szczecin – the world needed more fireworks …

…. at least during one August weekend in Szczecin every year. Fireworks are my true guilty pleasure, I feel like a child again when I enjoy them … and afterward, I think about all the money that has gone up in smoke the last 20 min … that could be done so much better-needed things with.

Found out about this firework festival online more or less by accident … was looking for different interesting events in Europe during the year. And because Poland is one of my favorite destinations … did I look into it a bit more … and introduced to my good friend and blogging sister Ann-Christine@LEYA. And both she and her husband Lars was up for it.

What I understand is there firework championship takes place in many places in Poland leading up to the Grand Finale in Szczecin – this years winner was Team France. We saw 4 fireworks displays – 2 per evening. And Poland as host will be showing off too and the last display. They were all spectacular.

Our second day … not so good for me … had a terrible night with severe pain in and around my bladder, so I decided that it was going to be ER for me after breakfast. Our host was so kind as to find a hospital and arrange a taxi for me.

Arrived at the ER 11.30am and came in straight away … got tests done, ultrasound and x-rays on x=rays … and analgesic drip. The hospital arrange a taxi for me … and I went straight to the pharmacy, it had by then become around 6am. From the pharmacy did I walk back to the apartment, a walk that never seemed to end.

Ann-Christine and Lars had been up to museum visits and a harbor tour while I been at the hospital, it was again a very hot day. A-C had got some cracking images from the water sports events that happened during the day in the harbor.

8pm was I sort of fit for a nice meal on the quayside – just we girls. Beautiful evening … so warm and pleasant. So much people around … and no drunkness, shouting och fighting.

Stockholm Kitchen and Bar is located on the quayside of West Order bank, I suppose it’s a Swedish restaurant, but they didn’t have that many Swedish dishes – the gravlax was of course on the menu.  I choose the restaurant for its location plus it had very good reviews.

We both had the same; a cocktail called Hugo (great), tuna steak with avocado salsa on black rice (very-very nice) … with a nice chilled white … chocolate cake in the company of a good cappuccino. They served their fizzy table water in a carafe with fresh berries, mint, and lemon … such a lovely touch.

9.30pm Lars join us, he had been to a concert in the cathedral.

So my day as a tourist was very short, but the dinner … with a people-watching, the company and the firework displays in a pleasant “temperatured” evening made up for it.

Fireworks isn’t Oscar’s strongest side … and not mine either, but we always try our best.

“The world needed more fireworks –
especially now that there was going to be a shortage of beautiful, useless things.”
Scott Westerfeld