Christmas Illuminations 2020

This year's illuminations are supposed to be somewhat more modest due to the special circumstances we are all facing in 2020. I can't really tell, perhaps they are... at the same time, though, there are some new elements introduced.

In spite of the lockdown* the afternoon Royal Route was overflowing with people. I imagine there are fewer tourists, because of the travelling restrictions, and more locals in their place. I was really amazed at the number of people – but isn't it obvious. Normally the crowd would be distributed also in culture venues, bars and restaurants. Everyone must be tired of strolls in their own residential areas (like I am!) – and the illuminations are tempting to go out and feel the festive time approaching. This at least!

A walk along Nowy Świat Street.

 We happened to see a kind of dance/theatre performance taking place in the windows of Nowy Świat Muzyki.

A horse tram in front of the Staszic Palace.

Hotel Bristol on the right; Hotel Europejski on the left.

In front of the Royal Castle.

This year no Christmas market on the Old Town Square; no ice rink either.

The New Town square.

 To take you back in time to the Christmas views in Warsaw as seen by me: last year and two years ago.

*The Polish government is allergic to the word „lockdown” - they are introducing random measures which basically amount to an actual lockdown (not as strict as in most European countries this autumn/winter).

Warsaw - Istambul

Have we just arrived in Istambul?

Are we looking at a mosaic art piece? so many of them in the underground passages of Istambul...

No, we aren't! we are in Warsaw. Waters of Bosfor mix with those of Vistula river:

This mosiac is located at Metro Politechnika, in the southern passage. It was founded by the Turkish government in 2014 in order to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Polish-Turkish official relations.

another autumn in the Łazienki Royal Park

 Even though I arrived there already at sunset, the park presented itself as if lit from whithin - thanks to the "fire" of golden leaves.

I rely completely on the automatic settings of my mobile phone camera. Still it sometimes leaves me with dilemmas: should I pick the colorful autumn effect...

...or the twilight, with the moon visible in the sky?

I came across a white peacock! at first I assumed it was an albino, but then I learnt it was a regular peacock, whose recessive genes played stronger and bestowed it with this unussual feathers.

Finally, a meeting with Chopin who was admiring the moonlight.

Polish golden autumn and two Warsaw parks

 Last Saturday I decided to indulge in the legendary "Polish golden autumn" - and witness its glory in two parks in Warsaw.

First I visited the Krasiński Garden. I entered through the Baroque gate, crowned with the coat d'arms of the Krasiński aristocratic family.

 At the other side of the Garden the 17th century Palace is located. It is now a section of the National Library, it houses the Special Collection section.

 After leaving the Garden I hopped on a bus in order to reach the Saski Garden, another remainder of the Baroque period.

Its palace was destroyed in the war (only a part survived, which holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). I's mostly the sculptures which remind us of the old times. Arts, virtues...

the Peace Bell in Warsaw

In 2015 the Japanese ambassador unveiled the Peace Bell on the premises of Służewski Dom Kultury (Służew Community Centre).

The bell has been founded by the World Peace Bell Association - a Japanese organization whose purpose is to raise awareness of the world peace movement. They do so by casting and locating peace bells all over the world in major cities.
The idea originated in Japan, so dramatically affected by the A-bomb. Hence the Association and its mission to eradicate war and all nuclear weapons from the earth.
And Warsaw, who saw war (see the pun?), destroyed in 80%, erased to the ground in many places - it's a perfect place to call for peace.

This is why Warsaw is one of 19 capitals where peace bells are located. Actually it's not the first peace bell to stand here. Originally a bell was founded already in 1989, in a different place, just standing freely among blocks of flats. Unfortunately it was stolen a few years later. So this is the second attempt ;-) I believe it will be more succesful, as this one is located on the premises of a culture centre, so here it will be constantly surveyed. Also the backdrop is well fitting: the green, the quiet... Additionally, some Japanese themed events take place here every year.

Beside the bell pagoda there's also a wooden pole with a prayer for peace in Polish and in Japanese.

By the way... Last year I took part in a short report about this place for the local TV channel. It's all in Polish, but you can see the whereabouts and a broader view. My part starts at  00:46 min.

A few words about Służewski Dom Kultury (Służewiec Community Centre), the host of the bell. It's located in a valley of the Służew Stream (Potok Służewiecki). In its present form it was opened in 2013. Its modern form borrows from countryside settlements and  hints of Scandinavian achitecture. Super charming and functional.

And just to compare - this is a peacebell in Hiroshima. 

And the peace bell of New York in front of the UN head quarters.

Election Meadow of Kamion

I hope to surprise you twofold: 

1) this meadow is located just 10 min by tram from the very city centre, (in my understanding this still counts as a centre), across the Vistula river,

2) this meadow is a historic monument.

This is called Kamionkowskie Błonia Elekcyjne (the Election Meadow of Kamion). Kamion is the name of a neighbouring district, a village in the past. And „elections” refer to the Polish custom of electing kings. Yes, while in most kingdoms or principalities power was hereditary, in Poland it was so only to a certain extent. When the great dynasty of the Jagiellonians left no male descendant in 1572, the Polish parliament decided to elect their monarchs from then on. This tradition continued until the fall of the first Polish Republic (1795). It was a kind of prototype of democracy, save that in Poland the right to vote was cherished only by noblemen. Nevertheless: ALL noblemen, no matter how high or low their standing, as long as they could afford to come to Warsaw, they could cast their vote in the election.

(By the way, do you remember the last episode of the Game of Thrones? I'm pretty sure that the decision to choose future monarchs by Westerosi leaders was inspired by the history of Poland! 😁 )

We had 11 elected kings and some of them were foreigners. The first one was a French prince by name of Henry of Valois (known in Poland as Henryk Walezy; French: Henri III) – he was elected here on this very field in 1573 (he didn't enjoy the title of the Polish king long – once he heard of vacancy on the French throne, he left secretly after four months! Much to his misfortune, as he was assasinated in 1589... none Polish king was ever assasinated, so I'd expect him to have lived and prospered, had he remained in Poland).

Most of subsequent elections took place on the other side of the river, beside the village of Wola (now a district of Warsaw) – that place is now commemorated by a monument. The Election Meadow of Kamion saw one more election in 1733, when August III, an elector of Saxony, was chosen here.

Then for decades and centuries nothing much happened here. The place remained more or less untouched, it partly served as municipal pastures, as the urban area grew all around. In the 1920s a part of this territory was turned into a park. The election meadow constituted a seperate green part, especially since the 1960s when it was turned into a landscape park, with new plantings, creation of a pond etc. The park and the meadow were registered as a historic monument in 1993 but it wasn't until 2013 that the meadow was officialy named and its historic value was highlighted.

I knew of its significance, but I was still surprised when I first got to this corner of the park - to see such open space, an actual meadow in the city centre. If it wasn't for the block of flats visible on the horizon line, one would believe to be well outside of town.

On one of recent warm weekends, there were lots of people doing sports, having barbecues, sunbathing.... and still pretty safe, keeping the social distancing rules :-)