Yet Another Great Polish Beer

This Polish beer from the Stary Browar (Old Brewery) in Koscierzyna, a small town of about 24,000 people in the Kasubia area of northern Poland, was a joy to drink.

A student of mine was in Gdansk for a weekend and very kindly brought back this fine beer for me to try.  This beer reminded me of a good, dark, British Real Ale, so I'm quite stunned to see it advertised as a lager on the green bottle label above.

Finishing Thomas Hardy's 'Under the Greenwood Tree'

Having just finished Thomas Hardy's 'Under the Greenwood Tree', I quite naturally have some thoughts buzzing round my head.  I'm sure I read this novel(la) about 10-12 years, but one way or another, before reading it this time, I could remember next to nothing from it.

This time round, I had the good fortune of reading a fantastic Introduction by Dr. Claire Seymour from the University of Kent in the Wordsworth Classics edition of the book.  This sensitised me to two central themes in the novel(la), the issues of cultural continuity and cultural loss which was pivotal for me gaining a much better understanding of the book this time round.

Dr. Seymour's Introduction also sensitised me to the fact that there are two main plots in 'Under the Greenwood Tree':  the demise of the Mellstock male choir and the love intrigue between Dick Dewy and Fancy Day (and Farmer Shiner and Parson Maybold too).  The male choir issue obviously relates to the cultural continuity versus cultural loss themes, as the replacement of the male choir (with its violins, cello etc.) with the more modern use of the harmonium leads to many male rustic members of the local Anglican congregation feeling redundant in local church life.

Having visited St. Michael's church, Stinsford (Hardy's model for the church in 'Under the Greenwood area); Lower Higher Bockhampton (Hardy's birthplace, the Hardy cottage being the model for the Dewy household in the book); Lower Bockhampton (the old schoolhouse being the model for where Fancy Day teaches in the book) etc.  I could clearly visualise some of the paths (e.g. the riverside walk from St. Michael's to Lower Bockhampton) trodden in the novel, especially those covered by the half-drunk male choir in the early hours of Christmas Day (some of the magical early scenes from 'Under the Greenwood Tree').

Tied in with the cultural continuity-cultural loss themes of the book, there is yet again the issue of upwardly mobile (semi-) outsiders coming into a rustic community and disturbing its natural dynamic and equipoise.  Here, the main outsider is Parson Maybold, whose arrival, and being soon under the influence of Farmer Shiner, signals the demise of the Mellstock choir due to both of them believing that Fancy Day's playing of the harmonium at church will lead to one of them getting married to her.  Like Grace Melbury in 'The Woodlanders' and Clym Yeobright in 'The Return of the Native', Fancy Day herself is in the awkward position of being a native who is returning to a rustic community having seen something of the big world beyond it.  However, through the genuine love chemistry that develops between Fancy and Dick Dewy, 'Under the Greenwood Tree' has a more positive ending with the marriage of Dick and Fancy than 'The Return of the Native' and 'The Woodlanders' which feature the failed marriage of Clym Yeobright and Eustacia Vye and almost irreparably damaged marriage of Grace Melbury and Dr. Fitzpiers.

While both 'The Return of the Native' and 'The Woodlanders' end in tragedy: with Eustacia Vye and Damon Wildeve both drowning in the former and Giles Winterbourne sacrificing his life for Grace Melbury's moral honour in the latter, 'Under the Greenwood Tree' ends far more happily with Dick and Fancy's wedding party taking place in Keeper Day's garden.  As the younger people dance, the older ones sit under the great big tree in the garden reminiscing about things from the (sometimes deep) past.  For me, this is kind of tinged with some sadness, as Dick now wants to follow Fancy in becoming more upwardly social mobile, which will inevitably lead to further cultural loss, a continuing move away from rich, rural traditions.

While reading 'Under the Greenwood Tree', I also step-by-step watched the 2005 film version which helped me to visualise some of the main characters in the book better, such as Farmer Shiner, Parson Maybold, Fancy and Dick below:

However, I couldn't help but notice that the film version used quite a lot of poetic licence (e.g. Dick going business-seeking on the day of Fancy's first performance on the harmonium in church, when in the book, Dick more honourably attends the funeral of a friend in a neighbouring village).

Austra Live at Warsaw Cafe Niebo 27th October 2017

Had seen Austra a few years ago at the Basen (before it closed down) in Warsaw, so I knew I was in for a treat last night:

It was my first concert at the Cafe Niebo, and the main bar was kind of interesting, somebody had obviously put some effort into designing it:

Austra came on with the mystical-sounding 'Darken Her Horse', one of my favourite tunes.

