Zakopane: Part 2

This wrap-up of Zakopane is now a couple weeks old, so it is gonna be mostly pictures and a little text.We last left the story at the peak. Tired, but whole, we rested and ate lunch on Giewont's peak. After everyone arrived, the first group was eager to leave, but Melea and I waited to go down with Audrey, Alan and Erica. There were more chains, followed by a different, (less steep but longer) path down. The above picture shows Melea marvelling at the height we had achieved.

Another mountaintop, becoming enveloped in clouds.

The clouds came in quickly, and it started to spit, then to outright rain.

Another nearby peak

Lichen growing on rocks

An expanse of lichen and rocks

It really started to pour eventually, with thunder and lightening. We were glad to be off the mountain's peak. I put on my thin plastic poncho and we continued the path downwards. We passed a field with cows in it. I took this picture from under my poncho - hence the poor quality. The cows all wore bells.

Melea and I ended up ahead of Audrey and the rest, and ended up in an odd area of town with no idea where to go. We asked a lady nearby, and showed her the map on the back of the hotel's card, but she didn't know either. Luckily, she was waiting to get a ride from a friend, and he dropped us off at a park near our hotel. The journey was over, and a lovely hot shower was had.

The market at Zakopane

You can buy lots of different "traditional" things. Here are walking sticks with axe heads, sewing baskets, and woollen goods.

Different purchases: Nesting dolls, wooden jewelry, a teeny mug, a wooden spoon, and a kilo worth of yarn (for me of course!)

Here is my yarn next to a roll of toilet paper for scale. It is huge!

I also bought some cheese in Zakopane. The cheese is made from goat or sheep's milk and is smoked locally. I got a barrel shaped bit. The whole market smelled like the cheese. I liked the taste (very salty and smoky) but not everyone did.
As a last shot - my roommate Valerie. She looks fabulous, doesn't she?