Here, for posterity, the Smolensk air crash memorial, a day after the
eighth anniversary of the tragic accident. The police keeps guarding the
monument 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The venue is a destination of ardent
advocates of the assassination theories, but also a must-see spot for curious
tourists. Being in two minds about the artistic concept of the monument, I
suppose even if PiS is kicked out of power (which is now out of sight), their
successors will lack guts to remove the monument from there.
Saturday, 21 April 2018. A late-morning trip to Królikarnia park, my first
time ever visit there, to lap up the spring in full bloom, yet not affected by
drought. Actually this is a shame despite living in Warsaw or around for 30
years, I have gotten my act together to visit some of the capital’s tourist
attractions just recently. In recent weeks I could also boast of popping by
Łazienki park several times (for Sunday Chopin concerts).
Thursday, 3 May 2018. Presumably the first day in 2018 when temperature
reached +30C in Warsaw. Hanging out on a shore of Vistula, in Wilanów. It was
the middle of the long weekend, but despite that the beach was not chock full of
locals. In the distance, cranes and other machinery on Warsaw’s southern bypass
construction site. The bridge over Vistula can boast of higher progress in
construction than other stretches of the road.
Sunday, 13 May 2018. My first ever (again!) visit to the gardens atop of
Warsaw University’s library. The afternoon was more than warm, less than hot,
student festival (juwenalia) went on around, so a cheap beer came in handy (had
come there by public transport, fortunately). Warsaw, to catch up with other
capitals of Europe, needs some more public greenery to be available for its
inhabitants. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Long after the holidays, Saturday, 23 June 2018. First heat-free weekend
since the onset of June. The temperature oscillated near +20C so the weather
was perfect for cycling. The distance covered on two wheel quite optimal for me
– slightly over 40 kilometres. Here, in the middle of Mazowiecki Park
Krajobrazowy, we ran across Warsaw southern bypass construction site. The works
have not moved on much. Trees chopped down, land cleared, preparatory works
done. Hard to believe the expressway will be opened by the end of 2020. I
rather foresee a delay of one year, similar to the completion of the western
section of S2, due to be opened in June 2012, finally opened in September 2013.
Thursday, 28 June 2018. Got the permission to knock off earlier to watch
the last match of the Polish team on the world championship. But since by no
means I am a football fan, I rather chose to take my bike out and enjoy a
late-afternoon ride. My route was roughly a circle around Okęcie airport. Here,
I stopped over on the side of Al. Krakowska, where planes flying in from the
west touch down. The bigger the plane, the closer to the ground its descent
path is. Fond of the place.
Sunday, 1 July 2018. On that day the weather had taken a turn for the worse
and was truly autumn-like. Not much warmer than +15C, though it didn’t rain,
howling chilly wind was awful. I cycled 46 kilometres pedalling at full blast,
without a stopover and didn’t even break sweat. Unfortunately the side effect
was a throat and ear infection which I came down with consequently. Down with
fever in bed and a day off on ensuing Tuesday, two next days of home office
(far too overloaded with work to share it with anyone…).
July in turn brings different spells of weather, ranging from cold and
rainy days (precipitation in abundance would help overcome the drought) to near
+30C heat and sunshine. Will keep observing the weather in next weeks, as I
somehow believe 2018 is more unique weather-wise than any other year.
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