A spring in my step!

Copyright John Marshall 2009
First published in Karnet Magazine, April 2009

The sun is shining, birds are singing, the tables are out in the Rynek Głowny and lovers stroll hand in hand along the Planty, drinking in the Poles’ favourite season: spring. For after its long, cold dominion, winter - its beautiful anger spent - has given way once more, sinking gently back into the earth, safe from the sun’s warm rays and longer days.

Unlike my native England, with its mild, clement weather, Poland has four distinct seasons, each with its own particular hue. And, whilst deep snowy winters and long blazing summers have their own particular charms, spring is when the city comes alive.

Saturday morning and I pull back the curtains. The sun beams down from a clear blue sky and my dog Rosie, her lead in her mouth, scampers impatiently back and forth between me and the front door. And so it is that, ten minutes later, I find myself ‘dog-jogging’ for the first time this year, both of us shaking the cobwebs from sleepy muscles and limbs.

My route takes in Rynek Podgórski, the river and the Waweł. We pass the splendid gothic Saint Joseph church, and Rosie is soon galloping along the riverbank like a racehorse, easily outrunning a cruise boat which chugs slowly past us. Its passengers trail their fingers in the water and the sunlight dances over the boat’s wake which fans out gracefully behind it. On the bank below, small children throw bread at ducks and swans. Above them, a hundred cameras click in unison as the Wawel dragon obligingly breathes its fire. We sprint past, our throats also dry. I don’t notice the small, excited dog snapping after Rosie. His babcia (old lady) owner admonishes him as I perform a delicate hop over the pocket-sized pup. Regaining my balance, I turn my head back to see the ubiquitous Polish daschund (jamnik) looking up blankly, yet kindly, into the woman’s yapping mouth. She doesn’t seem to realize the dog can’t speak Polish. But neither does she know dog, and yet they understand each other just fine.

Little old ladies and tourists, lovers, joggers and dogs: enjoying the sun and the beautiful Polish spring.