Day 1 - 28th June 2006 - Krakow

I was hit by the heat getting off the plane, I felt like my fur was disintegrating and everything.

Wednesdays are fruit day at the hostel so there was free fruit laid out for us to scoff; and scoff we did.

Once Debra sorted her stuff out we went to Wawel. Wawel consists of castle, cathedral and other buildings set upon a hill overlooking Krakow and the river Wisla. It was here that the earliest settlements in Krakow began, some fifty thousand years ago.

The hostel was near the old town with its cute square and buildings. We sat human watching before Debra bought some Polish food to take back to the hostel to cook.

Day 2 - 29th June

We left the hostel at about 6.30am. Had a little walk about before getting the 7.20am minibus to Oswiecim (original, and Polish name for town of Auswitch) it was 7 zl, which is about £1.74 for 1 1/2 hour journey through the countryside. Can't really describe our feelings walking around Auswitch.

There was one large photograph that struck us both, a woman before and after Auswitch, she was so thin afterwards she had to be held up for the photograph. Debra looked for her Grandfathers name in the book of names of those that died there but did not see him, (he had died there).

Back at the hostel I was chatted up by a group of lovely ladies from Ireland. During our night stroll we came by lots of street entertainment musicians, brass band, street dancers spinning on their heads and backs. Met a teddy bear that did not have a name and his owner called Patricia.

We came by a one-man band busker with a clown puppet playing the symbols. I sat on the buskers knee next to the puppet and had a bit of a sing-song.

Day 3 - 30th June - Wieliczka Salt Mines then Czestochowa

We toured Wieliczka Salt Mines, about ½ bus ride from Krakow. In medieval times the mines were one of the world's most profitable industrial establishments and salt was commercially a equivalent of today's oil so was very valuable.

The Mines were once owned by an old King of Poland, there is a statue of salt of him which I sat on for a photo. The statues, walls, roofs, floors in parts are carved decoratively from salt that was evaporated sea centuries and centuries ago. Salt formations still seep through forming cauliflower looking formations on the walls and ceilings.

Starting at 64m deep the tour takes you through caverns, churches and there are 3 underground ponds. The route ends 135m below ground level.

The train from Krakow to Czestochowa took about 3 hours and cost 28.38 Zt, about £4.76. There is not too much to see in Czestochowa other than its main attraction the black Madonna.

Our cheap hotel served its purpose of a secure roof over the head and we had a room on our own so both slept well after our visit to see the black Madonna.

The current home of the black Madonna since August 1382 is Jasna Góra Monastery. In 1430, the church was invaded and a looter struck the painting twice with his sword. It is claimed that before he could strike it a third time, he collapsed to the ground and died. The sword cuts are still visible on the painting and look like scars. Talks of spontaneous healings have been doing the rounds for centuries and as a result many people make pilgrimage to the portrait.

Debra thought the black Madonna was painted to be black, I kept telling her it was centuries of candle soot that discoloured it and made it appear black and why it had become called the black Madonna, I have proved her wrong and me right with the internet as we write this page. We sat on the floor like some of the others and were given a small stool to sit on by a nice man. We were soon prompted to the front by the old ladies sitting nearby and had had a great view. It was 8.45pm when we had entered and was 1.30am when we left at break time. It was weird, as it never seemed appropriate to leave during the service as we were at the front. We had only intended to stay a short while. It was though great as it was spiritual rather than religious to us.

Day 4 - 1st July - Warsaw

Our train from Czestochowa to Warsaw was 37zt. We got chatting to a young Polish man from Warsaw who had also gone to Czestochowa to see the black Madonna he was very nice and was perfectly happy talking to a teddy bear and madwoman.

The Oki Doki Hostel in Warsaw is cool, we took the bed over the doorway of the 5 bedded bedroom. Spent some time meeting people in the sitting room brfore going out to explore.

At the monument of the unknown solider I waved and spoke to the soldiers on guard, they could not reply but were holding off smiles, I'm so glad Debra didn't go over and pinch their bums like she did as a kid in London before I was manufactured; that would have been so bad.

Day 5 - 2nd July

One of the others staying at the hostel said there was classical music in the park by the Copin Monument in the afternoon and also spoke of a Russian market on the other side of the river, so as we had still lots of time we checked that out first. Couldn't see what was Russian about it and people certainly weren't rushin but walking too slow and getting in the way! Due to blisters on Debra's feet and having to sit in the shade to escape the heat it took us ages too get to the park, we still managed to get some of the music and I met one of the pianists.

In another area of the park were peacocks and hens and everything. I spoke to one of the peacocks for a while but he got scared off by a group of kids in yellow T-shirts who tried to circle him.

Day 6 - 3rd July

The square to eat ice-cream in

Our last day in Poland was another day roaming around Warsaw, but this time we had money for ice creams and to eat in a restaurant as Debra had to get more money changed so she could get some Bison grass vodka for Alan (a luxury vodka infused with Bison grass native to the Bialowieza forest, home of the european bison; W. Somerset Maugham said that drinking Zubrovka is as delightful as listening to music in the moonlight). She also got some Honey Vodka for herself.

The Polish restaurant we went to was called Pierogarnia. Although just near the old town Pierogarnia gets missed by most tourists as it is on a side road and the menu outside is all in Polish. The food fare is traditional Polish and they have lots of varieties of pierogi (stuffed pasta style dumplings), Our meal including a cold soup of red cabbage and cream or yoghurt with parsley, two different pierogi and vegetables with Podpiwek (a Polish soft drink that tastes a bit like beer {not lager}) altogether cost zl.16.5, which was about £3!

Flight back to Luton went ok and we got home just before midnight. I was pleased to see Choc-Ice and the rest of the gang and tell them of my trip and all the ladies I met that fancied me.