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There is magic in returning to Rome in November. Especially for someone living in Poland, which for Italians is “far” to the north. Indeed, in my country, sunny days are rare at this time, and warm sunny days basically do not happen.

And then there is Rome. On the one hand, I have an internal compulsion to always visit the same, almost obvious places for every tourist. On top of that, there are my own discoveries. I mean not only churches, but also coffee, alleys, smells.

And people watching. It never gets boring, and Romans (who are so easy to distinguish from tourists) have that SOMETHING on their faces.

But tourists, as always numerous, stop gracefully in front of my camera.

So in Rome nihil novi? Changes are slow. Eternal construction of the third metro line, eternal preparations for smaller and larger celebrations. Eternal chaos. And eternal order. Always the same. Just as it should always be in the Eternal City.

Music has been with me for 50 years. When my father found out about my birthday, he played Wagner’s „Tanheuser” at maximum volume in the apartment on Wschodnia Street. Lodz. As soon as I arrived home as a bundle, music began to trickle into my ear.

It was almost always classical music (with a few exceptions, where there was some space for The Beatles). Records, cassettes or reel-to-reel tapes were played over and over again, so I acquired knowledge naturally. I was shaped into a music lover, mainly by my father, who, despite his later fate, was a promising pianist in his youth.

I don’t play any instrument. OK, I once sang in a choir, apparently with good results, because I have good hearing. I strummed the guitar. I still admire the piano to this day, although the fact that I don’t play was a conscious decision of my parents, who didn’t want me to go through what my father went through as a child, back in the 1930s, spending hours in front of a great instrument…

Classical music is a broad definition. Which composers did I like and like the most? Mainly neo-romanticism, but also Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Chopin, of course… In first place, however, was Gustav Mahler, whom my father loved so much. His photo always hung in his workplace, which we called „the hole”.

My father loved Mahler’s music, explored the composer’s life and even wrote a novel, largely based on the musician’s biography. He did not finish his work. Fortunately, what he wrote remains to this day. My father never had the opportunity to visit places important in Mahler’s life. Those were different times and the possibilities were very limited. All that was left was imagination. Dad passed away thirty years ago. Today he would be 90 years old. I’m 50.

I must admit that I have passed through Vienna (the most important city in Mahler’s life) countless times. However, I have never visited the city itself. Where did the idea for a birthday trip with my beloved come from? I don’t know, it had to be that way. We liked the city very much, we had plenty of time for the main attractions, visiting galleries, the Prater, a concert of (of course!) classical music, good Wiener Schnitzel, Sacher Torte and delicious coffee.

Finally, a visit to a small, intimate cemetery… located in a quiet district of Vienna. Silence, no visitors. Finding Mahler’s austere grave was not a problem. A flower, or rather a piece of blooming weed, as a decoration. A short prayer. This visit to this place was for you, Daddy. And yes, I am 50 years old. But I want and intend to continue living and be happy. Trivial? Maybe. Real? Yes. After all, everything still depends on me.

I remember this day so well, even though exactly 18 years have passed. It was raining, it was awful weather, but it didn’t matter because everything already revolved around him- Krzyś, who needed a moment to come into this world. (The photos below are placed in chronological order, from 2005 to 2023.)

We already knew more or less how he looked like thanks to the ultrasound. Tocha grimaced, his nose was big… And it has stayed that way to this day. We didn’t know what he would be like yet, but it was us, the adults, who shaped it into who he is today.

The child has become an adult. This day is also important for parents. I’m touched. I remember. But why did these years pass so quickly?

What was that time like? It was beautiful, with both brighter and darker moments but I will only carry good memories with me.

Today, Krzyś becomes Krzysztof. I wish you, my son, only unforgettable moments from now on. A wisdom that will allow you to overcome all threats, to avoid traps and go always straight. But remember- You will always be my little Krzyś.

