Gingerbread

Christmas Card

 

 

Christmas Card

Christmas Card - Private

Christmas Card - private

Dar Mlodziezy - Private

 Dar Młodzieży ("The Gift of Youth") is a Polish sail training ship designed by Zygmunt Choreń. A prototype of a class of six, the following five slightly-differing units were built subsequently by the same shipyard for the merchant fleet of the former Soviet Union. Her sister ships are Mir, Druzhba, Pallada, Khersones and Nadezhda. The ship was launched in November 1981 at the Gdańsk shipyard, Poland, and commissioned for service in July 1982 at Gdynia, thus replacing her forerunner Dar Pomorza. Her home port is Gdynia. The Dar Młodzieży is the first Polish-built, ocean-going sailing vessel to circumnavigate the globe (1987-88), thus repeating the famous voyage of her predecessor (1934-35).

Market Square by naight, Cracow - zlot

 Mysterious atmosphere on Cracow's market square by night

Dar Pomorza - Private

 The Dar Pomorza is a Polish sailing frigate built in 1909 which is currently preserved in Gdynia as a museum ship. She has served as a sail training ship in Germany, France, and Poland. In the 1970s she took part in several Operation Sail and Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races, winning her first race in 1972, taking the 3rd place in 1973, and winning the 1st place and Cutty Sark Trophy in 1980. She was one of several Blohm & Voss built tall ships, most popular in the world at that time.  In September 1981 she undertook her last race. On 4 August 1982 she was decommissioned and replaced by the Dar Młodzieży as a training ship. Since 27 May 1983 she has been a museum ship in Gdynia (next to the Błyskawica).

Birthday card - private

 Great birthday card from Anita

Niepołomice Forest

 Niepołomice Forest is a large forest complex in western part of Sandomierz Basin, about 20 km east of Kraków, Poland. It is made up of a few protected areas which used to constitute a single virgin forest originally. Niepołomice Forest occupies an area between Vistula and Raba rivers. The main complex covers about 110 km². It is situated between the towns of Niepołomice, Baczków, Krzyżanowice and Mikluszowice. The forest consists of six nature reserves with the total area of 94.43 hectares. The biggest reserve called Gibiel (29.79 ha), covers the area with the most diverse flora and fauna, featuring 175 species of birds as well as European bison, deer, wild boar, wolves, lynx, and wild cats. The next reserve called Lipówka (25.73 ha) features 200-year-old nature monuments mainly lime trees, oaks and hornbeams. Slightly smaller Długosz Królewski Reserve, with an area of 24.14 ha (not far from the village of Stanisławice) was established for the protection of a rare flowering fern named Osmunda regalis. Reserve called Dębina (12.66 ha) is set up for the preservation of ancient oak trees. Koło Reserve, with a smaller area of 3.49 ha consists of age-old lime trees and hornbeams. The reserve called Wiślisko Kobyle (6.67 ha) is devoted to water plants. In the heart of Niepołomice Forest is the most protected area inhabited by the Polish wisent (Żubr), the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe. 

get_me_out

The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul - Private

 The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Poznań is one of the oldest churches in Poland and the oldest Polish cathedral, dating from the 10th century. It stands on the island of Ostrów Tumski north-east of the city centre.

Duszniki-Zdroj - Private

 Duszniki-Zdrój is a spa town in the Klodzko Valley on the Bystrzyca River in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. It is a notable spa town and a major tourist attraction of the area. Although the area was known for its healthy waters at least since the late Middle Ages, the spa was officially founded in 1769. The natural sparkling waters of Duszniki are used in treatment of a variety of illnesses, including cardiac problems, gastrical problems. In addition, there is a number of facilities for balnaeology located in Duszniki and an osteoporosis treatment centre. Young Frédéric Chopin visited the spa in 1826.