For the most part, the stage lighting was a touch on the dark, fast-moving side, but for just one tune, the light fell nicely on Katie Stelmanis so this is why I've got so many shots of her:

Before watching Austra, I had to admire some of the other decor in the bar area:

Austra understandably did a lot of stuff from their recent album, 'Future Politics', including the title track; 'Utopia'; 'I Love You More Than You Love Yourself'; and 'Gaia'  (for me, the standout track on the album).

Best tune of the night?  That would have to be 'Gaia' or the old favourite, 'Lose It'.

A nice, fuller picture of the Cafe Niebo bar area below:

Really nice that Austra kept their promise of coming to Warsaw in the autumn after cancelling the show earlier in the year.

The set was short (about 75 minutes) but magical.

Really like Austra, just love the gorgeous melodies with Katie Stelmanis' voice being ethereal-like.

Warsaw: A Courtyard Bar

Saw this comfy-looking courtyard bar while making my way down from Warsaw city centre to the Cafe Niebo (just off Nowy Swiat) to see the Canadian electronica band, Austra, last night.

My Salami Kebab

I call it my salami kebab.  What it is in realty is salami, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, (green or black) olives, heaps of lettuce, and sometimes (if I remember) onion in pitta bread.  Yeah, this is both healthy and tasty.

Kotek Sleeping in a Fruit Box

Couple of nice shots of our foundling Ginger Tom, Kotek, sleeping comfortably next to a lemon in a fruit box (on the window sill in the kitchen):

Catching up with Thomas Hardy's 'The Woodlanders'

Finally got round to seeing the film version of 'The Woodlanders' recently, and enjoyed it so much that I watched it three times.

Read 'The Woodlanders' about two years ago, and view it as one of Hardy's five best novels alongside 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles'; 'Jude the Obscure'; 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'; and 'The Return of the Native'.

While watching 'The Woodlanders' three times, I was inevitably forced to recall some of the deeper meanings of the novel:

First, I think that the characters of the novel may be viewed as being divided into three main 'types':  the 'authentic natives' of the woodland habitat (exemplified by Giles Winterbourne and Marty South):

 the 'semi-natives' (represented by Grace Melbury and, to some degree, her timber merchant father):

 and the 'outsiders' (of course, exemplified by Dr. Fitzpiers and Mrs Charmond):

Besides this, the 'natives' type may be (sub-) divided into honourable/heroic, morally upright 'types' (Giles and Marty South) and 'sex-in-the-hedgerow/wood' types (e.g. Suke Damson).  Here, I can see a parallel between Suke Damson and Arabella Donn from 'Jude the Obscure' as both appear to be more straightforward, less complicated, 'sex-in-the-hedgerow/wood' types.

Second, I sense that there are definite parallels between some of the characters from 'The Woodlanders' and Hardy's great heathland novel, 'The Return of the Native'.  For instance, Grace Melbury and Clym Yeobright both have the same roles of returning to their rustic Wessex homelands as 'semi-natives' after having gone out to see the wider world for some considerable period of time.  Besides this, Mrs Charmond and Dr. Fitzspiers may be viewed as parallel characters to Eustacia Vye and Damon Wildeve, as both pairs of illicit lovers create mayhem in the agricultural habitats (woodland and heathland) that they invade as 'outsiders' from the great beyond (as representatives of a growing modern, urban world who disturb the equipoise and harmony of traditional rural worlds). 

Third, it seems obvious that stoic self-sacrifice is a major (possibly the central) theme of the novel, especially regarding the characters of Giles (in relation to Grace) and Marty South (in relation to Giles).  If only Giles had realised that it was him and Marty who were perfectly matched  . . .  If only Marty hadn't sacrificed her hair to Mrs Charmond (via a barber) early on, maybe Giles would've viewed her as a potential lover rather than loyal friend.  Perhaps the essence of the (semi-) tragedy of the novel is that both Marty and Giles are too innocent to adapt to a changing 19th century agricultural landscape that is becoming more and more influenced by the vice of the outside (urban) world.  Anyway, it is debatable who is the biggest 'hero' (sacrificial victim) of the novel, Giles or Marty South?  In the end, before his death, at least Giles seems to be finally desired and wanted by Grace Melbury, while poor Marty doesn't get past a friendship stage with Giles.  Indeed, poor Marty only appears to gain possession of Giles after his death, as she becomes an ever-present figure at his graveside.  In contrast, with a big struggle, Grace can somewhat move on from Giles' death through halfheartedly agreeing to try a second time with Fitzspiers (something not shown in the film version).  Perhaps at the novel's conclusion, Grace realises that Marty loved Giles more and was thus more deserving of this deeply honourable and self-sacrificial man.

