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Fast service Zakopane - Kraków

46 degrees in the sun the thermometer read when leaving the hotel room. Together with our friends my wife and I handed in our room keys. Dragging our suitcases we started our 30 minute walk to the train station. Zakopane station lacks nothing but offers nothing extra. The platforms are accessible from just about anywhere but tickets can only be bought from the main station building which has the classic station look. When entering the main hall it becomes obvious that time has stood still at PKP, the national railway company of Poland. Nothing has changed much over the last 40 odd years in this station. We buy our tickets from a woman nearing her pension age, although very friendly she is slow and a queue builds up quickly. With 35 minutes to spare we were the proud owners of 4 first class train tickets on the fast service to Kraków. As we made our way through the station we decided to stock-up on drinks and food for our 3 and a half hour journey. At the platform entrance there’s

Vacation to Poland - What does a wood chucker chuck

The first night at the mountain house was best described as dark. In a village of around 50 separate houses with a average distance of at least 100 meters between every house and no street lights, it gets very dark. I very literary couldn't see my hand before my eyes in a room that lacked curtains. It was fine, it just took a little longer to get my pillow just right. I woke around 8.30 from the morning sun shinning into my face, consequently it had given me a bursting headache and wasn't planning to get up just yet. With the help of a little smoothness from my side I got my wife onto my side of the bed and me on hers and out of the sun. Eureka! More sleep! Ten minutes later I was lying in the sun again but fell asleep anyway. About two hours later we set, showered and ready, down for breakfast. Some juice, home made bread baked the evening before and a cup of tea. Over breakfast we discussed our own plan for building a wooden house in Poland, our shared dream and a puzzle

Vacation to Poland - Mountain Road

Close to the Polish-Czech border on top of a mountain there lies the tiny village of Lasowka, our destination for the coming three days. We're going to visit a couple we know, they own a wooden house with rooms they often rent out to people mainly during winter for skying, and in high summer for people that like to walk in the mountains. As it's spring now and at this height the last snow is still melting we were going to be the only visitors. After my first Polish lesson this vacation we started to pack and got ready to go. Again the weather was great, blue skies all round and 20 degrees. We both dressed light for the trip but were sure to pack a sweater for the off change we might have a cold day during our stay. With the cat in her new vacation transporter, which is basically a crossover between a standard transporter and a tent big enough to fit two Main Coons, we were on our way. The cat was going completely berserk in the beginning as it was used to walk freely in the

Vacation to Poland - The Wedding

Saturday is the traditional day for weddings in Poland. As such our Poland vacation was planned around the wedding of a friend of my wife today. We got out of bed around 8.30 to start preparing for the wedding. My wife had an hairdressers appointment on the other side of town. We drove up there together, first we went for the flowers and then my wife went to the hairdresser and I spent some time in the old apartment of my parents in law which happens to be in the same building. About an hour later she was done and we went to have the car washed. I don't care much for cars and as such mine is washed about every six months, however you shouldn't show up at a wedding with a dirty car so we told the guys it needed a spit shine. They really do great work, you bring the car and drive it into the appointed booth and they start their work. We went to the mall next to the car wash and about 30 minutes later we returned to our transformed car. Full hand work and that for 40 zlot

Poland day 1 - Arrival

So early this morning at 5 the alarm clock woke us up, or more accurately woke my wife up. Just about 30min later she came to kick me out. I receive some leannensey as most of the time I do the full 11 hour drive. Anyway we were ready to start rushing; gently put the last things in our suitcases and throw the cat in the bag, I started to pack the car. About 40 minutes later we drove of through a deserted The Hague. The drive to Wroclaw Poland has become routine after so many times. I fill up the tank and check the tires the day before so that we can drive close to half way through Germany without stopping. Just the way I like it. I would actually prefer not to stop at all in Germany as they have issues with payment machines along their major international route through the country, go figure. Anyway we were doing fine and usually when I get to a quarter tank I start looking at the distance signs for gas stations. I drive by a sign, 2km to the next gas station after this statio