Eastern Orthodox Iconography in Kotor, Montenegro

Really like this iconostasis (a wall of religious paintings with a door that separates the altar from the rest of the church) in a small Orthodox church in Kotor, Montenegro.  When I was a lot younger, I read quite a bit about the Eastern Orthodox church including books on church history and the monks living on Mount Athos in Greece.

Have always thought that through its incredibly beautiful iconography and choral music, the Orthodox church understands a fundamental principle about the aesthetic function of religion:  if religious phenomena and imagery is attractive to the human senses, people will be more inclined to follow the religion:

Yes, I found myself captivated by the various religious images on the iconastasis inside the small Orthodox church.  The fact that Orthodox churches often seem to be somewhat dark inside only adds to a kind of mystical atmosphere. 

Must stress that through not being Orthodox, I'm only speaking as an outsider here.  I've often heard that Eastern Orthodoxy is difficult for a Western person to understand as he/she lacks the 'Slavic soul' to fully feel and digest the Orthodox experience, and, as a layman, I would go along with this.  For me, Orthodoxy represents high Eastern European cultural expression in a way that pre-Vatican II Catholicism represents high Western cultural expression.

Below, there is a much older icon from the small Eastern Orthodox church in Kotor:

Through its small labyrinthe of Orthodox (and Catholic) churches, Kotor is a magical place for me, symbolically hidden and perhaps protected from the encroachment of the Western politically 'correct' world by the incredible hills surrounding it:

A Brilliant Beer in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

This was a wonderful kebab that I had in Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  But such a fine kebab needed to be washed down with an equally worthy beer,and the one below was just perfect:

Yes, you could do a lot worse than this little beauty of a beer, and, once again, it was an honour to drink a lager that tasted (some might say subtly) like a bitter in the Balkans.

Krakow (Cracow), Poland: My Favourite Shot

Rather unexpectedly, my favourite shot from my recent trip to Krakow wasn't of one of the many beautiful buildings in the medieval Old Town centre, but of a balloon flying over the river Wisła.  It was about 35-37 degrees celsius on this Sunday afternoon in Krakow, and me and my friends (over from Ireland) sought refuge in some cold drinks and dreamily watching the balloon move over the river.  Yes, it was just one of those moments to take some time out from the world.

Krakow (Cracow) Train Station, Poland

Krakow train station will always hold a special affection for me, as this is where I landed after a long-haul Manchester-London, then London-Krakow coach journey in September 1997.  And that wasn't the end as I had another 2-3 hour journey to Nowy Sącz in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains where I would serve some kind of two-year 'apprenticeship' in the EFL trade.

Still remember a kind of zany American character called Dr. Nonewicz eulogising about the Krakow train station facade above:

          "Just take the trouble to have a look at that building from some distance away, and then just
            think that it's only a train station.  Yeah, it wouldn't be out of place in Vienna, would it?".

Yeah, I think the good doctor's eulogy sums up the place perfectly, and these wise words have echoed in my ears over the past 16 years or so (not all spent in Poland, as I had four interesting years in Canterbury, Kent, and eight disastrous months back in my hometown of Bury, Lancashire).

Was back in Krakow for the first time in seven years or so a couple of weekends ago on a frenetic daytrip with a friend from Ireland over in Poland with his family.  Upon entering the train station on the last leg of the Warsaw-Krakow trek, I immediately reacquainted myself with the Water Tower alongside the tracks:

For some reason, I've always viewed this as a massively underrated and somewhat beautiful building that can almost hold its own with the many incredible buildings scattered round the Rynek and labrynthine streets of Krakow Old Town.

Moreover, when in Krakow a couple of weekends ago, I also loved the black-and-white mural below which was on the wall of the massive shopping centre that now lies alongside the train station:

Love the way that the light in the foreground, inside the train station grounds, kind of blends in with the mural, outside the train station grounds, in the background.  Whether intended or not, this juxtaposition seems to work very well.

Budva, Montenegro: My Best Shots

Above is possibly my best shot from the small coastal resort of Budva in Montenegro.  Just found the juxtaposition of small straw-like shelters on the beach with deep blue sea and a small boat slowly making its way to shore quite interesting. 

For me, Budva was far cleaner and less noisy than the rowdy coastal resort that we stayed at which wasn't a million miles away.  Loved watching people enjoying themselves on the beach and swimming alongside the 'city walls' in Budva:

Yes, the above is also one of my favourite shots from Budva, one of those very rare occasions when everything in the picture seems to be in correct proportion.

Medjugorje, Bosnia: Not Knowing What To Think of the Place

During our recent week-long tour of the Balkans, we spent a couple of hours at the (not officially recognised) Catholic shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia.  Before visiting this place, I hadn't known what to think of it, and I was still none the wiser afterwards

In general, I found all the religious souvenir shops and fast food joints near the church above and on the way up to the shrine itself rather tacky.  Was also a little bemused to observe the pilgrims' devotion to the metallic statue of Christ below:

While observing this, somebody told me that the devotees believe that the statue bleeds (probably from the shiny part).

However, after a short but rugged ascent over some awkwardly smooth rock formations, we reached the summit of the hill, where the Marian apparitions are said to have taken place, and, here, the Medjugorje experience was a little more impressive:

Here, the pilgrims stood around in more silent or gentle prayer and earnest-looking contemplation, and this was the only place that I felt any sense of peace in Medjugorje.

Thirty years or so ago, when I was only 17 years old, I'd visited the official Catholic shrine of Lourdes in southern France with my grandmother and cousin, Gerard.  There, the sense of mystery and religious awe had been magical, one of the best weeks of my life in retrospect (I just felt a special kind of peace there). 

But, alas, Medjugorje seems to be no Lourdes.  Having said this, it may just be that the place lacks the processes of grandeur and canonisation that official recognition and time bring:

The Soviet War Cemetery and Memorial in Warsaw

This is the incredible 2nd World War Soviet Soldiers' Cemetery/Memorial in Warsaw, Poland.  It's located on the road to the airport from the city centre, a couple of stops after the American 'Jeff's Steakhouse' (this being quite an ironic juxtaposition, of course).

A good friend of mine visited me from Ireland recently and said words to the effect of:  'No matter what you think of the political symbolism of the place, you can't help but get a sense that the Soviet Union didn't do things by halves'.  Like with the Palace of Culture in Warsaw city centre and the Soviet-type murals down near Plac Zabawiecela, my friend's breath was literally taken away while first casting his eyes on the large statues at the Soviet Soldiers' Cemetery/Memorial:

Here, my friend also found the murals at the Cemetery opening equally impressive: