Saturday, April 25, 2009

Gardens






Today we met with our friend, Sylwia and decided to make a trip to Kornik to see the flowers that are in bloom there. Located near Poznan, Kornik Castle has undergone extensive modification from its original 14th century Gothic architecture to its current Neogothic style. The castle was was updated in the 19th century before it was willed to the Polish state by its childless owner. K贸rnik Castle was constructed in the XIV century. The current design is the work of Tytus Dzia艂y艅ski. Remodeling and renovation work on the castle was also done by his son Jan Kanty Dzia艂y艅ski. After Jan's death, his brother-in-law Count W艂adys艂aw Zamoyski received the castle in Jan's will. Shortly before his death in 1924, the childless count willed the castle, along with an extensive art collection and the Kornik Arboreteum to the Polish state. The castle currently houses a museum and the K贸rnik Library. The castle is now a museum housing historic exhibitions and an art collection. We've been there three or four times before but we wanted to take Sylwia to see the magnificent magnolias that are all over the gardens of the castle. This is a real castle, with surrounding moat. In the past it was possible to enter it from the front, crossing over the drawbridge but the foundation that takes care of the castle has changed that.

When we arrived the front parking lot was full so we had to drive to the secondary parking lot and then walk back. It's not far, maybe 100 feet. Parking fee was 8zl($3) and the entrance fee to the gardens was 6zl($2) each. We didn't go into the castle, our purpose was to walk the entire gardens and look at the flowers, trees and shrubs. We spent 2 1/2 hours walking. Everywhere it was beautiful. Being a weekend, there were lots of people but we still managed to some quiet moments in some places. I thought how magnificient it must have been to live in that castle 200 years ago and have the beautiful gardens to walk in. There wouldn't be any of the modern day noises, no crowds of people, just you alone walking the gardens.

Dzisiaj spotkali艣my si臋 z naszym przyjacielem, Sylwia i zdecydowali艣my si臋 zrobi膰 podr贸偶 do Kornik by zobaczy膰 kwiaty, kt贸re s膮 w kwiecie tam. Zlokalizowany blisko Poznania, Kornik Zamek przeszed艂 obszern膮 modyfikacj臋 z jego oryginalnej 14. architektury gotyckiej stulecia do jego aktualnego Neogothic stylu. Zamek by艂 by艂 uaktualniany w 19. stuleciu zanim to by艂o chciane do polskiego stanu przez jego bezdzietnego w艂a艣ciciela. K贸rnik Zamek by艂 zbudowany w stuleciu XIV. Aktualny projekt jest praca Tytus Dzia艂y艅ski. Przemodelowywanie i praca odnowienia na zamku by艂 te偶 zrobiony przez jego syna Jana Kanty′ego Dzia艂y艅ski. Po 艣mierci Jana , jego szwagier Licz膮 W艂adys艂aw Zamoyski otrzyma艂 zamek w Jana b臋dzie. Niebawem przed jego 艣mierci膮 w 1924, bezdzietny rachunek chcia艂 zamek, wraz z obszern膮 kolekcj膮 dzie艂 sztuki i Kornik Arboreteum do polskiego stanu. Zamek aktualnie lokuje muzeum i K贸rnik Bibliotek臋. Zamek jest teraz muzeum lokuj膮cym historyczne wystawy i kolekcj臋 dzie艂 sztuki. Byli艣my tam trzema albo cztery razy przedtem ale chcieli艣my wzi膮膰 Sylwia by zobaczy膰 wspania艂e magnolie, kt贸re s膮 po ogrodach zamku. To jest rzeczywisty zamek, z otaczaniem fosy. W przesz艂o艣ci to by艂o mo偶liwe by wej艣膰 do tego od przodu, przechodz膮c most zwodzony ale fundament, kt贸ry zajmuje si臋 zamek zmieni艂 tamto.

Kiedy przybyli艣my przedni parking by艂 pe艂ny tak musieli艣my pop臋dzi膰 do drugorz臋dnego parkingu i wtedy wr贸ci膰 piechot膮. To nie jest dalekie, by膰 mo偶e 100 st贸p. Parkuj膮ca op艂ata by艂a 8zl($3) i op艂ata za wst臋p do ogrod贸w by艂a 6zl($2) ka偶dy. Nie poszli艣my do zamku, nasz cel mia艂 chodzi膰 ca艂e ogrody i popatrze膰 na kwiaty, drzewa i krzewy. Sp臋dzili艣my 2 1/2 godziny chodz膮ce. Wsz臋dzie to by艂o pi臋kne. Bycie weekend, tam byli du偶o ludzi ale jeszcze poradzili艣my sobie do kilku spokojnych chwil w kilku miejscach. Pomy艣la艂em jak wspania艂y to musia艂o mie膰 zamieszka膰 w, 偶e zamku 200 lat temu i maj膮 pi臋kne ogrody by wej艣膰. Tam nie by艂by 偶adne z nowoczesnych ha艂as贸w dnia , 偶adnych t艂um贸w ludzi, w艂a艣nie ty samotnie chodz膮ce ogrody.