Happy New Year 2010!

***** Happy New Year 2010 !!! *****

 

Thanks to everyone for stopping by for a visit.
Thanks to my 115 Followers
Thanks to all my many Commenters.
Thanks to my new Friends.

Germany - short visit in Dresden / Drezno

I would like present you my short visit in Drezno/Dresden in Germany.
The weather was cloudy so the pictures in colours will be ugly that is why I decided on experyment with black&white colours.

Drezno or in German language Dresden, it is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near Czech and Poland borders.

 

Dresden has a very long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. Dresden was completely destroyed by the controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II. The impact of the bombing and 40 years of urban development during the East German socialist era have considerably changed the face of the city.

Do you know what was the symbol of East Germany?
It was Trabant or Trabi or Trabbi - the name was inspired by Soviet Sputnik! - you can see Trabi on this picture:

 

it is nice
- and do you know about this, that this car it does not rust because is made from plastic?!
yes it is true...!

 

Trabant was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling point was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell. For advocates of capitalism it is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning as even refueling the car required lifting the hood, filling the tank with gasoline (only 24 litres[1]), then adding two-stroke oil and shaking it back and forth to mix.
It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total!

... but we should return to the present day...

lots of restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of historic inner city.

 

Since the German reunification in 1990, Dresden has re-emerged as a cultural, educational, political and economic centre of Germany.

 

 

Click here to watch MORE PHOTOS

Christmas - Polish Traditions

Merry Christmas! / or Happy Holidays!,
Today (like I have promised in previous post) I would like describe you Christmas traditions in my country - Poland.
In Poland Christmas Eve is a day first of fasting, then of feasting.The feast begins with the appearance of the first star; there is no meat in the feast, and it is followed by the exchange of gifts.

The following days is often spent visiting friends. In Polish tradition, people combine religion and family closeness at Christmas.On Christmas Eve, so important is the first star of the night that it has been given the affectionate name of "little star" or Gwiazdka, in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem. On that night, children watch the sky hoping to be the first to cry out, "The star!" The moment the star appears, people can start eating. According to tradition, bits of hay are spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger. In some places on the table we prepare an empty place for a wanderer who may be in need.

The meal begins with the breaking of the opłatek (this is kind of very thin wafer - like on photo)Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats, then we share a piece with each family member giving good wishes for the following year.On the table should be twelve dishes, as a symbol of the Twelve Apostles.Poppy seed cake, beet soup, prune dumplings, carp, herring and noodles with cabbage and mushrooms are universal Polish Christmas foods.On the table should be twelve dishes, as a symbol of the Twelve Apostles. Traditionally, there is no meat eaten on Christmas Eve. Often there is compote of dry fruits.

The remainder of the evening is given to stories and songs around the Christmas tree. In the midnight Catholic go on Christmas midnight mass.

Many churches in Poland in Christmas time organize crèche which present history of Saints Family.
One of the largest creche in Europe (built inside church) is creche in Franciscans' basilica in Katowice - on the last one photo. For building of creche were used a lot of figures (the oldest are even 130 years old)and 2 kilometers of cables You may admire this crèche to 2 February.

Poland - Christmas Time

The Christmas season begins with Advent and lasts until the feast of the Three Kings. Christmas in Polish is known as Boze Narodzenie ("God's birth"). From a religious point of view, Christmas is considered the second most important feast after Easter, but it is definitively the biggest family gathering and reconciliation day of the year.
Today, like sings a Jim Brickman “I am Sending You a Little Christmas” – from Silesia – industrial region in Poland. I hope that it will be good “starter” to welcome a Christmas.
About Silesia – I should, and I will write a lot of stories but now I would like present my region in the different way. I show you some photos form The Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in witch was organized the typical Silesian Christmas Eve

The Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park is an open air ethnographic museum located in Chorzow near Katowice. Museum presents traditional rural architecture from the end of 18th until first half of 20th century. Wooden Buildings collected in scansen come from various regions of Silesian Voivodeship. Sightseers are welcome to visit many wooden buildings:wind-mill and water-mill, granaries, wayside shrines and historic church - on photo in Christmas time beautifully decorated.

