Keukenhof - Spring is comming

On the beginning really sorry that in previous time I didn’t write frequency.
Sometimes a life surprises us something new which we have to discover, experience and learn to know. This process can take some bit of time but thanks for it we are more aware and thanks for it we may write our blogs.
In the next posts I try to explain you what happened, which places I visited and what person did I get to know – it will be very, very interesting.

However, today I would like to inform you that in the Northern Hemisphere spring will start in next week (exactly 20 March) that is why I prepare something special which will help us forget about long winter and charge our “batteries”.
Now I would like transfer your mind to Keukenhof (in English "Kitchen garden") - the world’s best known spring garden, named also Garden of Europe.

 

Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden, over 70 acres (around 32 hectares) of parkland filled with more than 7 million bulbs among, others: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, narcissi, gladioli. But mainly it’s the tulips - of course, since this is the Netherlands. Located near Lisse, just outside Amsterdam, it’s easy to get there by train and bus or car, even bicycle – this is the Netherlands. There’s even a bus that goes there direct from Schipol Airport.

 

The garden was established in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse. The idea was to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids – and help the Netherlands export industry (it is the world's largest exporter of flowers).

 

You have to remember that that Keukenhof Gardens it’s only open in spring, when the bulbs are flowering. That’s about 8 weeks of the year. In 2010 they are open from 18 March to 16 May more information you can read on website Keukenfof.

 

In my opinion the best time for visit this place is the last week of April and first week of May in this time in Netherlands are a lot of events, festivals and the most important event - The Queen’s Day (30 April).
So if you want to see one of the most beautiful garden don’t wait to long, pack your back pack and go there or click on MORE PHOTOS :)

Bruges - the Venice of the North

"Somewhere within the dingy casing lay the ancient city, like a notorious jewel, too stared at, talked of, and trafficked over..."

wrote of Bruges Graham Greene in book “Stamboul Train”

I have to agree with him. I never saw so beautiful city like Bruges or Brugge (the original Dutch name).

 

Bruges is one of most perfectly preserved medieval cities in Europe. The largest and the capital city of the West Flanders is packed daily with tourists from all over the world, due to its impressive historical center. This has been declared a World Heritage site of UNESCO in 2000 and since then it is one of the top attractions in Belgium.

 

The lively Market Square is always busy with tourists. People watching is fun and the Market Square is the place to do it. It is also the place to dine.

 

But this is the place everyone should slow down and just sit in one of the cafes and admire the gabled medieval buildings.

 

Belfry Tower with 366 steps to the top is one of the symbols of Bruges and can be seen from almost everywhere in the historic center of this historic city. It is magnificent 47-bell carillon peals out over the city every 15 minutes.

 

Shopping in Bruges is a delight but for that one special remembrance to take home it has to be something made of lace.

 

On this short move you may watch the artisans make lace items. It will be good evident why the handmade lace is more expensive and of higher quality than the machine-made lace.



If you would like to see more you may watch the family film In Bruges

 

or watch remaining MY PHOTOS.

Belgium - Brussels

It is time to write something about Belgium and show its special places like: Brussels, Brugia, Grunt etc. I start this story from visit in Brussels. In next posts will write about different places.

 

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the administrative centre of the European Union. This has earned the city the title of the Capital of Europe. Brussels has been given its character by the coexistence of French and Flemish culture, and it is nowadays home to nationalities around the world, adding a cosmopolitan flavour to its atmosphere.

 

Brussels is the bilingual this means that both French and Dutch are the official languages of the city, a lot of people knows English. Street names and traffic sings are always in these two languages.

 

Furthermore, it is a cosmopolitan city where many different cultures live together and where different languages can be heard on each street. This liveliness and international flair is, of course, intimately related to its role as a crossroads for all of Europe.

 

Brussels is the perfect city for holidays with family and friends, or even with colleagues as a team-building event. The vibrant atmosphere of Brussels is further enhanced by picturesque medieval streets, lively squares, beautiful boulevards, impressive monuments, spacious parks, cosy cafés, interesting restaurants and an active cultural life. There is a lot to learn about the history of the city, the architecture, the Belgian obsession with comic strips, and the art of chocolate and beer.

