#Poland x Warsaw

[marietheran]

Interesting things about Warsaw #1:

Honest-to-goodness bullet holes from 1944 in older walls (with plaques next to them)

Much more numerous chinks that just might be bullet holes in the walls (without identification)

We've also got a church that was destroyed by the Germans and rebuilt, and they embedded fragments of the old walls and side altars into the structure. Looking more or less the way you expect something that was bombed to the ground to look.

And a different church where they have a Crucifix in several parts mounted on a wall.

Honestly, I've been to a church in the Old City a few times in my life, and I find something of that sort near every time.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don't even particularly like this city, but the weight of history bearing down on it is something.

[stillunusual]

Ah yes….Marie Antoinette, who was famous for saying "let them eat polonium"…. David Lammy became the UK's Foreign Secretary on 5th July 2024, following the Labour Party's landslide general election victory.

Sixteen years earlier, while appearing on Celebrity Mastermind, he responded to the question: "what was the married name of the scientists Marie and Pierre, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1903 for their research into radiation?", with the answer: "Antoinette"….

The correct answer was "Curie", but I see how he made the connection. 🤣😂

Lammy is probably also unaware that Marie Curie was Polish. She was born in 1867 in Warsaw, which was still under Russian occupation following the partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century.

She was originally called Maria Skłodowska.

She studied at Warsaw's clandestine "Flying University", where she began her practical scientific training.

The Flying University (in Polish: Uniwersytet Latający) was an underground educational system which existed from 1885 to 1905 in Warsaw, and gave young people the opportunity to attend classes that operated outside the censorship and control of the Russian authorities.

She later said that "if I had not been taught chemical analysis by Professor Milicer and Dr Kossakowski in Warsaw, I would not have isolated Radium"….

Although she emigrated to France, graduated with degrees in physics and mathematics at the University of Sorbonne and married French physicist Pierre Curie, she never lost her sense of Polish identity and always referred to herself as Maria Skłodowska-Curie. She taught her daughters to speak Polish and named the first chemical element she discovered "Polonium" after her native country.

Maria Skłodowska-Curie emerged as the first female scientist to gain global recognition and undeniably stood among the great scientists of the twentieth century. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields (chemistry and physics).

Two days after being appointed to his new role, David Lammy flew to Warsaw for talks with his Polish counterpart Radek Sikorski. I wonder if he noticed any of Warsaw's memorials, murals and other tributes to Maria Skłodowska-Curie while he was there….

[ladypurplejanewrynn]

Happy New Year 2023 everyone🎊🎊🎊

I’m starting this year with some PolWar kissing under a mistletoe 💕

[evermoredeluxe]

“I told you not to wear that tonight” A fan was wearing the same Karma jacket hahah

- The Eras Tour in Warsaw, Poland (N1) on August 1, 2024 (x)

[oncanvas]

Falling Star, Witold Pruszkowski, 1884

Oil on canvas 168 x 132 cm (66.14 x 51.97 in.) National Museum, Warsaw, Poland

[tswiftupdatess]

Taylor Swift performs ''Red x Maroon'' mashup as the second surprise song on piano at The Eras Tour in Warsaw, Poland Night 2! 🎹 (August 2, 2024)

[lionofchaeronea]

Title: St. Cecilia Artist: unknown Italian artist Date: first half of 17th century Genre: religious art Period: Baroque Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: 80.5 cm (31.6 in) high x 66.5 cm (26.1 in) wide Location: Łazienki Palace, Warsaw, Poland

[eras-tour-updates]

Suburban Legends x New Years Day

Warsaw, Poland N1

[eddy25960]

Ignacy Łopieński (1865-1941). Male nude bent in the pose of sawing a board (1890). Chalk, paperboard. Dated, signed. 150 cm x 99,5 cm. National Museum in Warsaw, Poland.

[usafphantom2]

German Heinkel He 111 aircraft bombing Warsaw, Poland, Sep 1939

@ron_eisele via X

[polishwomenartists-sztukakobiet]

Irena Łuczyńska-Szymanowska (Polish, 1890-1966)

“Woman Reading”

Oil on canvas 56 x 49 cm

National Museum, Warsaw, Poland

Irena Łuczyńska-Szymanowska (ur. 15 lipca 1890 w Górze Kalwarii, zm. 30 sierpnia 1966 w Warszawie) – polska artystka malarka, portrecistka.

