A tale of two cities... Part two

The Aussie and German flag have been up in the office at work for a while now and a couple of months ago, Anya went to Poland and purchased a small sized polish flag, which Michal proudly put in between the Aussie and German flag. Still missing..... Russian, Ukraine (host nation) and Swiss flag! The locals searched high and low for a Ukraine flag but it was like me trying to find postcards..... no luck... you would think in an election year, you would be able to find a decent flag!! Prior to my last home visit I Googled flag shops in Australia and purchased online, a Ukraine and Russian flag. They were delivered to Mum and dads address, within two days and I brought them back to Ukraine and they are now proudly displayed in our multi cultural office. Michal’s miniature Polish flag looks a little inadequate against the rest and has lost its place between the Aussie and German flag where the host nations flag is now displayed, so our mission .... in Krakow ..is to get a good sized Polish flag to put up in the office. Pierre-Andre is in Switzerland this weekend and should hopefully bring back a Swiss flag to complete the room of nations representing this project. I will get everyone to sign the Ukraine flag prior to my final return to Australia and that will be my memento of my time in Ukraine..... Just like my Malaysian flag that is displayed in my third bedroom back home.


Woke up this morning to the sun shining and the birds singing and zero degrees with a top predicted today of +9. I have put my warmest winter down jacket into mothballs since I started to sweat in it this week on the way home in the VOLGA. I have now downgraded in warmth to Naomi's black woolen jacket (thanks N) and my leather jacket which I will take to Poland with me where it is meant to be +16 this weekend.... Whoa... winter is going going gone...... I hope! Coming home in the VOLGA last night, I noticed one of the shops had a pair of bathers in the window and people in my apartment are starting to hang out their washing in their balconies again....... washing will now dry and not freeze solid if put outside.

Video games session at Sasha's apartment last night, where I scored a goal for Australia in a soccer (sorry Gordon, Football) match, but sadly bowed out in the second round. Pizzas from one of our favorite pizza joints and a few drinks rounded off what has been a tiring week for me with thousands of miles under my belt from all that flying. Bit of housework today then I might go out for a stroll in the fresh air and sunshine this afternoon..... just because I can..... walk.... without worrying about ICE..... how normal will that feel !!!!

Blog to be continued from Mishka’s homeland..... Poland (Krakow).

Did I say only two short plane rides from Kharkiv to Poland? Well it would have been, had our plane had not been cancelled!! When we got to Kharkiv airport, the staff told us our flight from Kharkiv to Vienna (2.5hrs) was fine, but the onward flight from Vienna to Krakow had been cancelled! No explanation as to why! So we get to Vienna and find our way through the maize of airport corridors and finally find the check in counter where we have to rebook our flight to Warsaw (550kmnorth) of Vienna, change planes again and then go back to Krakow 250 km south of Warsaw!! And I thought Europe would be easy to travel around!

Twelve hours after leaving Kharkiv & we (Mishka, Maryna and I ), finally make it to Krakow absolutely stuffed. Next day straight to work and only small glimpses of Krakow. But with sunshine, food I find easier to eat and people that speak English, I feel at home straight away.

Pics of us at Warsaw airport.



Krakow. Poland!    ......Food... I cant get enough of it! We have two courses, sometimes three at breakfast then take donuts and muffins to work for morning tea. Dinner is always out at restaurants,

such as Wentzl

Look at those desserts...

This was mine...

some much needed... by me... Mexican.... Yes.. Mexican...yum

How many Margarita's do you need Maryna?

Obviously... four is enough !

but mostly local Polish which is very tasty and lots of variety.

Most of the restaurants have underground sections (sometimes two or three) that wind through tunnels and have magnificent decor to match the history of the place

Mishka left Maryna and I to go visit his mum and family out of town, so Maryna & I were let loose for a couple of days!! Mind you , Mishka text or phoned us each of the days he was away....  not sure if he was ensuring we were OK or checking to see if we were having more fun than he was...... I expect the latter!!!

So Maryna & I put our walking shoes on and head up to Kopiec Kosciuszki (click link to view details),a man made mountain that sits on top of a natural made mountain. It was quite a walk (we think about 12 -15 km all up for the round trip, but the view was worth it. Took a few pics on the walk there...

The walk to the hill........See the mound right at the top?

And finally there under brilliant blue sky !

View from the top

And the view looking out over Krakow

A fairly spectacular view, but by the end of the day the body was screaming at me to go to bed and relax. So after a meal, both Maryna and I hit the sack fairly early. Around 3am, I got up to go to the loo, fall back into bed and realise that I have used some muscles that I haven't used for ages and I hurt...like I have been run over by a steam roller. Shin splints and the knee wont work properly amonst other complaints !! Just drifting off to sleep again and I hear a loud siren. I sit up in bed and wander what the hell was wrong with my toilet.... I only had a wee!... No it wasnt the loo, it was the hotel fire alarm !!

I lay back in bed and think... OK... what now. I listen and start to hear a few doors open and close and then the sirens from fire trucks appear in the distance and you guessed it.... stop at the Radisson Hotel, right beneath my window !! Three trucks arrive & I look out the window hoping to get a glimps of the heads under the big yellow hats and the bodies under the black wollen jackets and pants, but most of the fireies step into the hotel. "Maybe they will come and tell me to evacuate & I can claim to be injured & they will carry me down to the lobby !!! The next moment, my phone tinkles and Maryna has sent me a message... "Are you alright? what is going on?" Having experienced this before in other international hotels, after September 11, I knew if there really was an emergency, the hotel PA system would be alive with evacuation messages and we would defiately be out on the street by know, so I peep out the window & see one of the trucks leaving and text Maryna telling her it is probably a false alarm. Unfortunatley, no hunky fireman comes to rescue me!

I dont know what time I got back to sleep, but there were a few tired looking guests and staff the next morning at breakfast.

This blog is turning out to be quite a long one with lots of pics, so I might finish it here and call the next one Part three of a tale of two cities. 

Bye the way..... Mission accomplished...... One good sized Polish flag is in my suitcase and will be proudly displayed for Michal on our retun to Kharkiv....... Flag was found in one of the first shops that Maryna & I went into, after Mishka left us for the weekend..... You see, Mishka, wouldnt let us go into cheap souvenir shops.... He said, "no dont go in there, they wont have good flags!"..... Eat your words Miskha!

Next blog....

Wawel.....Easter Celebrations in Krakow more city pics..... Its nice to have a new flag (Polish) at the end of the blog!

xm