The Mystery of Market Square, Warsaw

My recent activity on Hive over the past month might seem unusual to you. Most likely, this won’t last long. No, there’s no pessimism in these words; it’s pure, one hundred percent realism. I write while my memories are vivid, and while I have inspiration and electricity, and before I hit the bottom of yet another emotional pit. Recently, someone I deeply trust said, 'The darkest night is just before dawn. And that night is still ahead of us.' So, I write, you could say, while that night hasn’t arrived yet.

Today, I’ll continue telling you about Warsaw, my city of discovery over the past three years. Apart from Warsaw, I’ve been to Amsterdam, Split, and Krakow, but those cities merely lived up to their reputation and fame. Warsaw, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise for me.

So, this post is a continuation of the previous one, at least because I didn’t want to make it too long.

Such different water

From the Old Town, we descended down to the Vistula River. I wanted to rest on a bench, to feel the open space. The sight of the slow, calm flow is soothing, helping you relax. Plus, I was curious to see what the Vistula looked like amidst the alarming news of flooding. To my surprise, there were no visible signs of a flood, perhaps the water level had risen slightly. So, you won’t see any river photos — I didn’t take any. It's just a river, and that's good. It's better to be a boring old river than a furious rushing stream.

Along the river, across the avenue, is the Multimedia Fountain Park. Why not? The water jets shot up, then disappeared, twisted, and danced. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it was nice. Plus, there was an ice cream shop nearby and restrooms.

There was also a baby fountain with colored lights next to the big one.

Mary and Mary

Where to next? Since we were down by the river, the only way to go was up. That's right, with a backpack on my back, a suitcase in one hand, and a camera in the other. My daughter and husband had the same kit, except for the camera.

Up the stairs to the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.

Do you recognize one of these ladies?

How about now?

And now? Come on! I’m sure you’ve recognized her - she is Maria Skłodowska-Curie. The first woman to become a Nobel Prize laureate. She introduced the world to the existence of the radioactive chemical elements polonium (Po) and radium (Ra).

Near the church, there was a tall chestnut tree. In September (it was September 16), chestnuts shed their leaves, and shortly after, their shiny fruits in spiky shells start to fall. To my surprise, on the same tree, some branches, almost bare of leaves, had lonely fruits hanging, while on others, there were white blooming 'candles'! Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo—it was too high for my camera.

Rynek Nowego Miasta (New Town Market Square)

We were just strolling aimlessly, without a plan, choosing whichever direction we liked more. After walking a few meters towards the city, we turned left, and a small alley led us to the New Town Market Square. Let’s see what’s here.

It's almost lunchtime!

And then my attention was drawn to an interesting door, or more precisely, what was above it. It was a Rooster. Above the next door, there was a Fox.

This was getting very intriguing. I must admit that Warsaw has an extraordinary number of awesome images on buildings, and for me, it’s like a quest—to spot as many of them as possible. So, I went on to gather the rest of the puzzle.

In front of the main entrance was a gallery, and on the wall hung this unusual lantern.

It must look charming in the evening.

Just look at this! The next animal is a Bear.

Encouraged by my little discovery, I left my Samsonite spinner (which kept losing its balance and falling on the pavement) with my husband and daughter under the shade of the trees and went to explore the square.

Across from the building with the animals, on the other side of the square, there was an equally interesting house hidden behind the trees. A gallery stood before the main entrance, and above the first row of windows and doors were theatrical scenes! They are so fun and lovely and depicted very skillfully.

Just look at this! Those doors again! Although, at first glance, these buildings don’t look very similar.

This time it is a Swan, a Pelican and a Boar.

In front of this building, on both sides, stood two guards—large polar bears, each holding a shield in their paws.

On one shield was the Gorgon Medusa. This is a symbol of protection. On the second shield was the head of an Egyptian pharaoh (I’m not very familiar with Ancient Egyptian art, so it might not be a pharaoh). And what this means, I don’t know.

So what was this all about? A Rooster, a Fox, a Bear, a Swawn, a Pelican and a Boar. What connects these animals? They all live in this area, except for the pelican. Although pelicans live in the wild in Ukraine in spring and summer, perhaps they do in Poland as well?

What were these buildings built for? Some kind of Order? Symbols of crafts? Hunters? Wealthy families?

After returning home, I tried to find some information, but I didn’t find anything, even though I googled in three languages—Ukrainian, Polish, and English. So, this mystery remains unsolved for now.

The End