 

In Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park often are organize very interesting exhibitions and events. In previous Sunday I was in outdoor event named “Silesian’s Christmas Eve” ("Śląsko Wilijo" - in Silesian language). I must tell you that it was really great! Bread-soup (moczka), Cannabis-soup! ( siemieniotka), poppy seed with nuts and figs (makówki), fish, boiled cabbage with pea (kapusta z grochem), these and many different dishes I could taste on place in the cottages, besides I could listen carols and hostesses’ chats.
On the all place of Ethnographic Park was Christmas-trades. Visitors could buy hand made decorations, pictures – like this with Pope, as well as the Christmas dishes and cakes.

Besides on whole place of Scansen walked carolers, Saint Clauses, peoples with traditional hand-made color masks which they showed customs.
There are many Polish customs and beliefs that have been passed from generation to generation as part of a tradition. A lot of them are still observed today. And despite the passage of time, they keep their freshness and are a part of contemporary Polish culture. Some of them have deep folk roots others are connected to religious beliefs; and still others combine both religious and folk elements. The Polish customs, especially at Christmas time, are both beautiful and meaningful but about it I will write in the next post.
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Netherlands - Bicycles

Bicycles are a very familiar part of everyday life in the Netherlands. In fact, probable the 15 million Dutch people own about 12 million bicycles; that's nearly as many bicycles as people, and twice as many bikes as cars! Bikes are a great and easy way of getting around because the Netherlands is so flat. Dutch people don't just use their bikes for fun - cycling is an important way of travelling, from doing the daily shopping to going to work.

 

Because so many people in this country cycle, the Netherlands has special traffic lanes, rules and road signs to improve safety for bikes. There are over 17,000 km of cycle lanes, indicated by round blue signs with a white bicycle on them. In cities like Amsterdam or Rotterdam these lanes even have special bicycle traffic lights!

 

If you will be in Amsterdam you have to: firstly visit a special parking place for bike near to the railwaiy station it is anazing view; secoundly rent a bike and go ahead and in the end notice exceptional bicycle saddle.
If you see more photos klick on Click here to watch MORE PHOTOS

Netherlands - Cheese market in Alkmaar

Windmills, tulips, porcelain, cheeses, clogs, bicycles as well as coffee shops are symbols of Netherlands. This is impossible to describe all mentioned symbols in one article that is why for each of them I will dedicate separate post.
First of all, I would like start write this story about holland's symbols from major agricultural product - cheese and unique in the world cheese markets.

 Do you know that about three kilos of cheese were produced worldwide for each person on Earth?! The largest producer of cheese is the United States, accounting for 30% of world production, followed by Germany and France, Italy, Holland and my country Poland.

The most famous holland's cheese is gouda which is made from cow's milk in city Gouda and Gouda-cheese has nut taste and is sold in huge blocks about weight to 12 kg.
Very popular is also cheese Edam. It is easy to recognize it because is covered red wax.

 

Several cities in Holland still have Cheese Weighhouses, . Woerden is a fully functional modern commercial cheese market. Four, Alkmaar, Gouda, Edam, Hoorn, are reproductions of traditional merchant cheese markets as operated in the Middle Ages. There are five cheese markets operating in the Netherlands. Woerden is a fully functional modern commercial cheese market. Four, Alkmaar, Gouda, Edam, Hoorn, are reproductions of traditional merchant cheese markets as operated in the Middle Ages. Alkmaar's cheese market at the Waagplein, is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions.

