Corpus Christi in Łowicz

I've got to tell the truth, I'm a sucker for traditional costumes.  Lederhosen, kimonos, you name it.  Anyway, practically every Polish girl I meet gets the same question, "So, do you have a traditional Polish dress?  No?  Why not?"   And why not indeed, they are adorable.  They're bright, flashy, garish, totally impractical in today's world.  They also are expensive (around 1000zl per dress) and weigh a ton.  (NOTE:  Not every girl gets treated to that question, but I have asked it on occasion.  I just wanted some hyperbole in this thing and to add a dash of danger and mystery.)

Anyway, on Corpus Christi, there is a procession in Lowicz, a town to the west of Warsaw and about an hour away by train.  The procession in Lowicz is fairly well known, as is the beautiful cathedral that stands in the center of the town.  As soon as I was told that there'd be a 'parade' with these costumes, followed by a fair, I was like, "I'm there!"  So, I high-tailed it to Lowicz to catch the procession and take all sorts of pictures (be warned, there are many, because I just couldn't make my mind up.)

The start of the procession.

The first group of girls in costumes.

 The day was rather dreary and threatened rain, but that didn't put anyone off.  Everyone was out in force, and the procession was walking around the cathedral square.  I whipped out my trusty digital camera and joined every other person there in shooting as many pictures as I could of these wonderful clothes.  About six pictures in, my camera batteries gave out and I was left cursing myself for not preparing well.  Luckily, there was a kiosk not far away that sold batteries, and I was back making digital records of everything I saw.  Also, luckily, the procession proceeded  ploddingly, often stopping for long periods of time while prayers were said and hymns were sung and everyone watching swarmed the folks walking in the procession, taking enormous amounts of pictures.  (Seriously, half the show was watching everyone snapping away while the people in the procession posed, chatted with friends and family, or just sat.)  Halfway through, a mass was said (and I believe the celebrating priest was a Frenchman speaking as a guest.)  During these long pauses, the marchers often sat down, because, as I said before, the weight of their dresses was significant.  Most had to be helped up from their resting spot.  With weight comes good insulating ability, and just walking down the road could make one perspire in such a getup.

Both the very old and the very young were dressed up. 

When not marching, many posed and showed off their beautiful gowns.

A banner of a parish in Lowicz.

Who were these folks marching?  Well, they were mostly from Lowicz and the surrounding areas.  They were arranged in groups, each from a parish, and each carrying a banner (usually dedicated to Mary the Mother of God).  Men in spiffy outfits carried the poles to the banners, while the women and girls (and sometimes little boys) carried ribbons attached the the banner.  Sometimes a small pillow, again with the likeness of Mary on it, as well.  The pillow doubled as a seat when pauses were in effect.
There were also a group of Polish veterans, a troop of Ukrainians (invited in to dance and sing at the fair), and I guess anyone else who wanted to show off his or her fancy outfit.

Elderly women carrying an enormous rosary.

The procession of the banners.

Banners and marchers.

Looping around the square.

 The procession wasn't actually physically very long, 100 yards maybe, but they did move pretty slowly.  Every time the procession stopped, the men carrying the poles set them down, then turned around and faced toward the aft of the procession (I'm not sure why).

I like this getup: this poor fellow has two speakers as a backpack to project the mass.

Stopped and posing.

A Ukrainian troop marched as well as part of a Ukrainian exhibition at the fair.

Showing off her apron.

Listening to the Mass.

Little tiny bagels!  She seems to be enjoying herself.

Taking a rest from the walk.

The dresses themselves are pretty interesting.  There are many layers: petticoats, blouses, vests, skirts, and all wrapped up by a big, stiff apron.  The apron is what everyone sees and can be mistaken for a skirt.  They're big, stiff, and heavy.  They also kind of make every girl look pregnant (by the shape they take).
The men, in my opinion, kind of looked like Swiss guardsmen.  They also carried birch springs tucked into the back of their belts.  I was not able to find out the significance of the springs.

This beautiful young lass was kind enough to explain about the dress.

Lifting up her skirt so we could peek at what's beneath: her petticoats.

One method of sitting down.

