This year, the winter season started in installments. My first time in the mountains was in Lanckorona, but there I was competitively 😉 practicing yoga, and that is not a winter sport, but definitely a year-round one. I couldn’t go to Zakopane together with everyone else because I had to work a bit, so I bought myself a ticket for Wednesday evening.
A surprise on the train
Already on the train, the first signs showed that it was better not to go to Zakopane ;-). Namely, I sprawled out in the first car of the train (due to my size I buy 1st class :-)) and settled down to sleep. Even before I reached REM sleep, ticket control woke me up and made me realize that while the car class was right, well… I was heading to Krynica Górska. So I moved 6 cars down and occupied a whole compartment. Despite the early hour (the train wasn’t even a minute late), Tomek picked me up from the station. I quickly got to the accommodation to take a little nap, after which I went shopping to supplement my wardrobe with a winter hat, gloves, and socks for winter boots.
Zakopane winter and a spectacular skiing fall
About 4 hours after arriving, skis appeared on my feet (well okay, ski boots first) and it began. Since I arrived equipped with electronics to capture reality both on film and in photos, only the cameraman’s lack of skill can explain why the first fall wasn’t recorded well. It got better with the next ones, though somehow there weren’t that many of them. However, the most spectacular show wasn’t recorded, but it could be heard all over Zakopane… I didn’t manage to make a nice turn behind Tomek and I took a shortcut off the slope :P. Seeing that I wouldn’t brake in time, I lifted the net separating the slope from the rest of the area for myself and rode under it, bending backward :-). I didn’t stay on my feet though, and right after passing the fence I bit the dust… what can you do.
Returning on an empty stomach
Generally, the stay in Zakopane was very successful. I survived, so it’s all good. I was more sore after yoga than after skiing, but in a way, after yoga, I was more immune to pain ;-). While the trip was great, the return was a nightmare. We drove from Zakopane to the Krakow area for over 4 hours. The place where we were supposed to eat (near Częstochowa “at Karol’s”) had already been closed for 90 minutes, the KFC location in Częstochowa turned out to be a phantom (and we had skipped one), and generally, we didn’t eat for the whole journey. Whatever, we made it :-). On the way, we spotted two interesting license plates, one is visible in all its glory, and the second, captured at the last second, proves it isn’t lying
(dedicated to the person who knows it’s for them :P) photos and a video from the trip are below