TOY JOY

Today post may be a little different than my usual content, but it's good to switch things up every once in a while. While I always like to recommend you guys good places to eat or sight see, I also want to tell you where you can have fun as well. And today a little about one of those unconventional fun places. Or maybe I'm wrong, maybe it won't be as unconventional, maybe you do such a thing on a regular basis.  What exactly am I talking about?!

A toy store.

Yes, a toy store, because being almost 25 doesn't mean you are no longer a kid. 

Because dressing up is fun. Because laughing is contagious and because we need it. 

I have to admit when our friend Eric (yet another wonderful host on our couchsurfing adventure) suggested we go to a toy store, I thought, ummmmm, OK. Just OK. And boy was I wrong. This outing turned out to be so much fun, I'm smiling right now just thinking about it. It was probably special to me because it was something that I don't usually do when I'm briefly visiting a new city. So there it is, a new experience in my book. 

Now take a look yourself and when you're in Austin, definitely go check out

TOY  JOY.

(More info about a store HERE)

403 W 2nd Street 

Oh, and don't forget: KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.

My friend Maja didn't choose these glasses by an accident. In 1970s in Poland, we had this very popular cartoon about a honeybee named Maja. And yes, you guessed it, my friend was named after her.

Texas Ranger.

Those babies are not weird, right.... ?

A special mug for unicorn lovers.

Keep Austin weird.

Love,

THROWBACK THURSDAY: sunset in Austin, Texas

You'are probably wondering why you have pictures of New York City in front of you when a post title says Austin, Texas. Well, while I mainly want to share with you my favorite sunset pictures from the latter city, I couldn't help but go even more back in time to show you those two pictures. Sunsets, in my opinion, are yet another beautiful things, which make life more interesting. They are also what make our memories memorable and so special. This particular pinkish sky over Manhattan was probably the most beautiful memory I have from the city so far. I almost felt like it wasn't real, it was so exquisite. And this is why I could not start this post without mentioning it first. What's my second favorite sunset? Well, now we can move on down South and see.

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Zapewne zastanawiacie się dlaczego tytuł posta mówi o Austin w Teksasie, a ja dzielę się z Wami zdjęciami z Nowego Jorku. Cóż, nie mogłam nie zaczac tego wpisu od jednego z najpiękniejszych zachodów słońca jakiego byłam swiadkiem w swoim życiu, a to zawdzięczam własnie Nowemu Jorku. Różowe niebo nad Manhattanem to najprawdopodobniej moje najmilsze wspomnienie z tego miasta. Dlaczego? Ponieważ w takich chwilach jak ta, zdajesz sobie sprawę jak cos prostego jak zachód słońca sprawia, że życie staję się tym piękniejsze. Te krótkie chwile zapisuja sie w pamięci na zawsze. I mimo że dzielimy to samo niebo z wieloma innymi ludzmi, ten moment jest tak osobisty, jakby to niebo było tylko nasze... Ot istota (prostota?) ów piękna. Drugim takim pamiętliwym zachodem słońca był wlasnie ten w Teksasie. Zobaczcie sami.

The location: Barton Springs. We were attending live summer concerts called Blues on the Green. Just try imagining being surrounded by your best friends, great music, wonderful summery atmosphere and well, this sunset.... It was magical!

Appreciate your sunsets, it's the small things that matter!

Love,

BEST BBQ RIBS IN MEMPHIS, TENN.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

I hope most of you are enjoying a day off just like I am today. Whether you decide to sleep in, have a late breakfast or watch movies all day, I secretly hope you also get to squeeze in some reading time! 

Today I have for you a quick post on a short visit we payed to Memphis, Tenn. Actually, it was more of a pit stop on the way to Austin, Texas. Because we had more than six hours before switching buses from Nashville to Dallas, Texas, me and my friend decided to find BBQ ribs for dinner that day. We heard a lot of good words on Memphis and its cuisine from people we've met along our journey, so the opportunity couldn't have been better. 

To find the perfect place we resorted to the good ol' Yelp. After scrolling through dozens of customers' opinions we decided on CENTRAL BBQ. It did not only have wonderful reviews, but it was also located exactly where we needed it to be. In fact, for your convenience, the diner has three different locations you can choose from. We ended up going to one in MIDTOWN - 2249 Central.

We got a slab for two with dinner rolls and four sides. 

