Thursday 31 July 2014

Bratislava: Another Beautiful Church


Here's another beautiful church from Bratislava.  Managed to get a look inside this one, and what was particularly uplifting was that there were a few young people praying quietly at the back.


Wednesday 30 July 2014

Bratislava: Drinking Good Beer in a Locals' Bar


The first bar we went to in Bratislava was a real locals' place just round the corner from the Presidential Palace.  Just discovered that Bernard is a Czech rather than Slovakian beer, and the one above had something of a honey taste.

Moreover, there were about eight different kinds of Bernard on draught in this locals' bar, each one costing little more than a Euro a 'pint':


Thus, I can understand why Bratislava may be viewed as a beer drinker's paradise.

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Bratislava: One of the Most Beautiful Churches I've Ever Seen


This is quite simply one of the most beautiful church facades that I've seen anywhere (I've visited such places as Rome and Lvov):


My friend and travelling companion, Dave Dealy, was equally astonished as me at the beauty of this church, and we debated whether it would look better with a lick of paint, but decided that the sense of neglect added to its authenticity.

Unfortunately, the church was locked up as we would've loved to have seen what the inside was like.

Vienna Fairground: A Few Shots


Just a few pics from Vienna fairground here, starting with the famous Prater Wheel above.

Was really happy with being able to get a decent shot of the waterslide below:


Finally, got a nice shot of a second big wheel inside the fairground below:


My good friend and travelling companion Dave Dealy said that his two teenage sons would've loved this place.

Vienna: A Beautiful Church on the River Danube


Visited Vienna at Easter last year but never managed to get out to the river, so when I visited the city again last week, I was determined to do so.  And I wasn't disappointed as I found this beautiful Germanesque-type church beside the river Danube. 

For me, this church is magical as it reminds me of the 'Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang' Castle in Bavaria that I visited about eight years ago.
 

Monday 28 July 2014

Bratislava: A (Post-) Modern Art Exhibition in a Small Park

Ran into this interesting (post-) modern art exhibition in a small park on the way down towards the Presidential Palace and Old Town from the train station in Bratislava:


My favourite piece in the exhibition has to be the one below, which, for me, the rain added something to it:


Also really liked the violet spiral-type thing below:


Not quite sure about the thing below, but it's still quite interesting for me:


And finally, the light bulbs being attached to the lawn rather than being suspended in the air:


Yeah, well done to my travelling companion, Dave Dealy, for spotting this interesting somewhat secluded spot.

Bratislava Castle: Looking Down on the River Danube


Only spent a day in Bratislava but absolutely loved the Castle on the hill (below) and the Old Town.  From the Castle, there were great views of the river Danube (above).


In the past, I've visited Kosice and Poprad in Slovakia, but Bratislava was something else, well worth a daytrip from Vienna.


Sunday 27 July 2014

Vienna Zoo: The Giant Panda and Koala

Just back from a great visit to Vienna and Bratislava.  Really enjoyed visiting Vienna Zoo where I saw a Giant Panda for the first time:


As can be seen, this Giant Panda was munching away on some bamboo:


Also caught a quick glimpse of the koala at Vienna Zoo, but he/she was deep in sleep:


Saturday 26 July 2014

Suzanne Vega Live at Warsaw Stodoła 23rd July 2014


A day after seeing Kansas at the Klub Progresja, I was watching Suzanne Vega at Warsaw Stodoła (I've always had a really eclectic taste in music).

Was nice to see Suzanne Vega doing all her old classics:  'Marelene on the Wall'; 'Small Blue Thing'; 'Left of Centre'; 'Luka' etc. mixed in with new stuff from her 'Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles' album.  Off the latter, I really liked 'Horizon' (about Vlacek Havel) and 'Laying on of Hands'.

Was also massively impressed by drummer Doug Yowell (pictured below dissembling his drum kit after the Warsaw gig):


Wednesday 23 July 2014

My Friend Michał Meeting Steve Walsh of Kansas


Great picture of my friend, Michał, meeting the great Steve Walsh of Kansas.  Steve Walsh will be much missed once he leaves Kansas after the European leg of the band's 40th Anniversary tour.

