Vacation Time!..

It has been a while since my last post... You know how the last days before vacation can get too hectic and there is hardly even time to get packed and be off! So this is what happened to us last Friday - straight after work we headed to the airport... and then spent a very nice evening with TI, ZÉ and Miguel in Lisbon. Portugal is amazing! It is impossible to describe all the impressions in short - I wouldn't be able to stop ;)!!..


Image by Arek

I'm taking a little vacation from blogging and will be back in a week's time full of impreessions and many new wonderful things to post about. Meanwhile do visit TI at Viagens pelo Mundo - a great travel blog with lots of useful information and interesting facts (there is an easy option of switching to English). I will be back soon! :)

Cukier Artist


Image by CiuCiu

If your life seems a bit dull all you need to do is sweeten it up a bit! Try buying some good candy and I'm sure some things will seem not as bad and complicated as before :) In one of my previous posts I mentioned this little shop of handmade candy in Gdańsk, which makes and sells candy and I thought it was worth providing some extra detail about it.


Image by CiuCiu

The shop is called Ciu Ciu and it is a place where candy is being produced right in front of you. So if you are interested in the whole process - just drop by this shop and there is a great possibility you will see everything with your own eyes during your first visit.


Image by Google

You will also be treated to some fresh candy which was just cut and is still hot and you will be surrounded by all sorts and colours imaginable of packed sweets and lollipops. TI, I especially hope that you will like this post for a reason you might be guessing already of ;)


Image by CiuCiu


Image by Olga


Image by Google

6 Unimportant Things

Yesterday I was asked by Juanitatortilla about 6 unimportant things that I love...

1. Vintage-looking photographs



2. Amelie


Image by Google


Image by Google

3. The 70es


Image by Google

4. Purses


Image by Flickr

5. Turquoise


Image by Flickr

6. Peonies


Image by Flickr

Now it is my turn to tag:
TI from Viagens Pelo Mundo
Ashley from Peacocks and Dragonflies
Val from DottyDotty
Michela from Little Secrets From My Garden
SuvvyGirl from Tales and Adventures of Suvvy Land
Louise from Whispering Poppies
Enjoy :)

Fuchsia Inspired...

I keep getting amazed at the number of stylish funky cafes being opened in Gdańsk area and in general in Poland. They range from super modern to being packed with antiques, each has it's own unique design, concept and character.


Image by Olga

Cafe Kawusia which I mentioned in my previous post about Gdańsk was most probably inspired by the fuchsia flower - at least this is what immediately came to my mind when I walked in.


Image by Olga


Image by Olga

The word Kawusia can be translated from Polish as 'your lovely little cup of coffee' - this is what diminutive suffixes in some languages can do to a word :) And it is a lovely place where one can enjoy a good coffee in a pleasant interior.


Image by Olga


Image by Olga

By the way, their fruit tart is just amazing!


Image by Olga

There are no fuchsias in the cafe, but here is a photo of one, which is so beautiful and seems to be a good match as far as colours are concerned...


Image by Google

A Walk in Gdańsk


Image by Olga

Some of us - and by that I mean myself in the first place - tend to look forward to traveling, discovering unknown places and getting new fascinating impressions. Which is cool, but sometimes I catch myself on being a bit ignorant of what is immediately around me - thus many lovely things might stay unnoticed... Our yesterday's walk in Gdańsk old town made me realize this again.

We started from the main street called Długa (transl.: long) with its many flowers, cafes, souvenir and craft shops...


Image by Olga

And the first one to stop by was this cute little shop of handmade candy called CiuCiu (more on this shop to come in one of my next posts):


Image by Olga


Image by Olga

Next stop was this very very old drug store, still open for all and having its own traditions...


Image by Olga

Gdańsk has a lot of history - can you imagine, the city is 1012 years old! It is fun to go around the ancient places and buildings - inhale the history and admire how people never stopped caring to preserve all the beauty.


Image by Olga


Image by Olga

We made a stop at one of the new little cosy cafes called Kawusia I'm going to write a separate post about later, but here is a sneak peek:


Image by Olga

Then we took a turn and found ourselves in a lovely narrow street with this lovely misterious lady on the wall combing her hair...


Image by Olga

...and the narrow street led us to one of my favourite streets in Gdańsk - Mariacka, which I already mentioned here. I bet you'll like it even more if you take this panoramic tour of Mariacka!

We passed by Kamienica - the tiny cafe, where we often meet with friends for a coffee..


Image by Olga


Image by Olga


Image by Olga
Mariacka is full of art and jewelry galleries and in the summer everything is sold right outside:


Image by Arek

Right where Mariacka ends there is this ancient gothic hostel (the building dates back to 1451), where one can stay and enjoy Gdańsk right from the heart of its old town (more on the hostel coming soon!)


Image by Olga


Image by Olga

Indeed the beauty is right in front of us - sometimes it just takes a little effort to notice, observe and appreciate it...

Garden Party



I was invited to a virtual garden party organized by Floss from Troc, Broc and Recup (Happy Birthday, Floss!!). It is my first one, but guess what is great about virtual parties is that you can totally create them yourself and you are very unlimited with your choices! And definitely now it is a perfect timing for such a party - it is summer time! So here is my version of a perfect garden party :)

I would like everything at my party to be green!


Image by Google

Lots of good fresh food...


Image by Google

Something sweet...


Image by Google

Little presents for the guests...



And a party outfit ;)...


Image by Google

Would you like to come?

Metropolitain


Image by Google

If someone asks me what it is in Paris that is very typical and different from other cities - I would say it is metro. Metropolitain is the symbol of the city, notable for its station architecture, influenced by Art Nouveau.


Image by Google

The first line opened on July 19, 1900, during the Exposition Universelle world's fair and now Paris is the second busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow metro.


Image by Google

The Métro's original art nouveau entrances are iconic symbols of Paris, and 83 survive. Designed by Hector Guimard in a style that caused some surprise and controversy in 1900, there are two main variants:

* The most elaborate feature glass canopies. Two still exist, at Porte Dauphine:


Image by Google

and Abbesses :


Image by Google

* The rest have a cast-iron balustrade decorated in plant-like motifs, accompanied by a "Métropolitain" sign supported by two orange globes atop ornate cast-iron supports in the form of plant stems.


Image by Google


Image by Arek


Image by Google


Image by Arek

Later stations and redecorations have brought increasingly simple styles to Métro entrances.

* Classical stone balustrades were chosen for certain early stations in prestigious locations (Franklin D Roosevelt, République)


Image by Google

*Simpler metal balustrades accompany a "Métro" sign crowned by a spherical lamp in other early stations (Saint-Placide).


Image by Irene Suchocki

*Minimalist stainless-steel balustrades (Havre — Caumartin) appeared from the 1970s and signposts with just an "M" have been the norm since the war (Olympiades, opened 2007).


Image by Google

A handful of station entrances have entirely original architecture (Saint-Lazare), and a number are integrated into residential or standalone buildings (Pelleport). But I like so much more the old art nouveau stations - so exquisite, unique and modernist!