10 commandements (for dog owners)

My documentary: what I have learn from my journey with dog, and what I want everyone travelling with their dogs to know:

10 dog owner commandments (when travelling)

1 - Dog is my companion and friend
2 - I am responsible "owner" of my dog, aware of it's needs, not only local rules (muzzle, toilet, leash   walks)
3 - plan your trips beforehand - be aware of restrictions, but also be spontaneous and try. Where is no security checking your every move, you can try, after all, the worst thing that can happen, you will be told "no".
4 - remember to always have more water then just for yourself, and small bowl for your dog
5 - when walking miles in hot weather, especially in towns on hot pavement, understand why your dog might be complaining - pavement might burn his/her feet! remember to take lots of breaks (or buy doggie shoes)
6 - Always have poo bags with you (towns), unless you are in countryside where no one cares. After all, you care what you feed your dog, so it's "natural" waste
7 - enjoy every minute with your dog, every place you go to
8 - try to choose some places where your dog will enjoy to be with you too. When you walk all day in town, find nice park or beach to go to for rest.
9 - if you are really dying to go to museum to see some art, leave your dog in hotel, but not for all day!!
10 - make this journey memorable, and encourage other dog owners to take their dogs for holidays!

 Enything is possible, when you try !!! 

Train travels and different perspectives

photo taken from google pictures library

I've heard bad joke once before in Poland, that life is like a toilet roll - long, grey and for shit. I think some one came to that conclusion years ago during war state, after the communism times in Poland. I was too young to remember and have my true opinion about this. But from what I remember from my youth, is lots of people who lived stagnant lives. No great hopes, no amazing perspectives. That you were given this life to live as it is, that you can't change things, that things are as they are. Full stop. Or maybe this was just an attitude of my closest surroundings, that I perceived in that way. Nonetheless this are my personal feelings. And I think this kind of attitude always made me some kind of angry, and wanted me to be different and change things about my life. I never wanted to agreed to attitude "take what you are given, and be happy with it, because there is nothing better" or that "everyone has it's cross to carry" .. I wanted to runaway from that statements and this depressive way of life. I wanted to believe that there is ME who decides of the fate of my life. And not that has been given to me, decided for me. Of course now - I understand another meaning of the statement - take what are you given and be happy with it - a good meaning ;) But I won't agree with the other part, that there is nothing better..

As they say - you get different perspective from different point of view! I always wanted to believe that things CAN be better, but I knew they won't change on their own. I have to go for it. I didn't always feel happy, but staying too long in a place of stagnancy, with no perspectives for change, made me UN-Happy.
And so I lost my "nazi" corporation job last year because of that (which loosing it actually truly made me happy!) found new nice job after but recently quit to travel now, and to get new perspective and new hopes :)

If you want to ask about that toilet roll digression - well here is the answer:
It used to be only this kind of paper in Poland.  Now it can be found only on the polish trains! And only  if you are lucky! Otherwise there is non ;(

Coming to Poland in the middle of my journey around Europe, brought exactly the same feeling, like it did some 15 years ago, after my first trip abroad - that this country is in some ways like wild east. Not in good way though.

For the last month I've travelled around Europe by the trains. Everywhere trains were clean, most of the time fast, but most important; had air-conditioning, which in such a hot summer like this (over 32C in shade is absolute must) In Poland trains have open windows. And if this is not enough, you can open doors between carriages to get wild drought, (and bad smell from dirty toilets) ;(  My journey from Wroclaw to Jaroslaw (my hometown) lasted almost 12 hours! When I used to study there it was about 8 hours. Now from Wroclaw only to Rzeszow is 9. My train had some electrical issues, and we were delayed. In Rzeszow we had to wait over 1 hour for another late train to get home.
I hope not all over this country is the same! But this particular experience was exactly like this shitty grey toilet roll. Long, and nasty if you have to use it, because there is no other option...

Solo traveller

Solo woman, but travelling with a dog ;)


We travelled with Missouri for about 11 hours, from south of France Marseille to Nuremberg in Germany. What a trip! and some nice adventures too. I have so much to write:)
So first good thing was that, I couldn't get Missouri a ticket in my first interchange station - Avignon. Reason? I had only 500 euro note and they did not had change. By the time I found a shop that could break it, I had to rush for my next train. At the train, still in good mood from morning good-byes - I smiled nicely to the conductor explaining why I don't have ticket, and he sold me special discounted one, smiling back - eh, it's good to be a woman sometimes, especially if you are flushing red like me ;) I hate it, but sometimes it actually helps ;) 11 hours trip was very tiring so I decided to leave sightseeing for next day.

