The day started with a real kerfuffle! I started the washing machine, the computer and the phone were charging and when I plugged in the toaster, the power in all the sockets was gone. Anyway, the situation is under control, owing to sound advice from my unrivaled personal guru currently residing in faraway land! Hurrah!
...
Before the computer went silent, I found an interesting article related to the life of Captain Ryszard Zygmuntowicz, the eminent PAF and RAF pilot from Skarzysko who died on a secret mission during WWII.
....
For a change I'll add a few snaps from London and a few from Bahrain. I happened to visit the pearl divers' country before the Arab Spring reached it.
Having arrived at night, it was not until the morning when I saw the view from the hotel room. I shall never forget the kindness of the man at the reception desk. When he found out how keen I was to get to know the country and its culture, he went out of his way to help me. He gave me lots of advice and recommendation, printed interesting articles for further reading and made sure I would be safe travelling places on my own.
No, I didn't go out alone to explore Manama by night.
In a hot country like Bahrain, the life gets very busy when the sun is 'resting'.
The state of the art Bahrain National Museum kept me occupied for most of the day.
And from the colourful Bahraini market scene, I will move to the heart of exquisite shopping in London. Shortly after the trip to Bahrain we photographed the scenes around Harrods, the world famous department store.
Going back home by tube:
The Roundhause in Camden is a great place for entertainment. It takes 'two tubes' to get there from our Ealing dwelling.
A heron in Walpole Park. It had been frequent visitor until the water was removed for the pond.
....
For a change I'll add a few snaps from London and a few from Bahrain. I happened to visit the pearl divers' country before the Arab Spring reached it.
Having arrived at night, it was not until the morning when I saw the view from the hotel room. I shall never forget the kindness of the man at the reception desk. When he found out how keen I was to get to know the country and its culture, he went out of his way to help me. He gave me lots of advice and recommendation, printed interesting articles for further reading and made sure I would be safe travelling places on my own.
In a hot country like Bahrain, the life gets very busy when the sun is 'resting'.
The state of the art Bahrain National Museum kept me occupied for most of the day.
....
As I've shown some market scenes from Manama and London, here come a few from Skarzysko as captured quite by chance this afternoon:
I walked pushing my bike into the main through route and stopped to take pictures of these sacks of grains, groats and bird food to put them beside a similar one from Manama, Damascus, Instanbul or Abu Dabi. Then I got a bit stuck there, because a car drove into this narrow passageway and stopped exactly behind me and the bike. I was in no rush and anyway, it was precarious to maneuver the bike in such a limited space, now narrowed even more. The pole supporting the stall 'roof' was in front of me and the bike and I needed to avoid bumping into it getting out from the trap as that would have made the whole stall construction collapse. Imagine that! Moreover, this particular path was extremely busy and the car caused an immense obstruction. Then I heard an aggressive woman's voice demanding to give the way. I politely asked her to wait till I get out from the narrow gap, but she just pushed herself between me and the car battering ram style shouting angrily that she wouldn't wait. That was shocking! I had nowhere to escape!The car stood still, but I was pushed onto my bike and only the sacks of grain in the picture spared me and the bike falling onto the ground! Everybody was shocked. The woman carried on leading her bike as if nothing had happened. You can see her walking ahead in the next picture. I thought she deserved at least such a portrait!
Beware! Never get in the way the woman leading a bike!
There is a lot of frustration in people. It's so noticeable. No work. How can there be work if there is no industry? The town that attracted people because of its huge, busy factories; when these collapsed, has nothing to offer as replacement. Small businesses face extreme difficulties to make it all viable. Many people say, that whether it's production or services, they find it impossible to navigate in the jungle of the system...
I haven't been here on a market day for years. It was striking to see how many non- food related stalls there were. The whole sections of cheap clothing, footwear and accessories attracting a lot of people, women mostly, often accompanied by an understandably bored husband. Some stalls just stood there, nobody stopping by. It was apparent that the sellers of these goods were not Poles. Many had darker skins. They must have come here from The East, near and far, replacing the locals who have gone west in search of a better life. Better? Or decent? Even if it often means putting aside their diploma or degree and rolling up the sleeves, people find home where the bread is, as the saying goes...
Unfortunately, my pictures are not a comprehensive source of information as to what the town market is like. It was extremely busy and I didn't think everybody would be very happy about being photographed, unlike in the Middle Eastern bazaars, when they are very often keen to pose or to have their business 'documented'. They know it's free advertising!
As I've shown some market scenes from Manama and London, here come a few from Skarzysko as captured quite by chance this afternoon:
Beware! Never get in the way the woman leading a bike!
There is a lot of frustration in people. It's so noticeable. No work. How can there be work if there is no industry? The town that attracted people because of its huge, busy factories; when these collapsed, has nothing to offer as replacement. Small businesses face extreme difficulties to make it all viable. Many people say, that whether it's production or services, they find it impossible to navigate in the jungle of the system...
I haven't been here on a market day for years. It was striking to see how many non- food related stalls there were. The whole sections of cheap clothing, footwear and accessories attracting a lot of people, women mostly, often accompanied by an understandably bored husband. Some stalls just stood there, nobody stopping by. It was apparent that the sellers of these goods were not Poles. Many had darker skins. They must have come here from The East, near and far, replacing the locals who have gone west in search of a better life. Better? Or decent? Even if it often means putting aside their diploma or degree and rolling up the sleeves, people find home where the bread is, as the saying goes...
Wow !!
ReplyDeleteThat was different . . . not a single forest to be seen in Bahrain )))
Indeed! At least there is Hyde Park a stone throw from Harrods.
ReplyDelete