On Sunday evening Cecile returned from Gliwice via Katowice Airport, her journey to the airport was by bus and she arrived in good time for her flight to the Doncaster Robin Hood Airport. Usually Cecile would visit her parents at Easter but due to work commitments she flew out a few days later and enjoyed a happy reunion with her parents. Cecile was travelling light using only hand baggage and so on this trip was only able to take our small Canon point and shoot camera and managed to find some time to take a few photographs. Which I hope you will enjoy.
Peter
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| The Neptune Fountain, Gliwice |
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| Arcades, Rynek, Gliwice |
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| Iglo Cafe, Rynek, Gliwice |
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| The Town Hall, Gliwice |
After a long busy Wednesday the night flight to Poland was a bit too much but when at 1.30am (yes AM) I saw my father's big smile at seeing me in front of the airport, the tiredness just didn't count anymore.
We had a happy chit chat in the taxi - me, my Dad and the driver. The taxidriver spent 3 years in England, had only good memories and wasn't even a proper taxi driver as he was working at night, sleeping half of the day and completing his degree in IT studies in the afternoons. Impressioning!
After getting to sleep around 3am, we considered it a good achivement being up at 8.00. My cats couldn't help meowing in front of my bedroom and my Mum let them in. What a joy! Purring, hugging, kissing - our cats Rita, Tunia & Ida + me + my Mum!
Both Thursday and Friday passed pleasantly, the fridge and freezer were still full of Easter delicacies kept for me by my Mum. Devastating for my figure, delicious for my palate. We always used to enjoy this period right after the celebrations - when the house is still so fresh and tidy, there is still an abundance of the best food and you can just relax.. As the weather was nice and Peter had been pestring me about taking some photos we went for a walk and took some pictures on the way.
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| Pigeons, Rynek, Gliwice |
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| Zwyciestwa Street, Gliwice |
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| Old Town Balcony |
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| Doorway in the Old Town |
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| Disused Tram Tracks, Dolne Waly Street |
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| Old Town |
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| The Old Gateway after Excavation |
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It was the only time to do it as on Saturday morning just when clearing the table after our long polish breakfast we received the phone call from my Auntie Zosia from Wroclaw. She was crying - my Mum thought perhaps one of our relatives had died. It proved not - she was telling us that the Polish President and his wife died in a plane crash while flying to Katyn. It was unbelievable!
We just felt our knees were softening. My heart was beating so fast. It was terrible. We switched the TV on and... so it stayed till midnight. In the beginning we didn't realise how many other great figures were in the crash. As the names appeared we felt more and more devastated. Our family and neighbours kept on calling - not one, not two, all in tears, voices shaking, with great doubts and unbelief - second Gibraltar - they were saying. HOW could it happen? The reports from the place of tragedy were incoherent. If the fog was so dense WHY the airport wasn't simply closed for the planes???!!! This is such a common procedure. The time, the place, and THE PEOPLE involved so significant..
My Mum put the flag with the black ribbon out of the balcony to show our respect and feelings.
And on Sunday as well we still were living like in a bad dream. I was leaving home and the last pictures on the TV were the ones of the plane carrying President's body landing in Warsaw. Devastating. Great sorrow and sadness. All warm feeling were with Jaroslaw Kaczynski (the twin brother and his family) and all the other families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. For the first time in my life I felt like actually wearing a mourning ribbon. I still feel like it very much.
Cecile
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| Adam Mickiewicz Statue, Gliwice |
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