Poland, the land of...well Polish people. So as Penny has illustrated, Me, Pen, Danny, Ally and Bruce the boxing Kangaroo went to Poznan, which I believe is Polands 4th largest city. We landed on the Friday, and went for a walk around, and a bite to eat. The Sphinx is an Egyptian/African themed chain of restaurants, and we managed to get 2 jugs of beer, 4 massive meals, and a side order or two for about £25 or $50....result! After that we wandered into the old square and tried a traditional Polish drink, polish vodka, and apple juice. Yeah, it was ok...after a few of those Danny spotted some young Polish folk, and they had girls...he was off like a female seeking missile...and the result was we got talking to them and went back to their campus for a few drinks, and some cultural exchange...they were all students, some studying nuclear science, gardening, and japanese amongst other subjects. We talked about life in the UK, in Poland, how Poland is changing...and then we got into the serious stuff...we discussed drinking games....Danny and I learned how to say 3 6 9 in Polish, and they learned how to play 3 6 9. Excellent. We headed home after consuming lots of beer, and cherry flavoured vodka called Wisznovka or something like that....and according to Penny I was worse for wear...not that I can remember.
The next day we did a tour of the tourist sites, we checked out a museum with both traditional and modern art, then went to the commerorative square where they raised a monument to the thousands of Polish who rebelled against the communists in 1956, then Danny and I went to the old Zoo....which was, old, and for £2.50 we weren't really disappointed that we didn't see a giraffe....but neither were we stoked that we saw a llama. Then we all met up to go get some photo's of the square....and a bite to eat. This time we ended up in the Dragon Bar...a bar suggested to us by our hostel guy. It was pretty cool...dark, dingy, and full of jazz music! It also had 3 levels, an outside area...and a gallery! Awesome...but what was really cool was the big porcelein dragon head hanging over the bar!
Danny and I had a few Lech, the Poznan brewed beer...and the girls had a couple of mulled wine. Then we went across the road to a wicked wee restaurant which served us better meals, a shot of polish vodka and desert for a little more than the sphinx, but had a wicked atmosphere, great staff...and gave us free shots when we left!! After dinner it was back to the dragon bar for a few more drinks...then the girls headed home for an early night, and the female seeking missile known as Danny was activated for the evening. Danny and I found a wee bar with some local dudes who swore to Danny this bar was the best bar for him to meet Polish birds. So we stayed, we chatted, he danced...he fell in love, and I left. I was getting pretty tired, and the night before was a late one...plus Danny was virtually living on the dance floor...so I told Danny who was eye deep in a lovely blonde Polish girl that I was heading back, and I'd see him at the hostel....no worries said Danny.
There were worries. I buzzed and buzzed and buzzed the hostel to let me in...to no effect. So since I was home relatively early at 1:30 (Penny had warned me not to end up in the same state as the night before) I figured someone would be up as it, but it was a 24 hour service so I certainly wasn't expecting to be locked out...I was. So I buzzed again...nothing. So after half an hour of waiting for someone to reply to my buzzing I gave up and starting trying to ask the Polish people going by if anyone could tell me where there was another hostel. Everyone pretty much ignored me...except for Danny who came sauntering up the road at 4am...all on his lonesome. Apparently one of the girls asked how long he was here for...he said just the weekend. She said, that's a shame, if you were here longer maybe we could meet up again....I think the breaking of his heart was audible at that point. Anyways, I explained the dilemma, and Danny went to try and buzz us in...for 15 mins, no luck. Finally a couple stopped and told me that there was a hostel up the road...so off I went...only to be shouted on by Danny that we're in!! So Danny had got so fed up, he buzzed all the flats! See, the hostel was on the middle floor of a 3 floor apartment type building. The first and top floors were private residence. He woke them up to get someone to buzz us in...not that I was overly concerned, I'd been in the rain and just above 0 degrees for 2 and a half hours....I was frozen to the bone.
