Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Autumnal colours.

Returning to the Autumnal months now briefly. I took some photos right when it was the time for leaves to drop. In fact this was the time of leaves to drop as for about 2 hours I raked up leaves around the property in Sokolka which was actually really fun. I do miss having a house with space, all I can do here is sweep up bird seed!

It is always a tough debate in our house if Spring with the wild flowers, Autumn with the changing colours, Winter with the snow and our wedding anniversary, or Summer with girls in short skirts is the best season. Always hard to tell who will win that one.

Transition time

Fiery

Flame tree, not the Cold Chisel Song.
Ever ready and not a battery

An assortment

More mixed bag
Autumn shrooms
Fall apples, good for pies and hopefully next year cider!
Take a pic

Mine
I got me a lovely bunch of beetroots

Crikey they are heavy
I couldn't stop snapping photos of the colours

But I must.
So that is the colours from flame trees, maples, oaks and a couple I can't translate (e.g. can't be bothered tonight after doing a Polish exam). Also if we can have Autumnal colours in UK English what do the USA English people have? Fallal colours?

Sunday, February 26, 2012

U.R.Synow

Today some photos of the local hood. Yes, they don't quite match the snow that has been flaking down at the moment, but they do live to remind us that there is plenty to look forward to in the coming months.

Voted one of the ugliest churches in Poland

It certainly is large
It also dominates all around it.

Maybe instead just head to the Kopa Cwila. A hill/mound created from the excavations around Ursynow for housing and metro. 

Playing ground equipment with an interesting name.

In situ

On your bike
Into the distance

Around the table

Reflections of Hawaii

The lights of sun
Fogged up

Foggy everywhere

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sokol-ture now with addedmusic and movies!

And now, time for something completely different.

A little bit of culture. Something new for a simpleton from the Antipodes. So when I was invited to a night of culture, classical music, intelligent conversation and collected antiquities I put on my best smile and some kind of fancy clothes to try and blend in. I don't really think it works.

The event was a regular on the Sokolka calendar where friends of the my in-laws host a Polish talented musician or musicians to play something, anything that they so desire to a group of interested (and invited) locals. I was lucky enough to get an invite no doubt through the rumours of how amazing this blog is and the cultural input I have through my Google sponsored interweb storyboard. There are plenty of videos and pictures, so I won't bother you too much with the words and prose. So I will just tell you the night was organised by some philanthropic friends, who own a recreated Polish country manor house. The house is full of great Polish history in the form of antiques and art and there is a cheeky dog and a number of horses out in the stables which can delight any girl or wife......

Contemplative crowd

Chandeliers

The invited artists

Pumping out the tunes so to speak

Close the eyes and feel the vibe
Something I must have if I ever buy a house in the country. One of the old tiled room heaters

maybe a little better photo

Where the coals go. All of these pieces are reclaimed from local properties that were going to just throw them away when renovating their environments.

Some of these are from the early 18th Century as well.
After the first performance we all get the chance to sit around have some snacks and maybe a cola beverage

Plenty of fruit and coffee to go round

Stories about anything and everything

And a great moustache!
Next up the families son and friend play some piano tunes

impressing the hired talent

Everyone sitting back and enjoying it

More eyes closed and absorbing the whole sound

More snacks

Maybe some desert


Back to more performance

Even the old people of Sokolka get the smartphones out for this one.

Feel the noise
And a token horse photo for all the female girls.