I am in Poznan, Poland. Actually, I am staying in a villa just outside the city on the grounds of a paper factory. My friend Sonia Nickel invited me to visit and I have been here for almost a week. Remember all those river paintings I painted last year? Well, the river runs right by the villa. I have to walk down to see it, of course. It is beautiful, lined with Polish fisherman, and huge splashes that seem to indicate giant fish (except I never quite turn my head quick enough to see them).
I have to scramble down the shore usually through a mountain of undergrowth. Sonia waits at the top for me to snap a photo before she shows me the next opening a good 10 meters up ahead. "Watch out for the holes", she continually calls after me. Holes? What holes? Any questioning for further details sheds no light on whether these holes are big enough for me to fall into, body and all, or just a little tripping dent in the earth. There is absolutely no way to measure whether your next step might actually give way. The undergrowth is so thick. But on we merrily plug, happily not yet consumed by the earth.
The other great phenomenon by the river is stinging nettle. "Oh, that is nothing compared to poison ivy", says Sonia who apparently grew up IN the stuff inself. Well, I'd say they competed for first place with poison ivy when I decided I was in need of a little squat! Ow.
I have also discovered how much the Slavs (definitely the Polish and Sonia tells me Ukrainians as well) love colour. Once communism had passed, the regeneration of city centres and houses began (and I've noticed the clothes too). The colours are over the top! I love it! Upon close observation I have noticed the most popular colour for a building seems to be Indian Yellow (a rich yellow/orange). The second most popular may be Lime Green or Salmon Pink. I am in my element! The city centre (which I failed to have my camera at on both occasions I was there) is amazing and like nothing I have ever seen before. It is all cobblestones and the buildings have a bit of a Scandinavian feel, although that is probably a Slavic style and I have just never seen it before.
The people are so generous. The workers in the villa (the management for the paper factory) have gone beyond their regular duty to show us around town, take us to lunch and dinner, and taking us to some of their favourite Poznan sites. All this during working hours too! (wink.)
I am in Poznan, Poland. Actually, I am staying in a villa just outside the city on the grounds of a paper factory. My friend Sonia Nickel invited me to visit and I have been here for almost a week. Remember all those river paintings I painted last year? Well, the river runs right by the villa. I have to walk down to see it, of course. It is beautiful, lined with Polish fisherman, and huge splashes that seem to indicate giant fish (except I never quite turn my head quick enough to see them).
I have to scramble down the shore usually through a mountain of undergrowth. Sonia waits at the top for me to snap a photo before she shows me the next opening a good 10 meters up ahead. "Watch out for the holes", she continually calls after me. Holes? What holes? Any questioning for further details sheds no light on whether these holes are big enough for me to fall into, body and all, or just a little tripping dent in the earth. There is absolutely no way to measure whether your next step might actually give way. The undergrowth is so thick. But on we merrily plug, happily not yet consumed by the earth.
The other great phenomenon by the river is stinging nettle. "Oh, that is nothing compared to poison ivy", says Sonia who apparently grew up IN the stuff inself. Well, I'd say they competed for first place with poison ivy when I decided I was in need of a little squat! Ow.
I have also discovered how much the Slavs (definitely the Polish and Sonia tells me Ukrainians as well) love colour. Once communism had passed, the regeneration of city centres and houses began (and I've noticed the clothes too). The colours are over the top! I love it! Upon close observation I have noticed the most popular colour for a building seems to be Indian Yellow (a rich yellow/orange). The second most popular may be Lime Green or Salmon Pink. I am in my element! The city centre (which I failed to have my camera at on both occasions I was there) is amazing and like nothing I have ever seen before. It is all cobblestones and the buildings have a bit of a Scandinavian feel, although that is probably a Slavic style and I have just never seen it before.
The people are so generous. The workers in the villa (the management for the paper factory) have gone beyond their regular duty to show us around town, take us to lunch and dinner, and taking us to some of their favourite Poznan sites. All this during working hours too! (wink.)
3 comments:
Hi Michal,
It sound like you are having quite a visit in Poland there. Please get that camera out and take some pics eh. Nice to read about how you are doing!!
TEresa
I have taken pics, but don't have my laptop here to do the transfers. I was just trying to upload pics from the web.
All European flights heading for the UK are grounded. Mine was cancelled today.
So Michal, I hope you make it back to London soon.....but safely. Mom
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