The six seasons…

Vivaldi must be turning in his grave. For this year has been the perfect example of Poland’s climate making a mockery of the traditional spring-summer-autumn-winter pattern, and adding in an extra two seasons.

First, there was a definite phase between winter and spring, when Kraków appeared desperate to burst into life and spring from its slumber. It wasn’t cold enough to keep folk indoors (indeed, KrakówPolska understands that the Krakow Post newspaper’s crack bar of the month team were holding their first outdoor jury session of 2012 as early as March 23). It’s not that uncommon – and in fact this extra season has its own name, przedwiośnie, which is also the title of a story by Stefan Żeromski.

What is unusual is to get the two extra seasons in one year, and we’re enjoying the other right now.

The English, with their imperial hangover, still call it the Indian Summer – that autumn period when everthing is still golden and bright. In Poland, this is the Golden Polish Autumn (Polska złota jesień). It has been celebrated in verse, notably by Julian Tuwim, in film by Filip Bajon, and more.

So enjoy it while you can… for by the first week of November, it’s likely that the 20 degrees we’re basking in now will be back to single figures.

But while the glorious weather may not last, KrakówPolska can offer a vision of Polska złota jesień which you can return to again and again. Here it is, courtesy of Youtube…

Related articles

• I left America for the real land of promise – Poland (qz.com)
• Polish Autumn Is the Favorite Time (gloucestercitynews.net)