This was meant to be a v quick stopover before travelling on to Warsaw, but I felt it would be a missed opportunity not to travel into the centre and see a little of the city.
A beautiful sunny day again; 28 C. I drove through the centre to park but all places were taken. I ended up parking under a shopping centre, the car park was empty and walked up the non-working escalator to the main shopping centre floor. There was absolutely no one around; shop lights were on, musak playing but no one around. I could walk through the concourses; it was like walking onto the set of the film; 24 Days Later.. but without the zombies.. or Cillian Murphy.... It felt really odd.
I had to check if the entrance doors worked. they did but I thought I should leave...
Walking into the centre, i found the people; they were looking on to an open air religious ceremony
Finally I found out that the 20th June is a Polish public holiday; Corpus Christi.
Given the interwoven of Polish and religious flags, I guess the ceremony is more that just a service; nationalism also plays a part in one like this, given the political importance of Pope John Paul in the 1980's and the desire to recognise religion as part of the soul of the country; but it is a public holiday.
I left and walked past the Branicki Palace and Park.. As like so many buildings in Poland, it was destroyed in 1944 but rebuilt from 1946 to 1960. It is now the medical university of Bialystok..
Looking up other items to see/visit in Bialystok, this mural is high on the list...
On the side of a 60's apartment building, it has its own reference on tourist sites; I liked it...not sure if many other tourists get to see it..
Finally,... on to Warsaw...
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