and in Jedbourhg Abbey

One more memories from Scotland. On the way to Edibourgh we stopped in Jedburgh. I was the only one person from our group who wanted to see the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey. They gave me a very limited time to see everything that’s why I decided to go only to go to see the central nave. This beautiful place symbolize for me the gravity of passage of time. The central nave was constructed of 3 levels of arcades. Over the nave there was only the sky.

Time machine

I like contradictions, that’s why this morning was so interesting for me. My friend asked me to go with him to a clinic for an MRI test. We were surprised that there is such a machine in a clinic which is behind the administration building of steel mill. People think that the glory of the clinic, as well as the steel mill, ended many years ago, but the doorkeeper was not surprised when we asked about the MRI. He directed us to a lift, the same sort as in a block of flats of my aunt twenty years ago (a real technological museum piece). We were informed that we had to go to a basement. And you know? In the basement there was indeed an MRI machine! The lift was like a time machine leading to better world: MRI, nice staff, no queue and no delay. And my friend is OK. Maybe not healthy, but it is definitely not very serious.

thanks to renovations...

A few months ago, when an Englishman organizing a meeting had asked me what we would like to see, I answered: the Rossylyn Chapel. It was just after reading the book by Dan Brown so I knew that it was close to Edinburgh (we had planned to go there). I didn’t know any other interesting places, so my choice was not very well thought out. The Englishman was surprised, but he did what I had wanted, and he took us to the Chapel full of “searchers” of the Holy Grail. The Chapel was amazing. It was decorated by sculptures looking like lace. I remember for example death dances done on one of the ribs of vault. Thanks to renovations which are in progress now, we could climb up the scaffolding and see the pinnacles and flying buttress. I had never expected that it could be possible for me to see them.

Hadrian's wall

I’m a lucky person this month: I’ve seen a lot of ancient Roman ruins. Three weeks ago I was in Pafos where I could see ancient mosaics. Last week I was in Scotland where, remaining roman wall and fortifications are preserved. Romans soldiers probably suffered very much from the weather there… I was exhausted by the wind, even though the Sun was shining, temperature was quite high and there was no rain (my English friend used to say: No rain? Wait a minute…). For no reason my attention was attracted by the remnants of a kind of floor heating: stones supporting the floor, between which hot air flowed. We went for a short walk on Hadrians wall. On the right there was a precipice (Scotland I suppose), on the left a meadow with thousands of sheep.

Flying Saucer

Last weekend I was in Katowice for a workshop. It is a very industrial city which does not any charm for me except for one place. It is a “Spodek” (flying saucer) – a concert hall, where I spent many evenings. I was for example there for the concerts of Cocteau Twins, The Cure and Genesis. A view of the “Spodek” on early Sunday morning made me recalled all those nice memories.

What a surprising being!

I was walking with my friend. From the opposite direction was coming a woman with a dog. The dog was very funny: unbelievably small, white with big eyes and ears. The owner leaded the dog with a red leash. My friend was delighted with the view. She said to me: “What a surprising being!”. Suddenly the dog stopped. His owner dropped the leash. The dog started to look at my friend with astonishment. I started to laugh and I told her: “you must be also strange being for that dog”.

Night in Newcastle

I went to Newcastle Museum again last month. I remember a part of exhibition of Yoko Ono: a room with soldier’s helmets from Second World War. Helmets were hanging upside down on thin, white threads like nests. Helmet and nest… Protection? I hadn’t wanted to disturb the atmosphere of the room so I didn’t come in – I was standing on the doorstep. Unfortunately two women came. Sounds of their conversation were annoying for me. It also disturbed the sound of singing birds which was presented in the background. It destroyed the atmosphere, so I finally decided to go among the helmets. I was walking all around. It was a better perspective indeed… I was really stupid standing alone outside.

a pendant

I got from my father a pendant a few month ago. He had found it in a clinic. I was really happy for the present, because it was very symbolic and characteristic for my father. I remember from my childhood that he was always bringing to home some buttons, stones, pieces of jewelry, sometimes even money, found somewhere on the street. I was wearing the pendant as a present from my father more precious then anything he could bought even for big money.
Unfortunately, the pendant didn’t stay with me for a long time. I lost it a few days ago. If a thing can have a destiny, probably the destiny of it was to pass form ones hands to the others.

Szpieg z Krainy Deszczowców

This is a real treasure among graffiti. Let me introduce you to the Spy from the Rain Peoples Country – a hero of children’s tale. He was following The Wawel Dragon who had set off on a rescue expedition with help to professor Baltazar Gąbka. I forgot about existing all those heroes, so to find this picture it was nice surprise for me.

smiling oval

When I was trying to find The Museum of Modern Art it was raining very hard. It was cold, dark, wet… I almost surrounded, when I saw the building. I got in and went to café to have some tea firstly. Then I bought a ticket and started to look for something interesting for me. In second room I saw a picture of Jean Miro with a smile especially for me in it. There was an white oval, like a head, with a smile. Background was brown with black lines symbolizing a corner of a room. It was beautifully balance for this terrible weather, like a bicycle in the picture taken on a street in San Francisco. Beautiful, but it is a pity for me that I can’t understand an inscription.