Farewell, Wroclaw. Left the key under the mat. I never met the host. It was Easter holidays 'round these parts, so folks were off giving one another the tops of their eggs. I looked at myself in a mirror in the dark and smiled as I sneaked out.
It was a hungover little tic tac toe walk across the cobblestones to the train station. I found my way by feel. Remembered the route and spared the map. Dear old map, the dear dear thing. Had the mildest of headaches from my excess. Willows wept in front of a violet-crowned skyline.
At the palatial station, I bought a salami sandwich, because mama always said salami is nature's band-aid. "Salami is nature's Band-Aid" - Mom.
Got the ticket and some kawe, found the platform, sat on a little slab of wood, and waited. Eventually, the train's breath brought me to life, and I boarded. Right car, right seat. I'm ready for the exam.
The trains in the Southern lands had a little more... life to them. Those train rides through Transylvania were full of characters, politics, and a tacky sideshow of crippled lesbians and silver peddlers. Here, everyone folds their jackets into pillow shapes and sleeps. They don't even talk to one another.
No one bothers you except a ticket taker every three hours.
But, that kind of quiet was what I needed. The hangover was getting a little more, 'ow you say?, insistent. "I won't be ignored, sir. I remain in your system and demand satisfaction" - Buffalo Vodka
Slapped some salami on it and poured some water on it. I think what I mostly needed was sleep. I'm not really eating or sleeping too much here. But I don't feel too tired or hungry.
Or do I? This is the part of the trip where I usually lose track of my body and my needs, and what day of the week it is, and how much longer I have. It's just train tables and UNESCO heritage buildings on a swirling roulette wheel.
Finished Just Kids. Romantic story about commitment to art. Finished the Collected Stories of Breece Pancake. Some great stuff there. He killed himself at age 27, the dope. Based on these things, he could have probably written an awesome novel, but the bullet got him. Grim tales of coal-mining country.
Dozed a lot and smelled the ionic air. Every now and again, I would wake up and see the happy landscape expressing its appreciation for the rain in bursts of green and yellow applause. This leg of the trip was neither industrial nor agrarian. It was just space on a map the game designers didn't put much work into.
And, thus five hours did pass. Started a new book, tried to manage my headache, drifted in and out. Arrived in Torun. The Vistula, Krakow's river, is up here too. Ah, to once more behold its life-giving waters! Hail to thee, shimmering Vistula!
Took a cab to the walled little village where the great Copernicus took his first breath.
It's glorious. Sun-drenched stones in a marvelously preserved town. There must have been field trips a-plenty, because there were kids climbing on every statue while impotent zoo keepers yelled "mushky brushky" at them.
Backed my pack to the coffee shop where my key was being held. Fabulous people. A glamorous woman and her "surprised professor" husband. Huge Coke-bottle lenses on that guy. Or were his eyes just big? I can't remember now. She was like, "You email nice you, so I up your room grade." I was handed a big, chunky key like from a fairy tale.
The prof was like, "Your file says Seattle, yes? We know Seattle. You must return to this shop, yes? During the day tomorrow if you want to make your Instagrams, you must do it here, yes?"
I promised I would. The upgraded room was pretty far away. Gave me a chance to get the lay of the land. Found it, stuck the key in the lock like I was Thorin at the Moon Door, and kuh-rashed.
Some weirdo kid in shorts woke me up to fix the heat. Part of the upgrade, I guess. Then it was blissful nippernaps until around 6 p.m. Woke up with plenty of light left, so I went out in search of food and statues. Delightful hobbles over and around castle ruins and curvy little surprisestreets. Didn't take too many pics.
Found an hilarious little pierogi place where you serve yourself, so I served myself. Hangover defeated. All it took was some native food.
Then back here to the Upgrade Estate to make plans for tomorrow and get some real sleep. I'll wake up early, photograph some gingerbread, Instagram a latte, and walk across the bridge to the train station.
Another ride will take me to Lodz. Should be..... Lodz of fun!
Hee haw!
This joke does not work, since Lodz is pronounced "Wootch" in Polish - Copernicus
The universe revolves around Wootch!
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