Sooooo looking forward to going home... I met some lovely older Australian ladies while I was sitting down having a coffee. We were talking about our trips and we all agreed that it will be so nice to go home and be still for a bit. I definitely am feeling that at the moment. This is going to sound weird probably, but I am also looking forward to going back to regular eating. The food is amazing here, but I really just want to eat the way I normally do at home (and work)-- and that doesn't involve baguettes and lattes. Give me meat and veg please!! Ha.. plus I want to go back to work before I forget how to do it! (Double ha! because i don't go back until June 11)

I say all of this, but you know ....like The Littlest Hobo, I "just keep moving on" *sheds slight tear*....to another trip. ;)

X

Oh! The places you'll go..
By Dr. Seuss.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

]]> Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=127410 0 48.8666667 2.3333333 Other than being super awesome I have been keeping in good spirits. Yesterday I went to Giverny (Monet's House and garden) and it was beautiful. So many flowers. The sun was out and the smell of the flowers was heavenly.

After that I came back to Paris and last night I went with a friend to see the Eiffel tower do its sparkly thing. Twice.

And that's that.... c'est tout!

Errr, shopping perhaps.

X

]]> Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=127350 0 48.8666667 2.3333333 I arrived in Paris 2 nights ago and the first thing I saw when I stepped out of the metro was the sparkling Eiffel Tower. I admit my heart skipped a beat because it is just that gorgeous when it's all lit up like that.

Yesterday I went to Versailles with some friends that I have met and it was great...though the weather was not. I love that place so much I could spend days there.

Ate a very nice meal and drank lots of red wine.

Today is a very nice day so I think it's perfect for Giverny.

X]]> Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=126877 0 48.8666667 2.3333333
I don't have much to write at the moment-- been here, there, everywhere. I haven't taken that many pictures lately so not much to upload. Went to a couple of shows at Wembley. The weather has been great (except for today.... cold and rainy blah) and I've been in a great mood. I think the turning point was back in Amsterdam when I got 2 free hugs (ha!) from a young Irish gentleman. Believe it! Hugs.. for free!! Then Brugge ...then London. It's all been great.

But now, Paris. Second time in less than a year. I am a VERY VERY lucky girl.

I miss home though. I feel like this trip has been the longest trip ever. Sometimes I think back to a place that I was and can hardly believe I was actually there...seems like forever ago. I would do it again but it's definitely time to get back to "Normal"... for a little while anyhow. I'm already calculating in my head ;P

À bientôt

X

P.S.... is it snowing?
]]> Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=126722 0 51.5087424588033 -0.1153564453125 We'll talk about this later.... (will edit and blog later, I mean).

Just letting you know.... I'm not dead ...yet!! Hahaha.

X]]> Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=126203 0 51.5087424588033 -0.1153564453125 As I suspected, the Miro was closed because it was Monday. So yesterday I just walked and walked and walked. It was gorgeous. You can walk this whole city which I love. It was really easy to just get lost in the streets.. many of them are residential and quiet. i found myself on these streets the most because often i'd be the only one on them. It was very peaceful. On one of the streets I found a pub. I was thirsty because it was very warm so I stopped for a cold beverage. The owner ended up coming outside and talking to me for a bit about my trip. When I told him I had been traveling around Europe for 5 weeks now, he replied: "Oh!! You're not dead, yet!" and laughed. Haha, what did that mean??!! I'm not dead YET?! But after I left and started thinking about what he said. I thought it was a really funny thing to say and I'm not sure he meant it the way it came out....but just thinking about it.... it's true. I'm not dead....yet. There is still time.

I spent the afternoon sitting in the sun on the grass by a great windmill reading my book. There were lots of people out riding bicycles, taking walks, walking their dogs.

At this point in my trip, i think it's time to slow down and relax a bit. I don't feel a lot of pressure to "see" or "do" ...yes, there are things i still want, but I don't feel bad if I never get to them.

I think I'll be going to France tomorrow.

