Time flies when you’re having fun, which reminds me of a historic past. I remember my summer 95′ when me and two friends were out in Europe. It only took a cuple of days for my comrades to snuggle around with each other, so I took my bag and went east, more specifically to Bratislava. After a short sojourn there, I hitchhiked to Prague, nice city. I liked the old town like so many other tourists,.. From there, I went to Germany first and then took ferry to Trelleborg, well there, into the bank and grabbed my last pennies for another trip to Poland,.. What a crappy country! It might have changed now, but then,… I didn’t dare hitchhike there, it really yelled out, -Don’t dare to hitchhike here!

All wasnt shit in poland. In Krakow, I got one of my better memories. I had bought a sausage and a little bag of ”pivo” in the hot dog stand and sat down on a park bench, then after a while a whole bunch of Gypsies/Romany came, one more tipsy than the other passed me in cascade of different sounds. I was soon joined by an elderly tipsy gentleman in his ”sharpest costume” for the day. His family sat in the park about twenty yards away, gritty, no shoes and widely worn, they held a very loud appearance. The man that had joined me started talk to me and later on he asked for a beer. He spoke Polish and I replied in Swedish, I tried to speak English with him first but I think he understood Swedish better. Sign language, Swedish, Polish and English did that we had a lot of fun anyway, he wanted to change his gold necklace against my silver necklace that was a little sturdier model than his so-called gold links but I denied his offer kindly. We sat there well over two hours and talked and discussed. He also offered me, as he said. -beautiful women for a small fee. I declined to that too. But, I said yes when he invited me to dinner, ”provided that I bought some ”Pivo”. Off we went. I followed these not so tidy but humble people, home to their ”tents” that lay in a small park not far from Krakow’s famous square. Once there, we drank beer and wine and someone had a lukewarm liquor that tasted like wormwood/absinth, we laughed and played music and enjoyed the fruits of what my money could offer. I spent the night in the park with them and made friends for life …

This story makes me think of a Romany brass band -Fanfare Ciocarlia.

They made a documentary of this Romany group 2004, see it!

The gist of this is: Don’t Hitchhike in Poland, but do socialize with the local ranger.

Last Covenants.