Another haul of winter wonderfulness

To my lunch appointment I go on foot across the Łazienki Park. Splendid views abound; I never miss an opportunity to visit this magic place. Above: The Temple of Diana.

My afternoon meeting is postponed by an hour - an excellent excuse to revisit the park. Over lunch, the sky has cleared; for the first time this year there's sunshine.

Right: Al. Ujazdowskie. When the sun appears in winter and shines on crisp new snow, the effect on the soul is immediate and wonderous. Below: Sunset is 25 minutes later than on the year's shortest day.

Right: The Zamek Ujazdowski (Ujazdów Castle), built on the Vistula escarpment, which today houses the Centre for Contemporary Art.

Below: Trasa Łazienkowska dipping down towards the river, looking down from the footbridge. In the distance, the tower blocks of Praga, Warsaw's right bank district, bathed in late afternoon sunlight.

Below: Across the road from my destination, the corner of ul. Krucza and Wilcza. Krucza has some impressive examples of socialist realist architecture, though not on the same scale as Plac Konstytucji. Dirty snow is piled up on pavements in heaps over a metre high.

In the afternoon, temperatures plunge. After a week of oscillation between -2C and -4C, we're suddenly down to minus ten.