X]]> Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=126006 0 51.2166667 3.2333333 I liked Amsterdam. I am not sure the weekend was the best OR the worst time to be there...because it was madness.The weather was wonderful and a nice change from the rain and cold. I found AMS tiring...there is so much to do. I did take a day trip outside the city,but it was a long day. I really like the landscape of The Netherlands-- lots of farms and it is very green.All the farm babies were out...so cute. In AMS I went to the Van Gogh museum which was definitely a highlight of this trip. I met another Canadian who was good company on the last night there. Fortunqtely/unfortunately he kept me out very late (not hard I suppose ha) so I was very tired yesterday bythe time I arrived in Brugge. Last night was about taking it easy... though I did meet this younger American girl who was traveling by herself and Icould tell that she was very down. Having had those days myself I stayed to talk to her and just have some company. This morning at breakfast I discovered that she had left me a lovely note. It is so nice to be In Brugge.Though it is busy with tourists it is very pretty and clean.

AND---- what are the chances.....a Salvador Dali gallery WITH a MIRO exhibit???!!!! Some things are meant to be, I say.

Other than that no big plans. It is a beautiful day. Time to relax..if the gallery is open today then I will go to that and then maybe go tour the parkland that surrounds the small city, read my new book, etc etc.

X
]]> Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=125909 0 51.2166667 3.2333333 Last I left off I was in Heidelberg sitting in the bar attached to my Heidelberg home away from home with my laptop trying to figure out where exactly it was going the next day. Just as the battery was at 0% and I was going to go back to my room (that's where the charger was) the owner asked me to sit and have some wine with him. Of course, I couldn't pass that up...so I did....which led to other sorts of beverages, a surprising discussion on Miro and his connection a city in Germany, and an invitation to go with him to walk his dog (??) later on. I thought if I could figure out and book my plans for the next day that I could probably fit this walk in before I left. But then.... I ran into two Americans I had met the day before and we ended up talking for hours...... no plans were getting made....I was starting to get anxious as I knew that because it would be the weekend that finding a place to go would be more challenging. In the end.... I mean, very late, WE had decided I should just go to Amsterdam. So that's how I came to Amsterdam.

So this morning I slept in (was actually wanting to catch the early train lol) and caught a mid-morning train to Amsterdam via Frankfurt. Sounds easy enough....but no...once again, there was an accident and the train could not continue it's path and there would be a 90-120 min delay. Great. That's when I started talking to my train-mate beside me (we had one of those booths). What would be the chances that he too worked for an airline!? AND it turns out the airline that I've been blabbing on about since before this trip-- German Wings! Well that was it...after that we were good friends and talked the whole way through the delay and diversion. It turns out he was flying from Amsterdam to Madrid because he has tickets to the Champions League game this weekend. Needless to say, he was nervous about missing the flight. As we finally approached Amsterdam we both agreed that it was bittersweet because it was very nice company.

Now I am in Amsterdam and it is ........ well, there's a lot going on here. I don't think I really need to elaborate. I have a day trip tomorrow. It's a funny place to come if you're seeking a little bit of quiet, but here I am... !!! And it's all sunny and warm....it's actually warm!!! *sigh*

To be continued.. x]]> Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=125325 0 52.35 4.9166667 Lovely day in Heidelberg. Well, sort of misty and rainy at times, but it's gorgeous never the less. It's one of those quintessential German towns. I'm staying in the old town by the castle hovering just above us. This place is just what I needed (I know, I'm needy!)

Yesterday was a long day... I got up super early to catch the first train out of Copenhagen to Hamburg... and I was impressed with myself that I actually made it and didn't hit snooze. But you know how these things go.... right before we arrived in Hamburg there was some sort of emergency and the train was stuck for an hour. So I missed my connection ... luckily there was a later one through Frankfurt. I could have slept those 2 extra hours in Copenhagen, eh? Ah well... Eventually I did arrive in Heidelberg and all was well. I've been eating very German food...good hearty meals, you know. Oh and German wines, of course ;) I saw the world's largest wine barrel today hehehe... have you ever watched the movie "Strange Brew?" ...