 

Every summer, Brussels weaves a giant carpet of begonia blooms that covers almost the entire Grande Place. The flower carpet does not last long: just three days and four nights. And the amount of work is immense, with hundreds of volunteers arranging some 700,000 begonias (knot count of 300 flowers per square meter) into a meticulously planned pattern!

 

The annual event, which began in 1971, reminds the world that Belgium is the world’s biggest producer of begonias - exporting about 48 million bulbs a year. The flower carpet reminds everyone that Belgium also is one of the world’s largest makers and exporters of carpets - machine-made.

I invite you on Fourteenth magnificent Flowercarpet. Grand-Place of Brussels. Weekend of the 13th to the 15th of August 2010. Panoramic visit from the 13th to the 15th of August from 09:00 am until 11:00 pm. Opening on the 12th of August, from 08:00 pm onwards, at the Grand-Place. Be in Brussels Aug. 13-15, 2010, to see unbelievable sight for yourself. If you're rich, take me with you! :)

If you would like watch more photos from Brussels click on MORE PHOTOS

Amsterdam - Droog Gallery

When I was visiting Amsterdam suddenly, through some window in the street, I noticed fantastic lamp. On the window was written "droog" ...
hmmm what is it doog? I asked himself - is it some restaurant, gallery or maybe shop? ...

 

The door was open so I decided to enter and answer the question.
Inside I noticed a lot of very interesting things - some of them I saw at first in my life - just look at it:


85 Lamps - 230V

 

This lamp uses only what is necessary to create light: bulbs, wires, connectors.


Flowerpots, plates, glass

 

Made from used bottles


Clothes hanger lamp

 

By hanging the garment of your choice you create a personal lamp!


Rag chair

 

This chair is layered form the contents of 15 bags of rags


Red blue Lego chair

 

An aluminium frame makes it possible to sit on it. Because of copyrights this chair is only available in a limited edition.


Push and store cabinet

 

This bookshelf changes shape during use, a solid volume that opens up when books are stored in it.


Chest of drawers

 

It is a criticism on overproduction and consumerism.


Maybe just only T-shirt...

 

maybe not - thinking about it


One day paper waste – sidetable

 

Reacting to document waste. It is made from confidential documents, mixed with resin.


This is only ten photos.
I regret that I did not make more photos :(
Droog it is beautiful shop/gallery in Amsterdam. The Owners/Artist in this way describe their activity: "Our unique way of thinking has defined us as a conceptual design company over the last 16 years, and has played a role in defining Dutch design internationally. Droog values what it means to be human, including subjectivity, notions of beauty and meaning, and desire for high quality experiences at the core of what we do. Droog stands for a luxury of content and experience that change perspective on daily life—whether it is authenticity, humour, slowness, engagement, or nature, the abundance of what is scarce is true luxury... Amsterdam is home to our flagship store and office, where we operate the Creative agency, the Lab and the Factory & outlet. We also have a store in New York and in Tokyo, and distribution throughout the world".

If you want to know more just click on:droog

P.S.
I feel that I have to come back there :)

Orange berries in winter

This third week of year I would like to begin from this photo...
It is the sea-buckthorns are deciduous shrubs in the genus Hippophae. The name sea-buckthorn is hyphenated here to avoid confusion with the buckthorns. It is also referred to as "sea buckthorn", seabuckthorn, sandthorn or seaberry.
Whatever - this tree is as beautiful in summer because remind olive tree and in winter because of flash-orange berries.

 

People, Events, Changes, - 20 years of photography from Gazeta Wyborcza

Last week I visited the exhibition:
"People, Events, Changes, - 20 years of photography from Gazeta Wyborcza"

 

Gazeta Wyborcza or in English "Election Gazette" is Poland's second-largest daily newspaper, which began publication on May 8, 1989, under the motto: „There's no freedom without Solidarity". Its founding was an outcome of the Polish Round Table Agreement between the communist government of the People's Republic of Poland and political opponents centered around the Solidarity movement.

 

“In the first edition were to be found only two photographs. Continual technological advances have made it possible to now place in Gazeta high quality colour photographs made perhaps just a moment before going to press.
The growing significance of photography can be seen in the mosaic of over 6000 “Gazeta Wyborcza” front pages”.

 

 

The exhibition really surprised me. It is a multi-theme narrative of the last 20 years composed through the photos of the reporters of Gazeta Wyborcza. They present photos from all over the world: photo journalism, news photography, portraits and sport and fashion photos.