On your birthday I am giving you my unconditional Love as an eternal gift asking only for eternal Friendship.
Your loving Father

Summer calms me down, makes my thoughts run in a different direction than usual. During this period, I like to escape from the city, look for nature, commune with it. I absorb the smells and fill my eyes with colors, because they change so quickly. So it’s vacation time…

A beautiful trip to the Dolomites with my son for skiing. Location, weather. Even though I had to focus on work in the first days, we managed to spend time together doing what I love, and Krzysiek does it just perfectly. And the son is basically an adult…

Chris is great at skiing probably because he learned it very early. And he was predisposed to it. Year 2009. How old was he then? Just over 3. A beautiful village in the Polish Tatra mountains, close to my heart, Bukowina Tatrzańska. Climate, views, and a few slopes, tiny in total. Today it is looked at with sentiment, but it is actually terribly rickety. For people familiar with the Alps – a joke, for us, in Poland, one of the legendary places. Why? A great place for small children, everything is easy to manage. Excellent instructors – Chris taught Wojtek – a person created for this, a great ski teacher. So it’s hardly surprising that my son quickly learned to ski, right there. It is worth adding here that I also learned to ski there as a teenager. The infrastructure in the 1980s was the same… But that’s another story, unfortunately I don’t have any photos from that time. I remember an old friend comment who also learned to ski there and is now a professional instructor. „Why Bukowina? To learn how to ride, you have to feel what the sweat, blood and tears are…” TRUE.

2010 and 2011, Bukowina again. Continuation. Better and better results … That’s why trips to slightly more ambitious routes in nearby towns, completely unknown to people from abroad. For example, Bialka Tatrzanska. One of the most popular ski resorts in Poland. EXPENSIVE!!! Good lifts, very short slopes, and crowds in the season. Well, unfortunately, we do not have the Alps in Poland.

And from 2012, the escapades began further. Trips to the Polish mountains, the so-called „men’s trips”, were a great breakthrough at the beginning of the season. But then there were the Carpathians, and Alps. Mostly, Where we haven’t been…? Slovakia – Chopok, Tatranska Lomnica, the Czech Republic – Cerna Hora, then – Austria – Schladming, Zell Am See, Kitzsteinhorn, Italy and Kronplatz, La Thuille, Via Lattea… Long list. There are beautiful memories and probably not the worst photo staff…

Last year, after the pandemic and all these horrors, there was a return to the high mountains. Hintertux, around. I was proud to watch my growing older son.

Recently, Chris stated in a diplomatic way that actually … skiing is not so passionate for him anymore. That’s why he would like to try snowboarding next season … Then he will be an adult. And he will go not with me, but with his friends … Or maybe, contrary to declarations, he will decide to go with his father?

A beautiful start to the year on the „Alpine Roof” – return to the Ziller Valley and its spectacular end – the Hintertux Glacier.

The first time I was there during a pandemic, slightly letting go. It was summer, 2020. After difficult months, I decided that … summer skiing will be the thing that will allow me to break away from everyday topics. It was an exotic, wonderful experience.

I returned to the glacier last winter in the wonderful company of my son and friends. The weather was good and the views fed the senses.

The last trip was as wonderful as the previous ones, despite the spring in the middle of winter. At an altitude of 3,250 meters, the temperature was only -0.4 degrees, at 2,660 meters +4, and at 2,250 meters almost +9 … It’s hard not to notice climatic changes in the high mountains. So let’s enjoy skiing while we still can…

It’s good to have such friends as Waldek Płusa. Vernissage in Wrocław wonderful, beautiful time with loved ones.

There’s plenty of wine left. Hence the idea – we are reopening! We invite everyone who will be nearby. And if someone is far away but wants – let him come too. See you tomorrow!

December 11. A very important date for me. If you’re nearby then, come and join us!

I will publish a report from the vernissage in a few days. But today I thank my old friend, Waldek Plusa, for gently persuading me to take this step forward. Dude, you’re doing great things! You are the godfather of all of this, and I feel great about it.

Slovakia is one of my homelands. No, don’t ask why. It is a combination of memories accumulated over thirty years, images, contacts with wonderful, warm-hearted people. And this time it was the decision magnet. So, the first skiing of the season, Chopok ski resort, Low Tatras. It was a beautiful time, and the weather was unbelievable for this epic place. Good time!

I started my blogging journey about 20 years ago.

It’s easy to set up a blog, but it’s harder to be consistent and conscientious. I was looking for a form. On lopal.blogspot.com I discussed various topics, I had ambitions to describe my impressions about the photo equipment, but I quickly moved away from it and focused on small and big journeys. But everything begun from my son painting the eggs before Easter…

I had much more journeys than notes. Frustration grew because I wanted to say something, to convey something. And I felt like it wasn’t work. Today, after more than ten years, 240 entries I say stop. Of course, I’m not deleting anything. Everything is available for viewing, only in Polish.

We start here, on lopalewski.com. Because of the special occasion. Come back to you soon…