Today I climbed up to the castle and it was well worth the view of the town and area surrounding it. My goodness... I have pictures, but you'll have to wait until later as my camera battery is charging.

I'm feeling pretty good lately and I could keep going I think for a while. Hmmm, I'm already thinking of my next trip ;) Work a bit and then play...ha.

As for my plans in the next couple of days I'am still pretty "citied out".. you've probably noticed I have yet to hit Berlin. Sadly, I think Berlin is off the table right now. I went a few extra places not on my list on this trip and so I feel quite satisfied with that.... I can come back and see Berlin very soon if I want.... right now I'm enjoying the smaller places and if I could, I would love to see more flowers and gardens. I have heard of an amazing garden in Holland...so... I would really enjoy that.

Also, I feel like I need to have a blowout in Paris haha....whatever that means. Yes, I have been there 2 times already, but who can tire of this place?? PLUS I'm very much looking forward to wandering Versailles again and Giverny.

Ok, that's it for now. I'll try to get more pics up.

X]]> Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=125196 0 49.4166667 8.7 To be continued..]]> Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=125113 0 49.4166667 8.7 Yes, I'm still in Copenhagen and what a nice treat to be able to be outside enjoying some sunshine and 'warmer' weather. So glad I decided to stay at the last minute instead of hopping a train elsewhere. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy such a lovely day.

See, I'm having this real problem of deciding where I want to go... I thought about it all night. In fact, I even dreamt of it! It wasn't good... nobody wanted me *sigh*...

Anyhow... decision time.... over some tea and shortbread mmm.

]]> Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=124972 0 55.6666667 12.5833333

Kronborg Chapel

Boo!

Light!

Creeeepy.Ok I'm scared.

Creepy. Still not scared.

Holger The Dane!

This is not scary..

I nicknamed her Ophelia.

It was a very nice excursion. The town of Helsingor is very cute. Unfortunately, because it is Sunday, none of the shops were open. However, this made it very quiet and today that is what i needed.

Yesterday was miserable weather. I was freezing and wet! At the same time, it was a good day because it was the day i got to see The Radio Dept. in concert at Lille Vega! I have been listening to their music for quiet a while now and well, to be honest, my concert ticket is the reason I factored Copenhagen into my trip. All in all, it was a great opportunity. Anyhow, the show last night was great. It was a little bit confusing because there are two venues in one building called Vega. There's Vega and Lille Vega. So when I arrived, I went in the wrong door and there were all these people...so many...so I was waiting in the line to check my coat and I kept thinking to myself "All of these people are here to see The Radio Dept????" ...How was it possible that anytime I ever mentioned this swedish band that nobody had heard of them and then I come to the show and there are like a thousand people (all ages!!) around me?? So I thought something was up for sure so I asked the guy beside me in line and he kindly directed me to the REAL Vega..LILLE Vega! Ha. This was more appropriate .... smaller crowd and ummm age appropriate (???).... much cooler (kidding). The show wass great.

The Radio Dept.

So this brings us up to speed--

Now I have to decide what the next move is going to be. Or rather, where. I thought I had it all figured out but after today and how much I enjoyed the quiet of a smaller town, I think i may have to rethink. I think maybe I'm citied out??

I could go anywhere...

]]> Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=124735 0 56.0333333 12.6166667 .... into design.
.... expensive. Ouch!
.... chilly. Brrr!
.... colourful.
.... attractive.
.... old mixed with new.
.... family friendly.
]]> Sat, 15 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=124551 0 55.6666667 12.5833333 I just arrived in Copenhagen where I'll be spending the weekend.

The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen took about 4hrs by land AND sea! I even got half-way through a book. The journey was one of the smoother journeys of this trip, I think. I didn't feel overly frustrated. In fact, I think it's fairly easy to get around here and people seem friendlier so far. I'm not saying they were unfriendly in Krakow or Prague, it's just a different lifestyle here I imagine.

