The biggest geography lesson

Explorers festival is a festival of mountains, extreme sports and adventure held in Lodz since 1999.

Each November, the Festival offers numerous meetings with the stars of Himalayan climbing, famous discoverers and travellers. They are asked about presenting theirs films and presentations related to trekking, skiing, traveling, mountain biking, canoeing and other extreme sports that they practise. A part of exhibitions, the quests can also take part in the workshops.

During the Festival, a lot of prestigious awards are distributed. One of them is Camera Extreme which goes to director of the most distinguished extreme film.

Last week, we were able to „take part” :

1. in expedition to South America=Twenty thousand kilometers on the motorcycles

2. in the jurney in requiring North= Discovering the world of dog sledding.

3. in the climbing to the highest peaks of Africa

not enough adrenaline?

It’s COFFEE o’clock !

What makes you feel better in the mornings ?
What gives you an energy for the rest of the day ?

Today i have something for coffee lovers.

I’m going to tell you about KAWA Festiwal Poznan which consists of looking for the best places with the best coffee. I’d like to say also : in the best city, but it would be rather too subjective taking into consideration the fact that I have lived here all my life ;)

Going back to the point, fans of this strong drink can taste it in different editions, proposed by the Poznan cafes. Usually, there is also an additional challenge for the baristas (peoples who prepare and serve coffee drinks) – the recent one was named « a little black « , so the coffees could not be served with a milk.

Between the cafes there is also the symbolic rivalry. Participants of the festival choose the best coffee hause and cast their votes through applications on Facebook and website. After summing up all the votes,  it is awarded the audience award.

However, this is not the end. What seems the most interesting thing is that during the festival,the coffee is available at special price : 6PLN = less than 1,5 EUR. You may also eat the dessert specially prepared for this event. The total cost of this set is .....

10PLN = about 2 EUR

Don’t wonder and

drink coffee to get the energy to drink more coffee!

Saint Martin Day is coming but ...

...is it really so important ?

Yes, because it’s the only name day of the street celebrated in Poznan. Since 1994, the Cultural Centre "Zamek"  has offered a huge range of attractions and thousands of participants of this event witness about the sympathy we have for the main street of this town. Saint Martin Day has grown into a calendar of Poznan’s events and finally proves that this tradition is still alive in the hearts of inhabitants.

... is it really so worth-seeing ?

Yes. The program of the event is changing from year to year, however, there are always a few recognizable elements. Every year, the culminating poing is a colorful procession with our Patron as a spearhead. After the mess, Saint Martin, dressed like a Roman legionary, traverses whole street on horseback, arrives at the square in front of the Zamek where he receives a key to the city gates from the hands of the mayor of the City. This moment is the signal to start the fun (numerous exhibitions, concerts, movies, theater) crowned with the fireworks display.

... is it really so delicious ?

Yes, only in Poznan on November 11, you can eat a croissant made from puff pastry and filled in 35% with a white poppy seed filling. The quality of the Poznań croissants is controlled by a special Chapter, which awards certificates and confirmations of quality certificates issued in the previous year. Bakeries holding such certificates guarantee that they deserve the title of "Poznań St. Martin Croissant".

one day left 

so prepare your stomach 

for the « croissant’s feast » 

« TO KEEP THE CHOPIN CULT ALIVE »

I know that we are young. I know that we just want to have fun! But a little bit of culture hasn’t harmed anyone so far.

‘Culture drives great results’ as said  Jack Welch

     So let’s give it a try ! Today, instead of typical entertainment, I propose you a small dose of culture related to our polish composer. The International Chopin Piano Competition, simply called Chopin Competition, is a piano competition held in Warsaw and devoted to Frédéric Chopin. It was initiated in 1927 by Polish pianist Jerzy Żurawlew and has been held every five years since 1955.

     So unfortunately, for the next edition we are forced to wait 4 years. If I can give you an advice- start save the money, the tickets are not so dirt-cheap. But invest in yourself and your cultural education from time to time ;)

     It is worth also to offert at least a spriritual support to your national participant. For my part, I'm a bit of a greenhorn when it comes to the international winners, but on the other hand, I try to keep up to date with polish ones. The last Polish who won the Competition was Rafał Blechacz who came in first (and very deservedly) in 2005.

     Today, the Competition is organised on a very huge scale and attract the greatest pianistic talents from all the countries of the world. Chopin’s music is gaining more and more popularity and recognition and, what is equally important, people start to share the opinion that :

Popular culture is seductive, high culture is imperious

and for these ones who have already enough of this serious tone of today’s topic :)