Mexican colours

Was in Santiago de Querétaro for a conference earlier this fall so there will be some photos from there posted here.
We were there just before Mexico celebrates independece day on Sept 16. For the whole week before the city was completely draped in the national colours, with flags, banners, dresses, hats and trinkets all in green, white and red.

Brass buskers

This band has an unusual style of busking. Instead of sitting and playing in a place with lots of people they walk around in residential areas and ask for money from people looking out the windows. They play some sort of Balkan Brass Band music, seemingly inspired by Bregovic and the like. They are actually quite good, but with an annoyingly small repertoire.

Wianki

A collage of women with wreaths (wianki) on the eve of St. John. The wreaths are later thrown in the river by the unmarried girls in the hope that it is picked up by the future husband. Like the Swedish midsommarafton the celebration dates back to pre-Christian times. However, in Poland the church has been more successful than in Sweden to associate the old pagan celebration of the summer solstice with St. John the Baptist. The church was mercifully absent from the celebrations last night though, which centered more around drinking and having fun than being pious.

Girls throwing wreaths in the river in Warsaw.

Wreaths floating down the Vistula.

Cycling i Warsaw

Even though conditions for bicycling in Warsaw is slowly improving - new bicycle paths are built, recently the rules were changed to make it easier to follow them - every now and then you see these things that are typical of the attitude towards cyclists. We are not really important, and those who plan cyclepaths have no clue about cycling themselves.

Running across Plac Piłsudskiego

I was out taking pictures of the city when suddenly this old couple came running past me on Plac Piłsudskiego. Unfortunately I didn't have time to catch them before they were past me.

I the background Norman Fosters (in)famous Metropolitan building that also adorns the head of this blog.

Second metro line

They have started building the second metro line now in Warsaw. That means lots of closed road and general chaos in the traffic. A plus is that the traffic situation has become so bad that more people have started using buses instead of one person in each car.

There are many of us

On a walk a few days back I spotted this wonderful piece of street art. This is of course a comment to this stupidity as well as a gentle reminder about the situation for gays in Poland.

Chopin concert

People watching the Sunday Chopin concert in Łasienki.

Svalka

De senaste veckorna med temperaturer över 30 grader nästan varje dag har varit tuffa. Barnen utanför Arkadia lyckas i alla fall svalka sig.

Stor och liten

Ytterligare en bild från Gijon. Den här gillar jag själv skarpt. Man kan riktigt tänka sig hur barnet frågar "Pappa, kan jag åka med dig?" Det färgglada huset i bakgrunden som matchar cykeln är en bonus.

Noc muzeów

I söndags var det Noc museów här i Warszawa. De flesta av stadens museer var öppna till efter midnatt, och gratis inträde var det överallt. Warszawaborna passade på! Låååånga köer, ibland runt hela kvarter, avskräckte utanför de flesta entréerna. Efter att mest kollat in folk halkade vi till slut in på det pyttelilla Muzeum farmacji (Farmacevtiska museet).

Last Sunday was Noc museów here in Warsaw. Most of the city's museums were open until after midnight, and free entry everywhere. The Warsaw residents took the opportunity! Looong queues, sometimes around the whole block acted as a deterrant outside most entrances. After mosly bumbling around looking at people we finally stumbled upon the tiny Muzeum farmacji (Pharmaceutical museum).

Mörka kvällar

På väg hem från jobbet en mörk decemberkväll.

On the way home from work a dark December evening.

November

På väg hem från affären.

Going home from the store.

Kiosk

En typisk kiosk i Polen; ett minimalt hål, så lågt att man måste buga sig framåt är enda öppningen för att kommunicera med försäljaren. Alla fönster är vanligen täckta till sista kvadratmillimetern med cigaretter och tidningar.

A typical Polish kiosk; a minute hole, placed so low one must bow to see anyone, is the only opening for communicating with the sales person. All windows are usually covered, to the last square millimetre with ciggarettes and magazines.

Morgontrafik

Bilar på väg in mot centrum en morgon när höstsolen just bryter igenom molntäcket.

Morning traffic. Cars going towards the centre a morning when the autumn sun is just breaking through the clouds.

Långa skuggor

En eftermiddag i gamla stan för två veckor sedan. Då var det fortfarande brittsommarvarmt. Sedan kom hösten med kyla och isande vind.

An afternoon in the old town two weeks ago. Then, the summer was still in the air, but now autumn has arrived with cold weather and icy winds.