[ladypurplejanewrynn]

The Wild Side Of Me Chapter 12

It was winter already. Tolys had even more work than before, since some of his colleagues went already on long dayoffs and some got sick. The boss really didn’t want to overwork the poor guy, but didn’t really had a choice. Finally, work was over and the Lithuanian came back home really exhausted. He didn’t even change clothes. He immediately went to bed, as he got home. A really bad dream took over his sleep. He was in his werewolf form and was being chased by something, or rather someone. The werewolf was running as fast as possible when suddenly he fell down, hitting the ground really hard. He looked up, to see that his legs got tangled up in some sorts of a trap. Tolys tried to untangle the rope or even use his claws and teeth to cut it. But nothing happened. A figure was getting closer to him. It looked so familiar. But as it start it reaching up for him, the man woke up all sweaty. He sit up:"Is okay…Is just a nightmare…You’re in your home, all safe…" He tried to calm himself down, to control his panicked breath. After a while of taking deep breaths, the Lithuanian went to the kitchen and made some tea, to help himself with completely calming down. The man tried to fall asleep, but in vain. He knew that what he saw was just a nightmare, but still be kept on worrying. Finally, he managed to fall asleep after 3 AM. The next morning, he got woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. At the beginning, he tried to ignore it and turned to the side, still trying to sleep. The phone wouldn’t stop, so he finally took it in his hands, to see who was calling him. It was Alfred. Tolys picked up:"Good Lord, Alfred you woke me up." "Ah… I’m sorry hun. I didn’t know you were sleeping. Usually you’re already awake at these hours." said Alfred. "What is it?" asked Tolys, with a bit raspy voice. "Well, since is winter and we’re finally having some free time, I was wondering if you wanted to go snowboarding with me and Matthew." answered the American. A yawn escaped Tolys’s mouth:"This sounds nice, but I’m not really feeling well. Plus, I do need more sleep. Last night I had troubles with falling asleep. I went to sleep like at 3 AM." "I understand. Well then, sleep well. I’ll see you later. Love you Tolys." said Alfred. A tired smiled appeared on the Lithuanian’s face:"I love you too Alfred." Then they both hang up, and Tolys went back to sleep. Later that day, at the afternoon Alfred came to see his boyfriend, who was already awake at that time and after dinner. "Hey Alfred, so how did the snowboarding go?" asked Tolys as he led his lover in. "Pretty good actually. It was nice to spent some time with my brother. But on the other hand, I wish you were there. It was so much fun." answered Alfred, taking off his coat, along with his shoes, scarf and hat. "What about you? Slept well?" he asked at his turn. "Not really. I mean, I feel rested. But my head hurts. I… I had a bad dream. And it felt so real. I was running away from someone, while I was in my werewolf form. That person was chasing after me. And then I fell into a trap and couldn’t free myself. Then that figure caught up to me. It looked so familiar. But I didn’t get to see who it was, as I woke up afterwards." explained the Lithuanian. Alfred comforted him:"Maybe the fact that you’re tired from being overworked at work, makes you have this kind of awful dreams. This kind of stuff happens from time to time." "Maybe you’re right. I probably worry for nothing. Is just a dream after all." said Tolys as he hugged Alfred. "If you want, I can stay up at your house for a night. Maybe you’ll feel much more safe when I’m here with you." proposed the American. "If you don’t mind, I would love to." answered the Lithuanian. He smiled:"Alright, just let me get my stuff from home first." Later at night, both of them went to sleep.

Tolys had another nightmare. This time, he was tangled up in more than just one rope and in his human form. His whole body, bound in a way which made harder to move. The same figure that chased him in the previous dream, stood above him. All shadowy. Only a mischievous smile being noticeable. "Who are you? What do you want from me?!" asked the Lithuanian as he tried to see who was the familiar figure. No answer. The figure start it getting closer. "No! Stay away from me!" shout it Tolys as he desperately tried to free himself, only to get tangled up even more and for the ropes getting tighter, limiting his movements more than before. A wide smile start it to appear on the shadowy figure’s face. "You’re giving me no other choice." said the Lithuanian and tried to transform into his werewolf form. However, it didn’t work. He was still in his human from. "Huh? What is going on?" escaped his mouth. The figure was very close now and it start it reaching out for him. Tolys woke up, all sweaty again and heavy breathing. He’s breaths were loud enough to wake up Alfred:"Honey, what wrong? Wow, calm down. Easy. I’m here. We’re at your house." The American hugged the Lithuanian, to calm him down and comfort him. "Take some deep breaths. Here we go."said Alfred. After getting Tolys to calm down, Alfred made him some tea and they had a conversation about the nightmare Tolys had. He told his lover everything that happened in that dream. "This sounds serious, hun. Do you want me to stay at your house for a bit longer?" asked Alfred. Tolys noded, making small squealing noises. As the days passed, the nightmares start it getting less scary. Alfred kept company to his boyfriend and did everything to make him feel better. Another night, another bad dream. Again, the first dream Tolys had, repeated itself. Only this time, that it end it up in a good way. When the shadowy figure was getting closer to the werewolf, another figure appeared and pushed away the first one. Tolys looked closer as the second figure start it to become clearer. It was Alfred. He kneeled down and cut the rope from the trap Tolys fell into. The scenery turned into something brighter and happier. Instead of darkness and shadows, there was light and flowers all around them. Finally, the nightmares left. Tolys slept without even waking up at night all sweaty and with heavy breaths and Alfred could come back home. Another day, and the Lithuanian woke up without having one of these nightmares. "Phew, I feel really well rested. Looks like all of those nightmares were part of me being overworked after all." thought Tolys and got up and made himself breakfast. Then, an idea popped out in his head. He decided to bake something sweet for Alfred for the support he gave him the days ago.