My "hotel" is novel. When I walked into my room I got this giddy smile on my face-- not because it's big and posh, but because it's small and compartmentalised...like a cabin on a ship! I love it!!! It reminds me of the cruise to Cabo.

I think I might like this whole Scandinavian thing... hmm.

To Be Continued!!

Vi ses..(see you)

]]> Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=124500 0 55.6666667 12.5833333 Hamburg very briefly overnight. The train from Prague to Hamburg was 7hrs with an 1h20min delay. So really it was only enough time to sleep and get ready for an early morning train to Copenhagen where I'll be spending the weekend.

]]> Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=124499 0 53.55 10 Yesterday I decided I would stay here and extra day and when I woke up this morning I was sure glad of that decision. So I don't have many plans for today other than figure out my next move...

Let me tell you what I've been up to lately. Wait, let me make some coffee and I'll continue the story....

.......Ok, my last entry ended with me tired after an overnight train from krakow. Well, I'm still tired (ha!) but I've been pretty productive. Once I refreshed myself and was able to start over it was much better. I walked all over the old town and ate traditional Czech cuisine (goulash, bread dumplings). Later in the evening I went to a concert in St.Nicolas Church. The concert was by the Prague Brass Ensemble.

The following day I took part in the ultimate organized tour of Prague. I don't always sign up for walking tours, but I thought it might be a good idea as I know nothing of the history of Prague and I could do with a little organization. WEll, the tour was 6hrs and my feet were already sore from before so you can imagine. I think cobblestone is beautiful, but it is really, really hard on your feet, legs, back etc. It's all so uneven and it really doesn't matter what shoes you wear. You're going to be sore. And as someone who enjoys wearing ballet flats, let me tell you....you can feel EVERYTHING! Anyhow the tour included a river boat cruise and a 3 course lunch where I got to know some of the people on the tour. This came in handy for after the tour...

The tour ended up at Prague Castle which is not like a castle at all.... more like a city within a city. Included in the ticket of the tour was a separate"ghost" tour later in the evening. So with about 3 hours to spare, a few of us walked back into town and went for a bite to eat. Yes, I even had a Czech beer!! When in Rome...

The ghost tour was very cheesy, but our guide (same as the day tour) is very sarcastic and funny so it was tolerable ...ha. I can see how Prague could be creepy at night with all the different little passageways and everything but there are so many people around it's not easy to get scared.

And this brings me to this morning. It's really nice to stay in bed a bit later and not worry about missing something as i think I've covered all the main points. However, there are a few little things I'd like to visit in a more leisurely manner. Also I'll be planning my weekend in Copenhagen! Very exciting.

More later..

]]> Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=124194 0 50.0833333 14.4666667 I feel really tired so I'm going to keep this short. When I decided my next stop would be Prague, I had two choices-- 1) A day time train approx 8hrs with a few stops/changes OR 2) An overnight direct train with sleeping facilities. I made my choice based on the fact that the night train would allow me more time to explore Krakow and then without wasting time sleeping (pppffttt!) I would end up in Prague and Voila I'm all set. What I didn't count on was how um, err...well I was a little hungover and grumpy from Saturday night with my new friends. Of course, checkout was 11am so I had a whole day to kill with VERY little sleep and feeling not the greatest.... perhaps it would have been more productive to sit on a train, I dunno. Well, except if I had done that I would have had even LESS sleep if any..Ha! Anyhow, lesson learned.

Night trains. What can I say... I had a reservation in a 3 girl couchette. There really isn't any room for anything in those rooms. Thankfully I had the bottom bunk because I don't know how I would have climbed to the 2nd or 3rd with this post-Saturday night hurt. So I crawled into bed all zombie-like and I think I actually slept.

The train arrived in Prague just before 7am and I can't say much about anything after that... I'm having a bit of a rest and watching some Czech tv. I think Prague might be one of the greatest cities ever, but I just haven't experienced it yet. Later. I feel like I need a shower. I will get refreshed and start from scratch.

To be continued...