Fourth, the story of 'The Woodlanders' seems to raise many interesting social issues including pointing out that when a woman is manipulated and 'soiled' by a man, for the rest of the (19th century) society she inhabits, she loses her innocence, and thus, her value.  In other words, Hardy may be highlighting that as highly sentient beings, (19th century) women were controlled and abused by harsh social conventions, rules and regulations.  Of course, this theme is magnified and more extreme in 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles'.  Like his successor in dealing with a complex male-female polarity theme, D.H. Lawrence, Hardy had an incredible empathy for and understanding of women.  Correspondingly, I sense that in 'The Woodlanders', Hardy is raising a three-way contrast between Mrs Charmond representing a mysterious, 'fallen' (albeit still sensitive) level of womanhood; Grace being a fully sentient woman trapped by personal circumstance and social convention; and Marty South being an almost ethereal (Christ-like) creature who is simply too good for this world.  Here, Giles' death is full of self-sacrifice, as he would rather risk himself being killed (sleeping outside in a storm fully at the mercy of the harshness of Nature which is indifferent to human suffering and noble endeavour) than have Grace (further) reduced to the status of being a 'fallen woman'.

Other major social issues raised in 'The Woodlanders' seem to include the incompatibility of marriage (deep male-female relationship) between different social classes, which contrasts with his more optimistic vision of this (with Dick Dewy and Fancy Day) in 'Under the Greenwood Tree'; the abject cruelty of landowners making leaseholders homeless (the start of Giles' tragic plight); and the industrious integrity of the travelling, woodland cider-maker (personified by Giles after he loses his home) and other traditional woodland professions which were sadly destined to become obsolete with modern, scientific progress.

Finally, I must say that I thought the acting in 'The Woodlanders' film was absolutely fantastic with Polly Walker (Mrs Charmond); Rufus Sewell (Giles Winterburn); Emily Woof (Grace Melbury); Jodhi May (Marty South); Carl MacAninch (Dr. Fitzspiers); Tony Haygarth (Mr. Melbury); Amanda Ryan (Suke Damson) etc. all playing roles that much more fully visualised and enhanced the image of the characters from 'The Woodlanders' for me.  Of course, Tony Haygarth plays a great role as Reuben Dewy in the film version of Hardy's 'Under the Greenwood Tree' too.

Another Great Polish Beer

Have been lucky enough to come across this great beer recently.

It's a dense, quite strong (almost 6%), bitter-tasting lager from the Braniewo brewery in the northern, Mazury Lake District area of Poland.

My Mental Jukebox Part 3

'The Trees' by Rush has had a prominent position in my mental jukebox ever since I first heard the song back in the late 1970s.  

Moreover, this was the first Rush tune I ever heard (over the years, Rush have been my favourite band for a whole plethora of reasons:  excellent, unique-type musicianship; intriguing lyrics; the Ayn Rand influence in some of the earlier tunes ('Anthem'; '2112'; 'Free Will'; 'Tom Sawyer' etc.); seeing the band live numerous times (in Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic) etc.

Can still remember 'the evening' some time in 1978 when I heard 'The Trees' being played on the BBC Radio 1 album chart which was down to the 'Hemispheres' album selling well in the UK.  I was only 11-12 years old back then but needless to say I was immediately blown away.  At the time, I was already aware of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zep etc., but with Rush, it was immediately noticeable that something really special was going on, something to be deeply explored over many upcoming years.

Not long after hearing 'The Trees' on the radio (on an old, brown, wireless set) on Shaw Street in the East Ward district of Bury, Lancashire, a good friend led me to buy '2112', the big beakthrough (Ayn Rand-inspired) Rush album from 1976.  Soon after, I had 'Hemispheres' and 'A Farewell To Kings', and I was truly hooked  . . .

Warsaw: Curved Building in Stary Bielany

Love the curved shape of this small block of flats in the Stary Bielany district of Warsaw.

Warsaw: St. Zygmunt's Church, Stary Bielany

When we'd reached the end of a side street leading down from Stary Bielany metro station, we encountered the spaceship-type structure of St. Zygmunt's church:

Somebody had told me that the church was 'ugly', but I viewed it as unusual and quite interesting.  Really like the juxtaposition of triangle shapes below:

Granted, the tower is less than pleasing to the eye:

But the overall shape of the building seems to work, albeit in a strange kind of way:

Think I've read on the internet somewhere that St. Zygmunt's was built in the late 1970s.

Warsaw: Stary Bielany Side Streets

Near the Stary Bielany metro station, there are some picturesque side streets leading down towards St. Zygmunt's church.

The small building below is some kind of herbal product shop (I think):

Somebody told me that Stary Bielany was largely spared the destruction of the 2nd World War through having been outside the boundaries of Warsaw at that time.

