Polish Adventures
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Thu 28th Sept Training in Katowice
Thursday 28th September
Just had the most longest most boring day of training I have had in my life. Crawled out of bed at 6 to go to stupid Katowice (about an hour away... the best place to fly into to get here.) for the training. I felt a lot better than Rory who had staggered in at some ungodly hour with rather more than a skin full of Polish beer inside him.
Training was to become an Oral examiner for this new range of assessment blah blah blah and was so badly run. Boring boring boring, spent the day laughing at the state of Rory and playing on my phone. Didn't get home until nearly 7pm! On the plus side Rocks has had a fab day, being pampered by the landlady and she actually let Merlin out to play with him. I sent Rory over to collect him, she took one look at him and has postponed dinner with her and her family until tomorrow so he can rest cos he has been (cough) working so hard.
Just waiting for Kasia to come round with some criteria that she wants to assess some people on 2moro morning. I cant wait til we get our timetables 2moro and there will be less of this last minute malarky and we should finally know whether we are coming or going! ¶ 8:40 PM 0 comments
Just had the most longest most boring day of training I have had in my life. Crawled out of bed at 6 to go to stupid Katowice (about an hour away... the best place to fly into to get here.) for the training. I felt a lot better than Rory who had staggered in at some ungodly hour with rather more than a skin full of Polish beer inside him.
Training was to become an Oral examiner for this new range of assessment blah blah blah and was so badly run. Boring boring boring, spent the day laughing at the state of Rory and playing on my phone. Didn't get home until nearly 7pm! On the plus side Rocks has had a fab day, being pampered by the landlady and she actually let Merlin out to play with him. I sent Rory over to collect him, she took one look at him and has postponed dinner with her and her family until tomorrow so he can rest cos he has been (cough) working so hard.
Just waiting for Kasia to come round with some criteria that she wants to assess some people on 2moro morning. I cant wait til we get our timetables 2moro and there will be less of this last minute malarky and we should finally know whether we are coming or going! ¶ 8:40 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
wed 27th sept A drunken evening
Wed 27th September
A day off! The last 2 days have been so manic, we were both looking forward to a day off. No one to meet, nothing to sort out. So what do we decide to do .. visit our old sparring grounds TESCO. Its a whole different board game when you have no idea what you are buying. I am so sick of pasta sauces with crème fresh instead of cream for example.
By the time we finished I was so tired all I wanted to do was go home and relax I didn't even want to go to town and email. So I watched some crappy Cameron Ditz movie - thank god for a) tescos cheap dvds 10zolty which is less than £2 and b) the fact that you can change the language! Rory went into town to email etc.
I woke up around 5 decided I must take the poor dog for a walk, I get a text from Rory saying he is drinking in the square with some Polish and an English man so I wander down and ended up getting caught up in another round of Polish hospitality beers a-go-go take out salads (with cans of diet coke for some reason) from McDonald's delivered to our table. Chicken salads I must add.. I think in Poland I am becoming a closet vegetarian... and the dog under the table is getting abit fat! But what can you do.. these people are desperate to give you food and drink I would feel so rude saying sorry I don't like your lager and I wont eat your food!!!! It got to half nine, the dog had chewed through his lead ( I think I am still on camping time .. sleep when dark) so I took him home for dinner and left Rory talking to a Polish Andrew. I think we are meeting him and his wife on Monday.
Tomorrow we have examiner training all day in Katowice, we have to meet downtown at 7AM then dinner with the landlady and her son at 7pm. She is looking after Rocky for us for the day, He is going to be sooooo fat ;-) ¶ 8:35 PM 0 comments
A day off! The last 2 days have been so manic, we were both looking forward to a day off. No one to meet, nothing to sort out. So what do we decide to do .. visit our old sparring grounds TESCO. Its a whole different board game when you have no idea what you are buying. I am so sick of pasta sauces with crème fresh instead of cream for example.
By the time we finished I was so tired all I wanted to do was go home and relax I didn't even want to go to town and email. So I watched some crappy Cameron Ditz movie - thank god for a) tescos cheap dvds 10zolty which is less than £2 and b) the fact that you can change the language! Rory went into town to email etc.
