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Visit your Bookshop! It is “Love your Bookshop Day!” 🙂
#DidYouKnow that the Australian Booksellers Association founded the “Love your Bookshop Day”? It is celebrated each year on the 14th of August. I am a huuuuuuge lover of books, so I could not miss out on the occasion to tell you more about this as well. Bookshops are a very important means of knowledge that people, nowadays, look less at – due to the increase in technology usage. Let’s be frank: Who uses a dictionary nowadays or a book to find the right info? You just Google it! Old Bible on display in the Muzeum Podgorze, Krakow – Poland A bit of history #DidYouKnow that in 1600 AD the very first book in America is printed – “The Bay Psalm” #DidYouKnow that in 1900 the Hardbacks became popular and the publishers started considering paperbacks as “low quality“ #DidYouKnow that in 1732 the Portughese bookshop Bertrand Chiado was founded? It is the oldest operating bookshop in the world! #DidYouKnow that the city with the biggest number of libraries per capita is Warsaw? With about 11,5 libraries per 100000 citizens! #DidYoukKnow that UNESCO honored, in the year 2000, Krakow with the title of the City of Literature? Photo by Wendy van Zyl on Pexels.com Bookshops you should visit in Krakow Today we celebrate the Bookshops, and I have to let you that they are one of my favorite places in the world. I could get lost in any bookshop (or library) for hours! And there are plenty of bookshops in Krakow where you can get to pick and choose a good novel. So, without any further ado, here are my 5 picks of the day: Massolit – which holds also a cafe and the bookstore is built in such a way that you can grab a book, find a nook, and dream away 🙂 They have a large English book selection. They are located on ul. Felicjanek 4. Perfect for a rainy day!Centrum Taniej Ksiazki – you can find them on Florianska street (Old Town) and they have mainly books in Polish but also a small selection of foreign ones. Plenty of books for kids, though 😉 unfortunaley no place to sit and savour a book before buying it. They do have “old client” cards and you have bonuses. American Bookstore – If you are searching for a library with books only in English (from kids to Young Adult to grown ups…) this is your place! They even have an Instagram account. The people there are very friendly and helpful and eager to get you with the best option for you. They are located in teh Old Town on Slawkowska.Bonito.PL – you can see Bonito shopws everywhere in Krakow. It is easy to order online via their mobile app or even via webpage. They have amazing prices and the delivery is fast! They also have games and books and sometimes toys for kids. I definitely have too many books bought from them :)) also good prices on the books in English language 😉Last but not least: Glowna Ksiegarnia Naukowa – located very close to Teatr Bagatela (Old Town) – provides a full range of books and paper products. It even offers (for free!) to wrap the books as a present! Split in 2 locations (a few metres away), the 2 spots are a place you shoudl go. To get lost for a few hours 😉 Also, one of them allows even to buy tea/coffee only for a few zloty and savour it in an area with chairs and tables. Very cozy! With their own application (GKN) you get a 20% discount! What about you? I am off to my local bookstore to share some love! Don’t buy books online, go visit the local stores and support them! Yours truly, The Twisted Red LadyBug that LOVES Books & Bookstores
Krakow Dragon Statue celebrates its birthday!
