© Protected - Classical Music in Poland and the Europe of Chopin - Reviewer's Notebook

Click on photos to enlarge - far better rendition Freedom being enjoyed in the Mazurian Lake District (Note the date '1989' carved into the concrete) On Saturday morning August 23rd I contributed to an Australian national radio programme celebrating the 25th Anniversary of free elections in Poland.  You may wonder why Australia celebrates this anniversary with a programme on national radio.  The history of Polish immigration to Australia is a distinguished one with a history of many outstanding Polish individuals or those of Polish descent.  There are some 50,000 Polish-born people living in Australia according to the 2011 census. The number continues to fall slowly. If you are interested in this subject the Australian Commonwealth Government website is of present statistical interest: http://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/02_2014/poland.pdf And the Embassy of...

The Palace Gardens at fabulous Lancut in high summer My good friend Simon Target, the brilliant English film maker who lives in Australia, recently sent me a really uplifting and joyful short film (5 minutes) he made in a highly picturesque town on the Vistula River called Kazimierz Dolny, about  150 kms from Warsaw. Do have a look as it quickly overturns the ridiculous received idea of Poland only being dull, grey and depressing. https://vimeo.com/101515664   He and his wife, a Polish medical doctor Beata Zatorska, have also  produced  two (from a projected four) prize-winning superb cook books set around the seasons in Poland. There are recipes and moving personal reminiscences illustrated with some of the most artistic and finest photographs of the country I have yet seen. Rose Petal Jam: Recipes and Stories from Summer in Poland: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rose-Petal-...