It was around -11C on Wednesday and snow fell heavily overnight causing huge traffic jams on the road (a normal 20 minute journey in the city took almost 2 hours) and there were problems with delays on the public transport all over the city. The view down ul. Woronicza looked like this on the way towards ul. Wołoska, but turned into a slow, congested crawl along ul. Niepodległości. The sky was clear after the snow clouds had moved on and the smoke from the electricity plant by the river can be seen billowing into the early morning sky.
A few gritters had been out durng the night but not enough to clear the roads completely. The state of the roads remained covered in snow for the rest of the week due to the sub-zero temperatures – no wet slush expected for a few days yet. Once in my office, the smoke from the electricity plant could still be seen looking south towards the Marriott hotel and over Warszawa Centralna. Even though the temperatures are uncomfortably cold, the blue skies and clear air makes it all seem very pleasant and keeps one’s spirits high.
The forecast is for temperatures to rise on Christmas Eve so it looks like it won’t be a white Christmas in Warsaw. We’ll be driving to Katowice on Wednesday evening, so let’s hope there’s a little more snow in the south!
The run up to Christmas is definately beginning and the first toys were distributed today. As our kids are now old enough to understand a little of what’s going on, their excitement at receiving a visit from Santa Claus overnight was clear. A small glass of brandy was left on the dining room table last night (not too much as he still needs to pilot his sleigh!) and a few white chocolate Ferrero Rocher as a gift from the boys.
So good were the chocolates, Santa forgot his hat!
This morning the boys woke up at 6am very excited. We only have ourselves to blame for that one! The first sound we heard was a little voice shouting “Santa’s been! Santa’s been!”. Unfortunately, thanks to the brandy, “Santa” had slept heavily and really didn’t want to get out of bed!!
Yet again, we managed to avoid the noisy and violent selection of boys’ toys and went with Meccano Build & Play. Basically you have the choice of building three or four vehicles from each set. It’s been a busy day so far and we still have one to go before we lose any parts…
Just back from the UK and my home village in Lincolnshire. The blast of fresh air is always refreshing, but after spending so long in Warsaw, the damp air of the island can definately be detected. The first indication for me is that my asthma always takes hold and I need to carry my inhaler wherever I go. In Warsaw, I bury it in a cupboard where it sits until a damp morning, vigorous exercise on a cool evening or my next excursion abroad. An obvious sign that the air is significantly different on the mainland and 8 hours drive from the nearest coastline!
Here is the view down one of the nearby country lanes. Cars are few, but drivers often drive too fast down here due to the low probability of being caught. I know, I was one of them in my younger days. But most of the time, it’s perfect for a quiet amble and cycle with the kids.
Mankind is slowly encroaching on this territory and we expect housing developments to spring up around here in the near future, altering the scene forever. To the right, the villages are already expanding and encroaching on the countryside. Most of the villages have set boundaries which restrict growth, begging the question of how some developers manage to obtain permission to build large housing estates on agricultural land.
Slightly to the east, about an hour’s drive, the English coastline is a haven for wildlife and dotted with nature reserves. From the viewpoint at Freiston Shore, a large oil tanker slowly makes it way along the horizon heading north-east out of the Wash into the North Sea towards large ports such as Hull or Immingham Docks.
A tugboat can be seen guiding it through the shallow waters as a tiny white speck about two-thirds down the ship’s main hull (click on the photo for an enlarged version). They seem as one, but I’m sure the distance between the vessels is considerable – especially knowing how choppy these waters get when the wind picks up!
I was in Kraków a couple of days ago on business, only the second time I’ve visited this year. It’s always held a certain attractiveness for me due to the beautiful surrounding countryside and the impression that the mountains are close by. It’s large historical Old Town and busy shopping streets also add character and charm.
No takers at the cafe tables today...
The main market square in Kraków is usually teeming with people and it was much quieter than the last time I was there. A small group of British school children crowded past me on their way to another museum and I heard the teacher mumble something about the cold temperature to a colleague. The kids seemed fine and happy though; content not to be in school no doubt. It’s predictable that all school trips from the UK that visit Poland end up in Kraków – I wonder if these kids know much about the rest of Poland?
The usual melee of tourist buggies were missing and I found them all parked up down one of the side alleys, apparently r
eady for action. Unfortunately, those tourists I did notice appeared as if they weren’t going to take any guided tours and were scurrying quickly through the market place, pausing briefly for a few snaps of St. Mary’s Basilica. The tourist guides and buggy drivers seemed to be loitering everywhere, attempting to stuff leaflets offering discounted city tours to anyone that passed by. If I was a local here, this might get infuriating. However, perhaps if I was a local, I wouldn’t be wondering aimlessly around the market square at 1pm on a Thursday.