Kansas Live at Warsaw Klub Progresja 22nd July 2014


So, the one we'd been waiting for, Kansas at Warsaw Klub Progresja, finally came round last night.  As me and my mate from Ireland walked past the tour bus above, we saw Steve Walsh sitting in the shade looking deep in reflective thought (this guy will be sadly missed from the band).

As for the concert itself, it was as I'd expected as I'd been reading the setlist from the previous gigs on the European leg of their 40th Anniversary tour.
 

So which were my favourite tunes of the night?  Well, for me, the song that they really nailed was 'The Wall' which they played early in the set.


Good to see that the band do a couple of my favourite tunes: 'Cheyenne Anthem' and 'Icarus Borne on Wings of Steel'.

Of course, a very enthusiastic crowd loved Steve Walsh's forays to the front of the stage:


I was stood near the front of the stage on the right, and more than a few times it was clearly visible that bassist Billy Greer was genuinely moved by the crowd's enthusiastic response:



And, of course, after the encores, 'Fight Fire with Fire' and 'Carry on Wayward Son', the band stood in appreciation of the crowd:


First heard Kansas in the late 1970s, have liked them ever since, and it was great that I was able to get to see them for a second time last night.

Sunday 20 July 2014

Warsaw: The Number 6 Tram Heading towards Zoliborz


Nice shot of the number 6 tram going over the bridge near metro Gdanski on its way towards Plac Inwalidow and Plac Wilsona in lower Zoliborz.

This tram covers quite some territory: on one hand, going up almost as far as Stare Bemowa, and on the other hand, crossing the river, and going not far off from the outskirts of the city where people generally start heading towards Lublin and other places.

Kansas Starting the European Leg of Their 40th Anniversary Tour


Great to see that Kansas have started the European leg of their 40th Anniversary tour.  Well done to the great people who have put 'Point of Know Return' (above) and 'Carry On Wayward Son' (below) from the opening Shepherd's Bush Empire show in London on Youtube.


Only seen Kansas once before in Berlin about 10 years ago, but have been listening to them since the late 1970s.  Thus, with Steve Walsh being due to leave the band after the European dates, it should be some experience at Warsaw Klub Progresja on Tuesday evening:


Yeah, can't wait for this one.

Saturday 19 July 2014

Song of the Day: 'The Ghost of You Walks' by Richard Thompson

Enjoyed listening to Jonathan Agnew interviewing Richard Thompson at lunch on Test Match Special today.  Never knew that Richard Thompson was a big cricket fan, and it was interesting to hear him talk about baseball being invented in England in the 18th century and cricket being equally popular as baseball in the USA in the 1880s.

Was also hilarious when Geoffrey Boycott turned up at the end of the interview saying that he'd heard a 'row' going on (Richard Thompson had been doing a few accoustic tunes in the Test Match Special office) for the last 40 minutes.

So, all of this reminded me of Richard Thompson (and Danny Thompson) doing 'The Ghost of You Walks' on the Jools Holland Show in the 1990s:


Yeah, this is an incredibly beautiful song.

Friday 18 July 2014

Warsaw: The Plac Wilsona Mannequin


Saw this strange mannequin at Plac Wilsona last Friday (or it may've been the Friday before).  Still can't make my mind up whether it was just some kind of daft prank or some malevolent kind of Western politically-'correct' propaganda like the awful rainbow symbol at Plac Zbawiciela. 

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Underrated Albums: 'Audio-Visions' by Kansas

Like a lot of people, my favourite Kansas albums would have to be 'Leftoverture' and 'Point of Know Return'.  Thus, with the prospect of seeing Kansas in Warsaw next Tuesday, I've been playing these two sublime pieces of work all the time recently.

However, I've also ended up playing the 1980 album, 'Audio-Visions', quite a lot which I bought as a 14 year old schoolboy back then after hearing 'Relentless' (the opening track on the album) on Tommy Vance's 'Friday Rock Show' on Radio 1 in Britain:


For me, 'Relentless' is right up there with all the other great Kansas tunes ('The Pinnacle'; 'Cheyenne Anthem'; 'Closet Chronicles'; 'Miracles Out Of Nowhere'; 'Carry on Wayward Son'; 'Song for America' etc.).