A birthday cake in a reconstructed medieval town, music, dancing and fun, all with the occasion of the birthday for the Wawel Dragon. The one-of-a-kind festival will take place on Sunday, August 14, in Błonia Park in Krakow. The celebration will start at noon and will last until 18.00. 50 years old sculpture! This year marks the 50th anniversary of the sculpture of the Wawel Dragon by Bolesław Chromy. The 6-meter-high, fire-breathing dragon – the symbol of Krakow – can be seen every day at the foot of the Wawel Castle, it is one of the city’s greatest tourist attractions. Did you know that he was supposed to be underwater? According to the original concept, the dragon was to be partially submerged in the waters of the Vistula. However, it was found that the rubbish carried by the river current would settle on the sculpture. That is why, in 1972, it was placed in a block on the Vistula River, near Wawel Hill, next to the current exit from the Dragon’s Den. In the spring of 1973, a fire-breathing gas installation was installed inside the sculpture (by Feliks Prochownik). “Gardens, Courtyards, St. Gereon’s Church” is a new Wawel sightseeing route New Expo! “Dragon Garden. Bronisław Chromy at Wawel” On the occasion of the anniversary, the exhibition “Dragon Garden. Bronisław Chromy at Wawel” was opened in Wawel Castle in spring. Sculptures by the artist from Krakow can be seen at Wawel until the end of September this year. Birthday Picnic 🙂 The highlight of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wawel Dragon will be a birthday picnic in the reconstructed early medieval settlement, which will be erected on Sunday in Krakow’s Błonia Park. The settlement will be built by the Team of Wisła Wojów “Krak”, the oldest in Krakow and one of the first groups of early medieval reconstruction in Poland. “Composed of nearly 20 tents, sewn and erected according to the indications of iconographic sources, the town will be populated by teams of warriors, white-headed, craftsmen and musicians – in period costumes, equipped with weapons, tools, instruments and other attributes based on historical ones. There will also be a place for the prince. Krak – on that day he will accept applications, complaints and grievances from his subjects”– announces the magistrate. What can you find in this settlement? In the settlement, you will be able to stop at a blacksmith, potter, jeweller, mint maker, weaver and leatherman, and learn about the workshop and secrets of medieval craftsmen. There will also be an opportunity to try your hand at medieval plebeian games, such as spinning, twisted marches, sack races, Slavic wrestling or shoemaker and dragon games, and to compete for prizes. There will also be a skirmish between the dragon armies in the entertainment area. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com There is also music! There will also be music, the folk band “Daj Ognia” will be playing, and before the evening the final concert will be played on the main stage by Percival – a band that was created with a fascination with the history and culture of ancient Slavs and which successfully introduces the modern audience to the musical traditions of the former Slavic region. For the competitive souls… There will also be competitions, dance workshops, theatrical performances “The True Story of the Wawel Dragon”, and a dragon procession will pass through the main square of the settlement. And, as befits a birthday, there will be cake and dragon baked goods. Timing The dragon’s birthday will last from 12.00 to 18.00. Enjoy yourself wisely 🙂 Yours truly, The Twisted Red LadyBug
Poland Withdraws some of the help given to the Ukrainian refugees
As you may know, Poland is the most accommodating country toward the Ukrainian people. The UN states that over 14 million people are thought to have fled their homes since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Poland has taken the most, as you can see from the numbers below. The UN says that as of 24 May: 6.6 million refugees have left Ukraine: Poland has taken in 3,544,995 refugeesRomania 972,203Russia 945,007Hungary 654,664Moldova 473,690Slovakia 446,755Belarus 27,308 (12 May) (Some people who traveled from Moldova to Romania are included in both countries’ totals). The Help offered The EU has granted Ukrainians the right to stay and work throughout its 27 member nations for up to 3 years. Poland, which has taken the highest number of refugees, and Moldova, which has the largest concentration of refugees by population, have both asked for international support to help fund their efforts. The Struggles Poland has offered many special benefits in order to support the growing number of Ukrainian refugees. For example payments for the households that keep refugees, free use of public transport, extra spots in kindergartens and schools, and free medical benefits (checkups and tests). Unfortunately, due to the high number of people that need help and the lack of funds, the Polish Government has decided to revoke some of the benefits. MPK_TramsInKrakow The Withdrawal The families or individuals that have taken refugees into their homes, via a law passed in March, were entitled to a daily payment of 40 zlotych (approximately 8-9 euros). The Government, sometime in April, counted that about 600 000 Ukrainian people benefited from such help. Last week, though, the deputy interior minister Paweł Szefernaker announced that this benefit will no longer be available. He also mentioned that many refugees chose to return back and mentioned that since the 10th of May there have been more people crossing the border into Ukraine than into Poland. Starting the 1st of June also the free municipal public for the refugees from Ukraine has been revoked. Free train travel is also off since this month. Photo by Mathias Reding on Pexels.com Yours truly, The Twisted Red LadyBug
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3 Review (SPOILERS AHEAD!)
