A couple of my friends, who visited me last summer, promised to take me to a particular region of Poland during my holidays. That promise was fulfilled last weekend. On Friday afternoon we went to a resort town of Polanica Zdrój, a mountainous region south off the city of Wrocław. The next day we travelled to three spots in the…
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The town of Iłowa has always been beyond the margins of my ‘mental map of the region’ despite its geographical closeness to my home town. I’ve never been there, and have never had any desire to go there. Somehow something has always put me off. Last summer I was told about a Japanese garden in Iłowa, and learnt there was…
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It’s been ages since I visited the town of Żary. If my memory serves me well, it was in the summer 1999. So my bus ride there wasn’t just about reaching the starting point for my walk, but a sentimental journey of sorts. I was pretty impressed by the renewed high street, but the Square reminded me of a miniature of the…
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The massive earthquake in Nepal a week ago triggered shockwaves reaching far beyond that tiny country, lasting well beyond the cessation of the tremors. Within hours many governments, charities, NGOs and individuals started thinking about ways of helping the badly-stricken nation. Groups of professional rescuers from around the world have been flown into the country, financial and material aid has…
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My arrival in Elgin in September 2007 slightly stirred up the Polish community, both there and in the neighbouring towns and villages. They welcomed a priest from their homeland, speaking their language, and they expected him to ring-fence their national identity. A surprisingly similar view was held by many members of the local community, clearly expressed in a virtual label…