]]> Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=123720 0 50.0833333 14.4666667

A Spanish Rose

Love You XO]]> Sun, 09 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=123617 0 50.0833333 19.9166667 I will edit this blog later to explain further and what I've been up to today...ha! But right now I'm hungry and in search of perogies.

Remind me to tell you why I have a new nickname.... Skullcracker. It's a good-er.

To be continued!

Part 2;

Ok so my last night in Liverpool I ended up booking a flight to Krakow. I had many options of where I could go, but this seemed the best one. Also, I bought a pocket-size book on Krakow in the bookstore that evening and I knew it was a good sign when the cashier started chatting me up about Krakow and how much she enjoyed it. So the next day I departed Liverpool for Krakow.

It was relatively easy to get to the airport and check in. John Lennon Airport is not that big. It reminds me of a train station in a way because you don't know your gate number just by looking at your boarding pass. Everyone waits around a departures board until their flight comes up telling them what gate to proceed to. This was my first time flying...easyJet. It's a bit strange-- they don't have assigned seating and it felt like a long time waiting to board the plane standing in a line while all the boarding passes were checked. At that point, they bussed us to our plane and it was basically a free for all. Even the people who paid for "speedy boarding" were on the same bus so.....?.......Anyhow, it was very low cost. I'm not complaining...I had a great window seat. It's just an observation.

When I was standing in line waiting for the bus to the plane, I noticed two things..... 1) A loud group of 20 or so men in red shirts indicating they were part of a Stag weekend. And...2) ANOTHER loud group of 20 or so men in Blue shirts indicating they were on stag weekend!!! ------- Oh great! :/

So I got my window seat and waited to see who would sit beside me. Chances were they'd be wearing red or blue. Ha! Blue shirts it was. Quickly into the flight we made friends and it turned out to be really enjoyable. My two friends (from Blackpool) shared their £20 easyJet feast of grilled cheese , wine and kitkat bars with me as if I was part of the group. They insist I come out with them this weekend to the bars. I didn't last night because they were more on a organized tour, but tonight is the free night to go wherever they want. They even joked they were going to get a t-shirt made up for me just like all of theirs...but the question was, what would be my nickname on the back? We didn't know...yet. As the flight progressed we were talking about my trip and where I was going after Krakow. I mentioned I was going to see a band that I like soon and naturally they asked who. I said, "Ah you won't know who they are" ..."they're Swedish".... First guess was Abba (ha!!) and then an Abba tribute band (double HA!!)......and then "Shrek" (Steven) says "Isn't there some really famous death metal band from Sweden? Is that it? They're called Skullcracker or something??" And we all just looked at each other and laughed because of ALL the people who would LOOK like they're into death metal can you imagine it to be me?????????? Hahha.....so then we decided that would be my nickname and it would probably be appropriate to get a large tattoo of it in memory of this 2hr flight.

Anyhow, once I got to Krakow it wasn't very long to get from the airport to the city except for this strange walk from the airport to the train. Literally I walked 10 mins to the end of a forest to the platform. Strange. Anyhow, it's really pretty here. What I noticed on the descent was an area of very green rolling hills and valleys. Really stunning.

Last night I went to a more traditional Polish type restaurant ...meat filled dumplings. Very nice. And I tried a hot tea with vodka..lots....wow!!! Interesting. I wouldn't order it again, but at least I can say I tried it!

Now, I'm off to explore. ]]> Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=123388 0 50.0833333 19.9166667 Normal and then the football fans suddenly surround them and they all start swapping their shirts with the plain clothes people and kicking a football around and making a conga line. Very funny. I couldn't help buy watch the director running around with his megaphone directing the people so passionately. So anyways, that's one of those unique right place at the right time situations.

After that I went to the pub for lunch and then a bit of shopping. This reminds me... there are a few things I'm going to have to leave behind...haha....can't carry everything. Trust me, I could buy so much more but am showing great restraint!

Where I'm not showing any restraint would be with food. Seriously, how can one pass up a MARS muffin?!?!

Anyways, I've got to plan the next leg of the trip..... I've got a few ideas ...

]]> Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=13743 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=123242 0 53.4166667 -3