Zamosc: Passing the Cathedral

In Zamosc, it was a sunny afternoon and we parked up somewhere near the city walls.  Pretty soon, we were passing the Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. Thomas the Apostle:

Have just read that the Cathedral dates back to the 16th century, although it was only given cathedral status in 1992 by the then Pope John-Paul II.  Can remember visiting this Cathedral in the late 1990s and seeing mummies in a crypt in the tower there.  The mummies seem to be no longer on view.

The building below signalled that we were almost ready to enter Zamosc Rynek:

Bury (Lancashire): East Ward Youth Club Trip to Austria Picture

This incredible picture went round an 'Old Bury' Facebook site some time ago.  Even though it now seems several lifetimes away, the picture brought back memories of the (I think 1973) East Ward Youth Club trip to Austria organised by Steve 'Bomber' Thompson and his Austrian wife (Aida/Ida).

Went on this trip when I was seven years old with my now late mother and late younger brother who was three or four at the time.  Can still remember crowds of people waving the coach off from East Ward Youth Club.

My most vivid memories of the two-week trip were staying in a youth hostel in Luxembourg; visiting an expensive chip shop in Germany (probably in Munich); camping in the Alps in Austria (with Aida's father bringing loads of grapes or cherries for us all to eat when we arrived there late at night); eating loads of bourbon creams that were stored in a chemical toilet; visiting Salzburg and Vienna; being too frightened to go miles up in the sky in a cable car (possibly in Innsbruck, how the memory fades); seeing loads of 'World Cup Willies' (the official mascot of the then upcoming 1974 Football World Cup in West Germany) all over the place; and listening to a Tom Jones song all the time on the radio.

Warsaw Old Town: Just Beyond the Barbican

Having just passed through the Barbican (above) from the Old Market Square side of the Old Town, we encountered the building below:

Here, it was sad to see that the ground floor of the building was shut up, as I can recall it having been an ice-cream place or a milk bar some years ago.

Szczebrzeszyn: A Wooden House and Factory

Here we are passing a wooden house and the factory on the river:

Both are near the statue of the cricket in Szczebrzeszyn:

Warsaw: An Impressive Building

This building on Krakowskie Przedmiescie, somewhere near the Copernicus statue, may be old and dirty but it's still impressive if you look at it carefully.

Warsaw Old Town: The Crucifix

Came across this crucifix, which seems to date back to the mid-19th century, just inside the entrance of the Franciscan church in Warsaw Old Town.

Warsaw Old Town: A Horse and Carriage

Having passed through the Barbican (in Warsaw Old Town), we saw this horse-and-carriage approach from a distance:

Eastern Poland: Grapes in a Garden

Nice shot of some grapes in a late autumnal garden in Eastern Poland.  Of all creatures, some hens have taken a liking to these grapes.

Bury (Lancashire): Passing the Lions

While briefly passing through my hometown of Bury, Lancashire over summer, I saw the 'Bury Lions' when walking up from the Precinct towards Bury Parish Church:

Had been on the lookout for the 'Bury Lions' as somebody on an 'Old Bury' Facebook site had said that they'd once stood on top of the now long gone Bury Abattoir:

Had never realised how close the Abattoir had been to Kay Gardens until seeing the shot above (from the 'Old Bury' site).

Back in the day, the 'Bury Lions' seem to have been far more noble and proud-looking than they appear now:

Warsaw: Palace of Culture Statue

Had just finished our Zamosc-Warsaw mini-bus journey when we saw this amazing (Soviet-style) statue at the foot of the Palace of Culture in Warsaw city centre.

Warsaw: A Hidden Courtyard

We had just walked through the main gates of Warsaw University on Krakowskie Przedmiescie, and on the right, we noticed access to a courtyard we'd never seen before.

Looks as if the building below was once a church, while nowadays, I think it may be some kind of museum:

Always nice to find something new in Warsaw having lived here for about 14 years now.

Szczebrzeszyn: Looking for the Ravines

Went looking for the sand-coloured ravines in Szczebrzeszyn and the best sight we came across was the one above.

Was a good walk following leafy paths:

And using tree roots to get down steepish, sand-coloured embankments:

Zamosc: The Synagogue Cat

In Zamosc, it looked like the tough-looking fella above officially guarded the synagogue (below) from mice, rats etc.

Kotek on the Wardrobe

A shot of Kotek on top of a wardrobe.  Think he posed perfectly for this shot.

Szczebrzeszyn: Passing the Cricket

Passing the famous wooden sculpture/statue in Szczebrzeszyn, my old schoolfriend, Mick, over from Bury, Lancashire in Britain, decided to get rid of his thirst with the spring water there:

Szczebrzeszyn: A Red Squirrel Carrying Two Apples

In the countryside around Szczebrzeszyn, I just about managed to get a couple of shots of this red/brown squirrel carrying what looks like two small apples in its mouth:

A Relaxing Song

Enjoyed seeing The Pineapple Thief at Warsaw Progresja a couple of weeks ago, and love this tune, 'Fend for Yourself'.
 

Warsaw: The Polish Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene

We went down to near Warsaw Zoo and the Praga district of the city to have a look at the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene.

Me and an old friend from school, Mick, were kindly shown into the crypt of the Cathedral by a bearded man (who was selling small icons in a hut inside the Cathedral grounds):
 

Love being able to take pictures of Orthodox artwork:

For my Western eyes, it just has a special Eastern Christian quality.

Had been inside the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene about 12-14 years ago, but couldn't remember there being such a beautiful, dark iconostasis set up down there:

This reminded me of the beautiful Orthodox Cathedral I'd visited in Varna, Bulgaria, a few years ago.

The doors to the Altar:

Love the visual dimension, the general aesthetic of the Orthodox Church.

 

Szczebrzeszyn Harvest Sunday: Cross and Monstrance Made of Wheat

After the Harvest Sunday procession had taken place, an incredible cross and monstrance, both of which seemed to be made of wheat, were put on display in the Main Square outside the Szczebrzeszyn Town Hall.

As shown in the pictures above and below, smartly-dressed people placed other harvest offerings beside the incredible cross and monstrance:

 

Szczebrzeszyn Harvest Sunday: Sweet-Offering

When the Szczebrzeszyn Harvest Sunday procession had finished, two young people in traditional Polish costumes could be seen offering everybody sweets from a basket.

The Sisters of Mercy Live at Warsaw Progresja 15th September 2017

This was the second time I'd seen The Sisters of Mercy having also caught them a number of years ago at Warsaw Stodola.

As expected, the set last night was laced with all the classics ('More'; 'Dominion/Mother Russia'; 'Lucretia My Reflection';  'Marian'; 'This Corrosion' etc.).

Was just nice to see a band knowing most of their tunes, it now seems almost a lifetime away from the 1980s when I first came across The Sisters of Mercy and the Gothic-type music scene in Britain.

Generally speaking, Warsaw Progresja is a great place for a gig.  But last night, I made the big mistake of being down near the front of the stage as the concert ended, so I ended up having to wait 20 minutes or so to get out of the place:

 Also missed The Membranes due to the tight security checks going into Progresja (sadly, this kind of thing is necessary, even in Poland).  It was just my luck that after 30 minutes of queuing up, The Membranes had just finished their set as I got in the place.