Christ the King (statue) - Private

 Christ the King (Polish: Pomnik Chrystusa Króla) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Świebodzin, Poland, completed on 6 November 2010. The statue is 33 metres tall, the crown is 3 metres tall, and along with its mound, it reaches 52.5 metres overall. It weighs 440 tonnes. The project was conceived and led by Sylwester Zawadzki, a retired Polish priest.

"nice" card from my friends Natalia and Kornelia ;]

Cracow - Zlot

 Cracow - Summer mist above the Błonia meadow.

wisnia mikis mishi pasazerka delenn_mir pomaranczowa machia

Pomeranian Duke's Castle - Private

 The mother of all Szczecin monuments is the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes . This vast, blocky building looms over the Old Town, but the square central courtyard and simple Renaissance-style decoration atop the walls has a certain understated grace (spot the repeated circular pattern that resembles the Yin and Yang symbol). The castle was originally built in the mid-14th century and grew into its current form by 1577, but was destroyed by Allied carpet bombing in 1944 before being extensively restored. Admire the colourful historic clockface from the courtyard, with its jester figure chiming in each new hour, then climb to the top of the 58.6m bell tower for a view of the city.

Woodstock Festival Poland 2012 - Private

Przystanek Woodstock (Polish for "Woodstock Station" or "Woodstock Bus Stop"; English-language materials often refer simply to the Woodstock Festival) is an annual free rock music festival in Poland, inspired by and named for the Woodstock Festival, that has taken place since 1995. Since the 11th festival its organizers have called Przystanek Woodstock "the biggest open-air festival in Europe". The festival's motto is "Love, Friendship, and Music". It is organized by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity foundation as a way of thanking its volunteers. Generally a weekend-long event, its two stages are in continuous use from early afternoon to dawn, featuring performances by around 30 bands every year.

siadulka

Little Goat Peak - Lottery

 Little Goat Peak is spreading Tatra massif with three (two along the trail.) Towards the Valley of Five Ponds third leaves the ridge (south), dividing the Circle of Dolinka Empty Valleys. In it there is a vertex called the Wheel Czuba (2105 m) separated from the summit of Goat Peak Pass Small Steps (c. 2085 m asl). Pass name is associated with horizontally arranged, small tarasikami from the Empty Valleys.

annawu

Swinoujscie - Private

 Świnoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Uznam and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by a Piast canal (formerly the Kaiserfahrt) dug in the late 19th century to facilitate ship access to Szczecin

wisnia Enderejew

The Solina Dam - Lottery

The Solina Dam  is the largest dam and hydroelectric plant in Poland. It is located in Lesko County in the Bieszczady Mountains area of south-eastern Poland. The dam is 664 m long, 12 m across, and 82 m high. Its construction created the largest artificial lake in Poland - Lake Solina. It has four turbines which were initially capable of generating 136 MW of electricity. Two of the turbines can also reverse flow to optimize power generation. Starting in 1995 efforts have been made to modernize the power plant. The installation of new technologies and the replacement of the old turbines resulted in the dam currently generating 200 MW of electricity. The Solina dam is an important tourist attraction of the area. Tours are available and the dam serves as a bridge to the Lake Solina marina.

edtta

The Battle of Orsha - Lottery

The Battle of Orsha was fought on 8 September 1514, between the allied forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland, under the command of Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski, and the army of Grand Duchy of Moscow under Konyushy Ivan Chelyadnin and Kniaz Mikhail Golitsin. The Battle of Orsha was part of a long series of Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars conducted by Russian rulers striving to gather all the lands of former Kievan Rus' under their rule. According to Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii by Sigismund von Herberstein, the primary source for the information on the battle, the much smaller army of Poland–Lithuania (under 30,000 men) defeated the 80,000 Russian soldiers, capturing their camp and commander. These numbers and proportions have been disputed by modern historians. While the battle is remembered as one of the greatest Lithuanian victories, it had little impact on further warfare which ended in Moscow's favor. According to the 1522 peace treaty, the Grand duchy of Lithuania made large territorial concessions to Moscow

ven-a