Kozel: Another Fine Czech Beer

Really enjoyed this bottle of Kozel in Olomouc (now about a month ago).  Had been drinking lager all the time on a long weekend break, so it was good to be able to get my hands on a nice dark Czech beer.

Song of the Day: 'La ou naissent les couleurs nouvelles' by Alcest

Saw Alcest on Monday and the melody of this beautiful song is still ringing round my head.

Skillet Live at Warsaw Stodoła October 28th 2014

I find Skillet very melodic and that was good enough reason to go and see the band at Warsaw Stodoła last night.  I took loads of shots from a distance away and, fortunately, a handful of them came out half-okay, such as the one of John Cooper below:

Skillet did a 90-minute set, my favourite tunes of the night having to be 'Sick of It' and 'Awake and Alive' (my two favourite Skillet tunes).  To be honest, I find most Skillet songs anthemic, having a great bouncy sing-along quality.

The Stodoła was also packed out, far more crowded than I'd expected it to be.

Was just a bit disappointed that John Cooper didn't give a longer chat about the band's born-again Christian beliefs, as it's this dimension that makes the band a bit different for me.

Was also a touch strange that the band didn't seem to come back on stage for a single encore after the 90-minute set.  But as I was watching the end of the concert on the screen in the Stodoła bar area (above), I could see that the security at the front of the stage were having a lot of problems trying to catch teeny-boppers crowd surfing.  So maybe this had something to do with it, or maybe it's just Skillet's way to avoid (often predictable) encores. 

Alcest (and Opeth) Live at Warsaw Klub Progresja 27th October 2014

Count myself blessed to have caught French band Alcest (supporting Opeth) at Warsaw Klub Progresja last night:

Similar to the effect Icelandic band Sigur Ros have on me, listening to Alcest, I find myself getting lost in a sublime soundscape where all the songs seemingly merge together.

However, the song of the night for me had to be 'La Ou Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles'.  Just think that this is one hell of a beautiful track.

And, of course, at times, the stage was just a sea of hair:

Also, it might just be my imagination running away with me here, but Alcest kind of remind me of early Rush (e.g. from around the 'Fly By Night' era).

Yeah, Alcest were right up there with all the top gigs I've been to this year, namely Kansas; Within Temptation; Gary Numan; and Rich Robinson.

Also had a great night with my old pal, Olly Robinson:

Yeah, no doubts who Olly was there to see last night.  Must say that I liked the Opeth backdrop:

Also really liked the recent Opeth stuff  ('Eternal Rains Will Come'; 'Cusp of Eternity' etc.), but the older growling/grunting stuff just doesn't do it for me (but each to their own and all that).

Still, my mate Olly absolutely loved it.

Song of the Day: 'The Water Song' by The Incredible String Band

Perfect song for a Sunday morning:  'The Water Song' by the Incredible String Band:

Love the live version above from the early 2000s.  Saw The Incredible String Band at the Canterbury Fayre at Mount Ephraim Gardens in Kent around this time, and they came on with 'The Water Song'. 

Warsaw Pole Mokotowskie Park: Outside Gym

Despite the turning of autumn into winter, hopefully I'll be able to get to the outside gym at Pole Mokotowskie Park some time next week.  Definitely feel much better when using the rowing machine (above) and the machine for the arms below:

One of the more amusing things is the 'rabbit' machine below:

And one of the most useful is the 'walking through snow' machine below:

And the Tai Chi pads below may not look much, but they're a challenge if you've got a frozen shoulder like me.

Each machine visually shows its health benefits, such as the 'snow-walking' machine below:
 

And the rowing machine below:

Song of the Day: 'Eternal Rains Will Come' by Opeth

This is one of my favourite tunes off the recently released 'Pale Communion' album.

Will be hopefully seeing Opeth at Warsaw Klub Progresja on Monday night.  Once upon a time, it would never have entered my head to go and see Opeth because of the grunting/growling, but the last two albums ('Heritage' and 'Pale Communion') are great Prog, so I've been quite rightly won over to this band.

Look forward to seeing both Opeth and Alcest at the Klub Progresja on Monday night.

Olomouc: Religious Art on the Fronts of Houses

Another thing that I liked about Olomouc was the religious art on the fronts of houses like this piece.

 I've seen this kind of thing before in, for example, Austria and Slovenia.  It just shows me that I'm visiting a part of Europe that hasn't been completely ravaged and destroyed by political-'correctness' (one of the main scourges of contemporary Europe).

Szczebrzeszyn: The Cricket Statue (Outside the Town Hall)

Up until my recent trip to Szczebrzeszyn a few weeks ago, I hadn't been there for about 18 months, so this was the first time I'd seen the statue of the cricket outside the town hall.

