In Norblin our old haunt

In Norblin, just outside the centre, was once a little silver manufacturing location. We visited it a couple of years ago, before it was cleared out and a lot of the equipment was taken off to museums (I took more photos on that day than are on the post, but they were in the old days on film!). Now it houses a Biobazar, something very new to Poland and Warsaw (I say new, it is a year old but not really 'local' for us).

Admittedly it is a little small and not quite organised the way I would have expected but it really is a great start and a great usage for a historical building. It has most everything you need, an espresso bar, coffee, Portuguese food, goats cheese/milk/yoghurt, wines, smoked goods, and of course vegetables and fruit. You will also notice that there is still some old school equipment about setting some ambiance, I am not sure how it fits with fresh produce though.

After this we strolled through parts of the old ghetto near Hala Mirowska all the way to Plac Bankowy. From here we strolled down to Plac Teatralny where we decided it was about time to refuel.

There we stopped at Restart on the corner of Senatorska and Bielanska. I have walked past this many times on an early morning but alas, it only ever opens at 11. Luckily this day it was open.

They had a fine selection of mixed drinks and some nice little cakes, I decided to go with a brownie and the usual double espresso. Marty with a strawberry lemonade, somehow she also managed to pluck out half the brownie from under my nose. So, it must have been good. We sat outside on the little wooden terrace and watched the world trundle on by.

The bar is actually made up of old books, pretty cool, no?

one of the numerous Euro2010 adverts around the city, this one targeting a new keeper for the English team.

Or just a local supporter

Then to the Norman Foster building on Pilsudskiego

Next we chanced upon some sort of drill sergeant of a fashionista grilling some young stick like things in the art of walking down a really long walk way to bad music but in the right amount of time.

There was also a small display of artistic jewellery, this clock makers piece caught my eye.

I just liked the way her skirt flowed.

 And that, my readers, was a day in the sun in downtown Wawa.

Ghetto Hala

The old ghetto from WWII when Warsaw was famously, or possibly more accurately infamously, divided into areas of Jewish population and others. There were actually two ghettos, the big and the small. The small was for the richer Jews and had a smaller population and so the conditions were somewhat better than that of the larger ghetto which was more crowded. Overall the ghetto covered 3.4sq.km which really is quite a large area. You notice it now when you walk in the area how large it actually was. In this area it was estimated to hold about 400,000 people. The area still hasn't been totally rebuilt as there are still land claims in some areas. 

Within the boundaries of the ghetto now stands many of my favourite places in Warsaw, one of which is Hala Mirowska and the newly refurbished Ulica Chłodna. Where we will end up today.

Alone and plain

The Granny is coming

Granny in white shoes

Oranjeboom

Madame

Classy

Catalogue-esc

Shadow trees

working it in colour

Find the Homeless or possibly just hungover man.

Hala at me

Now non-Polish people tell me what this sign says?!

A dash o' yellow

Hala Hala

Named

Badged, you can't escape Sawa

Next we will cross the road and head to Ulica Chłodna.

Best photos of the year? Please help!

Hi all,

Firsty, thank you for reading me through out the year.

Now I am trying to make a top ten of my colour photos. So if you can have a look at the ones I am throwing up here and let me know which are best that would be great. There are only 20 odd here (that is down from the nearly 2000 taken this year). This is the colour series and a later group of black and whites will come through too.

Thanks for helping!
Garth

1) Summer Fruits
2) Wacky World of Warsaw
3) Cabeleireiro
4) Revenge of the Mimes
5) Rainy Days
6) Marked!
7) Tea Cups a go go
8) Praia Del Rey
9) Faturas or Fasturas
10) Fast times at the Fair
11) Shadowy Churros
12) Fun is fast
13) Peniche Beache
14) Hale Mirowskie
15) Running of the Jellyfish
16) Caracoles
17) Make a prayer come true
18) Lil and Big Belem
19) Late Summer Meadow
20) Modelling the Curves
21) Hefty Tat
22) MArt the Model
23) Guimares Day
24) Mateus Winery Grounds
25) Douro grapes - not destined for Port any more
26) Ducklings on the market
27) Beans and Olives
28) All Saints Day