So now that we were in we made our way up the staircase which was plaster and concrete, with no heating....so we could see our breath. We got to the middle floor where the hostel was and banged on the door...no one answered. So we kicked the door....no one answered....so we ran and body checked the door no one answered...well no one in the hostel. The guy upstairs answered all right. He started cursing and swearing, not that I understand Polish well...but I understand cursing and swearing in any language. Danny went half way up the flight of stairs to appologise and explain when he became the recipient of Polish hospitality...the guy spit in his face. I understood Danny's swearing though, cuz it was in Scottish. Now the thing is, if the guy had wanted to fight Danny there was bugger all I could do to help....I could barely lift my arms cuz I was that tired, and cold....so I did my best to drag Danny back, and then I just lay down on the concrete floor and went to sleep. Danny tried kicking the door a few more times before he went to sleep. Around 2 hours later I received a jolt to my back, and awoke spooning Danny. Someone had opened the door to the hostel at 6am. We got up and dragged our frozen corpses zombie style into the hostel. I went in to see Penny and just wanted to crawl into bed and get a warm hug to raise my body temperature and chase away the shivers....instead I got told to go to my bed. See, she thought I'd been out on the drink all night and was just coming home. So like a puppy with a smacked nose I crawled into my top bunk and shivered myself to sleep. Love, it conquers all...except a night spent on a concrete floor with the temperature around freezing.
The next morning we all went to the Iodine Cave which was a cave that was supposed to have healing properties, Danny and I were definetely in need of some healing. Basically you get a lawn chair and for 45 minutes and just soak up the ambience...we mostly just napped, but hey when in Rome. After the cave we headed back and got ready to go to the Opera to see Faust...it was a brilliant night! We then went for a bite to eat at the Sphinx again, and headed back for an early night. The next morning we took a few more photo's and then headed back to the airport, where our flight was delayed by an hour...which left just enough time for a few more Lecht...great way to end the weekend...and yes, we'd recomend Poznan...just stay away from angry spitting Polish guys!
The cold finally snapped, and so did Scott
And ended up worse for it...never mess with a man from Denny
Some modern art in Stary Browar shopping complex
Teaching the Polish a game or two
Our Polish drinking buddies...clever bunch them!
Danny experimenting with Polish beer....and locked in on a female
The Iodine cave, where we tried to absorb the positive energy, but mostly just napped.
The Dragon Bar...it was pretty awesome!
A blind dude that played a pretty mean accordian...
Artsy fartsy photo of one of the sidewalks
The square, and the town hall at the end with the towers.
Some legendary dude with a bike that is cast forever in bronze
The town hall at night...
A slightly better and less wobbly photo of the town hall at dusk
The bricks you see are actually painted on, I found that amusing
There were police everywhere on the Saturday, there was a gay rally which apparently needed alot of police presence.
One of the old museum buldings towers
Yeah baby, I'm worth two fiddy...so snap my fur, and call me a llama
The memorial square with a university building in the background
My favourite photo of the trip, a statue just in front of the Town Hall, with a painting on the Town Hall looking on.
Male choir dressed for the Lucia celebration.
The female celebrants coming down in procession.
The grand finale in operatic style
Richard Heeks, giving a key note speach and also one of the contributors to my open university course this year.
The snow and the tree, how Christmassy! Awesome.
The lights were on in the afternoon when it got dark
Man, now there are die hard cyclists!
Snow in the trees, man I miss real snow.
More snow, and some crazy dude riding to the Uni in a T shirt! -3 dude, -3.
The egg was the conference room, and the presenters were broadcast over a big screen on the external back wall of the egg.
The panelists at the end of the conference, it was moderated by Victor Bahl: Principal Researcher Group Manager for Microsoft's Networking Research Group
Works done, time to follow the candles to the bonfires...
The candles would probably be a bit of an issue in the UK
Pretty little candles
Walk through the lovegate and on to the main event.
Shot of the canal at night with the illuminations
Carlstad at night
City, snow, and lights .... cool, literally.
One of the performances, with the sheets.
Carlstads streets at night.
More of the candles in the snow...
The park where the performers were dancing, lit with logs on fire, candles, and some funky lights.