I woke up around 5 decided I must take the poor dog for a walk, I get a text from Rory saying he is drinking in the square with some Polish and an English man so I wander down and ended up getting caught up in another round of Polish hospitality beers a-go-go take out salads (with cans of diet coke for some reason) from McDonald's delivered to our table. Chicken salads I must add.. I think in Poland I am becoming a closet vegetarian... and the dog under the table is getting abit fat! But what can you do.. these people are desperate to give you food and drink I would feel so rude saying sorry I don't like your lager and I wont eat your food!!!! It got to half nine, the dog had chewed through his lead ( I think I am still on camping time .. sleep when dark) so I took him home for dinner and left Rory talking to a Polish Andrew. I think we are meeting him and his wife on Monday.
Tomorrow we have examiner training all day in Katowice, we have to meet downtown at 7AM then dinner with the landlady and her son at 7pm. She is looking after Rocky for us for the day, He is going to be sooooo fat ;-) ¶ 8:35 PM 0 comments
Saturday, September 23, 2006
23rd OctOooor House!
Bedroom
Bedroom from sitting room
View from front room into bedroom with sliding door closed(ish)
Front room
View from front room to balcony
Views of the garden from our balcony. ¶ 7:49 PM 0 comments
Bedroom
Bedroom from sitting room
View from front room into bedroom with sliding door closed(ish)
Front room
View from front room to balcony
Views of the garden from our balcony. ¶ 7:49 PM 0 comments
Friday, September 22, 2006
22nd Oct Going to Rybnik
Left the aparthotel in a bit of a flap this morning (OK yes with a bit of grumpiness on my part) as usual the loading of the car and general sorting off stuff took far longer than expected. Didnt want to be late to Rybnik to meet the guy. Wondering about where we would be sleeping that night etc etc. So many thoughts....
Drove to Rybnik with eyes like saucers wondering how far it would be what it would be like etc. The journey was quite green, mixed with industrial if that makes sense. Lots of big old stylie factories mixed with big green spaces in between. Its very flat with lots of cycle paths (on the pavement bizarrely!) The Polish roads are quite ricketty, you sort of drive down 2 grooves in the road. There are also lots of large scraps in the road. Will try and get some photos to explain.
We had arranged to meet Arek at the train station, which we eventually found after getting lost in variuos one way systems. Then waited and waited still really not knowing what to expect. Did not expect this little round man with glasses and his trousers pulled up to armpits. Tee hee I know I am being cruel ;-) He said he had found us 2 places to look at one was an bedsit in the centre of town, and one was rooms in a house one the outskirts with a big garden.
We couldnt look at the bedsit til 4pm. So we followed him to the house. Its so hard to explain our first impression of the place. The garden is the first thing you notice because it is huge and really established lots of random fruit trees, rose bushes, a veg patch, a pond. The plot itself has 3 houses on it. We have since found out that the house we are in is the orginal house and the garden used to reach down to the forest but under communism the family where gradually told to sell the land until they only had what is left. They built the other houses to put the rest of the family.
We were shown 2 rooms on the first floor. They are joined by an old stylie wooden concertina door. So one room is the front room and the other the bedroom. They are both decent sizes with sofa beds in each. There is a balcony off the front room with a swing seat and somewhere to dry ur washing. The walls are really thick and old style but the windows are v new looking double glazed. There is loads of random stuff on the walls. Certificates from 1967 and stuff! Also on the first floor there are 2 other rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom with seperate toilet and a big landing area. The other two rooms are rented to students who go home at weekends.
Downstairs I havent actually since properly apparently the guy who lives there works all hours and is never there.
Bizarrely as I never thought I would live in shared accomdation again, we took one look at the amount of space we have and the secure garden for the dog and said yes. It is 1100zl a month for both of us which is about £190 or 280 Euros.but as long as we work 80 hours each we get 800zl towards our rent leaving us with 75 euro or £50 to pay between us!
The landlady is a mother with grown up children speaks almost no english and luckily loves Rocky. We where then invited into her house for food. I was a little scared I must admit! First we had tomato soup with spagetti
MORE TO FOLLOW ¶ 8:17 PM 0 comments
Drove to Rybnik with eyes like saucers wondering how far it would be what it would be like etc. The journey was quite green, mixed with industrial if that makes sense. Lots of big old stylie factories mixed with big green spaces in between. Its very flat with lots of cycle paths (on the pavement bizarrely!) The Polish roads are quite ricketty, you sort of drive down 2 grooves in the road. There are also lots of large scraps in the road. Will try and get some photos to explain.
