Warsaw West Station

Warszawa Zachodnia - one of the main gates into and out of the city (although located quite near its very heart).
The station as we know it dates back to the 1920s and 30s., but when you look around you can still find some remnants of the first railway line from the latter part of the 19th century: red brick, siloses etc...

Equally rare are remnants from more recent time. Here you are, a modernist signalling control from the 1930s. Can you see its oblong shapes, likening the building to a ship? Now it is (mis)used as a storage:

Let's bounce to the 1960s to see another example of a signalling control building. If the sea and ships were all the rage in the 30s, now it is the space that inspires architects to create spacecraft-like towers like this one:

When I was taking the pictures two years ago the station was being renovated. A new entrance, a waiting hall and underground tunnels were built or rearranged. Around the station new office buildings were built.

Now after over two years there are still some places for improvement, for example the neighbouring bus station or some of the underground tunnels... Yet its current image is lightyears away from what it looked like not so long ago. It is now closer to the centre in the sense of its function and atmosphere.

...but even though you can see the modern centre not so far away, you know you're in a differet era here.

...or to be more precise: different epochs blend right in front of your eyes.

Christmas theme metro train

Have you been lucky to get on the special Christmas train in the Warsaw underground?

The themed train was launched on Dec 6th (St Nicholas day - that is Santa Claus's!) and it will continue until January 6th.
Actually there are two - one at each f two Metro lines.
Both trains can be spotted between 7 am and 8 pm. Apparently it's easier to get on one on M2 line - because the second line is shorter, so statistically... ;-

Personally - I am a happy person who does not travel by metro too often,at least not during the rush hours!
Photo credits - Ola D.

Museum of Polish Vodka

You hear Poland, you think... vodka?? during my encounters with foreigners vodka was often one of the first things that came to their mind. I wasn't always sure how to interpret it, whether the association could be positive...

From now on, though, it will surely be! Somebody has finally decided to present the alcohol as a part of culture, as something varied, with its own history and as a part of our traditions. Welcome to the Museum of Polish Vodka!

It opened its gates in June 2018. It's located in an old rectification pavilion in the former factory vodka - to be found in the district of Praga, on the right-hand side of the Vistula river.

The museum is a walk through the history of vodka, in particular the history of the beverage on the Polish soil; through development of the indcustry; customs around vodka-drinking and how it's present in our traditions.
You will find out about its origins...

 ...you will learn about the iron rules of the production needed to obtain the real thing...
...you will verify your knowledge regarding alcohol consumption and its effect on your body...

...you'll see for yourself the machines and containers used in the production process...

 ... you'll see a collection of vodka bottles...

 ...finally you will taste three types of vodka - degustation is included in the ticket.

At the same time you walk around a historic building, where all the production details you are learning about did take place. Most of the rooms have beeen adapted to needs of the museum, but there are some moments when you find yourself in a truly historical environment.
This post-industral ambiance can be felt more in the neihbouring Zoni cafe / resto.

The place is surely going to be an attraction which will attract tourists to this part of the city. The museum occupies only a part of the old factory; other parts will  be used as offices, shops, apartments... The complex is still under construction, but partially it's already in use.

A number of cultural events have already taken place here this year. I suppose this is the idea behind it, to make it a lively place which will be attracting both visiters and Warsaw inhabitants.

Królikarnia

In on of my posts two years ago I mentioned visiting a place called Królikarnia.
It's one of my favourite Warsaw places.

The palace of Królikarnia was built in 1780s for an ex soldier, Italian of origin and now on the Polish soil: a count, gambler and oportunist who made his career close to the Polish court.

The title of count was bestowed on him by the Polish king, who was apprently easily impressed - the king was a great admirer of Italy and its art - might this have been enough to invite Carol Thomatis to the court and make him a director of the national theatre? apparenty Thomatis did display some sophistication and taste in culture, but soon he showed also his greed and cunnigness. He wasn't sent to exile, though, neither was he punished;  instead he continued to live in and make fortune in Poland.


He was a nouveau riche among aristocracy and he aspired to be counted as was of them. Building a reprsentative residence on the Vistula embankment, which was already inhabited by other aristocrats, was surely an investment in prestige. Especially that he decided to hire a court architect for this job - Dominico Merlini, another Italian working for the king.
Merlini found his inspiration in Italy and likened the palace to the ideal Renaissance villa - Villa Rotonda in Vicenca.
Obviously the Polish version was less symetrical and smaller than the inspiration, yet it is counted as a descendant of Palladio's idea.

The palace and its surroundings was also an investiment from the mundane, practical point of view. After all before the palace was built first auxiliary buildings, like stables, mills etc, were erected. 

Those included the kitchen, which was built on the slope of the valley and which is one of the characteristics of the palace complex. 

This building, for a change, was likened to.. a tomb. To be more precise to mausoloem of Cecilia, which is still to be found in Rome in Via Appa.

the genius of Merlini made him build the kitchen in the gorge - thus the gorgeous building was well exposed and at the same time it didn't hinder to admire the heart of the complex where its host resided and entertained his guests - the palace .
Now it's best to admimre both in the winter, if you want to have look from the foot of the hill. now it's the lush greenery that protects the palace....

Let's make a leap in time and slightly in space. Let's enter from Puławska street.

The Królikarnia palace houses now a branch of the National Museum and it's mostly devoted to sculpture. After the war it was meant to become a studio and a living place of an renowned Polish sculptor Xawery Dunikowski, but the reconstruction of the palace took so long that the already elderly artist didn't make it to see the realisation of this plan. The project was realised only partially and the palace and its park are now an exhibition of his art...

...and not only his... and not only scultpures...

Except for both permanent and temporary exhibitions the complex often hosts concerts, cinema, picnics... and other forms of promoting art and nature.
.

An example from recent years: "nieużytki sztuki" - "wasteland of art" -  a possibility to rent a plant-pot.... and cutivate flowers or vegetables.
I think this initiative has been somewhat abanodned by now.

The beehives on the slope just below th palace are a permanent part of Króliarnia now.

The surroundings are also frequented by petanque players...

Neons - one of exhibitions from a few years back.

And below the palace complex: a natural parc with streams oozing here and there, creating a special microclimat... not so far away from the city centre!