Monday, 26 May 2014

Over a Month of Events

Past few weeks were full of events. I mean the weeks from around the Easter until The Long Night of Museums. So from 13th April 2014 to 18 May 2014.

The events mentioned in the post:

  • Easter; 
  • Beatification of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, 
  • Majówka
  • Eurovision, 
  • The Long Night of Museums (Noc Muzeów). 


Easter in Warsaw



The Palm Sunday 

© Alina Zienowicz (from: Wikipedia)
The Palm Sunday was on 13th April 2014. Nothing special in Warsaw, where you just go to the church with (usually) a palm bought on the street, or just in front of the gate to the church. Those palms are often made from dry grasses and flowers. Just like the ones in the photo.

This day is specially celebrated in Łyse, a village in Kurpie region (part of Mazovia) where there are contests for the most beautiful palm.



Holy Saturday

© Błażej Benisz (from: Wikipedia)
On Holy Saturday people in Warsaw go to churches to bless święconka (Easter basket). The food inside is symbolic, and serves as a food to eat for Holy Sunday's breakfast. There is a superstition that what was blessed shouldn't be eaten after sunset.

Święconka is blessed during special short "mass" (it's over in around 10 minutes) and you can do it for most of the day, from morning to evening. In the countryside a priest may visit a village and bless święconka that was gathered for example in the village's mayor house.

Thursday, 22 May 2014

Vistula and Floods 2014

With spring and heavy rains a flood often comes. Floods this year are serious in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those countries received international help to fight with the results of the floods, including Polish firemen. My condolences to people who lost their relatives and friends to the flood.

We got some flooding in Poland too, but it's not something really big. Sure, there were houses, roads, bridges destroyed, etc. but we got worse situations in the past. Of course it won't console the people who lost their homes, and I feel sorry for that, but... at least they didn't lose lives. I heard that a person died in Poland when he tried to cross the flooded street. Media rather reports about death by flood in the Balkans. 

The level of Vistula river in Warsaw got over the alarm level (to 7m high) but there was no flood in Warsaw. The maximum level of the water was yesterday morning and the situation is under control. The flood wave left Warsaw and goes to Płock now. Warsaw is still on the anti-flood alarm, just in case; Płock is already on the alarm. It is said that the flood wave should reach Baltic sea on Sunday or Monday. 

This photo was taken some hours after the culmination wave came to Warsaw. It's taken from afar (the Old Town), but I didn't want to endanger my health or life by coming near the river to take a photo. There was official ban on it also. I heard some days ago somebody fell into the river but he was rescued, luckily.

The water is really dirty and the level is high, but you can see cars riding close to the river bank. 



If you want more photos, from closer distance, you can see them in the article about Vistula river stabilisation in Warsaw. You can also read about the flood wave in Warsaw in English news. 

Btw, Vistula river is nowhere near my house. I'm not ever gonna get flooded living here in Wola;)