Some hours later, Tolys was at his boyfriend’s door. He knocked. "Ughhh… What is it?" Alfred’s voice came out from the other side. He sounded really frustrated. He opened the door:"Oh, is you Tolys. I would love to spent some time but I don’t have time." "Alfred wait. Can you at least take the cupcakes?" asked Tolys. The American looked at him:"I don’t have time! I’m already late! A colleague from work phoned me on the last minute that he won’t be able to work and told to replace him. Ughhhh, and I’m wasting my time on talking to you and on your cupcakes! I’m in a hurry! Don’t waste my time Tolys!" "Well, I really thought it would be nice to do bake something for you as a thank you for the last days. And I’ve put all my heart into it. I thought you’d be grateful." said the Lithuanian. "How am I supposed to be grateful when I’m already late for work and my boyfriend is slowing me down even more because he decided to make cupcakes!" yelled Alfred. "You know, just because a colleague from work pissed you off it doesn’t mean you have to take it out on me!" yelled Tolys at his turn. "At least I’m not hiding things and having to make secrets like you do. And at least I have a normal life." said Alfred. Tears dropped down from Tolys eyes:"So this is what you think about my life? That just because I’m a werewolf, my life must be extraordinary and can’t be a normal one? You don’t even know what is like to live with all of this!" Before Alfred could even say something, Tolys run away. Thanks to his werewolf speed, he was back home in 5 minutes, which normally would take him at least 10 minutes to get there from Alfred’s house. He threw the cupcakes in the trash and layed down on his bed, starting crying into the pillow. Moment someone ringed at the door. The Lithuanian lazily got up from his bed and went to open it. His two friends, Feliks and Alice came over. But when they saw Tolys’s face, they already knew something happened. They all took a sit on the couch. "So, what happened?" asked Alice. Tolys looked up at her:"Well… me and Alfred got into an argument…" "Over what?" asked Feliks. "Is a bit of a long story." said Tolys and then he start it explaining what happened. Of course he excluded the part about him being a werewolf since he still wasn’t ready to tell his friends about it. "Oh, Tolys i’m really sorry to hear that. Don’t worry. I’m sure you and Alfred will make up to each other. After all is not the first time you two have an argument. And is normal for them to happened from time to time." said Alice as she hugged her friends to comfort him. "Yup, like totally natural. And beside, I bet he didn’t mean any of the words he said. I know what I’m saying. Also is Alfred we’re talking about. The guy would literally do anything for you. Even if it meant to sacrifice his whole Marvel collection." said Feliks as he hugged his friend as well. A sniff came out of Tolys:"Thank you guys. You are absolutely the best. But still, it doesn’t help the fact that it hurts." The Polish woman got up:"I’ll be right back. I need to take some fresh air. Feliks, can you stay with Tolys for a moment? He shouldn’t be left alone in that state." "Wait a moment, where are you going?" asked the Polish man. "Come with me for a moment then." She said and they went to the hallway. "So, what are you up to?" asked Feliks. "I’m going to have a talk with Alfred about all of this." answered Alice. A shocked look appeared on the blond’s face:"Wow, wow, wow. Hold on, love. Are you sure is the best idea? He might still be in a bad mood. And we all know how much of a totally hot headed person you are." A smug smile appeared on her face:"Don’t worry. I’m not gonna do anything like punch him. I have enough control over myself not to do that. Also I wouldn’t hurt a friend. And beside, I only want to get some sense into his head with words." "Alright, I trust you with that." answered Feliks and kissed her lips.