Most of the girls had a standard leather boot with a small high-heel and red laces.  Others, wore stilettos (not the brightest decision, based upon their facial expressions), or simple flats.

Most of the girls wore these shin-high leather lace-ups.

Resting in a group, their backs to each other.

Standing around in those iron maidens can be tough.  It looks  kind of like they're all drunk.

The guys have their own costumes.  Also, the carried birch sprigs in their belts.

The inside of the Lowicz Cathedral.

The marching band!  (At the end of the procession.)

Bialo-Czerwoni (The Red and Whites)

Immediately before, during, and after the Euro 2012, there was a sudden uptick in folks (mostly women) dressed with white tops and red bottoms.  This, of course, is the way the Polish flag is.  White and red also happen to be good summer colors and are attractive.

Anyway, it seemed that every second person I saw was wearing red and white (bottom and top, respectively), so I tried to do a little photo essay incognito (read: taking photos on my phone's crappy camera.  Even the settings were put done.  It was kind of creepy like, but don't blame me, I was doing it for reporting.)

Chilling in the subway.  Sporting the "Polish flag" look.

Another lass rocking the red and white.

I was pretending to text in the blazing sun while taking this one.

Hey!  Guys wear it too!

The whole red and white thing has kind of died down now, but it's still a very popular combination.

And again, I know these pictures just look kind of creepy, but I was trying to capture the trend.  We'll see if there's more to come.

Daily Dose of Cuteness

Two great loves of Poles are Yorkshire terriers and cats.  Here's both of them outside a window in Saska Kepa.

Just chillin' on the sill.  Watching the traffic go by. 

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.

The Block is Hot

Poland's in a little bit of a summer heat wave, and I am loving it.

One thing gets me though:  all this time, I get countless inquiries as to why I'm living in Poland?  "Why Poland?"  they ask.  I usually reply, "Well, where else would I live?  Poland's a beautiful country."  They say, "Well, you could go to Spain."
"Spain?  What's so great about Spain?"
"The culture, the food, but mostly the climate.  The weather is warm all the time.  Poland is too cold for me."
And then, I shit you not, they start to bitch endlessly about how it's too hot (80-90º).  They go, "Oh, this weather is terrible for me.  Ach, it's awful.  Too hot!!!"  They complain about the warm weather in Poland, but ceaselessly talk about how great the weather is in Spain and how Poland is too cold.  When I bring this to their attention, they say, "Typical Polish."
Yes.  Yes it is.

Oh, and they put the AC on in the winter.  Can you believe that shit?

George Clooney in Poland?

I had the chance to look at the castellan on the Kasztelan logo.  (For those of you who don't know, Kasztelan is a light, tasteless beer just like any other.)  Anyway,  the guy does look a lot like George Clooney with a beard and feathered felt hat.  What's that scroll he's gripping?  I don't know.

I think George Clooney's gonna' sue somebody.

Travelin' Blues

A recent trip took me to Warsaw's Chopin Airport.  It was the height of the Euro 2012 championship, so I expected it to be mobbed, with lines snaking this way and that, and an extra layer of security checks just to make the whole thing that much hellish.  I was greeted by a near-empty terminal.  Waiting in line to check in?  Nope.  Going through security?  A breeze.  I actually arrived to the airport way to early, and had to burn off some extra time wandering around the building wondering where everyone was.

LOT E170s and E190s with a special Euro 2012 livery on their winglets and fuselages.

Getting those visitors off on the right foot.

In both terminals, it was kind of eerie the way that there were so few people.  I have never seen them this empty, except maybe when I had some 6:00 AM flight, and I got to the airport at 4:30.
I had heard about how some 500,000 fans were supposed to come through Warsaw (or something like that, I dunno').  Tourism was supposed to pick up, partly because of the weak zloty, and partly because of the beautification of the country.  Well, I saw no immediate effects.  We're just about in the middle of the tourist season, and they're just trickling in.  I chalk it up to the problems with Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France (oh yes, they too have problems), but I don't have reams of proof to throw at you.  But, there have been several articles noting the downturn in travel within the Euro Zone.

No lines or crowds here.

There are a few people milling around, but everything is just about quiet.

By the way, the traffic in Warsaw isn't too bad, even on game days.

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).