 

The cheese market traditionally takes place on the first Friday in April and the last market of the season is the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning (10.00-12.30 a.m.) the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheesemarket. Market activities are explained in Dutch, German, English and sometimes Japanese. There are four teams (vemen) of cheese-porters (kaasdragers), who can be recognised by their differently coloured straw hats: red, blue, green and yellow. Two porters bring cheese on stretchers to the weighing house (Waag) - a typical stretcher "weighs in" at about 160 kilograms. Merchants sample the cheeses and decide on a price using a barter system called handjeklap, literally clapping hands.

 

It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it is possible to buy all kinds of cheese and related natural products I recommend to do purchase there because tradesman offer products in prices lower than in shops in Amsterdam or Haag.

 

If you will be in Alkmar you have to visit Hollands Kaasmuseum - The Dutch Cheese Museum Hollands Kaasmuseum - The Dutch Cheese Museum with collection witch includes historical utensils in the preparation of dairy products, film- and photographic images and paintings it is something jet – from museum’s windows you can see excellent view on old Waagplain.

If you see more photos klick on MY GALLERY - Holland Alkmaar cheese market

9.11.1989 - the fall of the Berlin Wall

November 9, 1989 - for us it was Beginning of the End for Communism
Things were never the same again after that night...

We Love Russia

Today morning I received e-mail with link to this video from my friend. You must see that it's so good! in russian language - все хорошо, ето смешно!
Russia is a great country with really amazing people. Things like that happen because Russians are completely crazy.Nowhere else in the world you can see so many funny things.

All Saints’ Day

All Saints’ Day - time of meditation and reflection...

 
All Saints' Day falls on November 1, followed by All Souls' Day on November 2, and is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.


In Portugal and Spain, oferendas (offerings) are made on this day. In Portugal children celebrate the Pão-por-Deus tradition. In Spain, the play Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally performed. In Mexico, All Saints coincides with the celebration of Day of the Innocents ("Día de los Inocentes"), the first day of the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration, honoring deceased children and infants. In Portugal, children go door to door where they receive cakes, nuts and pomegranates.

 Slavs and Roms, they have the tradition of revelry. They make on graves true feasts. They bring the food, sit on graves and discuss. They like something to drink and eat. They often pour out on the grave wine.
In Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives.

  In Poland like in the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Croatia, Austria, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Catholic parts of Germany, the tradition is to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives.
In my country (Poland) people lighting candles also on forget graves –in this time we resemble the persons who died and we wonder about fragility of our life…
MY SMALL GALLERY - All Saints Day in Poland

Halloween - jack-o'-lantern

We have halloween!
It is time to carve a pupkin and make decorative jack-o-lantern. It is possible to create surprisingly artistic designs, be they simple or intricate in nature. It is common to see portraits of political candidates, celebrities and cartoon characters... look at it:



If you would like make unique jack-o-lantern carve your or well known person's face on a pumpkin it is really simply



Happy halloween everyone!

Netherlands - One paceful world

Today I would like to invite you to visit one of the prettiest and the oddest places what I saw in my life. This place is Zeeburg Beeldenpark situated in Amsterdam’s district Zeeburg near to the international Camping Zeeburg

 

Unfortunately you will not find this place in guides That is why many people, do not know that such place exists but if you stay overnight on Camping Zeeburg surley you will find out it.

This magic place greets travellers such board:

 

One paceful World – is it a truth? See on this “Statue of Liberty”!

 

The mixture of styles, colours, materials, imagination, ideas and in this all the true people who they live there and create something extraordinary with nature's agreement but I will not write more just see MY GALLERY - Zeeburg Beeldenpark it's amazing.

Is not enought to be the best...

Something really MOTIVATING AND INSPIRING just watch :)

Netherlands-Amsterdam - graffiti/murals

Firstly, I would like thanks you for e-mails with good advices and hints. I wait for next. I am really glad that you read abstraho :)
In previous week Ottylia from Slovakia has sent to me e-mail in which she ask me: „Could you please publish more photos of Amsterdam’s murals and graffiti?”
Ottylia , yes I can. To tell the true I haven’t a lot of pictures but I think that it is worthy of notice.
If you ever will be in Amsterdam you have to visit Spuistraat street where you can see very interesting murals like this:

 

.
„Live without dead time” with greate Raoul Vaneigem’s quotation from book The Revolution of Everyday Life:
„People who talk abort revolution and class struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, whithout understanding what is subsersive abort love and what is positive in the refusal of constraints such people have a corpse in their mouth”.
This book probably was the most often stolen book in France :).

