This year it was the perfect combo 1st May-Labor Day, 3rd of May- Constitution Day in Poland so there where no excuses not to visit my 85 years old grandma, Ileana. My girlfriend, Benia, was so exicted to meet her since we book the flight tickets. If you don’t know, the date of the orthodox Easter is first Sunday after the first full moon, after the spring quinox.
Krakow-Dobrovăț
First we took a bus+train combo of Leo Express. The price was just 23 euro for both of us, timing around 5 hours. It was the 2nd time when we were using this train, almost years after our first trip together to Prague. I hope that soon I will tell you also about that magic trip. Coming back to 1st of May,2024, 6 A.M, just a week after the Spanglish trip, we were getting into the Leo Express bus which we were supposed to switch it with a train in Czech Republic, Ostrava. Around 10:30 we reached Olomouc.
Welcome to Olomouc
Near the main train station was Albert shop, open even if it was bank holiday. Thanks God, cause we were so hungry and especially thristy for some Kofola, the local cola. We even discovered some new flavours of Kofola. Since the way to the center was requiring another 30 minutes walking, we stop to chill in the Botanic Garden. Very sunny, chiil, fee entrance, a nice lake, all that we need. We knew that around 12:00 the clock from the city hall will ring and make a nice impression so we gathered to see all the animations.
Near there was some information office where we bought the smallest fridge manget ever. We wanted to make sure that his one would fit in between all the other magnets form our not enough big fridge. Another chilling session, this time with some juice-lemonade, was required on a place near Caesar statue. Ofc it was called Cafe Caesar. The legend says that the Roman emperor discovered this place.
Luckly, our place was also in the center, few minutes walking. But on the way we had to stop at Fancy Fries, a place that we discovered in Ostrava, on the New Eve trip. I hope I would find some time to talk also about this trip, at one point. On this street where the fries were we bump into a food festival were we tried and buyed some chesse. We even saw a Romanian place but we were saving ourself for Easter sarmale. Finally we got at the accomodation for some power nap. We woke up around 16:30, just in time to get at least one exibition from the Art Museum. The lady from the office recommend us the one from the top floor where even if it was pretty hot, we had the chance to admire the city in a 360 panoramic view.
After this, we reached to the ortodox church St. Gorazd even if we were trying to get to Saint Wenceslas Cathedral. We arrived in the end, but it was too late. What was not too late was to catch was MichelanGelato place. We even had to wait some time in queue. The lady had to do some overtime but she did not looked bothered.
One night in Olomouc
It felt more like a normal Wedsnesday than a bank holiday. We found a nearby terrace, Hanacka Hospoda, where we tasted very good soup and fulfill our apetite with a burger and ribs.
In the same square it was Bla Bla Bla Olomouc, a karaoke ba, but after a first visit we decided to come later cause it was empty. We explored the surroundings and decided to chill for some time at Cocktails and Dreams. After the 3rd or 4th visit we managed to find some people at Bla Bla Bla. For the playlist they had a very interesting jukebox and you had to pay around 2-3 PLN/song. It was fun, but around midnight the had to close. At least it was 1 minute away from the accomodation. Anyway, next day we had to do an early check-out. The tummy was demading for a chill place for breakfast. After some walk, Benia found Cofee Library, inside the Olomouc University. I felt student and so young and wild again 🙂 And ofc not hungry or thristy anymore.
Idk why we did not visit anymore the cathedral but we headed to the bus station, arriving with more than one hour before early. Around the bus stop they had only some benches and a sweet chimney stand. In the end the Vienna airport Flibus arrived and we were leaving Czech Republic. On the way we got rain, storm, traffic jam, if we would not had almost one hour extra time we could even lose the flight.
Bucharest
The chain of late arrival continued. I asked a friend of mine, Emil to buy us train tickets to Iasi since the booking website was not working. But guess what? Surprise, Suprise, there were no more tickets available. If you want to find more about Emil, the multiblogger guy you check out this Yolo-Interview. At least we grabbed from Carrefour some mici and potatoes to eat during the train transfer from Bucharest Airport to Bucharest North train station. Plan B to reach Iasi was Bla bla car, but no car was available, only next day at 07:00. Actually Bla bla car was Plan A since it was cheaper, faster and way more comfy.The price of Bucharest-Iasi train was the same like the Ryanair flight Vienna-Bucharest, 24 euro. That is why we waited till the last moment to buy train tickets. So for plan C I called Florin, a very good buddy, former flamate and so on. If you want to find out more about how nice he is you check also the YOLO-Interviu with him also. Thx Good that Florin was in town and he agree to host us over the night ’cause on Booking or Airbnb, at 22:00, Idk which check-in will be still available. When we reached the Bucharest North Train Station we met Emil at KFC to have a midnight snack and taste the absinth brought by us from Ibiza. Unfortunately we did not had enough times for all the stories since we had to catch the last metro to Florin’s place. It was so cozy at his new place. Florin is the perfect host with snack, drinks, boardgames and others. We skkiped the boardgames part cause we were too tired. Instead of that we drink, talked and chill while watching Good Doctor, season 6. Even if were supposed to leave by Bla Bla car next morning, at 07:00 I decided to watch some Romanian movie Klaus & Barroso, which was so boring that it really helped me to sleep.
