There can hardly be any better inspiration than travels.
Last weekend, I took some time off in the north west of Poland – a region full of forests, lakes and rivers. It is the district with unspoiled wildlife and serene nature, but also with historically important remains of medieval towns and cities.
I went there to spend some quality time with my family, away from the everyday mayhem. I wanted to go with the flow, react to various incentives – the beauty of nature, architecture, and the friendliness of other people.
We were staying in a small hotel run by a couple who spent two years of their life travelling around the world. Their photo albums were breathtaking – the intensity of colours and textures, the variety of climates and people were a proof that our world is a magnificent place (if only we cared about it more).
I wanted to know what they gained from this experience. In their album they wrote that they got to know each other better (now they’re married and expecting a baby) – they got to know about their daily rhythms, life goals, likes and dislikes – something they were unaware of when they were leaving home.
A quest for the quintessence of life – to get to know the self to be able to be with others. Quintessence is literally “the fifth element”, or aether – clear, pure air (or sky) that gods breathe. Perhaps, it could be called freedom.
In Aristotle’s views, the fifth element was to complement the earthly four: fire, earth, water and air. These elements are my inspiration for today. Take a look how I interpret them through my photos and some living room designs (mainly eclectic in style):
1. FIRE
Window in Tuchola
Castle in Toruń (Thorn)
2. EARTH
Chocolatier bufet at luczniczka.com in Tuchola
Oak furniture by Bogdan Schneider in Tuchola
3. WATER
Ducks on the water
Łazienna street in Toruń (Thorn)
4. AIR
Swan in Tuchola townsquare
Nicolaus Copernicus’ statue in Toruń (Thorn)
Copernicus’ On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres introduced heliocentric theory, placing the Sun as the centre of the universe. Somewhere between the Earth and the Sun, the Quintessence flows. Let it shine through you every day, then.
Me on the way back