Kotek and the Sports Bag

Nice shot of Kotek and his favourite sports bag here.  Followed by one of him on the bed where he looks a bit like an owl:

Kari (Amirian) Live at Warsaw Stodola 17th October 2017

English-based, Polish musician and vocalist, Kari, first came to my attention a few years ago when I saw an advertisement for her playing at the Basen in Warsaw.  At the time, I checked out her 'Bjork-type' music and quite liked it.  In time, 'Hurry Up'; 'Winter Is Back' and 'Stronghold' have become my favourite Kari tunes.  However, I only got round to seeing her live for the first time last night at Warsaw Stodola:

Wasn't really in the mood for a gig last night, but found the show quite good:

The occasional intermingling of male and female vocals worked well: 

I kind of preferred the slower, ethereal-type tunes to the more up-tempo, disco-type stuff.

Got to the Stodola just before eight, so I caught all of the British opening act:

Again, I preferred the more ethereal-type stuff than the more up-tempo tunes (this could be something to do with my age):

The drummer, who was often quite witty with an Oxbridge-type accent, revealed that the three-piece band were from Leeds but I didn't quite catch the name of the band (have had a look all over the Internet but still can't find the band's name).

Couldn't resist taking the more abstract shot from the mixing desk below:

Last night's gig was the first I'd been to at the 'Open Stage' at the Stodola, and when I visited the gents, it sounded like the music was coming from directly above:

Still, I think I prefer the bigger, 'more comfortable' stage that I'm more used to at the Stodola.

'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' by Anne-Marie Edwards

Like Margaret Marande's 'The Hardy Way: A 19th-Century Pilgrimage', Anne-Marie Edwards' 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' is fantastic, an absolute must for anybody who enjoys (or is thinking about) exploring Hardy country.

While Margaret Marande's book focuses on walking long distances to see many (Hardy and non-Hardy related) places between prominent Hardy sites (e.g. Higher Bockhampton to Wool; Wool to Wareham; Wareham to Wimborne etc.), Anne-Marie Edwards' book more focuses on many specific Hardy-related places that can be seen in and around the prominent Hardy sites.  In other words, if combined together, the two books offer an enhanced guide to exploring Hardy country.

I have the 1982 edition of 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex'.  I was lucky enough to buy it in a second-hand bookshop in Dorchester, a stone's throw away from the model house that Hardy had in mind for Michael Henchard's residence while the latter was the mayor in 'The Mayor Casterbridge' (this building is now a Barclays Bank, as it was when Anne-Marie Edwards wrote her book).

I'm currently about halfway through 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' and two of the most eye-opening chapters have been on the time(s) Hardy spent in Cornwall helping to restore the St. Juliot church; meeting his future wife, Emma, at the St. Juliot church rectory; writing 'A Pair of Blue Eyes' etc.  Thanks to these chapters, I now feel confident of travelling to north Cornwall and following in the footsteps of Hardy through Boscastle, St. Juliot, Beeny Cliff etc.

I also really enjoyed Edwards' section on Dorchester, as despite having visited the place twice, I've only really seen the most prominent places of Hardy significance (Maumbury Rings; the model for Michael Henchard's house; the hangman's cottage; the section on Hardy in the museum; the Hardy statue; Max Gate etc.) there, and now I feel more confident of finding less prominent, more secluded sites, especially relating to 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' story, in Dorchester.

Have just started reading the chapter on Sturminster Newton, where the Hardys stayed while 'The Return of the Native' was being written, and this is eye-opening as it gives many details about where Hardy enjoyed going walking from his Riverside Villa residence there.  I'm also looking forward to reading the chapter after this, about the major sites from 'The Trumpet Major', as I'm not familiar with the Dorset terrain of this novel.

Percival Live at Warsaw Stodola 15th October 2017

This gig passed my expectations: I thought it would be interesting:

But it was much more than that with the well over two-hour set often verging on and entering the sublime:

Only discovered Percival a few months ago while Youtube surfing with a few beers one Friday or Saturday night.

Didn't take me long to recognise that their 'Wild Hunt' set was something special.  Just love the music, don't really know much about the game which the music relates to and everybody in Poland is currently raving about.

Some of the stage theatrics which accompanied the gig last night were absolutely stunning.

Especially the acrobatic swordsman:

And the concentration and skill of the musicians and singers, to keep up such musical beauty for 140 minutes or so non-stop:

Almost forgot about the Venetian Carnival-type dancers:

At one point, they went down from the stage doing a sprightly dance up and down the aisles with unsuspecting members of the audience.

Yeah, the whole experience was magical:

Below, the band are taking well-earned, mass applause at the end of the show (no sooner had the show ended than the band were out greeting people in one of the bar areas at the Stodola).

Almost forgot about the nymphs too.  They were sometimes doing acrobatics on the stage, and other times unexpectedly arriving in the audience to surprise people.
 

Yeah, all in all, this was my equal favourite gig of the year alongside Blue Oyster Cult at Manchester Academy in late June (when BOC did the whole of their psychaedelic-type, debut album all the way through).