Living next to Poznań

There is this dream that one day we'll buy a big house out of the city, in the surroundings that look like from a fairy tale. In a place where all stress disappears. But still - close enough to Poznań :)
We like visiting this place and from time to time go there by car. We decided to spend there our last weekend of summer. How do you like it?

Bye bye summer!

Skład Kulturalny (Cultural Depot) - bookstore

It's enough to have a lot of fantasy, be a hardworker and do what you really like to achieve reeeeeeally nice results :)

Skład Kulturalny (http://ksiegarniapoznanska.pl/) in Galeria MM, Marcinkowskiego St. is a place mainly for children, but there's also plenty of books for the grown ups. Its owners made it a great place to visit and share their passion to books with everyone that wants to join them.

Workshops, meetings with authors, illustrators, travellers - everything colorful and interesting. Also a good place to organize a child's birthday.

We went there the last weekend to see how it all works. It was a good occasion to spend some time with Mrs. Elżbieta Krygowska Butlewska, popular illustrator of books for children:

So, how about meeting your favourite characters? Maybe Elmer the elephant? :)

The Raczyński Library

The municipal library named after its founder's family name - Edward Raczyński is the oldest Polish public library.
It's main seat at the Plac Wolności (Freedom Square) was the first building in Poland built as a library, its  façade with colonnade reminds the Louvre. It posesses over 1,7 million books, also very precious manuscripts, cartography and iconography.
Just few weeks ago Poznań celebrated a grand opening of its new part (just behind the old one):

                                          (photo: www.fakt.pl)

Many important persons joined poznanians that day, Mr. Bronisław Komorowski President of Poland among them.
But there was also fun - great idea of moving books from the old seat at St. Martin street - to the new building:

check out the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0nGUYnWKQ0

(www.m.poznan.gazeta.pl)

So it was the time for me to go and check myself!

My guide was Mrs. Olcha Wierzbowska-Sikorska, V-ce President of the Polish Association of Book Publishers and organizer of the Poznań Trade Fair Meetings - Books for Children and Young People. She is a wonderful lady and a very active citizen of Poznań.

That's what she showed me:

It turns out that registered readers can use the the tea-house placed inside the building - they will get a cup of tea for free :)

The opening was accompanied by the exhibition "Books and Art" - of course we went to see and wrote few words in the visitor's book

The greatest fun though for both of us was visiting the kid's department of the library. It's beautiful!

I decided to register my little Amelia as a user and right away took for her some books, films and audiobooks

I will be back soon to give back the taken ones (I was so happy especially to get the famous "Maps" by Mrs. and Mr. Mizieliński http://www.empik.com/mapy-mizielinska-aleksandra-mizielinski-daniel,p1059466744,ksiazka-p) and to take the new ones!

Enjoying NASTAWNIA POC Cafe/ Pub/ Gallery

A place with its own story, a place with a beautiful view, its role and design.
A cozy place for chatting, a cool place to meet friends.

Nastawnia (a Signal Box) building used to be in a terrible state, wasted through years

                                                       (www.poznan.naszemiasto.pl)

And that's what is it like now:

                                                        (www.poznan.fotopolska.eu)

                                                        (www.poznan.naszemiasto.pl)

A perfect location in the heart of the city (under the Theatre Bridge/ Most Teatralny) and just next to the Opera House and the park. 

(www.nastawniapoc.pl)

The inside is like a real railway world - remembering good old times.

Although it's more a place for a beer, I'd say that the cook knows his job!

I'd recommend it as a good place for 

- a romantic date, 

- meetings of informal literary or art discussion groups, 

- meeting a friend when you feel like watching trains passing by and playing a board game

:)

Check their webpage and comming events @ http://nastawniapoc.pl/

(ps thanks for the photos http://www.ahakh.blogspot.com/)