Next day I made few friends, found nice dog-friendly restaurant called Hans I'm Glück - they serve about 50 types of burgers, half of them vegetarians! (get an interview from one girl employed there, Also as I walk back I heard guy singing about girl walking the streets of London with country voice, so I had to stop and have a chat with him. I said that he sings about me, because I am from London;) As it appears he was from it too! And from Hackney like me (and so he switched his country accent to cockney :) And so I end up buying his CD. He said I can use his music for my movie;)

Nuremberg Old City Center is not too big, and can bee seen in one day with your dog.
I never go to any museums, first able, because they don't let the dogs in (and even if they would, they would be bored to death) and I also am not too big fan of them. So with no regrets I skip them on my travels. Good thing about this is that I save money on entry tickets;) The only annoying thing is, that they not allow dogs in some parks! Why?? I mean, leashed dogs can't make a mess, right? And even if they poo, what is the problem to put some poo dispensers on the entrance? Walking around the Nuremberg I went to see the castle. There was sign that dogs are not allowed, so I decided to go around it to take pictures from different angles from outside. So imagine how surprised I became, when I came across a guy telling me to go! It appeared I got lost and accidentally wandered inside the gardens! - well for me there was not much grass and no flowers... Anyway, I truly said that I am lost. So I have some nice pictures, and new friend from China - who took couple of pictures of me, and become big fan of Missouri. She gets so much attention wherever she goes - unbelievable!

outside the castle

bizzarre Fountain of the Virtues ;)

Lorenzer Kirche

Kunsthaus - mini medieval village, 5 min from train station, full of old traditional shops selling souvenirs and traditional food. And most sellers wear old traditional clothes!

me and Missouri in the Kusthaus

traditional bavarian clothes for sale

typical old buildings

woman-eagle can bee seen everywhere. This one was above police station

Mery Go Round Fountain

Albrecht Durer House

and himself above the entrance

Missouri met medieval dog guarding the entrance of his house ;)

Schonner Brunnen - Beautiful Fountain - detail

famous clock on top of the Frauen Kirche

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But lets get to the point finally ;) The subject of this post is "Solo traveller" . I mention before that I made few friends, but most interesting was at the end of the day. When I came back to the hotel, there was issue with internet connection. Maybe I'm addict, but I really wanted to write this post earlier. I went to the reception hoping that somebody will help me. In meantime I got friendly with a woman working there. She couldn't help with Wi-Fi, but instead we start chatting about travels. She asked for my age, and then said that it means it was not too late for her too; as it happened, we were the same age! She had this unrealised dream about travelling, but which never become real, apart from short trips. She listen to my adventures with interest. I hope she can travel whenever she wants:)
I thought about this today eating solo. I remembered that I was sick of worries when I was leaving for my journey. But now?I am all relaxed and happy with my own company. I remember my friends going solo for similar adventures, and that they too were scared at first. And I also remember my first ever solo trip - I went 3 hours away by train to Krakow for a day. I think I was maybe 20. Old huh? :) But I remember I enjoyed it! I was sitting on the edge of a fountain and watched people passing by. I didn't have to talk to anyone. It felt a bit weird but also interesting this whole thing. I think I forgot about this experience until now. How weird is that as we grow older we fear more things that we shouldn't. I remember people telling me lately that solo travel is not scary. It's opposite. When we are alone we can do what ever we fell doing at the time. There is no one to blame, no one to support us, but at the same we become stronger, and more confident!!!!

yes - th is what I needed. This journey is about self discovery as well as making documentary.

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Happiness and sadness

It is a very strange combination. I feel happy and sad at the same time.
I am happy because I do what I love the most: I travel, I meet friends, and I make new friends. I get to know new places, eat new foods, see wonderful things, take amazing shots with my camera,  enjoy local atmosphere, feel new, refreshed and relaxed after hectic and stressful life in London.
All this made me feel that I don't want to come back to the life from before my journey. And - I also know that this journey is still happening, I don't have to rush, I have all the time in the world to enjoy it, and to get to my destination (even though I have a set up date of return to London)
This journey is about learning more about myself. To recognise my dreams, fears, goals. To find my way back to source.
In the Now is the Happiness. It is not awaiting me at the end of this journey, but it's now ;)

I feel sad, because nothing stays the same. All the things in the world are changing. I know I have to treasure this moments, like all moments from the past. But I also know that in "now" I am making my "tomorrow". And I want it to be as beautiful as it is now!

I spend amazing time during last week with my dear friend Tania, who always make me feel amazing and who with her personalty spreads love wherever she is - Thank you for being Tania!

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Also the reason for being here is my lovely dog, because she gave me extra reason to travel, to make better world for dogs (through my documentary). She is my companion and friend and I love her ;)

I feel sad, because I feel I am leaving some old part of me behind, which obviously I was very attached to. Old me I knew. But now I start to get to know new me.

And the journey is not finished yet!

Some of you my dear readers thought this blog would be only about how it is like to travel with your dog, full of information and tips. But as every journey, this has it's story. It's reasons. And I want to share mine here with You.

xxx   Keep reading   xxx