After the kiss and the conversation, Feliks went back to Tolys, to be there for him and comfort him the best he could. And Alice went straight up to the place Alfred was working at. She was lucky enough to catch him on the lunch break. "Oh, hey Alice. What’s up?" asked the American. "Don’t you hey Alice, what’s up me." said the lady, all frustrated. "Wow, what’s the matter? What did I do?" asked Alfred, surprised to see his friend mad at him. "Oh you know what you did. You had an argument with Tolys. You literally took out your anger on him just because a colleague from work got on your nerves." explained the Polish lady. "Alice, believe me. I really didn’t want it to argue with Tolys. I love him and I care so much about him, is just… Is not my fault that this jerk from work was unable to work and called me on last minute. He’s the one who…" start it Alfred but got cut off by Alice. "Even if it was very shitty from the part of your coworker to do that, is still no excuse to take out your anger on others. Tolys really wanted to do something nice for you, as a thank you for supporting him for the last days, when he had some nightmares after being overworked. He didn’t exactly tell me and Feliks about them, cause he didn’t want to talk about it. So we didn’t push it. And that’s why he brought you the cupcakes. He really put all of his heart into it. Not only you told him some awful things but also made him feel like he would be a bit of a burden to you. And now, while I’m here talking to you, Feliks is out there comforting him." Guilt painted itself on Alfred’s face:"I… I had no idea. I wasn’t thinking on what I was saying. I was so focused on getting to work on time and so fixed on the anger I felt toward my coworker that I didn’t realize on much I was terrible toward Tolys. I knew I’ve hurt him, but I didn’t know I’ve hurt his feelings this much. I… I’m a terrible boyfriend. Aren’t I?" Alice’s face soften and a smile came up onto her face:"I wouldn’t say so. Arguments happens between lovers. Some may be silly ones and some may be serious ones. I know that you didn’t mean any of these words. But I guess you should talk to him. Apologize as soon as possible." "You’re right. I do need to fix this. And I think I have an idea how." said the American. He looked at the time:"Oh shoot. I need to get back to work. Just don’t tell Tolys I’ll come over after work. I don’t want him to expect me at his house when I’ll finish working. I want it to be a surprise." Then he went back to work and Alice came back to the Lithuanian’s house. She and Feliks stayed by Tolys’s side all day and even took him for a friends getaway, to take some fresh air, also to have some fun and distract him from all the negativity. They got back at the evening at his house.

Tolys felt much better after hanging out with his friends for a bit. Then suddenly some ringed at the door. Tolys went to open up and was surprised to see Alfred at the door, with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. "Hey honey… Can I… come in?" asked Alfred really troubled. "Ummm… sure…" answered the Lithuanian and let him in. "Okay, I guess we will be leaving. We shouldn’t interrupt the two of you. See you later guys." said Feliks and he and Alice left. A moment of an awkward silence accurate between the lovers. Then Alfred finally decided to make the move:"Tolys… listen I… I’m really sorry for earlier. I shouldn’t have said all of that. I didn’t meant any of the words that were said. I was in a lot of stress and, gosh I was so angry at my coworker for pulling off something like this on me. I never thought of your werewolf life as something weird or bad. And I especially never meant to make you think that you can't have a normal life just because you’re a werewolf. I’m truly sorry about all of this. Here’s some flower and chocolate for you. I know is not a lot to make up for what I said but…" Suddenly Tolys cut him off with a deep and long kiss on the lips. After some time passed, they broke the kiss. "You’re words really did hurt me. But, deep down inside I knew you didn’t meant it. And you don’t to say anything more. I forgive you, honey." answered Tolys. A smile appeared on Alfred’s face:"I’m glad you don’t hold any grudge against me. I was pretty afraid you might be mad at me to a point of shutting the door in front of my face, just as you see me in them." They hugged each other. "Anyway, where are the cupcakes you baked for me? Can I try some? I bet they are delicious." said the American. "I… ummm… well I kinda threw them into the trash. I felt bad about taking your time when you were going to work and I threw them away." explained the Lithuanian. "Oh honey, you shouldn’t have. I have an idea. How about we make some cupcakes together?" asked Alfred. "That’s a very good idea." answered Tolys. Then the two went to the kitchen and start it baking. The couple had so much fun with all of this. After the cupcakes were done, they ate them. "Got to tell you this. Food made by you is the best in the world, my love." Alfred complaint it. "Don’t be silly. You helped me with this one. Both of us are good at cooking." answered Tolys as small blushes appeared on his face. Alfred got his face a bit closer to his boyfriend’s:"I agree with you on that. Both of us together are absolutely the best." Then he leaned on and kissed him. After finishing the cupcakes, Alfred went back home. But before he left, he gave Tolys a really passionate kiss on the lips as a reminder that he’s the most important to him.

