Wings

A day in Gent

Cloudburst. Deluge. Downpour. Drizzle. Fall. Precipitation. Raindrops. Rainfall. Showers. Rain. Every time I go to Belgium, it is raining. Sadly for Zeus, it did not dishearten me as I am a lover of rain - peculiarly when the clouds are gloomy, and the sunlight pierces through them. Gent is far bigger than I imagined it, far bigger than Bruges; I must say that it is a piece of cake to loose one's way in its streets. Eventually I caught a cold, but I am so very glad I have visited that wonderful town! Bruges and Gent must be an enchantment at Christmas.

Mary

The legend about Kościół Mariacki's towers

While I was in Poland, I bought a staggering book of legends from Krakow. If you happen to have read my post 'Climax', just forget about it! I found out the 'true' legend behind Kościół Mariacki's towers, written by Józef Mączyński in his book Pamiątka z Krakowa (Souvenir from Krakow), published in 1845. I do not know exactly if he had just collected the legend or if he had made up the story from beginning to end - does it matter? I find it captivating.

There were to be two architect brothers; they planned that each one of them would build one of the two towers - the two towers were expected to be exactly the same and to stand for their brotherly love and consensus. But, as they started working on the plans, no agreement could be made; the eldest brother would not build according to his younger brother's plans, as the latter wanted a very high tower on foundations that were not solid at all. Thus, it was decided that each brother would build his tower according to his own plans. When the younger brother started to erect his own tower, he saw that his elder brother's tower would be higher than his. His pride could not bear that humiliation, and it made him think that the death of his elder brother would stop any further building, and thus his tower would come to be the tallest one - this is what happened when he stabbed his elder brother. No one could find the murderer, but the younger brother's conscience gave him away; when people gathered to see his tower after its building had been finished, he was standing by the window and shouted outloud that he was the murderer, showing the knife which he had used to kill his brother. Then, he used the very same knife to stab himself, and threw himself out of the window.

See addendum.

Climax

For those who have been strolling around my blog for a while, they know I have posted here and there - in a disparate way - lots of pictures from Poland, without really telling about my stay there and the wondrous discoveries I made. As I am going tomorrow to Poland, I have decided to write a proper post worthy of the name. Indeed, I am obsessed about that country - I won't deny it - and get outraged at seeing its treasures left neglected because they are not profitable for those idiotic bureaucrats. Poland is a magnificent country. What you see below is Kościół Mariacki in Krakow. I was told a fascinating story about its building.

Once, two brothers made a bet. Each of the two said he would come first to build the highest tower possible. Well then, that is how the race began between them. The base of the towers was the same, but as the brothers advanced, the perfect symmetry was seen no more. The brother who was building the tower on the right, endeavoured to catch his brother up in the race, and failed when he fell off the tower and died.

The beauty of Krakow is enthralling, it is a very interesting place to visit. Here some pictures to have a fleeting moment of marvel, and make you want to go there.

Dominican Church in Lublin

In bygone days

At the top

Kościół Matki Bożej Zwycięskiej, Lublin (Poland)

St Mary’s Basilica, Krakow