Lola Brings Good Weather Here

Lola has singlehandedly stopped the monsoon season in both Prague and Zakopane. I know I am afraid of her wrath but I didn't know Mother Nature is, too. We've been out in two 4 second sprinkle events, but that's it.

Yesterday was the day we planned to go to Morskie Oko, the eye of the sea, which requires getting up to the top of a gigantic mountain in one of two ways. We opted for the horse and wagon transportation while Tina decided to walk the mountain. I couldn't climb it 10 years ago when I was here; now I am 5 years older so it was out of the question. There is a paved road so it's not a strenuous climb, more of a steady incline for about 3 hours. We ran into Tina as we were waiting for a horse and wagon. The 10,000 people who are vacationing here were also standing in the line and each wagon can hold only 15 people. In a little over an hour, we finally got on and by coincidence, when we got to the top, Tina was waiting to take our pictures as we got out.  From the horse drop-off, it's a 1 K walk, straight uphill. It's difficult because it's such a high altitude; I would tell you how high but I don't understand meters. We found out this is the last month for the horses and wagons--people were complaining about the animal cruelty. We don't know whether they'll start running buses to pollute the forest.

Lola at the mountain top

Morski Oko

How you get ther

Today we spent the day shopping on the main street and enjoying our spa at the hotel. They have a jacuzzi, huge swimming pool and 3 saunas--dry, steam, and infrared. We didn't stay long in the infrared because we were convinced alien forces were invading our bodies.

We went to dinner and then to a concert of Flamenco Fusion music at the theater where we saw the Trapdoor play. Incredible. We got in early for us--the last two nights we came back around 1:30 a.m. and are convinced that on the staff shift, the clerk tells the new person "the weird old American women will come back at 2." They don't have to ask our room number--it's the only key left. Our late nights are the result of seeing the great Trapdoor play one night and babysitting one of the actor's kids the next. The one year old is a high-quality baby but he didn't feel the same about us.

We're off to Krakow after breakfast tomorrow. I can only hope the buffet is serving chocolate croissants because when they don't, Lola gets very angry and that might cause rain.