Warsaw Zoo

I have realised recently that over the last few years we have visited several zoos. But we have never seen the Warsaw zoo. The weather is getting nicer so I hope that you fancy a little walk in the animal kingdom. The lane is large and comfortable.

Next to the entrance you can see some seals. They do not seem over excited by all the visitors that they take pictures. Most probably they are not on Instagram and do not care about followers and likes. 

A bit further we reach the Australian corner. First the emus ...

... then the kangaroo.

But what really stope my heart is this little kangaroo sitting in his mother's pouch. Technically, his out, conquering the world with his eyes and hands. But his back is safely protected close to mommy.

My human family just run after some ice cream. And I was amazed by the colours of this peacock. I do not think that I have ever seen one like that. 

The zoo is the house to some monkeys and apes. The baboons reside outside.

The gorillas were hiding inside. 

The elephants have a relatively larger territory so it is not easy to take a good selfie with one of them. 

But you can always try to get close to a rather nice representation of it. 

Next to the elephants you can find a rhino. His horn was cut off to protect his life. I think this is the saddest thing that I have seen since long. 

Actually zoos in general have something sad in them, being in reality some sort of prison for the animals. But it is also true that thanks to the zoos, some of the species were saved and can expand, like the European bisons. 

Plus they never have to worry about anything and can simply relax like this alpaca. 

Or maybe take a swim like the hippos.

If you enjoy the water and the sun, I propose we sit for a moment next to this fountain and enjoy the calm around us. 

Just make sure that you do not sit on a crocodile!

Shkodër

We have spent last year a few weeks in Montenegro. Today we will discover yet another country in the Balkans - Albania. We will start with a visit to Shkodër, one of the oldest and most historic places in the Balkan peninsula. It is also the largest city in the North of the country.

This yellow building is the Regional Council of Shkodra.

And this one is the Town Hall.

Next to the Town Hall you will find a nice city park.

The most important point in the park is the fountain. It is simple in shape but brings relief in the sunny and hot Albanian days.

Let's take now a walk through the historical part of the town.

You can see there nice classical buildings ...

...  and some cafes hidden under the trees.

As in any town you can find here monuments devoted to famous people ...

... and to war heroes.

But there are also some more modern monuments, that symbolize something difficult to catch.

Albania is basically a Muslim country, with over 60% of population professing Islam. As a natural consequence, you will find in Shkodër mosques.

The muezzin is calling the faithful for the evening prayer.

Obviously, the 30% of Christians also have their churches in the town, since religious are mingling in the Balkans since forever.

Albania is a member of United Nations, NATO, WTO, it is also a candidate country to join the European Union. But in some aspect, it is still a bit exotic and surprising. Their transport concepts surely are.

London Paddington

I will take you today on a little walk in London. If you expect to see Big Ben or the London Eye, you might be a bit disappointed. Because we will walk around the Paddington area within the City of Westminster, in central London. We will start, not surprisingly, at the Paddington railway station, where you can arrive directly from Heathrow on the Heathrow Express (expensive but really fast).

The Paddington area does not have a central point of its own. Instead it is composed of residential buildings, hotels and small parks. One of the most noticeable public buildings is the St. Mary's hospital.

If you do not want to visit it from the inside, remember one critical instruction: the cars in England move on the left side of the road. So when you cross the street ....

The St. Mary's Hospital stands next to a little canal. It is the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal.

To keep the canal clear of algae and to aerate it, a special "bubbly barrier" was created.

At the very end of the canal comes the Merchant's square. It used to be a kid of market place in the past but today it is a residential and leisure area.

On sunny days, children most probably play by (or in...) the fountain.

Supervised by sir Simon Milton, a former leader of the Westminster City council.

Close to the St. Mary's hospital stand the St. Mary's church in the parish of Little Venice.

Behind it you will find a small park, called St. Mary's churchyard. Very pragmatic.

But before you start running and having fun here, maybe you should take a closer look at the fence. Or at the stones standing by the fence. And yes, this are tombstones.

The churchyard is a former graveyard. Still some bigger graves remain in the middle of the lawn.

To be honest, I find the idea quite spooky. But apparently other people not, since there are residential buildings surrounding the yard.

Not forgetting the City of Westminster College.

In the St. Mary's churchyard you will find graves of some famous people, like Sarah Siddons, the best Lady Macbeth of her times.

Luckily, the Paddington area has also other parks to offer, like the Norfolk square.

Inside, you will find cosy lanes and an abundance of plants.

Let's take a walk inside.

I would expect that flats in the buildings facing the Norfolk Square are more expensive that I can even imagine.

I propose that we take a break and order a pint in one of the pubs. This one looks really welcoming. Maybe they have some good Sherlock Holmes stories to share.