We had arranged to meet Arek at the train station, which we eventually found after getting lost in variuos one way systems. Then waited and waited still really not knowing what to expect. Did not expect this little round man with glasses and his trousers pulled up to armpits. Tee hee I know I am being cruel ;-) He said he had found us 2 places to look at one was an bedsit in the centre of town, and one was rooms in a house one the outskirts with a big garden.
We couldnt look at the bedsit til 4pm. So we followed him to the house. Its so hard to explain our first impression of the place. The garden is the first thing you notice because it is huge and really established lots of random fruit trees, rose bushes, a veg patch, a pond. The plot itself has 3 houses on it. We have since found out that the house we are in is the orginal house and the garden used to reach down to the forest but under communism the family where gradually told to sell the land until they only had what is left. They built the other houses to put the rest of the family.
We were shown 2 rooms on the first floor. They are joined by an old stylie wooden concertina door. So one room is the front room and the other the bedroom. They are both decent sizes with sofa beds in each. There is a balcony off the front room with a swing seat and somewhere to dry ur washing. The walls are really thick and old style but the windows are v new looking double glazed. There is loads of random stuff on the walls. Certificates from 1967 and stuff! Also on the first floor there are 2 other rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom with seperate toilet and a big landing area. The other two rooms are rented to students who go home at weekends.
Downstairs I havent actually since properly apparently the guy who lives there works all hours and is never there.
Bizarrely as I never thought I would live in shared accomdation again, we took one look at the amount of space we have and the secure garden for the dog and said yes. It is 1100zl a month for both of us which is about £190 or 280 Euros.but as long as we work 80 hours each we get 800zl towards our rent leaving us with 75 euro or £50 to pay between us!
The landlady is a mother with grown up children speaks almost no english and luckily loves Rocky. We where then invited into her house for food. I was a little scared I must admit! First we had tomato soup with spagetti
MORE TO FOLLOW ¶ 8:17 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
14th Sep Happy Birthday Rocky Budapest
Woke up with slight hangovers today. Its been agggggges since I have had a hangover! So to celebrate we stayed in our apartment for most of the day. Only emerging to walk the dog and to collect the car from the scary space age car park. It is also Rocky's birthday so he is no longer a puppy. Bought him a squeaky toy... which he ate in about 2mins. O well! 
¶ 7:30 PM 0 comments
¶ 7:30 PM 0 comments
13th Sept Nearly Shopping Budapest
Had grand plans for DOING things today. First stop go into down town Pest to buy shoes as the evenings are getting a bit cold for sandles. Wandered into town, it was soooo busy esp after the tranquil country areas we have been frequenting!
I couldnt handle it so left Rory to it and I hightailed it back to the island. Rory apparently went to the biggest shopping mall in Europe, couldnt handle to bright lights and Hungarian language so left with nothing.
Spent a v nice evening drinking beer (yes I was drinking lager again) in a little bar on the island.
The bridge to the island. The rolling hills of Buda..will be ever make it that far!
The Parliment
¶ 7:28 PM 0 comments
I couldnt handle it so left Rory to it and I hightailed it back to the island. Rory apparently went to the biggest shopping mall in Europe, couldnt handle to bright lights and Hungarian language so left with nothing.
Spent a v nice evening drinking beer (yes I was drinking lager again) in a little bar on the island.
The bridge to the island. The rolling hills of Buda..will be ever make it that far!
The Parliment
¶ 7:28 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
12th Sept Margitsziget Island Budapest
Had to get up far to early to move the car before the blue meanies got hold of it. Drove around the Budapest rush hour traffice which is a bit of an experience but not THAT bad. Found a car park which turned out to be one of those Japanese stylie things which is all automatated. You drive your car in and it gets whisked away. I just hope the machine can find it again! Rory had to then use his German to find out the pricing. I just ran way. It was way too much that early in the morning.
Wandered through Pest trying to find our apartment again. They have dog "playgrounds" every couple of blocks which are an excellent city idea. They aren't big maybe 10m by 10m properly fenced in. They have loose stones on the floor (yes they do smell a bit) and dog agility equipement, maybe a seesaw, tire tunnel etc. Also they have loads of dog bins which even have bags for you to use. Also you have to have a dog licence I am very impressed. There are ALOT of dogs in downtown Pest.
Took us a while to get going after such an early start so headed over to the island in the centre of the Danube between Buda and Pest. Its apparently where people go when they have had enough of city life. ¶ 10:42 AM 0 comments
Wandered through Pest trying to find our apartment again. They have dog "playgrounds" every couple of blocks which are an excellent city idea. They aren't big maybe 10m by 10m properly fenced in. They have loose stones on the floor (yes they do smell a bit) and dog agility equipement, maybe a seesaw, tire tunnel etc. Also they have loads of dog bins which even have bags for you to use. Also you have to have a dog licence I am very impressed. There are ALOT of dogs in downtown Pest.
Took us a while to get going after such an early start so headed over to the island in the centre of the Danube between Buda and Pest. Its apparently where people go when they have had enough of city life. ¶ 10:42 AM 0 comments
Monday, September 11, 2006
11th Sept Keszthely to Budapest
Made some frantic phone calls in agencies in Budapest and we have secured ourselves an apartment for 4 days. www.roomsinbudapest.com/english/budapest_apartments/szalay_apartment
The drive up here was pretty quick and uneventful apart from a momentry panic when we realised we where on a toll road without a vingette. So Rory had to summon up his best German and get one an in service station.
Found the apartment which is in Pest opposite the Parliment dont you know, pretty easily and managed to communicate with the landlady in Hungarian French! The apartment is HUGE. It feels very strange after being in such close contact! Mind you as I write this I am squashed between the dog and Rory on one of the 3 sofas!
Best of all we have hooked onto someones wireless network and have internet for free. ¶ 5:30 PM 0 comments
The drive up here was pretty quick and uneventful apart from a momentry panic when we realised we where on a toll road without a vingette. So Rory had to summon up his best German and get one an in service station.
Found the apartment which is in Pest opposite the Parliment dont you know, pretty easily and managed to communicate with the landlady in Hungarian French! The apartment is HUGE. It feels very strange after being in such close contact! Mind you as I write this I am squashed between the dog and Rory on one of the 3 sofas!
Best of all we have hooked onto someones wireless network and have internet for free. ¶ 5:30 PM 0 comments
10th Keszathely Hungray
No idea where today went we seemed to spend the entire day walking. Went into town for breakfast as we had no food. Found out that they speak v little English and that Rory cant remember much of his German. Lake Balaton is a bit of a let down after Slovenia. But how can you follow that??
Then spent the rest of the day looking for an internet place. Eventually we found one but it had closed the day before for 2 weeks for a refurb. Ended up going to ... I am sooo embarressed a McInternet ... but on the plus side it was v cheap and you dont have to eat burgers.
Ended up having a very random dinner as hadn't bought quite what I expected. So sat, drank beer in the candle night in a v random campsite somewhere in Hungray getting attacked by mossies. ¶ 5:29 PM 0 comments
No idea where today went we seemed to spend the entire day walking. Went into town for breakfast as we had no food. Found out that they speak v little English and that Rory cant remember much of his German. Lake Balaton is a bit of a let down after Slovenia. But how can you follow that??
Then spent the rest of the day looking for an internet place. Eventually we found one but it had closed the day before for 2 weeks for a refurb. Ended up going to ... I am sooo embarressed a McInternet ... but on the plus side it was v cheap and you dont have to eat burgers.
Ended up having a very random dinner as hadn't bought quite what I expected. So sat, drank beer in the candle night in a v random campsite somewhere in Hungray getting attacked by mossies. ¶ 5:29 PM 0 comments
Friday, September 08, 2006
8th Sept Slap Savica Waterfall Slovenia
Had a lazy morning chilling in the campsite. Been trying to find a "proper" interent place. All the ones here are one termal in a bar so we cant upload any photos etc. We need WiFi!!
Drove 10kms or so to the Saka (i think!) waterfall. Abit of a climb after our wlaking yesterday but v preety. Mad trees growing out of rocks. Then some shopping our cooking imagination is running v low tonight is fishfingers, mash and veg.. any easy
ideas most gratefully recieved!
Off to the east of Slovenia tomorrow.. back of the crazy roads. I will be hanging on to my St. Christopher!
¶ 5:18 PM 0 comments
Had a lazy morning chilling in the campsite. Been trying to find a "proper" interent place. All the ones here are one termal in a bar so we cant upload any photos etc. We need WiFi!!
Drove 10kms or so to the Saka (i think!) waterfall. Abit of a climb after our wlaking yesterday but v preety. Mad trees growing out of rocks. Then some shopping our cooking imagination is running v low tonight is fishfingers, mash and veg.. any easy
ideas most gratefully recieved!
Off to the east of Slovenia tomorrow.. back of the crazy roads. I will be hanging on to my St. Christopher!
¶ 5:18 PM 0 comments
4th Sept Venice
We have a pitch that is right next to the Venice lagoon, we didnt realise it was such a big shipping canal til 6 this morning when these HUGE boats come crusing past our tent...
What an amazing day, we took the ferry accross the lagoon from our campsite -slightly worried they wouldnt take dogs but seeing as they are allowed in Italian malls and lead-less in the supermarket we need not have worried!
Spent the day wandering the streets of Venice. Stopped for lunch in a shady little restaurente I was slighly disppointed as I thought I order pasta shells but got dough balls instead. But I made up for it by drinking half a bottle a wine. More wandering in the afternoon was starting to feel a bit jaded until came accross San Marco square. Awesome is all I have to say.
Bought some veggies for dinner off a veggie boat, then back to the camp site to drink more cider.
¶ 5:04 PM 0 comments
We have a pitch that is right next to the Venice lagoon, we didnt realise it was such a big shipping canal til 6 this morning when these HUGE boats come crusing past our tent...What an amazing day, we took the ferry accross the lagoon from our campsite -slightly worried they wouldnt take dogs but seeing as they are allowed in Italian malls and lead-less in the supermarket we need not have worried!
Spent the day wandering the streets of Venice. Stopped for lunch in a shady little restaurente I was slighly disppointed as I thought I order pasta shells but got dough balls instead. But I made up for it by drinking half a bottle a wine. More wandering in the afternoon was starting to feel a bit jaded until came accross San Marco square. Awesome is all I have to say.
Bought some veggies for dinner off a veggie boat, then back to the camp site to drink more cider.
¶ 5:04 PM 0 comments
Monday, September 04, 2006
3rd Sept Grenoble to Venice
Another longish days driving. The tunnel from France to Italy is MUCH less scarey than the Spain France one. It has its own radio station, safety lights, escape tunnels and all sorts but then it should do for 30 euros! Found a camp site oppposite the venice lagoon http://www.venicecamping.com/tourist_village/informations/gettinghere.htm
Its a very strange mix of ozzies and americans partying their way round Europe, but we have got a lovely pitch right on the water (hope there isnt a flood!) away from the bar, restaurent and pizzeria.
The boat traffic is amazing, lots of speed boats whizzing past. It was pretty late by the time we got there .. its NOT that easy to find...so just put up the tent and went for an amazing pizza and amazingly they have strongbow on tap in the campsite. Had a couple of pints but a) it tasted weird after so many weeks and b) a pint seemed too much. ¶ 1:07 PM 0 comments
Its a very strange mix of ozzies and americans partying their way round Europe, but we have got a lovely pitch right on the water (hope there isnt a flood!) away from the bar, restaurent and pizzeria.
The boat traffic is amazing, lots of speed boats whizzing past. It was pretty late by the time we got there .. its NOT that easy to find...so just put up the tent and went for an amazing pizza and amazingly they have strongbow on tap in the campsite. Had a couple of pints but a) it tasted weird after so many weeks and b) a pint seemed too much. ¶ 1:07 PM 0 comments
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Sat 2nd Sept Leaving Figeac
Managed to leave Tony's by about 10 this morning. Luckily some crazy dog turned up and entertained Rocky for a good hour before we left.
Nothing very remarkable about today's drive except we went past Volvic and saw the Volvic mountains. Didnt make it all the way to Italy. Have stopped in Grenoble in a Formula 1. Am loving having the laptop to be able to catch up with the outside world.
Onwards to Italy tomorrow. Rory's family aren't going to be in Turin til Wed so change of plan we are off to Venice tomorrow for a couple of days. Sooooo excited :-) ¶ 6:19 PM 1 comments
Nothing very remarkable about today's drive except we went past Volvic and saw the Volvic mountains. Didnt make it all the way to Italy. Have stopped in Grenoble in a Formula 1. Am loving having the laptop to be able to catch up with the outside world.
Onwards to Italy tomorrow. Rory's family aren't going to be in Turin til Wed so change of plan we are off to Venice tomorrow for a couple of days. Sooooo excited :-) ¶ 6:19 PM 1 comments
