A Little Trip to Kampinoski

To the north of Warsaw lies Kampinoski National Forest, a national park that spans to the west of the Vistula.  For comparison, it's about the size of the Petrified Forest in California, or almost exactly twice the size of Acadia National Park in Maine.  One can easily drive or bike there, and there are city buses that go pretty much into the heart of it.  It's a touch of nature a few miles from the outskirts of Warsaw, and offers a little more wilderness than Mlociny or Kabaty.

One of the red signs announcing an entrance to the park.

A map of the park.  No horn blowing.

A colleague and I decided to make the day of it biking up to the forest.  We started out from Metro Mlociny and biked along the winding rural roads until we reached an entrance to the park.  It started raining just as we reached the cover of the trees, (hauling ass down a bumpy dirt road to beat the shower), but the rain and storms passed so we could enjoy a sunny picnic.

Taking shelter from the rain, and having a beer.

Our first stop (besides MarcPol to get some food and drink) was a small, dirty lean-to.  As we cracked open some luke-warm ones, some wasps decided to pay us a visit (it maybe a mostly Catholic country, but there are a lot of Brits coming here in the summer, and they can be quite pesky.)  OK, stupid joke.
Yeah, but seriously, we had to kill a bunch of those buzzing bastards.  Not so many mosquitos though.


The thing about Masovia is that its mostly sand.  Really, like beach sand.  This is not Ukraine with its rich, dark loam that makes it a suitable bread basket.  Kampinos is a mixture of swamps and sand-filled forests.  I don't know how plants grow in such poor soil, but pines and birch are everywhere to be found.  There are even some very pretty meadows (one of which offered extremely soft grass for us to park on while we had our picnic.)  The trails are beaten sand that can be hazardous for bikes.  There were plenty of times we had to stop and simply walk our bikes because the sand was too soft and unsuitable for bikes.

A sandy path through the forest.

A small meadow with soft grass to lie in.

Same as above, but with a hot cuppa' on the seat of me bike.

Time restricted us, and we could only spend a few hours in the park before turning back.  A good portion was spent drinking and eating and talking, but we did try to doodle around on bikes on the sandy hills and paths.

A sign at the beginning of a trail at the bus stop.  It reads: Return (or Turn Around)  On the nearest trail, you will find that the terrain is not intended for tourists.

On the way back, we committed a rookie mistake of riding too closely to one another side-by-side.  We got tangled up, and I basically almost ran over my friend's face after he had fallen to the ground.  He was bruised a little, and his hand hurt, but no scrapes or gashes.  Later, it came out that he had broken his wrist.  Lesson learned on that one.  Luckily we were on a tiny side road with zero traffic.  Had we been on a larger road, both of us would have been smashed to pieces by some speeding car, roaring down the road.

Overall, it was a smashing trip.  Next time, I'll go earlier in the morning and explore deeper into the park.

Chinese Lanterns in Lazienki

For the month of June, Aleja Chinska (China Avenue) has been bedecked with Chinese lanterns.  For nearly the whole length of Aleja Chinska, a pathway in Lazienki Krolewskie, Chinese lanterns hang from poles and are lit by CFCs to bring a little bit of Beijing to Warsaw.  The lanterns are funded by a donation from a state-owned Chinese mining company, Minmetals, and KGHM, a Polish copper and silver mining company.  Interestingly enough, LOT has also announced direct flights to Beijing from Warsaw, though how connected these are I don't know.  I just know that lanterns come about from the Chinese-Polish Economic Forum that wrapped up in Beijing last year.

The lanterns are lit daily in June, from 9:00 PM-11:00 PM, and on weekends throughout the rest of the summer.  There were also some shows and such in the amphitheater, but I didn't make it to those.

The lanterns along Aleja Chinska.

They mix it up sometimes.

A Chinese fish.

A view of the circle at the center of Aleja Chinska

Aleja Chinska (Note: 'aleja' can mean 'avenue' or 'boulevard', so I just went with 'avenue') is a wide walking path on the west side of the pond in Lazienki Park.  The stroll is rather pleasant, and the added ambiance of the 'lanterns' is nice (there are no flames here, just electricity).  Security personnel dressed in suits walk up and down the aleja as well, making sure that no one is foolish enough to try to grab himself a souvenir.  At mid-length of the aleja, a circular path, ringed by different lanterns charms, creates a nice place to stop and take a rest on the benches dotting the circumference.  A littler father on, a bridge is decorated with paper figures (little paper statues that are lit up), that are rather cartoony, but cute.  It'd be a really nice way to end a date, really.  It's the perfect walk walk on a warm night and while eating some ice cream.

One of the paper figures on the bridge.

A lantern with the moon in the background (through the trees).

A Walk in Łazienki

Yesterday, I took a stroll to the Royal Baths. It's a full circle for me, since I first came to them in 2006 in the dead of winter (also in the evening.) I find them more enjoyable in the winter, covered in snow, since the people that usually come are smartly dressed and there are far fewer of them than in summer. The downside is that the botanical gardens are closed.

Some lovely couple asked me how to get to Belweder, which I was obliged to give. As a man, I naturally derive pleasure from two sources: A. Getting to a destination without asking directions (doubly if the route is inadequately marked.) B. Providing directions to others (especially when you're a bit of a stranger there yourself.) I was patting my back about it all the way around the pond.

There is no lack of fowl in the Baths this time of year. Aside from the common pigeon, the ever-present peacocks, and the ducks, many other birds are making noise in the canopy of the trees. I must admit, since I'm in Europe I do miss the call of the chickadee. Maybe some other bird in the Tit family (yes, there is a family of birds call tits) can fill that small, fluffy void. The birds that are citizens of the park show little fear to humans and meander right up to them in search of a meal. They make the swans and geese in the Boston Public Gardens look shy and bashful. A pair of ducks and some pigeons saddled right up to me, looking for a handout (I disappointed them, I'm afraid.)

One of the couples strolling along the paths.

From the Palace on the Lake.

Feeding the some of the many peacocks. The woman and child were as brightly colored as the birds.