Kraków – Poland

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy.”

Sylvia Plath

I awake to the sound of birdsong and the fast running brook under our window.

There are no sounds outside of nature.

My only complaint is that the sun rises at 4.40 am and I am wide awake.

The solution is going to bed earlier. Tantrum throwing children insisting on playing ping pong all evening is the problem.

Breakfast is not until 8.00 am so we set out to explore the countryside.

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”

Søren Kierkegaard

The beautiful gardens of Budapest have given way to practical vegetable patches. With woodpiles as large as houses, apple orchards and smokehouses, there is not a dwelling without some accommodation to self sufficiency.

In the vegetable garden, there exists a productive dignity that is beautiful in a different way to its seductive, ornamental cousin.

Breakfast is an excellent buffet. Winters here are not for the faint hearted. Preserving foods is a necessity and cured, smoked meats are part of getting through winter. I have not tasted smoked sausage and údené mäso as good as we had for breakfast this morning.

I’m happiest walking through fields, on beaches, and over riverbanks. Nature is my surrogate mother.

Marco Pierre White

We head out for Poland.

The mountains of Slovakia continue to impress but soon we descend into Poland.

Poland doesn’t seem to have mountains. The driving is not the same.

It appears to be one long, continuous industrial estate interspersed with houses, the occasional farm and an infrequent village.

Not the prettiest experience.

“The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it…”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shell has found a coffee stop. Bielsko-Biała is a not very attractive town. In an unattractive industrial estate in this not attractive town is an oasis of food and coffee with the impressive name – GRUNT palarnia kawy.

In a huge commercial space shed, this place turns out first rate coffees.

We were too full from breakfast, which was a shame as the food looked great.

Bielsko-Biała had a despondent mood. We took a walk to get some meds from the pharmacy and there was a worn out, dejected inclination about the people. Maybe it was a low socioeconomic area, or maybe the whole town carried this awareness.

We head toward Kraków and the landscape changes. It is still flat, but the industrial personality has given way to agriculture. The road cuts through vast fields of wheat, corn and sunflowers.

We arrive in Kraków and find an overnight parking spot. Walk to our place.

Firstly, we walk to the wrong place. After half an hour of searching, we realise we are not where we should be.

“I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion.”

Jack Kerouac

In getting lost, we did get a glimpse of the city. We are looking forward to exploring tomorrow.

We find our place. A loft apartment in the heart of the old town and I don’t think I will leave.

I lay about looking for places to have breakfast tomorrow while Shell has a nap.

Morski Oko for dinner.

It is a beautiful hot afternoon so we settle in for a few Aperol Spritz while we choose our food. It is not really Polish, but the afternoon was perfect for a spritz.

We decide on tradycyjny polski śledź w śmietaniez cebulą, pieczywo, a traditional Polish pickled herring dish to start. The highlight of the meal.

For mains, Shell decides on the pstrąg z Morskiego pieczony w piecu, brown trout cooked in the oven. I choose the golonko rumiane z chrzanem i musztardą, pork knuckle with mustard and horseradish cream.

There is no room for dessert.

We head home thinking of bed.