Sosnowiec

...lies on the Northeastern Edge of Katowice.  There one finds a scattering of heavy industry.  It would be easy to pass through and miss its charm.  Small brick houses in hollows- flaking stucco- heavy coal smoke issuing from chimneys at dusk; fresh, colourful murals beside a municipal parking lot.

We navigated our way toward a towering and modern smokestack, leaving the car in the lot of light industry.  From there, we passed residences with castle-like embellishments. Resting within a strip of warehouses and workshops (and close to a very large plant)- this might seem a vain gesture.  But behind this building is a large yard- spare and built from simple with materials, but dignified and impeccably manicured.




We followed a narrow path, across the train tracks, to a large clearing.  On one edge is a pile of slag heaps- a thin rope demarcating no entry- though there couldn't be many takers- the field is desolate.  I stand on one of the heaps to photograph a large modern plant; the pile is unexpectedly spongey.

My companion, indulging my fondness for watertowers, spots one on the horizon.  Dusk is near; we need to be in Krakow for a dinner engagement.  We wend our way through Sosnowiec- many U turns- past an abandoned sanatorium- towards the top of a hill.

The tower is a fine specimen.  It is framed by a stand of birches and sits in a large, unfenced field.  There is no sign of industry nearby.  Rebar is exposed. There is an easy entry point into this water tower.  It is very tempting for me, but we opt instead on the side of the law.  There are- based on my research- at least two other water towers to be discovered in this vicinity, but those will have to wait for a future visit.

Now the task is to get back to Krakow. The traffic begins quite some distance outside the city.  There is no automated way of paying tolls.  The conversation turns to television shows, colleagues, and the way Pope "Juan Pablo II"- as my companion knows him- transformed the Polish relationship toward the Jews.

Nikiszowiec

Nikiszowiec, a short distance north of Katowice, was built as a coal miners' settlement, 1908-1918.  It feels remote- in time and location.  The streets are strangely tidy; each window painted with pleasant red trim, with lace curtains.  Maybe every 3rd window has a plant.  This, I suppose, is the Silesian penchant for order and cleanliness.  Though the district has become a tourist destination- mostly for other Poles and Russians- it is still not quite a destination for others.  

In the main square, there is a small bakery.  The Mohnkuchen was dense and earthy- surprisingly good.  Nikiszowiec sits in the shadow of an active coal mine- covering vast acreage- KWK Wieczorek Szyb Pulaski.  In front of the mine's gates is a small board- all Polish- commemorating the history of region's industry. Beside that sits a small, shack of a museum.  One can see the wheel of the minehead, rolling up, rolling down.  Through the gates, there are trams and artefacts, in various states of disrepair.  I was able to get a few shots of the complex, before two female guards- not looking for small talk- chased us away.  

Back in Nikiszowiec, I had a micro- exchange with three school children who were said- by my Polish host- to be learning English.  But when pressed, only one volunteered to speak English. They were whisked by an authority figure behind the doors of their school.  From there, I was able to capture the glorious watertower of Nikiszowiec.