Once again it is cold and gray in Dobrzyn, and there was light snow in the morning. It’s a good day to keep warm, rest, write, read, and consume cherry pie (see below).
Planned activities involve, in the next few days, a visit to Elzbieta and Andrzej the Second’s new house, which is being built using the wood salvaged from an old Polish house in the mountains. After years of delay, the contractors have finally started work! The house is much closer to Dobrzyn than their previous flat (in Włocławek), and they will effectively be neighbors to Malgorzata and Andrzej (the First).
Below: a few photos from today. I photographed more furniture here made by Polish artist Jerzy Kenar, a friend of Andrzej and Malgorzata. Yesterday I showed his dining table and chairs in my room; today we see the furnishings in the master main bedroom.
The master big bed and the carved figures on either side, each with a reading lamp:
Chair with fighting cocks:
Night table:
The mirror (et moi):
There was a luscious cherry pie in a buckwheat crust made by Malgorzata:
Intact:
Cut (for third breakfast):
And the cats.
First, the uber-affectionate Szaron, who slept with me much of the night. When I woke up around midnight, the bedroom door was closed, so I assumed he had left and someone closed the door. But, somehow trapped in the room, he’d gone behind the bed, and when I was asleep later, he jumped heavily on my chest, claws out. It was a rude awakening. But I did get a full night’s sleep last night! Perhaps the cure for insomnia is sleeping with a cat.
Hili:
Hili as editor of Listy, helping Andrzej
Kulka on the outside, asking to be inside:
Kulka, the juvenile delinquent:
More Kulka
It’s dinnertime in Dobrzyn (5:15 pm), but only 10 a.m in Chicago. Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward tomorrow night!
“Perhaps the cure for insomnia is sleeping with a cat.” It certainly works for me. Sleepcycle tells me that the single biggest improvement in my sleep is “cat on bed”.
I am sorry but that furniture is butt ugly. I will not be offended if you do not post my comment. I do love your travelogue posts
Sorry you feel that way.
The furniture is actually considered works of art, made by the noted Jerzy Kenar, as Jerry wrote. They sell for many thousands of dollars nowadays. Arts and crafts are a very individualistic thing. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerzy_Kenar
Certainly that bulky design is not a very practical solution for normal usage. It is art imitating furniture; more arty than furniture. Jerry, thanks for the photos. You descriptions are great as always.
The bed furniture is not really my taste. I would not want to sleep in it. As an art object, however, they certainly have their appeal. 🙂
I love the bed. It looks like the kind of bed that Shrek might sleep on. There chair looks a bit uncomfortable though.
Chilly (49F), off and on gray day on Atlantic coast U.S. also. Am staying warm, reading, dozing, and, now, looking into getting an apple pie made and into the oven. Would like to find buckwheat for the crust, but the aroma and warmth of any crust will do today. Thanks for the suggestion. Glad that you are able to relax a bit.
Where did Malgorzata get the cherries? Were they canned from last year’s harvest? Looks delicious! I asked this question before you left, so forgive me if you already answered…I’m bad at subbing and rechecking my comments.
The photo of Hili looking like a puffball is too cute.
I hope your insomnia stays at bay; keep snoozing with Szaron!
Cherries are from the last harvest, pitted and frozen.
That bedroom is awesome. I have an Airbnb in Beaufort West (The Red Kettle) , but this bedroom way overmatches what I ever could bring. Absolutely awesome.
May I repeat? Absolutely AWESOME!
I don’t know if it was mentioned earlier on this site, but I just learned hat our beloved Heather Hastie died on the 4th of February. Although I never met her in person (too late now) she was one of our best friends. IIRC our host visited her and met her in person, a privilege. I’m very much saddened by her death.
Jerry’s tribute:
https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2023/02/04/heather-hastie-died/
I don’t know how I missed that. I think Heather was a kind and clear thinker. I just learned it yesterday. Despite never having the privilege of meeting her ‘in the flesh’, she was my friend. Devastating.
get a cat! You can still travel…
Once again, many thanks for the photos and explanations. I’ve often wondered what happened to Andrzej II and Elbieta’s house, the one that they worked so hard to dismantle and move. I’m so glad there is finally progress and that they will be living much closer to M. and A.I. I hope you can befriend (and photograph) Leon and Mietek and any other cats they have.
I can almost taste that cherry pie–it looks wonderful. They must have lots of cherries from the orchard, so do they can them?
Do you know what kind of wood the furniture is made of? It looks very heavy. I especially like the bird on the bedstead.
And keep Szaron on the bed! (But explain to him that he shouldn’t wake you up, especially with claws drawn!)
The wood is Norwegian aspen.
We are going to the new house site in a day or so, and I will take and post pictures. I’m not sure if Leon and Mietek will be there, but Andrzej the Second and Elzbieta are also taking over three ADDITIONAL cats (and one d*g) owned by a nearby man who didn’t treat his animals well
Funny that you mention sleeping with cats as a cure for insomnia. My wife and I had cats for 30+ years and all that time I don’t think that I ever had an uninterrupted night’s sleep. The reason is obvious, but we wouldn’t even imagine not allowing the cats in the bedroom. Cats do what cats do. You just have to live with it and, for the most part, enjoy it.
That pie looks like the best breakfast ever. Mmmmmmmm!
I sort of like the sculpture/furniture. It is distinctive and interesting. Beyond that, it looks comfortable.
My Aunt had her UP vacation home just full of Mace chairs, which she collected over about 30 years. When her kids sold the house, they left the furniture in it. Sad.
Your hosts are super.The wood art is very good.