[version-13]

=\=/X/=\= 2023 Warsaw, Poland

[evermoredeluxe]

Crowd goes wild at her fingertips 💛

- The Eras Tour in Warsaw, Poland (N3) on August 3, 2024 (x)

[head-post]

Storm Boris devastates Central Europe, death toll rises

Storm Boris caused widespread destruction in Central and Eastern Europe, killing at least 15 people. The storm swept across Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany and parts of Austria, causing heavy rain, flooding and strong wind gusts.

Romania

In Galati county in eastern Romania, the hardest-hit region of the country, heavy rains caused widespread damage, affecting about 5,000 homes and leaving at least 25,000 people without electricity.

Romania’s emergency department confirmed the discovery of six bodies, including three elderly women and one man over the past two days.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis deplored the situation, saying:

“We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences.”

Rescue teams rescued hundreds of people in 19 areas of the country.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, heavy rains fell for three consecutive days and flooding affected mainly northern parts of the country, leaving more than 50,000 homes without power.

Authorities reported one death, but said seven people in the country were missing, The Guardian reported.

The risk of flooding remains critical for rivers such as the Odra, Opava, Branna and Novohradka, especially in Jeseníky and Pardubice, Radio Prague International reported.

Although water levels in the upper reaches of the rivers are decreasing, the flood wave continues to travel downstream, threatening lower areas such as Uhretice and Chroustovice, the station added.

Austria

Austria has also been hit hard, with 24 villages in Lower Austria declared “disaster zones” and the death toll rising to three, the country’s vice-chancellor Werner Kogler told TV X.

“We have just received the terrible news of two more fatalities in Lower Austria,” he stated, expressing his “thoughts and deepest sympathy” for the relatives, families and friends of the deceased. He also added:

“The situation in the areas affected by the #Hochwasser (flood) remains very critical,” he warned, calling on the whole country to “follow the instructions of the emergency services on site.”

On Sunday, he said a firefighter had died battling flooding in Lower Austria after authorities declared the province surrounding the capital Vienna a disaster zone.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer noted on X:

“The Austrian Armed Forces are deployed in the storm-hit regions wherever help is needed.”

Rail services in the eastern part of the country were suspended and several metro lines in Vienna were closed due to the threat of the overflowing river Wien, APA news agency reported.

Poland

One person has drowned in Poland’s Kłodzko region, bringing the country’s death toll to five, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

He said on X:

“I have ordered the Minister of Finance to prepare funds for emergency aid and flood damage removal. The Minister for European Affairs will apply for European aid.”

He said he had asked the defence minister to “deploy additional forces to the threatened areas.” The Polish prime minister also added:

“After consultations with the relevant ministers and services, I have instructed to prepare a Council of Ministers resolution on the introduction of a state of natural disaster.”

According to The Guardian, around 1,600 people have been evacuated in Klodzko.

Because of all this, Warsaw is expected to declare a state of natural disaster, although it has not done so during previous difficulties such as the COVID-19 pandemic or major floods in 1997 and 2010, Polish Radio reported.

Hungary

In Budapest, officials have raised the forecast for water levels in the Danube River to rise to 8.5 metres (27.9 feet) in the second half of this week, nearing the record high of 8.91 metres recorded in 2013, The Guardian reported.

Zoltan Kovacs, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said on X:

“Amphibious tracked vehicles are en route from Szentes to Pilismarot to support flood defense efforts. The Hungarian Defence Forces are playing a key role in the flood protection efforts, deploying various equipment. Nothing is more important than the safety of the Hungarian people.”

Slovakia

Concern has been mounting in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, where authorities have been taking protective measures to contain the surging waters of the Danube. Police have extensively “warned the public about the danger” of walking along the river, a Bratislava Police spokesperson told CNN on Monday.

Extreme rainfall events are likely to become more frequent and intense as the planet warms, science shows.

An analysis of a 2021 heavy rainfall event in Europe, in which more than 200 people were killed, found human-caused climate change had increased the likelihood and intensity of these events in the region. The World Weather Attribution initiative — a group of scientists who study extreme weather and published the analysis — concluded “these changes will continue in a rapidly warming climate.”

Read more HERE

[oncanvas]

Uniate Woman, Witold Pruszkowski, 1888

Oil on canvas 121 x 172 cm (47.64 x 67.72 in.) National Museum, Warsaw, Poland