Half dry, half wet ribs + BBQ beans, a potato salad, onion rings and mac n cheese. 

My mouth still waters when I think about this dining experience. It was heavenly! Memphis really does have the best ribs, so don't forget to check out CENTRAL BBQ if you're in the area. You won't regret it!

P.S. While you're in the city, you should also visit the National Civil Rights Museum. It is especially worth mentioning on a day like today, as Memphis is the place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Don't forget to pay tribute to the greatest man that he was.

NASHVILLE TRAVEL DIARY: Food

So here's the thing. I love food, trying out new meals and seeing how tastes change from state to state. I also love sharing my discoveries with you. The only problem, though... is that usually I get completely lost and excited whenever there's a plate with some deliciousness going on in front of me that I forget to capture the moment before I dig in. Or I forget to capture it completely. Or sometimes, I admit, I just don't want to disturb others and make a fool out of myself by making them wait, so I can take a picture. ORrrrr, since I'm always on a budget when traveling, many times I have to resort to the good old CHEAP fast food. Guilty as charged! Nevertheless, the few pictures I do have, I will share. Take a look.

First thing I tried out after we arrived in Nashville was this beer cake. It was made by our host Stephen, and well... I love sweets and to me it was a perfect welcome breakfast I could ask for.

A Southern staple: biscuits. Here, again, made by our friend Stephen. Nothing better than trying out new things right from our temporary home.

Speaking of biscuits, here's a hoosier cabinet. It originated in early 20th century and stayed popular until 1920's, when modern kitchens started to use built-in cabinets. If you ask me, it was the first thing I noticed when I walked into my friends house, it's so special. As you can see, hoosier can be used not only for baking and storing kitchen supplies, you can also transform it into an alcohol storage. Talking about being original :)

Nashville was also the first time I tried pickle chips (seen above) and green fried tomatoes (seen below).

Gorgonzola stuffed meatloaf with asparagus, tomatoes and mashed potatoes. 

Now speaking of this meal, I need to mention something called meat and three, because it's a popular meal throughout the Mid-South, and Nashville is its capital. What is it? Just how you can see in the above picture (which may not be the best example of it but still), the MEAT part is what you choose from a selection of 3-6 choices including fried chicken, meatloaf, country ham, beef, steak or pork chop. THREE are your side dishes like vegetables, potatoes or macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, spaghetti. Often served with cornbread and sweet tea. Yuuuum!

So here it is, a short recap of our food experience in Nashville! This is also the last post on the Music City. Next up, another food diary - MEMPHIS, Tenn., and the best BBQ RIBS I've ever had! So stay tuned.

Have a great weekend!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: San Francisco, Calif.

Since today is Friday, I decided to go back in time and revisit my short trip to San Francisco that happened over a year ago. Since I have only the best memories from that city, I have no idea how come these pictures didn't make it to the blog yet...

"Take me home", sings Taylor Swift in her latest hit. Well, this is how I feel about San Francisco. Being there was a dream come true and if I would have to pick one city in America I'd like to live in, that would be IT. I still have a lot to see, but from about 15 states I've been to so far, I think it is safe to say California would be my ideal place to be... 

But first, let me... strike gold, so I can afford the move ;)

The very first picture I took in San Francisco.  Maybe it is not perfect, but I remember exactly how excited I was to be in this beautiful city. As soon as I got off the airport shuttle, I took few steps back and this is the view I saw around the corner. You can even see Alcatraz in the middle of the picture which is cool, cause at that point I didn't even know it's right there. 

After meeting with my friend Ola shortly after I got off the bus, we took few steps further to show me this - Golden Gate Bridge. I remember the first look at THE bridge. My heart was full. It's common knowledge that Golden Gate is not always so keen to be seen, so it "hides" in a fog. Well, I got lucky. 

Even though I only had one and a half day in  San Francisco, I think I got a pretty good overlook of the city. Here are the few snapshots from my short but oh so beautiful visit.

 Fillmore.

 Painted Ladies.

Dolores Park.

Mission.

I love this capture. It reminds me of Cracow so much that I almost feel like I'm back in Poland. For those of you who know Cracow, think of Plac Wszystkich Świętych. Do you see what I'm talking about?

 Castro.

Coit Tower.

 Alcatraz.

 Golden Gate.

San Francisco seen from across the Bay.

Until next time!