If you would like to see the another murals I recommend you my small galery: GALLERY - photos graffiti and murals in Amsterdam
.

Into the wild

"When you want more than you have, you think you need and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed..."
This is a part of text from Eddi Vedder’s songs “Society” which is soundtrack to Sean Pean’s film “Into the wild”.



I have heard this song very often for 3 months and some day by chance I read on the Internet a lot of positive comments about songs and especially about the film so I decided to watch the film and I have to tell you that it really makes an impression on me. I haven't watched so good film for long!
The Film is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity, destroyed his documents and ID-card, burned money, changed his name to Aleksander Supertramp and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encountered a series of characters that shape his life and showed the world what his life meant for him and the message is wonderfull: “Sometimes I want to find myself out of the crazy world”...”It's amazing How you can learn when you're alone”... besides it shows us that even in this world, there is still something like ultimate freedom.
I think most people keep forgetting that, due to the modern world where ultimate freedom is almost unthinkable. He made us realise that it's still able just to go out, leave everything behind for a while, forget about money, phones, computers, cubicle, material things and try to find oneself , happiness and “also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong”.
I suppose that Jon Krakauer's book is so good as the film because describes other details more exactly, the relationship with their parents, with his sister, all the friends that he made, at the end their parents show up in the place and inside the bus number 142 where Chris Supertramp lived his last days in Alaska alone, so I have to read it :)
I recommend you to see this film, listen to this music it is unusual

Global Warming

 

Global Warming - Solidarity with Greek Rebellion.
I found this mural in Amsterdam on Spuistraatstreet in August 2008 then I didn't take the photo but when I came back in the May of this year to Amsterdam mural still exist so I saved it on photo :)

Greek rebellion – it is difficult and controversial topic first of all for the older generation which won for us freedom and capitalism. The problem is that the our younger generation are so disappointed. Neoliberalism, ubiquitous capitalism and run behind the best developed economy is tire and lead to tragedy like in Greece where in December 2008 the police murdered 25 years old student Aleksandros Grigoropoulos. After the murder all Athens surrounded waves of riots. Greece was paralised mass social protests within the week and government decided proclaim state of emergency.

As in many other countries, young people are faced with expensive studies and are especially affected by unemployment like: France, Germany, or Portugal; has a lower unemployment than Spain or Slovakia; and has more unemployment than Italy, Bulgaria, or Cyprus. Similarly, young people also represent a declining demographic portion of the compared to baby boomers resulting in a weaker impact of the youth vote in political life, though this is also not particular to Greece.

This topic is very interesting but for many people unknown. I encourage to watch this movie:

Why abstraho?

 

On the beginning I haven’t any special conception on which way I should create this blog, but I know that I have a lot of ideas, experiences, pictures and feelings which I would like describe in different stile. Style underlining interesting matters doesn’t notice by others and sometimes will be abstraction for him like Latin world abstraho which means simply: cut of, tear oneself from something, apart something important matters for others.
PHOTOS
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PHOTO GALLERY

Germany - Drezno

Luxembourg

Netherlands - Alkmaar cheese market

Netherlands - Bicycles

Netherlands - Graffiti and murals in Amsterdam

Netherlands - Zeeburg Beeldenpark

Poland - All Saints Day in Poland

Poland - Ethnographic Park in Christmas Time

Polish national tragedy

Polish President, his wife and elite of Polish policy killed in plane crash in western Russia.

 

Polish President was heading for personal visit to memorial site Katyn-Russia where Polish officers were murdered during WW2...