For being incredibly difficult to pronounce as a word, Szczebrzeszyn has a mythological-type status in Polish folklore, and the cricket (small green insect) is the official symbol of this small sleepy (but relaxing) eastern Polish town.

Olomouc: The Church with the Incredible Organ

Saw the beautiful Baroque church (above) while walking around Olomouc city centre on a late Sunday morning/early afternoon.  Just from the look of the church, we thought that there must be something special inside, and there was, the organ (below):

A little down the tram road on the left, there was an interesting-looking museum, but it was closed due to it being Sunday:

Still, the view of it from behind a fountain was quite spectacular:

Song of the Day: 'Star of the County Down' by Van Morrison and the Chieftains

While Youtube surfing on Friday night, I was looking for a good version of the traditional Irish folk song, 'Star of the County Down', and, thankfully, found this great version by Van Morrison and the Chieftains.  Whenever I hear this wonderful song, it just puts in the mood to visit Ireland.

Martin Barre Band Live at Warsaw Klub Progresja 16th October 2014

Having not been to a gig since Patti Smith at Sowinskiego Park in August, I was really looking forward to the Martin Barre Band concert at Klub Progresja.

And Martin Barre and his band didn't disappoint doing a nice two-hour set, half made up of old blues tunes (plus Gov't Mule's 'Thorazine Shuffle' - one of the highlights of the night for me), and half made up of old Jethro Tull tunes ('Sweet Dream'; 'Something's on the Move'; 'Thick as a Brick'; 'Minstrel in the Gallery' etc.).

Unfortunately, the small Klub Progresja is kind of a small pokey hole with a small stage (in contrast, the big Klub Progresja is probably the best place for a gig in Warsaw), and at times Martin Barre and his fellow band members looked a bit cramped for space.

There was also only about 150 people there which was a bit disappointing:

 But Martin Barre took things in his stride having a bit of fun with a microphone stand that kept getting in his way, ironically bemoaning the fact that he couldn't have a drink because he was driving (while his bandmates were smiling and enjoying their Lech - a Polish beer from Poznan) and, of course, some of the guitar work was sublime.

Saw Jethro Tull four times in the 1980s, the first time being at Birmingham NEC on the 'Broadsword and the Beast' tour when I was 16 and just getting ready to leave school.  Thus, now in my late 40s, I really enjoyed the old Tull tunes at this gig, especially 'Something's on the Move' (from the massively underrated 'Stormwatch' album if my memory serves me right).

Queen Tribute Band in Olomouc Main Square, Czech Republic

In the beautiful setting of Olomouc main square (below), I ran into a Czech Queen  tribute band (above):

Of course, the lead vocalist was trying his best to look and gesticulate like Freddie Mercury:

And to be fair, the tribute band itself was okay running through lots of old Queen hits like 'Bohemian Rahapsody'; 'We Are The Champions'; and 'Radio Gaga':

Back in the day, I was never big on Queen, but did really like occasional tracks like 'Spread Your Wings'; 'Brighton Rock' and 'Las Palabros De Amor', all of which occasionally run through my mental jukebox:

Leżajsk Export: One of My Favourite Polish Beers

Leżajsk Export (the Leżajsk in the white/silver can as opposed to the Leżajsk in the blue can) is definitely one of my favourite Polish beers.

I first discovered it while working in Nowy Sącz in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains between 1997 and 1999.

But for some reason Leżajsk Export seems to be difficult to find in Warsaw.  And up until recently, I hadn't drunk this wonderful beer since going to see Van Der Graaf Generator in Cracow getting on for about 10 years ago now.

However, when I was in Biedronka in Szczebrzeszyn recently, I had a wonderful surprise as I saw that the white/silver-tinned Leżajsk was being sold as well as the usual blue-tinned one.  Thus, I'll now be checking out the Biedronka stores in Warsaw to see if they're also selling Leżajsk Export.

So what is so special about the Leżajsk in the white/silver tin?  Well, while not being very gassy, it also has the faintest but incredibly beautiful bitter taste.

Ostrava (Czech Republic): Near the Train/Bus Station

If you get stuck at Ostrava train station for a couple of hours during a connection, it's worth having a short wander outside down the main road leading from the train/bus station.  Amongst the interesting buildings (above and below), you'll find a few places where you can get a decent hot meal.

And as you walk down the main road, away from the train/bus station, on the left, you'll come across a big rectangular square containing the impressive-looking church below at the far end:

This church is also quite impressive inside:

The church was locked but from the back, I could get some different angled shots through the wooden bars of the partition:

Olomouc: The City Wall

Decided to take a walk down by the river in Olomouc and was rewarded with the view of the city wall above.

Down by the river, there was a tennis club with loads of clay courts (above), so little wonder the Czechs have had such strength in depth at tennis for so long.

Also ran into the wonderful piece of wooden folk religion below:

And the either rebuilt or added on tower or guard spot below: