Mad Dogs and Englishmen in Europe

[skull_bearer]

So, having finally scanned all the photos from my trip, I'm at long last ready to talk about my backpacking holiday (the therapy helped too). I kept a diary while I was there (gotta have somebody to talk to) so I'll be copying what I wrote there. This was all pretty well written on scene, so everything I write is exactly what I thought while there. Anything in itallics will be me now (and probably apologising for the crappy photo quality). I'm also going to include various ficlets and poems I wrote at the time.

So, that being said here we go:

4th September

My reflection, dirty mirror
- Zero, Smashing pumpkins 
(this song went over and over in my head the entire time I was on holiday)


written while on the plane

Centralwings are no better or worse than the other crank-cost airlines out there. The food's cheaper but it took off an hour late, so it evens out.
Somewhere over France at the moment, half the announcements and staff are Polish, which Erik understands but I don't. Erik isn't being helpful, and to be honest I don't blame him.
Incredible stormcloud to the south (I had a teeny tiny compass with me) like white candyfloos in a machine run by a maniac.
Can't remember the last time I flew over France without landing there, must have been when we were going to Tunisia.

A bit scared. This is very new to me and I can't speak Polish, hopefully hostels won't be a problem. Warsaw, Lublin, Lublin and Krakow should be okay, but Oswiecim will be harder. Re-reading 'A Clash of Kings'.

The clouds are an untouched snowfield
Which no man's foot will ever marr.
The hilocks and hollows only yield
To the hollow sky afar.
The only birds have steel wings
And leave a paperchase of steam
The lonely sky burns through these things
And the clouds fade as though a dream.

Descent. Things are so muchg easier in the air, but trouble catches up to you on the ground. It's probably Poland. The fields are like slatted wood floors, long and thin, reather than patchwork.

When we landed, everyone started clapping. Gods know why. Is it a tradition here?


Getting bags took forever. They actually closed the reclaim at one point. Then then opened it against and it was an improvement- still no bags, but an improvement. Got the bag. Managed to find and get on a bus to the town center (175). Still haven't worked out how you pay though.
It's the first time I'm in a place where I can't even guess the language. I speak English, French and a bit of Spanish, but Polish might as well be chinese. I can guess some German and Italian and Portugese, but this eludes me completely. Feeling rather isolated. Hope I can get to the town center okay, then I can find a hostel, dump my bags and get my bearings.

The bus didn't go directly to the town center, as it was on diversion. I met a french tourist who explained it to me. I got out and walked to one hostel, which was fully booked. Luckily, the second one had space, although the receptionist kept on being interrupted by phonecalls so it took me about half an hour before I got my room. My bag was about 20kg and painful, so it was a relief to get it off. Then I headed out again.

Skull Bearer: YE Gods it's cold!
Erik: Yes.
Erik: I hate you SO much I could kill you with my bare hands. (Issues Erik, issues...)
Skull Bearer: Good luck with that, since you're kinda... imaginary. (do not bait the deraged traumatised mutant)
Erik: Believe me, that won't be a problem. (And he did get his revenge. X-men mpreg dreams? Baaaad place)
So yes, Erik is livid. What sort of writing I'll get out of him, I'm not sure, but he really isn't happy.
And Warsaw is really cold.

It's a lot more real, being here. way too easy to imagine. In London, it doesn't really sink in, but in Warsaw... way to easy. The stones remember.
I'm no longer looking forward to Auschwitz.

Going to buy a shot glass for every place I go, and get pissed when I go back to London. (This I did, I have 9 now. I should have 10, but they didn't sell them in Linz :(  )

"No one could find the Polish winters bearable"- Me, Past Tense.
I had no idea how right I was. It's only Sept but I still feel I should buy gloves.

Then I wondered around looking for ages, took this picture, and got a bit lost.

Taken from the top of some renovated battlements, most of Warsaw is renovated, since the nazis really flattened the place.

I found a very nice looking restaurant. Duck with apples for 27zl! 27/6= £4.50. Yum. So starting the rather pleasent tradition of eating like a king while backpacking.
And when I came in, the radio was playing 'Black Vevet.' This was meant. Erik calmer.
Mmm. Tomato juice. Very nice. I used to love it as a child. When I was small and lived with my father I was sometimes allowed down in the evenings when my father had friends over. I'd listen to them talk and get given tomato juice. I wonder if Erik liked tomato juice? He does, it tastes different on his lips. He hates the song on now though, I think it's okay.

Great meal, but it seems that hunger was the only think keeping me away. I'm toppling with exhaustion. bed soon, I think.
Feeling homesick. :(