Sparrow

I'm drinking my morning tea looking at the sky that is not to bring the rain today. Moments ago a young sparrow landed chirping on the window sill and was trying to get inside forcing its little body and flapping the wings against the window pane. After ten, maybe fifteen seconds, it gave up and flew away; but I could tell, not far as it was still mastering the skill of using wings.
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One day it would be great to visit Basel. A friend has been inviting me for a long time. There is so much to see and do there, for instance: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130611-art-basel-the-fun-of-the-fair .
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On a sunny day everything looks better. Here are pics from my today's stroll:

 A couple came all the way from Solec on Vistula (1.5 hr drive each way) to sell strawberies in the small street. They were packing the empty baskets and the unsold fruit up into their car when I approached them, bought some and was allowed to take a picture. They told me it's very hard to sell straws this year and they have to sell them cheaply. However, most people are not rushing to buy them as 5 zloty per kilogram is still dear to them. I'd have been the last customer of the day, but one man, obviously on the way from work, bought a basket when I was packing mine into the backpack. Further on, I saw him on a bench eating the fruit straight from the bag. There was a lot of sand on them, I can tell you, as I had to rinse them thoroughly at home.

My favourite building in Skarzysko. It was from here a stone was thrown at me and my photo-journalist English guest when we were taking pictures of some abandoned and derelict house nearby a year
or so  ago.

 I was nicely surprised to find a little post office at this newsagent's.

 Newgrange? Knowth?

The smell of chlorine or something else could tell you there was a swimming pool inside:

Many years ago there was an orphanage on this corner:

Good night!

Tea at 3 (a.m.)

It's 3.45 am and I'm still awake. Probably it's the price of  a two-hour nap during the day. I've tried all sorts of things, including reading a book, nothing has worked yet. In the meantime, another dreadful downpour came along. It must have woken up the birds, they keep chirping as if they were enjoying an afternoon tea at fashionable tea rooms. Well, I'm having tea just now, trying a new variety purchased yesterday at The Daisy.  My beverage is called: Mulled Wine Tea - Honey Flavour! Would you believe it? I had something similar in London last year and thought it was nice on cold days. Unfortunately, I can't say I'm enjoying this one.
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Crazy weather! Birds are quiet again, which means the rain is back.  As I was going back home last night, I noticed sacks of sand (I guess it was sand) lining the street leading towards the church I can see and so often photograph from my window. That means the road is susceptible to flooding....  My friend in Arabia, on seeing a photographic report of the flood in Skarzysko started to laugh and reminded me what it looks like in Riyadh after heavy rain. And here I wanted to add a few relevant pictures courtesy of the said friend, but it's taking too long to find them. Instead, enjoy a happy couple that posed for him:

What do camels do when it rains????
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http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130610-buildings-that-breathe-and-think - I've looked at these futurist-come true-architectural concepts and exploring Chicago, usually on my own, came to mind. One summer, I went to see an exhibition on healthy houses. So many amazing ideas were presented there. Last year, during an Open House weekend, I visited a terraced house in Hanwell and heard the visionary architect who adapted it introducing his 'green living' ideas. It was most interesting to hear what worked and what didn't.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130524-creating-our-cities-from-waste - I thought the title for this slide show was rather misleading, don't you think. Exactly the same was my impression of an exhibition I saw in Krakow last week: 'Woman's Work Is Never Done' at Malopolskie Centrum Kultury. The collection of works, usually hidden from the public eyes, was truly adorable, but the majority of drawings, although depicting women, were not showing them at work. Anyhow, it's great that this institution always uses both Polish and English making the exhibits more accessible. Another advantage is that you are allowed to take pictures. Being in a hurry, I kept clicking the camera button so I could get back to and share the images:

Well, the quality is not great, but you get the idea.
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Actually, I must admit, the quality of the above pictures is appalling and I need to either remove them or try to edit. Not now.
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I'd like to get back to my recent visit to Krakow. At Collegium Maius, my friend and I saw an exhibition on the Polish independence movements in the 19th century. In one of the rooms, there was a film on. We recognised the person on the screen straightaway. It was Mrs Anna Zulinska-Dutka, talking about her forefathers who were actively involved in the fights for independence of their country. I have only seen her in photographs shown to me by her artist husband, Mr Leszek Dutka, and admired her strikingly natural elegance. On hearing her speak, I could tell that she also has a remarkable personality.

Again...

Headache from hell for a start. It can only get better. May it soon!
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Two hours later, after a prescribed dose followed by a nap in a dark and quiet room, I can function. Lucky are those who are strangers to headaches!

