Hidden gems
December 5th
For the last 6 years, I’ve been living again in Bialystok in north-east Poland. It is a sizable city of 300,000 people, the city where I was born and lived for the first 18 years of my life. Then for the next 25 years, I’ve been a peripatetic — I lived mostly in the USA (6 different states), but also in the UK and Sweden and in two different cities in Poland. And now I am back in my hometown. And I back to walking its streets, exploring the city where I grew up. I don’t claim to know everything there is about Bialystok, but I do know a lot. I want to know what is happening, what new projects are going up, what old places are still standing, what can I find out relating to local history. And still, once in a while I am just so surprised by what I can find there.
Like today — I went for a walk in the area that I thought I know well already. That area is called “Zacisze” which means “Quiet retreat”. It is beyond the rail tracks and closed cargo train station. There are some old houses, some abandoned properties, some lots overgrown with majestic trees and weeds and shrubs. And yes, even though it is surrounded by recent developments, some light industry, and a circular roadway — it is still a silent place, an oasis of three streets forgotten by all except those that still live there. And I guess those who live there like it this way. Today, on a whim, I cut through an abandoned lot that was once an orchard — I recognized apple and cherry trees, all gnarly and heavy-branched now after years of neglect. I came upon a small side street just behind the local gasworks. There are 3 houses there that looked inhabited, with cars and some signs of everyday activity. And also there was a house, hidden from a hidden street by oak trees that are at least 100 years old. From what I could see, this house was built in the XIX century, from red brick, with ornamental wooden gables and sills and a porch with what looked like stained-glass windows. There is a sizable garden there as well — with more old trees and some visible flower beds. But it is also clearly abandoned. There is a visible decay on the house and the fence and the gate. The garden has seen no work in years. The driveway is barely visible because of the surrounding shrubs, and there were no footprints in the snow that had fallen overnight. And yet — the house and the garden are still a very impressive sight, hidden from other people, forgotten in the sprawl of the city.
That was an interesting discovery for me. I thought I know that area very well, and that hidden gem of a house and a garden was a surprise. I will go back there with my camera and take some photos. I guess I will be trespassing, but hey — I feel like taking some calculated risks.
