Travel / Verdict - Weekend in Katowice [21]

Wow....what can I say......

I was actually worried about going to Kat (especially alone) and also being darker skinned.

when i arrived for boarding at London STN i looked around (as the odd one out), thought WTF am i doing, and had the urge to run back home.

I'm glad i didnt....

i arrived on Thursday, got a minibus frm Kat airport to the centre (which cost 20 zl) and arrived 30 mins later....greeted by my friend (who i must say was looking extremely prettier than i remembered) went to check into my hotel (diament) and found out that the booking hadnt been confirmed by the company i booked with. HAH....knew something would go wrong :P

Luckily i managed to find a vacancy @ the hotel Katowice (thanks in no small part to her knowledge)....which i must say was brilliant (despite the off putting exterior view)...I managed to get a hotel suite for abt 750 zl for 3 nights....and was extremely beautiful inside, and the staff were extremely polite and helpful....even trying to help me perfect my pronounciation of 'thank you'......which i never managed to..(and being only the 3rd polish word i knew after kochanie, and kocham cie)

with a pizza hut around the corner (which my lovely 'friend' loves....it was quite convenient....and turned out to be the place we had our first (on thurs) and last meal(sunday)....and held a much lovlier environment than the ones here ( i hate pizza hut!!!)

was on my own in the evening....and was a little uncomfortable heading into Kat alone...so stayed in my room.

Friday i was shown around the city shopping centre....a 10 minute journey by tram.....which was very modern....i was surprised by the price of certain designer goods....certainly alot more expensive than in london..

we then headed back and had a lovely lunch in a sweet little italian resturante (of which the name i have forgotten)...

at night i decided to sample the nightlife....and went to 'Archibar'......and i must say.....for a date....this must be the most perfect place....cool atmosphere, dim lighting, cool music, spacious and a selection of coctails....

unfortunately, being alone was no good for me, and the helpful, english speaking barmaids reccomended club SPIZ.....which to my surprise, turned out to be brilliant.

A lovely bunch of students happily walked me the 15 minute journey, laughing and playfully mocking my english...as i did their polish (wonderful sense of humor)...and the goodbye handshakes (for the guys), kisses and hugs for the girls were well appreciated.

Entering Spiz was pretty daunting, but turned out to be such a warm friendly crowd, with a good selection of RnB and 90's tunes...girls were dressed classily as well as scantily......

i had a nice mingle, and was approached by quite a few girls...but i already knew there was only one girl i wanted to spend my time with in Kat (awwwww i hear u say :P)...i also managed to meet a couple of guys, who had lived in london, and had the barman 'sort me out' with a 80% discount....

unfortunately i still didnt feel too comfy walking home alone so late at night so ended up leaving @ 1...jus as the party had started to begin ( i would certainly reccomend this place)......

Saturday i spent shopping (mainly of the window variety) and had a drink in the sports cafe (to watch the lunchtime English football)...although no one spoke english, the barmaid and (all male) customers were very polite....although this atmosphere wasnt suitable and so i left at half time....

In the evening i met my friend and went again to Archibar.....and this time, the atmosphere was very relaxed and romantic.....perfect for holding hands, and staring into each others eyes, hearing about her good times, and aspirations (i hear the awwwwwwww's again :P)....a bottle of wine and a lil canoodling in the hotel sweet...made it a perfect night.

at night and alone in my hotel suite, missing Domi (no more awwww's plz), after such a wonderful evening (more awww's :P) the hotels free wireless came in handy as i was able to watch the Haymaker fight......

Sunday, with my flight leaving @ 8pm, i had to hang around my room til 2 until domi could free herself from church (good girl) and family commitments...

i ended up meeting her family, who were very sweet, and seemed to warm to me.....as i did they.....

then off to pizza hut for a lovely meal and lovely rose wine...the wine which seemed to do the trick....back to the hotel suite for a perfect hug and kisses...before an emotional rush to the bus station, where i just managed to get the bus as it was leaving (one every hour).......

would i change this destination/trip if i could? no....Kat had a(strangely) sense of romance, a city blessed with tradition and modernisation........

did i have a lovely time? certainly....

did i spend such wonderful times with my (law student) soulmate.....my future wife? i very very much doubt it :P.

But this does have the 'mythical' sense of a city where dreams could hapen........