In the meantime, the sun was replaced by rain; and now it is getting dry again!

Skarzysko-Kamienna has been on the news, even friends abroad have been asking me about the floods in the centre. I didn't go out yesterday, but have seen the news: over 50 number plates have been found as the water 'stole' it from the cars in the streets turned into rivers (or torrents)! They can be collected from the local police station. http://www.radio.kielce.pl/galeria,,8c69bf15514d61a60fca60f8a996a499-2db7c4bf2148fa647b6e4bd83dff594d,6dd4a4b03932a50522fe322246d1fc9d.html - you can see the rainfall results here. And here: http://skarzysko24.pl/wiadomosci/aktualnosci/10991-skarzyskie-ulice-jak-rzeki.html .
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Having checked the weather forecast for the evening (cloudy, but no rain), I emerged and on the way back, did the shopping at a supermarket called Stokrotka (Daisy). And guess what? It was raining when I left the shop! I found shelter at the bus stop, but there was no hope for the bus. It was 9 pm. I missed the last but one bus home by half an hour. The last one was around 10.30 pm, too long a wait. It wasn't cold so I pulled out my raincoat, put it on a walked towards the next bus stop to rest before the last leg of the route home.
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Maurice Sendak's birthday is celebrated by an imaginative Google doodle. It caught my eye, because I'm pretty sure I've seen his books in London. I've just looked this children's books illustrator and author and discovered he had some Polish/Jewish roots, but what I'd like to share here is this little quote from Wiki:

'Sendak later recounted the reaction of a fan:

A little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children's letters – sometimes very hastily – but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, 'Dear Jim: I loved your card.' Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said: 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received. He didn't care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.^[9]'

Intrepid bikers and curious pigeon!

My biker guests have already hopped on their saddles! The weather is ideal! Some sun and warm!
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I documented a visit to my clean balcony:

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Less than two hours later, clouds have arrived bringing along a storm and heavy rain....  Poor bikers...
I'd better turn off the computer...
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Incredible... The bikers are around 20km from here and enjoying the sun and warmth! Good for them!
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Downpour continues, there were hailstones as well. Bikers returned, they only got cought in the rain when returning to Skarzysko, but that was more than enough to get them soaked. After a quick shower (in case the rain didn't clean them;-) ), they had some food and both fell asleep for around two hours to wake up to a Sunday meal! Now they are gone, I made myself an afternoon coffee and will have it indoors or on the balcony....  Looking at the bright sun and sensing the summer heat, one finds it hard to believe that it's still the same day.
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Here are a few pictures of this Sunday weather patterns, chronologically:

So much rain fell that some streets turned into rivers and a huge pond formed preventing the cars from entering The Kauffland Supermarket! I heard of a rescue action when a lower ground floor-style flat (using the English euphemism) got flooded. The neighbours rushed to de-flood the flat! Heavy rains in Skarzysko were even mentioned in the nationwide radio news!

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Fortunately, the weather got summer-like again soon:

Good night!

Sun and rain together

Not that it's a weather blog, but  how could I fail to tell you that it was sunny and rainy at the same time this morning in Skarzysko!  Besides, I am very happy to have guests this weekend. If only I could go on a bike ride with them now! They are going to cycle around 25 km each way across the countryside, through the forests, villages, fields and meadows!
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And they did! They came back, tired and hungry and we've just had dinner. No pictures supplied. They didn't say much, either. Most of the route lrd through the forest. They got lost once near the destination, but somehow got there. The return journey was much faster as mostly downhill. At one stage it was pretty muddy which is not surprising after so much rain in the recent week.
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Here are pictures of the moss I removed from the edge of my balcony:

before

before

after

I enjoyed the sunset sitting in a chair on my balcony:

Sun, geology, Antoniszak, Malczewski & Woman's Work in Krakow!

Another great day in Krakow! New discoveries as always! Witnessing great educational events and preparations for the evening Tomasz Stanko concert at Collegium Maius, the oldest part of The Yagiellonian University! A walk through Professors' Garden taking pictures of the eminent busts! A series of five paintings by Jacek Malczewski, an eminent Polish symbolist. Inventions of Julian Antonish, an extraordinary artist and filmmaker who invented many extraordinary objects, like a film for blind people - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Antonisz!
I
Seeing the exhibition 'Woman's Work Is Never Done' at Malopolskie Cultural Centre. Amazing artworks!

The sky when I returned home: