31 December 2001 - Day 2 - I've broken my head
Day 2 saw the intrepid adventurers rising a little cloudy headed in time for a late breakfast and the first of many snowball fights...

After a mildly surreal visit to Tescos, Krakow, to buy skiing clothes, where Al and Dan discovered that Polish men are somewhat smaller than the average British gent (think Bee-Gees and you'll be on the right track...) it was decided that we should return to what we do best...

Which is why 5pm CET found us in the ancient cellars of Krakow Clock Tower... out of our tiny minds on Vodka, spiced wine and beer!!!

Having by now met up with all of the gang, Veronica was able to teach us a Russian toast that translates as "See you under the table..." The tone of the evening was set, and the inevitable "Under Table" photography will follow shortly... Colin started making friends as only Colin knows how - having been Bez from the Happy Mondays in a former career, this involves about 14 wooly hats and a lot of dancing - before heading off for our first proper Polish meal...

It was at the restaurant that Dan revealed his party trick that was going to appear on a regular basis - namely passing out and snoring (time approx 9pm...) Good food arrived and with a little encouragement, Dan managed to soak up some booze whilst Colin danced for the other diners, assisted by a hardcore folk violinist... Mean while, Al found out the hard (or easy?!) way to identify the Polish signs for 'Gents' and 'Ladies', much to the amusement of a few of the female diners...

Energy replenished by Polish soup and stew, another bar was needed - and where better than a bar where it appeared the female staff were available for hire?! Dan slept, Colin danced... The more observant of you may spot a pattern forming...

By now we had already gained a reputation as an international, diplomatic force of drinkers and party makers, and were picking up people as we staggered from bar to bar...(a reputation that was to stay with us for the duration of our stay!). With his reputation as an international Jazz musician firmly established, Al 'Fingers' Froom was found signing autographs, and with the help of his manager, Mr. Nic Costa, was teaching the locals to scream the traditional chant of 'Finger me baby'...

A couple of shots later and Dan 'Max Love' Chick was back with us, just in time to have his camera stolen... (regular readers may remember a similar incident in Italy...). The shots turned out to contain the Polish version of Absinthe - not to mention antifreeze and screen wash - which may explain a few things...

Another bar, another club, some more friends made... Another doze (Dan), a lot more dancing (Colin), some more smooth talking rubbish (Al)... the night becomes a blur until the taxis return us to our hosts house at about 5:20am.

After the obligatory head-first-diving-into-a-6-foot-snow-drift competition (remember the absinthe?) Dan 'Max Love' Chick decided the obvious way into the house was not to wait for the side gate to be opened, but to climb the main gate... A 5 minute battle of man against gate ensued, followed by a head first dive onto the drive... a soft thud, silence, then the immortal words were squeaked -

'I've broken my head...'

The man now known as 'Max Love' throughout Poland was helped to bed, luckily far too drunk to know how much pain he was in.

By now it is 5:30am. At 6am, a bus is arriving to take us snowboarding... That's 30 minutes to sleep it all off...

Oh dear...

More soon......

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