Poland is brilliant! I love it here, Poland and I just gel, and despite having visited the country for a couple of weeks before, in 2003, I was by no means looking forward to coming here less than any of the previously unchartered territories we've passed through. Without being able to put my finger on a common thread, Poland continues to provide a stream of positive experiences for me. Spent our first afternoon in Krakow in a small, cosy, coffee and cake-selling English-language book store called Massolit Books. Really warming in a slightly orange-lit and book-ishly musty kind of way, and I was able to trade in two finished books and take two new ones away for the sum of about a pound. Our trip to the Schindler factory museum, on our last day in Krakow, rivalled the House of Terror museum in Budapest for its fantastic composition and content, absorbing us for over four hours. Veggies are meant to struggle in Eastern Europe for much culinary intrigue beyond deep fried cheese, but such has been the wealth of appetising, low priced options, it's the first country we've been to where it simply hasn't made sense to cook for ourselves (a constituent of the plan to keep to our European budget, that we've kept to thus far). And even the national take-away snack, the zapiekanka, is a piece of toasted french stick covered in mushrooms, cheese, ketchup and chives! The list could go on, but suffice to say, even the sudden cold-ish snap and the lack of heating in our Krakow hostel hasn't dampened our enthusiasm for exploring Poland further.

Two general updates, finished book and more dorm-mates.

Book number 3, The Amateurs, a comedy by John Niven: brilliant light reading, for anyone really, but particularly engaging for golf fans. Whizzed through it, and plenty of laughs our loud in public places. 8/10.

Hostel dorm-mates review: two Irish students about to embark on a year in Krakow, Paddy and Sinead. No, I'm not kidding, genuinely their names. A lovely French guy called Thierry, a girl from Singapore (new tick!) and an American guy from Noo Joyzee who wanted me to go and fire Kalashnikovs with him. He didn't really say it like that, just in my mind.

Next stop, Gdansk, and maybe a trip to the seaside!