BLOG 2. IS NEW. FOR YOU.

Let the food begin.

And the actual trip too. Not just aeroplanes and airports. Or aeroplane food - don’t get us started on that.

Bleary eyed after over 24 hours travel, we navigate ourselves from the airport to a very fun little cafe in down town Frankfurt, after tip toeing past the 'Occupy Frankfurt' protest so as not to disrupt their very important meetings. The lady working at the café is literally pulling a tray of fresh chocolate croissants from the oven as we walk in and announce in our equally fresh German accents, 'Guten Morgen.' We sit down to jug-a-latte (referring to the excessive serving size) and devour the fresh and piping hot croissants.

The perfect antidote to jet lag as we formulate a plan and head straight to the local kleinmarkethalle or Fruit and Veg market.

Bristling with excitement as our noses lead us through the market doors, we are immediately rewarded with an ambrosial array of cured meats. The sample trays are full and the locals are literally plucking handfuls of freshly cut salami and ham. Not wanting to offend any locals, we follow suit and take our own handfuls. Devouring them, our taste buds are tantalised by the, for us, previously unheralded sheer quality of what we just ate. Seriously good. Seriously fresh. Quality, quality meat. 

Again our noses lead the way and we end up at the nearby butchers shop where fresh and aptly named 'frankfurts' are being reeled in from their steamy estuaries. Feeling like a child on their first day of school we sit back and take in the process of acquiring the said frankfurt. Confidence restored, we march over to the counter, hurriedly motion to last customer before he weaves out of site and negotiate in broken English and German. Our toils are repaid as we walk away with smiles and a steaming hot piece of frankfurt, bread and more than enough mustard than our $1.50 belies.

And now onto Warsaw - the chic and historical capital of Poland. Or, if you were to pronounce it correctly 'Varshava'.

Despite being overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of our first meal in Polska, our bodies are well and truly feeling the full effects of a hefty 10 hour time difference. Foolishly, we decide the best way to celebrate our first night in Poland is to visit a bustling beer hall and order a 1 litre stein along with our meat laden dinner.

Not known for his drinking prowess, but at the same time not wanting to forgo a challenge, Jay quickly realises his mistake as he struggles through the 1L stein. Meanwhile, I'm happily devouring the overflowing plates of hearty goulash and pierogi (Polish dumplings) that continue to taunt my lightweight boyfriend. I'm pleased to announce that Jay eventually conquers the stein – pride intact...but only just!

The next morning our body clocks promptly but annoyingly wake us up at 7am. Feeling like we’ve had double shots of espresso we forget the notion of going back to sleep and set off sightseeing around Warsaw. Strolling through cobbled streets - passing old ladies who are rugged up in thick fur coats, wearing woolly hats akin to road kill, and dolled up with pristine hair and make-up - we can't help but feel like we've stepped back in time. Grand and ornately designed buildings, churches and presidential palaces surround us – it's all a feast for our eyes!

After some serious walking, our stomachs alert us to the fact that it's time for a snack. We stop at the local supermarket, where we lash out and spend $3 on a quintessentially Polish snack; fresh Polish kielbasa (sausage) and a delicious rye bread roll. Smacnego!

The next day, after taking a wrong turn, we surprisingly stumble across an ice-skating rink!!! Without thinking twice about it, we fork out $2 each, strap on our skates and away we go. I’m to happy to boast that whilst I remain unscathed, Jay, on his final lap, becomes well acquainted with the cold hard ice, stacking unceremoniously.