So which other tunes do I like off 'Audio-Visions'?  Well, back in 1980 and still now, my two favourite tunes after 'Relentless' would have to be 'Curtain of Iron' and 'Back Door', the latter just being a great tune for ending an album (on one hand, it sounds quite laid-back, but on the other hand, it has a highly passionate sound):


To be honest, back in 1980, 'Relentless'; 'Curtain of Iron'; and 'Back Door' were the only tracks I really liked off 'Audio-Visions', but now I enjoy listening to the whole album from start to finish.  Out of the other tracks, the one that has really grown on me recently is 'Don't Open Your Eyes':


Yes, for me, this tune just has that Kansas melody and sound that I love.


Tuesday 15 July 2014

Warsaw: Beautiful Juicy Peaches


Absolutely love the peaches I've been eating in Warsaw recently.  Sometimes, the peaches are a dark reddish colour like the one above, and other times they are more a light yellowish colour, but, more importantly, they're now really juicy but easy to bite into.  Thus, I've sometimes been eating eight of them a day.

Sunday 13 July 2014

Song of the Day: 'Pale' by Within Temptation


Heard this being played during the interlude between the support band and Magnum at Manchester Ritz in late April earlier this year, and, for the life of me, couldn't remember who it was. 

Then, I asked my good friend Simon Cusick if he knew who it was and he said that he thought it was one of the 'symphonic' bands I like, to which the penny dropped, it was Within Temptation at their very best.  Absolutely love this song.

Saturday 12 July 2014

Warsaw: The Sleeping Lovers' Motif


Love this sleeping lovers' motif which has turned up outside the small kiosks (small newsagent-type huts) in Warsaw this summer. This motif just kind of offers an uplift whenever I see it around the city.

Friday 11 July 2014

Horse and Carriage Going through Warsaw Citadel


Was a little shocked to see this scene of a horse and carriage passing through Warsaw Citadel yesterday.  Only had my mobile with me, unfortunately, so the shot isn't the best in the world, but, still, it almost has a watercolour-type effect. 

Thursday 10 July 2014

Warsaw Old Town Street Theatre


Was out for a quick drink with my friend Tom last Friday evening, and came across this interesting street theatre in the 'New Town Square' of Warsaw Old Town:


There was some kind of esoteric-type music playing, and a large crowd of people were watching the mainly young performers:


This particular street theatre was also making frequent use of shop window dummies:


Was nice to run into this kind of thing while out for a gentle stroll through the Old Town.

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Song of the Day: 'Dry Land' by Marillion


For a couple of days, this wonderful tune was buzzing round my head, cheering me up when the underground was overcrowded (or when I was experiencing something similarly annoying). 

Then suddenly, it just occurred to me:  "It's 'Dry Land' by Marillion!".  This is how my mental jukebox operates:  sometimes I'm fully conscious of the tunes buzzing round there, and other times only half conscious of them, as I may've not played or heard them for a long time.

With 'Dry Land', it was a case of playing it for the first time in ages a few days before, and then the beautiful melodies of the song were magically buzzing round my head a few days later.  This is the beauty of the mental jukebox.

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Warsaw: Back with the Streetlamp Motif


Back with the streetlamp motif here.  Warsaw has lots of beautiful streetlamps, although these two are dominated by an interesting sky in the background.

Sunday 6 July 2014

Warsaw: The Lazienki Chopin Concert (at 4pm on Sunday 29th June)

At 4pm on Sunday 29th June 2014, I finally got round to seeing one of the Sunday afternoon Chopin concerts in Lazienki Park:


According to the schedule below, the pianist was Elzbieta Karaś-Krasztel who was fantastic:



Many particularly younger people just came to the event to lie on the grass and  relax to the music:


Before each piece of music, the compere below explained (in Polish and English) what it was:



Of course, after each piece of music and especially at the end, the extremely talented pianist  took fully deserved rounds of applause: