BOU AVENUE
Łódź
Zosia Zgolak and I spent the last few days (26-28 August 2023) of our vacation in Poland in her hometown of Łódź.  On Saturday evening, we hooked up with Zosia's good friend, Aleksandra (Ola) Przybył, and her boyfriend, Wojtek, at the raucous Piotrkowska Street which was hopping with activity.  On Sunday, Zosia's mother, Teresa Kosmala, joined us for an afternoon visit with Zosia's cousin, Anna Bujanowska, and her family.  Later, Zosia and I finished packing up and had a short sleep before getting up at midnight to bid Teresa farewell and drive to Warsaw for an early Monday morning flight.  We had about a five-hour layover at the Paris airport before catching our flight home to Calgary to conclude our vacation.

A big thank you goes out to Teresa for her love and support.  Dziękuję bardzo i ściskam mocno, Teresa!

Also, a huge thank you goes out to my friend, Thierry Crozon, for looking after my cats (and snail) as well as Zosia's plants while we were away.

Finally, a special thank you goes to Zosia for planning and organizing our vacation as well as arranging our car rental and paying for all our expenses.  Kocham cię!
Anyone got a magnet?

Sonny stands beside a Pomnik Jednorożca (Unicorn Statue) near Piotrkowska Street.
And we're such party animals!

Piotrkowska Street is the place to party on a Saturday night in Łódź.
Pump up the jam! As part of the festivities for Parada Wolności (Freedom Parade) which took place earlier in the day, numerous trucks such as the one in the background are scattered all along Piotrkowska Street this evening blaring loud techno music.
The lineup behind us says it all!

Sonny and Zosia meet with Wojtek and Ola at Lody Rzemieślnicze which purportedly serves the best ice cream in town.

Na zdrowie! Wojtek, Ola, Sonny and Zosia try vodka shots at a pub whimsically named Ministerstwo Śledzia i Wódki (Ministry of Herring and Vodka).
Need another vodka shot to wash that down! Zosia enjoys eating śledź (herring) with bread.
That cider tasted really good! Burp! The group wraps up the night with a round of drinks at Cud Miód Fabryczna (Miracle Honey Factory).  Ironically, Sonny--normally a non-drinker--is the only one drinking anything with alcohol in it (an apple cider); everyone else has opted for nonalcoholic beers.
That was a fun night out! Zosia, Wojtek, Ola and Sonny pose once more under the sign for Piotrkowska Street.
Dziękuję bardzo, Marcin! Sonny sports a Polish Army winter hat gifted to him by Zosia's cousin's husband, Marcin Bujanowski.  The family dog, Luna, seems to approve of the hat.
We are family! Posing for a group photo in the kitchen are (L to R) Sonny, Marcin, Teresa, Anna (Zosia's cousin), Gabrysia (Anna's and Marcin's daughter) and Zosia.
First time I've ever had to do this with a rental car...WTF? As part of the rental agreement, Sonny has to clean the Toyota Aygo both inside and out before returning it.
Dziękuję bardzo, Teresa! Kochamy Cię! Sonny and Zosia present flowers to Teresa as a farewell gift for being such a fantastic host.

Do widzenia, Łódź!

Here is one last look at the city of Łódź from the window of Teresa's apartment.

 

And if we weren't comfortable with this, we could just leave one door unlocked! For real? The rental company gave instructions to park the Toyota Aygo in any lot at the airport, leave the keys in the glove box with the doors unlocked, and email them a photo of the car's location.
Late dinner or early breakfast? Even though it is 3:00 AM, Sonny and Zosia opt to eat the sandwiches that Teresa made for them before going through security at Warsaw Chopin Airport.
We'll always have Paris! A five-hour layover at Charles de Gaulle Airport is not quite enough time to take a tour of Paris, France (the train ride between the airport and the city centre takes at least an hour).  As such, this mural at the airport will have to suffice.
And I prefer Zosia's smile instead of Mona Lisa's! This small museum at the airport is not The Louvre, but at least it is free and uncrowded.