very rarely go to a live football or rugby game, but as Poland were playing rugby against Belgium in the European Nations Cup at the Polonia Stadium in Warsaw on Saturday, a few of us thought we’d go along. The last rugby game I watched live was the Middlesex Sevens in the UK back in the late 90’s and I’d forgotten how good the atmosphere can be. I have to say it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, albeit extremely wet.
Poland line-up before the game
Standing water around the pitch
Plenty of devoted fans blocking my view with big red and white towels..
Not quite Wembley, but close enough
The first half of the game was slow as the players adjusted to the slippery conditions and the wet ball. Belgium were giving Poland a run for their money, but Poland managed to keep the lead. In the second half, the game moved faster and Poland pulled ahead to a 14-3 victory. The majority of the game was friendly, however there were some moments when a couple of players from the Polish side became a little aggressive towards their opposition over a suspected ‘infringement’. The somewhat smaller referree was forced to wade in and intervene and use his stack of yellow cards for defence. A brave man indeed.
Poland's second penalty kick
The scrum
This time last year – International Children’s Day in Pole Mokotowskie and Wilanów.
