Warsaw (Poland): Christmas Decorations Surviving till Late January

One of the things I love about Poland is that the Christmas decorations survive into late January before being taken down.  For me, this shows that Christmas is a serious season for the Poles who thankfully don't feel that they have to pander to the 'needs' and 'sensitivities' of Muhammadans nor the dictates of a politically-'correct' elite.

Yeah, these Christmas decorations, which were up until last week in Warsaw city centre, were commercially driven, but they also seriously brightened the place up:

Below, there is a nice bright shot from Metro Politechnika in Warsaw, which, as can be seen, is a bright, lit-up place all year round:

The Beaver

Saw this wonderful beaver on a trip to a country park somewhere between Canterbury and Herne village in Kent about 10-15 years ago. 

Went there with a group of Italian students, and one of the park keepers had to entice the beavers out of their den with food:

The beaver above had raw carrot and turnip, followed by an apple for dessert.

Broadstairs (Kent): Walking on the Beach

Don't really like shots of myself, but this one is an exception, taken about 10 years ago on Broadstairs beach in Kent.  Remember this being a cracking day, went there with my wife Agnieszka and Ron, a great old Scottish guy who lived in Canterbury.

Warsaw (Poland): A Good Vegetarian Place

Don't get to this great vegetarian (kind of Hare Krishna/Eastern religious) place as often as I should.
Sometimes, I've eaten and drunk things at this place, and it's literally felt like my whole digestive system has been opening like a flower, the food is that healthy.

Warsaw (Poland) The Palace of Culture in Snowy Evening Mist

Here's a picture of the Palace of Culture being wrapped in snowy evening mist that I took last Friday evening in Warsaw city centre.  Find the Palace of Culture to be photogenic no matter what time of year it is.

A Great Song

Have only recently discovered French band, Lizzard, but what an incredible sound they've got.  Really like this tune, 'The Roots Within'.

Manowar Live at Warsaw Torwar 16th January 2016

Eventually got to see Manowar last night.  Despite not exactly being my kind of band these days, I felt that I had to see them, as I can remember listening to them while still at school many years ago (Manowar date back to 1980, I was at school 1977-1982).  Just feel a special affection for the bands that were around during my schooldays.

Missed the first couple of numbers due to big queues outside and people not being able to get inside the Torwar building quick enough (some poor organisation from the concert organisers and/or Torwar staff here, I'm afraid).  Still, thankfully, I managed to get inside just in time for 'Sons of Odin', which was the real highlight of the night, literally giving me goosebumps.

Not long after, it was the Joey bass solo slot, when many people decided to have a walk to the toilet or get a fresh beer, as they're prone to do during most bass or drum solos.  Still, this gave me an opportunity to get some decent shots of the big screen:

As I'd expected, the stage show was great, at times really spectacular:

 

Really appreciated the big screen behind the band, as it allowed the crowd to see the band members properly:

Vocalist, Eric Adams, seemed to be enjoying himself below, as we neared towards the end of the show:

And of course, we got theatrics and a speech about the metaphysical value of Heavy Metal from bassist, Joey:

 

 

A friend today asked me what I thought of the show, and I answered that the stage show was great, but the setlist could've been better.  Good to see the band doing 'Hail and Kill' and bowing out with 'Black Wind Fire and Steel', but, for me, the occasion would've been further graced if say 'Battle Hymns' and 'Defender' had been done ('Battle Hymns' is the kind of track that would bring the house down anywhere - remember listening to this at the UMIST Rock disco in Manchester every Saturday night in the early/mid-1980s).

Hence, glad to say that I finally got to see Manowar, but would've preferred a longer set with a few more barnstorming tunes.