Dobrovăț
Next day, we left on time to the Bla Bla car location. After half an hour of trying to find the spot we got into the Bla Bla car and we were on the way to Iași. After around 5 hours we reached Copou, the student campus area of Iasi. Here, my brother with his wife and my father were waiting for us. But just after we put the lugages in my brother’s car trunk I realised that I forgot my lucky water bottle from Amsterdam in the Bla bla car. I will try to make some time to talk about about this dutch trip. Luckly, the Bla Bla guy was still in the parking nearby and I got my bottle back. One hour later we were arriving at my grandma house and all the childhood summer break hit me. Or it was the hunger, Idk, probably both :)) We unpacked Easter gifts from the Lavazza Museum from Turin and from Poland (my grandma is a huge fan of Polish candies) and then we sat on the table to have some meatballs soup. Probably the article will include more details about the visit to Lavazza Museum. Finally a weekend of chill was waiting for us.
The place of my granda it is a clasic Romanian countryside one. With chickens, rosters, turkeys, cats and lots of tree and vegetables plantations. Inside the house she has a TV for the evening news. The downside it is the backyard toilet, in the night it might be scary. But all the food, including eggs, sarmale, mici and all the bbq taste havenly.
And the most important thing is the reunion of the family, almost everyone, daughter,son, grandaughter were around my grandma, which was so happy. I think even now I still got egg paint on my foot and my flip flops. Unfortunately, me and Benia skipped the midnight Saturday Easter ceremony cause it was too cold and we really could use some sleep. But we went to the same ceremony next day, on Easter Sunday. The Dobrovăț monastery is a few minutes walking from my grandma’s house. It is a gorgeus 500 years old church founded by the Stefan the Greatest after another victory against the Otoman Empire. At the end of every day we were playing Catan. One time we even won with 11 points.
The time flew so fast that that it was already Monday morning 03:00 A.M, the time to go by car to the Bucharest Airport. My brother was so nice that he offered his ride to go Bucharest. Also he wanted to try some new stuff from Paul, the French boulangerie where he used to work in Cluj when he was a student and now it is available only in Bucharest. When we arrived at the airport, we saw at the departure the Romanian football coach Razvan Lucescu. I could get out to take a selfie but my brother was searching for a parking spot.
After saying goodbye to my brother and his wife, as usual we headed to the the arrivals Carrefour, this time to buy as a souvenir a veggie pate, mushroom flavour, manily for Petrica the DJ from Lost Bar. But we enjoyed too so much that barely left one box for our friend. The taste of pairing the pate with pufuleti was divine. The brand is Mandy if you are curious to try it.
Vienna
Landing to some more serious stuff we had to think what to do new in Vienna since we have been here so many times. Since my first article about Vienna I think we went at least 10 times.Vienna it is a very cheap flying hub and not far away from Krakow. Coming back the nice weather from Vienna, we decided to do some sunbatch on the beach, near Danube, in the New Wien neighborhood. But just before that we had to taste the usual and traditional Leberkase.
After we got bored we took a walk around and after that took a metro to the center for a free walking tour. Until this day I guess we never had a free walking tour in Vienna. Before that we stop at Billa Corso for some soup and Janpanesse ice cream, the well-known mochi with 5-6 diferent type of flavours. The free walking tour was nice except the rain and splashing. I mean we could put them under the cateogry refreshing moments. Since the train to Krakow was around 23:00 we still got a few hours to spend in town. We choose Daniel Cafe to try some hot cholocate paired with Apfel strudel and the Vienna cake so recommended during the free walking tour.
The last suprise of this trip was a Burger King stop for a hot dog. This was for the first time when we found hot dog in a pretty fancy building. Arround 22:30 we arrived in Hauptbankhof. I was a little bit stressed since this Munchen-Warsaw train was 30 minute delayed. I could not wait to get my seat and sleep till next morning. The nice thing was than you could wait inside the mall cause on the platform was freaking cold and I was still in shorts. Finnaly the train arrived n Vienna and later, around 06:00, it brought us back in Krakow.
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