I said I would not be doing this… but it is Star Wars and I can’t help myself!!! If you have followed me for quite some time now, you may know that I am a huge fan of Star Wars. Anything Star Wars goes, from the Originals to the Prequels to the Sequels. From the comic books, to the books to the manga. Well, if you are a fan too, you know the new Star Wars Series: Obi-Wan Kenobi is on now, on Disney+. I wanted to do a review of this week’s episode as it was simply breathtaking! So be warned, there will be SPOILERS! THIS IS THE WAY!!! Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3 – The Duel Scene The Obi-Wan – Darth Vader duel I’ll just jump to that as that was the bloody highlight of the episode! (And of the week! And year!) The series might have its awesome moments of cinematography, some are… meh! But the fighting scene in Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3 gave me the chills! It can be counted now amongst the classic scenes of the Star Wars Universe. We have waited for a confrontation between these 2 and we were gifted a masterpiece performance by both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. Obi-Wan and Leia reach Mapuzo (mining planet) after escaping the Inquisitors, only to be tracked down by the Empire again. Vader learns that Obi is there and goes down himself to “finish the job”. We awaited for a long time to see the confrontation between Master and Apprentice and, by God!, we got it! You can sense the anger swelling, like a river whose dams were broken, when he says: “I am what you made me”… and then launches himself brutally/bestially/feral towards Obi. He wants Obi-Wan to experience pain and suffer like he did. He will take it slow. I especially loved the sadistic touch when Vader throws Obi-Wan into a pile of burning sand (that he ignites, masterfully with his saber). He replicates his feeling and his torture on Mustafar. Obi-Wan thankfully escapes with the help of a new characther (which grows on me fast!): Tala. Look who called blasters “uncivilised” Throughout the 3 episodes of Obi-Wan that we had until now, there would have been countless opportunities for him to draw out his lightsaber… instead… Obi fights with a blaster! Like he is afraid of using the lightsaber, like it does not feel comfortable in his hand anymore. The Obi-Wan we knew was proud of being one with the Force and using the lightsaber elegantly. The battered Owi-Wan reaches to the gun and blasts Troopers off, probably never once thinking of pulling out the sword. This is how far he has dropped from the grace of the Force. He struggles to find its (and his) Balance (and we can see that clearly in Episode 2, when she stops Little Leia from falling to her doom). He struggles to find connection… James Earl Jones is back! James Earl Jones reprises his role as Darth Vader – voice only, as Hayden Christensen is doing all the dirty work 😉 – and he is fabulous as he was 40 years ago! His voice does not age and he delivers each line impecably. I am so happy to have him back, alongside Ewan and Hayden! Vader is ruthless! Now, I really need to come back to the duel.. It is just so well acted by James Earl Jones & embodied by Hayden. His anger and rage reminded me of the ending of Rogue One – hallway scene. The Vader-Obi scenes are intense and downright scary. The burning scene may be part of a horror movie. But this pretty much may setup Obi-Wans later on battered look and pre-mature aging… I think it may work! I also enjoyed the way the scenes were light up: blue vs red. James’s voice really gets deep and you will have goosebumps! Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi – Little Leia Little Leia is a miracle I say no to bullying and treating actors bad! And I have seen a fair share of Star Wars fans that picked on Little Leia. I, for one, think she does a marvellous job and she embodies Leia’s feistyness very well! I think Carrie Fisher would have been so bloody proud of her and taken her under her wing. In today’s episode I really loved her interactions with Obi-Wan when she asks about The Force and how it works. Also when she realises that Obi-Wan knew her mother. When she asks Ben if he is her father… and he comes back and says he wishes he would have been (THAT! WAS! HEARTBREAKING!!!). Also, watching Obi-Wan made me want to re-read the manga Leia – Princess of Alderaan. I think the directors and producers were certainly reading that. Obi-Wan had a brother!!! Well… Ben remembers that he had a brother… glipses of his past life, before he was taken in to become a Jedi. Well… I know I am not the only one whose mind went straight to: Owen Kenobi!!! Anyway, my Star Wars rant/net for the day is over and now I am left to ponder what Episode 4 will bring! Yours in The Force, The Twisted Red LadyBug