'Wawel dragons' hanging on a street vendor's cart
All in all, the city felt strangely desolate and seemed to miss the magic which I’d experienced in the past. Too much reliance on tourism means that the city is alive in the summer and winter, but at this time of the year hangs in limbo. The empty restaurant tables and large-scale construction work being carried out on the Sukiennice in the market place only added to the drab atmosphere. The horses and their carriages were lined up with no takers and were clearly fidgety and bored.
Still, in a few weeks time snow will arrive and it will become a pitstop for tourists that come to Poland for skiing. As long as the snow keeps it’s crispness and doesn’t immediately turn into thick slush, the cities charm will return once again.
Buried behind Wilanów Palace is a very tranquil place surrounded by woodland and riddled with quaint pathways running alongside Lake Wilanowskie. It has been a typical late October recently with rain pelting the city almost every day. With Alex having chicken pox (‘ospa’ in Polish), we have spent the last few weekends indoors – something we very rarely do. We usually try and get outdoors whenever possible; one of the only ways to stay sane in the city!
It had been raining overnight again and this morning the ground was drenched and the smell of damp leaves was unmistakable. As the clocks went back an hour last night, we had an extra hour in bed and still managed to get to the park by 10:30. With the boys equipped with their wellies, there was no danger of them getting their trousers soaked, so off we tramped into Wilanów gardens. Access to the gardens are 5 złoty per adult and children get in for free. It’s seperated quite nicely from the main Palace, so all the tourists tend not to venture into the garden area, 
especially at this time of year.
The trees are turning now and the colours are starting to vary in the woods. It’s still quite early and I’m sure there is still plenty of change to come. Still, the contrast can be seen and reds are mixing with greens and yellows to form the annual kaleidoscope of autumnal colours. It was a little chilly today, but not too bad and as much as the sky was overcast, it was still a pleasant temperature. The ‘winter chill’ was not present, so fingers didn’t freeze and hats weren’t necessary.
As we walked along the lakeside path, a canoeist slowly paddled past us, out for some morning exercise and fresh air. As he approached, the comparison between the autumn trees on the lakeside and the backdrop of the chimneys belonging to the Danar chemical plant in the distance could clearly be seen. Yet again, proof of man’s encroachment on nature. This park probably stretched all the way to the plant, but now there are huge tanks of powder and vats of chemicals in its place.
Throughout our walk, the trees were still dripping with moisture from the night before. The sky remained ominously grey all day as if threatening those of us out walking that Mother Nature had the power to send us back indoors whenever she wished. However, she was forgiving today and we managed to finish our walk at our own leisurely pace.
By 4pm, the light was nearly gone and curtains were drawn all round. I still think that the winters in the UK feel longer. I’ve no idea why, perhaps the Polish winter tends to be a little dryer (as in less rain) and the snow makes it more enjoyable for a while. Still, we have several weeks of Autumn left, so best get out whenever we can and enjoy the crisp feel to the air and the colourful walks in the countryside.
The view over Złote Tarasy - the snow fell off the roof in large chunks as the day progressed
I’ve carried my umbrella to work over the past few weeks everyday expecting the onslaught of Autumn to hit at a moment’s notice. On Monday I got soaked walking from the car park on ul. Chmielna to my office, having left my superlarge golfing umbrella in the cupboard next to the vacuum cleaner. Only once, I thought! However, last night I left it behind my desk in the office which meant this morning I was very much exposed again.
Walking out of the underground passageways to be hit by winds blasting swirling snow onto my jacket along Al. Jana Pawła was not how I like to wake up! This is very unusual for October and I think many people were semi-reluctant to dig out their wintry clothing so early in the year. But with temperatures circling dangerously around 0C, we weren’t left much choice. My fur lined boots are scratching at the cupboard door, begging to be used. If this continues, I think they will be – perhaps tomorrow!
Still, it was so unexpected that most people saw the funny side. I had a lunch meeting today and one guy arrived having parked further away than he thought and having completely forgotten his umbrella or thick jacket. The term ‘drowned rat’ definately applied. His hair was plastered down his forehead and water dripped off his ears. I think I got lucky today. We were warned; the forecast said to expect snow, but nobody thought it would happen quite so fast. Needless to say the roads were chaotic and completely blocked around rush hour. Let’s hope it melts away overnight so we can look forward to proper winter snow which should fall in about a month’s time!!
We all know that infamous and incredibly annoying question at work when you’re waiting for another waste of paper to produce itself from the photocopier- “Jak tam polski?”. It’s comparable to someone jabbing you in the eye with a spoon. Why do fellow colleagues insist on torturing ex-pats? Are they hoping that the day after they ask you the first time they’ll get a fluent conversation from you and be stunned to silence? It happened to me again today, and I still don’t know the ‘polite’ reply. Of course, ‘dobrze’ works quite well, but ‘dobrze’ works well as a reply to anything.
