Day 66 Poland Zakopane

Technically Slovakia and Poland are not Eastern Europe They consider themselves Central Europe.
Today was a day when things did not start right for us. Plans that we made were not working out today.
We tried to get a carpark to do a hike but couldn't work out the parking meter. So we gave up on Zakopane town and went to Nowa Targowica Market in Nowy Targ, a town about 20 minutes away. It was a huge market that spanned a kilometre at least. We tried grilled smoked cheese with cranberry sauce done directly on wood fire. This market had everything except yoghurt which was what we were mainly wanting to buy. We did get fruits and walnut though. Ruby did find a shepard hut along a rural road that sold fresh yoghurt with milk from his animals. The shepherd/ man was rather startled when he saw us, and I showed him my phone with the Polish word for yoghurt, jogjurt. He looked as it's even more quizzically and went to the back of his very smokey hut and waved an empty bottle at us. We nodded. He held up fingers to indicate price. It was a transaction without any words.
I think it was sheep yoghurt. It even had a fizzyiness when we drank it. 15PLN ($6 aud) for the 1.5 litre bottle.

We went to the UNESCO listed wooden Catholic church, St Michael the Archangel. It was full with bus loads of local tourist. We waited to see for the crowds to thin out but another bus load arrived. We finally went in with the crowd. We put Google Translate on as the guide was giving information in Polish. It gave us some information but dropped out often so we only got the gist of it.

Needing help with parking and information, we went to the visitors information but did not get much help there. When I asked about the cost of parking and if there was a whole day ticket. They said they didn't know and that I had to check the meters. They didn't give me much information about the hikes we could do in Zakopane either. Fortunately, Ruby had discovered AI. We managed to get the information we needed with the help of AI.

I got my second fine of 500zl equivalent to A$191 for driving into a no entry area. Firstly, I didn't see the sign and secondly if I had seen the sign for no entry in Poland, I would not have recognised it. It is a red circle with white in the middle. The area was restricted to buses ride share and taxis only. We were pulled over by a female constable that told me what I did wrong then told me the fine was 5000 zl if it is sent out to my home address, but if I paid it straight away, it would only be 500zl. We paid the fine.

Dinner was at a traditional polish restaurant. Food was average, but halfway through mains, a grandpa garage band started to sing and play music. They were out of time, out of tune and out of harmony. Ruby was very happy as she wanted a beer and discussed the various beers on menu with the waiter. He then brought different beers for her to try. Ruby thought the piwo z sokiem (literally translated as "beer with juice") was rather peculiar. Despite the name calling it "juice" (sok), it is made using a raspberry cordial mixed into a local lager. Ruby settled for a dark beer from a bottle and asked for the cap to take the rest of the 500ml back to our accommodation, which she then proceeded to finish.

Best to sleep and start again tomorrow.Read more