 

 

 

The authors write about their exhibition:
“20 years in 7305 days and over 6 thousand editions of Gazeta Wyborcza. Over this period, almost everything has changed. We have striven here to evoke the most significant events, to recall the people and places of our collective memory.
The exhibition has been divided into two main sections Poland and The World.
Over the lat 20 years, there have also been profound changes in the technology of photography. The beginning of the 90s is a time when a photographer might still use a roll of film on a given event. From this point on, photographic equipment has improved enormously, thus widening the potential for assess to an event, and making excellent quality of scanned and printed images the norm. From 2007 on, we can observe the unquestioned domination of digital photography.

 

This exhibition recounts the most recent history of photography and encourages reflection on the contemporary condition of the photo-reporter".
If you see all photos from the exhibition just click on link:
People, Events, Changes, - 20 years of photography from Gazeta Wyborcza or visit Upper Silesian Centre of Culture in Poland - exhibition is open only to January 31.

Fencing of Franciscans' Order

This is a piece of fencing which I found on courtyard of Franciscans' Order...

 

About Franciscans' Order in Poland in Upper Silesia I will try to write in next posts.

Poland - the biggest charity action

 

Today 10.01.2010 -is big day in Poland -the 18th grand final of The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity started !!! its money collection early this morning !!!
This time the Orchestra plays for children with oncological diseases.
The Orchestra , which is the biggest non governmental, non profit charity organisation in Poland unites Poles around the world.

Young people who volunteer to take part in the money collection appear throughout Poland, Europe, the US, Asia, Australia, Afryka, even South Pole and North Pole! carrying the characteristic collection boxes with the Orchestra's emblem: a red heart.

 

Volunteers go out on the street and collect money in special cans which are labeled with a red heart and text: "Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy" (Polish for The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity). They also have identification cards, thanks to which anyone can report suspicious-looking people collecting money to the police without any such proof of authorization. Everyone who gives the volunteers any amount of money, gets a red heart sticker in return.



The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is the biggest such action in this country and probably on the world! uniting thousands of people. Every year millions of Poles donate their money .Throughout seventeen Great Finales , the Foundation collected nearly $100 million for cardio-surgery, neonatology, pediatric oncology, kidney diseases, congenital defects, newborns and children under 5 years of age.
The medical equipment purchased by WOSP over all those years can be found in over 650 public hospitals all over Poland. On average, four medical devices are delivered every day to a given hospital.

You cen help - for more info click on:
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity

List of WOŚP final centers abroad:
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity

Some Follower gave me address of his blog on which you can find reports from such cities like: Amsterdam, Berlin, Brunssum, Chicago, Connecticut, Dublin, DEN HAAG, Edinburgh, Floryda, Glasgow, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz, London, Luton, Mississauga, Newcastle, New York, Rotterda, Salzburg, Vienna !!!
just click: Himalman Wordpress http://himalman.wordpress.com

Luxembourg - small can be beautiful ... :(and expensive):

Luxembourg is probably less visited than it should be.
It is a beautiful, compact country with abundant natural beauty, an interesting history, many castles, and more.
You might find the perfect vacation spot when you go to Luxembourg. Between monuments and museums, caves and scenic sights, really there’s something for everyone. And if you like to enjoy a bit of nightlife, then Luxembourg won’t let you down but you have to be careful on high price...

 

Why wait to see this quaint little country that’s situated next to France, Belgium and Germany? It’s such a small country, it only takes you a few hours to get across it by car, but it’s such a great small place thanks for it you can see more than one country if you desire, or you could spend your holiday exploring one country inside and out. So you should go there!

 

In fact, for such a small country, it offers so many wonderful things to do. In Luxembourg you would get to see Palace of the Grand Dukes, Notre Dame Cathedral, National Museum of Art and History, the Casino Luxembourg and the Philharmonie Luxemburg – you believe me that’s just a few of what a Luxembourg could offer.

 

If you want something that offers you a wonderful experience that you can’t get anywhere else. Well, in Luxemburg you can try the Petrusse Express which offers a great train tour.

Click here to watch MORE PHOTOS

Sunset 2009

The latest sunset in Poland in 2009...