Amazing Autumn in Warsaw, Poland
🧣༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･
It’s biting cold. That’s fairly normal for this period for November in Poland comes with its own agenda: crisp wind, grey sunless days and pitch dark nights. This is the type of weather that makes you reach out for the warmest clothes in your wardrobe.
Then you stop in your tracks and remember. This is not winter. It’s just autumn. Autumn with its fiery colours and dead crispy leaves that form a carpet of crackling sounds on the ground. Autumn with its short spells of beautiful and cold sunlight that tricks you into thinking that summer is just around the corner.
In the back of your mind you are aware of the treachery. Good things don’t last. This is just an interlude. Everything you see is temporary, transient, fleeting, urgent. You feel you need to make the most out of what you see before it disappears.
Hence you go with your family to Las Kabacki. You find many people there, who like you, want to enjoy the last days of summer. October and its golden autumn gives you the gift of sunlight and warmth. You discard your large coats and reach out for lighter jackets. You are happy and want to share this short-lived happiness with others.
You are elated and you want to take many photos and film evanescent moments because you want to stop time. Your camera freezes these instances of happiness which you will take with you back home as vivid memories. Later on when the temperatures drop for good, you will seek refuge in these photographs and footage. You will remember. You will remember that once upon a time the sun shone on the tip of your nose and warmed your bones.
When November draws it curtains open, its cold surprises you because the cold has a personality of its own. Real cold wills you into curling up into a ball on your sofa and forget about living. Going outside becomes a chore. Yet autumn blurs these boundaries. One day you are in the open, enjoying the warm rays of sunlight, another day you are cooped up in your house, desperately waiting for the cold rain to stop.
You seriously itch to go out but as soon as you open the front door, a gust of wind hits your face and you recall that the earth is undergoing changes. Every single day brings its own surprises. You wake up to an awe-inspiring spectacle of fallen leaves spread across the wet grass. All manners of mushrooms greet you from the quiet corners of your garden.
The leaves overwhelm you but you don’t fail to recognise the miracle. These leaves will eventually rot into the ground and become one with the soil. Your tidy and yet merciless spirit wants to put the leaves in a bin bag and you do it because you love to see order.
When the leaves are stacked away, you breathe. A thin shower of rain rushes you indoors. You take off your coat and outdoor shoes and prepare a hot cup of tea. You head to the living room. The tea warms your hands and you start to thaw out.
You don’t know what tomorrow will be made of but you really don’t care, do you? Life is unpredictable and it is no use to fret about the future. You take delight in the present, in what you are seeing and feeling, right now.
Doggie barks and wakes you out of your slumber. Soon, your family will be trickling downstairs. You patiently wait. It’s a fine autumn day.
˚₊‧꒰ა🍂🍁🧡 ໒꒱ ‧₊
Autumn: A Spirit Awakened
A ray of sunlight pierces through the grey autumn sky. Your heart leaps and you scream: “The sun is here!” The sun has come to pay you a visit and you acknowledge its presence by going outside.
You are happy to go to the park and see it transform right in front of you. The crisp air does not deter you. It’s paradoxical, but you feel warm. You prefer this warmth to summer’s relentless heat.
Walking in the park is pleasurable and exploring its every nook and cranny is orgasmic. Your inner child reappears and you welcome that child with open hands.
The water offers an awe-inspiring spectacle. You observe it and let your heart be filled with wonder. You forget that soon this water will turn into ice when winter makes its appearance in December.
As for now, you observe the birds’ movements and you feel enlightened. The water seems to be in sync with the animals that it beckons. You ask yourself if they can still find food during this period.
You also meet a squirrel and you shriek ‘Look Sweetie! There’s a squirrel!”. Its dark brown fur is cute and the white fur on its chest surprises you. Your senses are delighted. As much as you would like to play with this cute, little creature, you come to your senses. The squirrel is on a mission to find food that it will store for the long period of winter. You decide to let it go.
The landscapes look like a painting. This urges you to stop and look at nature’s show with awe. How is this possible? How is it possible to create such a perfect combination of features? Water, trees, leaves and grass. Ducks and geese fly and flutter in the distance. As if pulled by a magnet, you get closer and closer until you feel sated.
You take many photos because you want to freeze these memories before winter freezes these landscapes with unforgiving ice. The blanket of leaves will be replaced by a thick coat of snow.
It’s the first of November and there are many clusters of people in the park. You see families, people walking their dogs, people running and couples walking hand in hand. You say ‘Dzień dobry’ to the people you know and you are happy to share this moment with them.
These images take you back to a week before when the Polish golden autumn lured you into the forest in Las Kabacki. Many Varsovians flocked to this protected natural reserve just like your family did. You remember that you felt happy sitting on the grass and eating the grilled sausages that your husband prepared right in front of your eyes. You loved the simplicity of this place where people gather to be one with nature. Period.
In the wee hours of Saturday morning, you take your bike and cycle through Warsaw. You are heading to the countryside with your husband. There are not so many people on the road and it’s strange to see Warsaw like this. The bicycle bridge over the Vistula River offers a first class spectacle. You stop to take pictures because you just can’t pass by without acknowledging this outstanding beauty.
Later on, you find pleasure in taking your hands off your bike’s handlebar so you can feel your spirit soar. Your husband laughs because the image of his wife balancing herself on a bike and acting silly makes him laugh.
Cycling in autumn feels different. You see it on the other cyclists who are covered in warm layers of clothing from head to toe. You become hesitant as your bicycle wades its way through the thick carpet of dry, crispy leaves. You don’t know if this makes the ground slippery, so you become more careful.
You see a lot of families taking their Saturday morning stroll. Oftentimes, the husband holds the wife’s hand and the kids lag behind, playing with the leaves and running to keep track with their parents. Sometimes, you see a man or a woman pushing a stroller. These are pleasant scenes to see and you reach your destination, grateful that you have been able to see this.
You have no idea when you might do this again but you don’t care. You live in the moment. You live in the present. You acknowledge that life is beautiful!
˙✧˖°🐿️ ༘ ⋆｡˚𓍢ִ໋🌰✧˚🍂 ༘・🍁 ⋆
Further Exploration: Warsaw—Bridging the Gap Between Sweet Summer and Amazing Autumn in Poland, Level B1-B2
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Blog Article: Warsaw—Bridging the Gap Between Sweet Summer and Amazing Autumn in Poland, Level B1-B2 © Learn English With Africa, November 2024
