I have just returned from the XXXII Workshop on Geometric Methods in Physics. The work shop was a great experience and I enjoyed myself very much; maybe all the Polish Vodka helped!

The village of Białowieża is located in north-east of Poland in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, very close to the border with Belarus. The village is located in the middle of the Białowieża Forest.

Here are some photos that I took…

Here are the main gates to the park. They lead to a small bridge across the small river and the lake.

When on an afternoon excursion we visited the forest itself. Here is one of the few remaining old oak trees left.

This tree is to be found just out side the guest house I was staying at. I think it looks rather creepy and reminiscent of Iron Maiden’s “fear of the dark” album cover.

The wildlife
The area is known for it’s wildlife including bison. I did not see any bison, but I did see plenty of mosquitoes! I also found plenty of common frogs in the forest.

The common frog, Rana temporaria.

Also very common are the white storks.

This stork was searching for food in the back garden of the guesthouse I was staying at.

They can be found nesting during the summer on top of houses and telegraph poles. The birds are encouraged by the local to nest and they seem largely appreciated. The storks are not exactly shy birds, but they are easily spooked.