In the expectation that they assume you are having lessons (hence the question), I usually play this card and reply with a now standard, “w porządku, dziękuję! – mam dwie lekcje w tygodniu, ale to jest bardzo trudny język”. As usual, they are suitably impressed, by which time my paper has been spat out of the copier and I can make a quick exit. If I’m feeling particularly adventurous, I may add”Mam dużo pracy. Przepraszam”. Why is it so hard to publicly speak Polish? I had another lesson on Tuesday and I understood most of the text I was reading, but when it comes to speaking, my brain turns into a little wispy cloud, gently bouncing between my ears without a care in the world. And yet, some people can easily rant on in Polish, without making any sense or pronouncing any words correctly, confident in their belief that they are speaking Polish beautifully. So which is better? A false sense of competency, or a healthy belief that enlightenment is forthcoming? Miracles do happen, and I am holding out for the thunderbolt that hits me and I can suddenly understand the world around me again. It’s been a while, let me tell you.
Yesterday I stopped the car because someone waved me down. I stopped because I thought I could help. Once the barrage of Polish (mixed with beer breath) entered the car and included words such as ‘matka’, ‘komorka’ and ‘złoty’, I realised I couldn’t help. So why did I stop? The chances of it being an English guy asking his way to the local public house was pretty slim. Emotion over intellect in that case, I think. But if he was really in trouble, perhaps my human psyche would have ’sensed’ it and a different scenario would have presented itself. In this case, as soon as I opened my mouth to help, he realised I wasn’t fluent and turned and cleared off without another word.
Still, on Thursday we’re focussing on grammar. I need to keep telling myself that its all about communication. It doesn’t matter if what you’re saying is absolute drivel. As long as you say it with a confident smile, the chances are you will have a great conversation with neither side knowing what the other is saying. It happens more often than you think.
This is why policemen shouldn’t spend too much time directing traffic…because some nifty little four-year old with a talent for hot-wiring will try and hop on (with their father’s help) their bike and take it for a joyride!
I’m not sure what he’ll do once he has to put his foot down to stop the bike toppling over. I think you need to do some more growing, son…
I was in Munich for the past two days on a business trip, the highlight of which was a very heavy night with our hosts at the Oktoberfest. They had kindly booked a table for 20 people in one of the larger tents which holds around 5,000 people. Quite a sight when you first walk in – in fact I drank my first litre of beer far too quickly due to the shock of it all. Once the surroundings became slightly blurry, it didn’t seem such a large tent!
Our evening began at 5pm, by which time the tent was packed full all except our reserved table. Many had started around 1pm, so already the atmosphere was buzzing with loud conversation and hazy with cigarette smoke. A large bandstand occupied the center of the tent where a full Bavarian oompah band played throughout the evening anything from well-known sing-along pop songs to more traditional German drinking songs. The latter I struggled with at first, but as the evening wore on, I became remarkably fluent!
Food was urgently required by 8pm and to make it simple (and because most of us couldn’t focus on the menu), we all ordered the same – half a roast chicken to be eaten with fingers…
By 11pm, the tents were shutting for the night and people spilled out onto the fairground and into the streets of Munich. By luck, myself and a colleague found the hotel before getting too lost – both wondering how we were ever going to get up the next morning. For 5 hours it was incredibly fun – but for the daylight hours of the following day, not so much! Some of the locals clearly have a survival strategy in place, as one of them returned to the office at 11pm to do 2 hours of work, before jumping in his car and driving home. I wouldn’t have trusted myself behind the wheel of a car for another 24 hours!
Here’s a colleague of mine on his 5th litre of beer I assume. Between the group, we drank over 100 litres of beer. The pain in my head the following morning would accurately reflect this. A great time had by all and definately a night to remember….if possible.
The weather was glorious today, bright blue skies and warm temperatures well into the 20’s. Crowds of people packed into the Old Town and Krakowskie Przedmiescie to enjoy what is one of the last days of summer. Surprisingly, numerous weddings were taking place today and St. Anne’s Church near Castle Square appeared to have one wedding after another throughout the afternoon. As soon as one newly married couple left the Church and posed outside for photographs, another wedding party bustled into the Church behind them. It was all a bit orchestrated and seemed impersonal when viewed as an outsider. However, the hotels and restaurants will be doing a roaring trade tonight.
Wedding cars were all over the street and varied in shape, size and age. This was the oldest one we saw, an FSO Warszawa in mint condition with cream leather interior.
The newest car was a 2009 BMW 750. I’ve always specifically liked the 5-series, but the new 7-series is a head turner. Although I would imagine one tyre is probably equal to three month’s worth of school fees. Sad, really.
I attempted to gauge my son’s interest in the car by asking him if he knew what make it was (he’s 4 years old). His answer was to saunter over to it and plant his mint choc-chip ice-cream coated hand onto the shiny BMW badge above the front grill. At least I know he knows, so I won’t have to ask him to do it again. We made a quick disappearing act into the crowds…
