Can there ever be too much of a good thing?

I've had this headline in mind for a while now and am just now getting around to it; unfortunately, I no longer remember why it seemed so prophetic. Perhaps it has to do with the whirlwind of travelling the past month or maybe it is the reality that our time in Poland is nearing an end.

Speaking of time...

Here are the two faces of Big Ben in London.

This is the Glockenspiel in Prague.

And this is what happens when a brain has been on Sudafed too long.

I am exhausted. Our whirlwind month of August began with a week in Rome where temperatures were in the mid- to high 30's centigrade (you do the math)! By the sixth day I fell victim to a very annoying, dry cough. Two days after our return from Rome we were to board a plane for London so getting healthy was foremost on my mind. A trip to the Apetka perhaps? As luck would have it I managed to find one of the only Apetka's in town that did not have any English-speaking employees; hence, the need to demonstrate my symptoms. Five minutes of coughing, choking and fake gasping later I left 50 pln poorer but armed with cough drops, syrup and some other kind of preventative medicine. Unbeknownst to me the medication was the "herbal" variety. I needed the full artillery, not the homeopathic approach, but with no more money in my pocket I had no other choice but to give it a shot.

Two days later and a cough nowhere near getting any better we boarded a plane for one of my favorite cities - London!!! We met my jet-lagged daughter and her boyfriend and headed out to explore. Here is what we saw....

After jockeying for an ideal position for the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace (even employing my cough to see if anyone would think I was a swine flu carrier and move out of my way) we decided it was not worth the elbowing, toe stepping and overall rude traveller behaviors and left. But he who leaves first gets the up-close shot as the guards return to Wellington Barracks (so there, Mr. Tall Guy with a cowboy hat blocking my view)! They even played music!!! I'd call that a winner!

Since Wrocław is not known for world class Chinese food we just had to explore China Town. Our daughter, who thinks Chinese food is lo mein with broccoli, was not so sure Chinese food was really to her liking (I think it was more the ducks and other miscellaneous animals hanging in the windows). After some fatherly convincing, we enjoyed some authentic food in a very warm restaurant.

Four days later - and lots of walking, site-seeing, walking and even more walking - we were headed back to Poland. But not before seeing this...

12:15 at Waterloo Station. Do you get the time theme?

The London Triathlon was being held in Hyde Park. Somehow I forgot how tired my feet were but my exercise-induced coughing kicked into high gear just watching. This was the woman's division by the way!!

After three days of sleeping in my own bed we were off to Prague. At this point my cough is bordering on "hacking up a lung" status, but we wanted to show our daughter a good time so off we went with the herbal cough syrup in tow. Since our daughter and her boyfriend live in New Prague they were anxious to taste real Czech food. What a revelation!!! The good Czech goulash with noodles Jeremy grew up on does not exist. Goulash in Prague is served with potato dumplings - not a noodle in site. But the biggest blow was the lack of kolaches. It seems the small town of Montgomery, MN hosts an annual kolache day celebration in honor of their Czech heritage; unfortunately, kolache's are not Czech. In fact they are eastern-European in origin and not a kolache could be found in Prague. The good news???? We found some in Wrocław!!! It is doubtful this discovery will stop the fine citizens of Montgomey from celebrating in style next year. I really think it is the beer that is the real attraction anyway!

Two days in Prague and we returned to Poland. It was so nice to show off my home away from home. A Polish barbeque, a visit with the International Friends group, the obligatory shot of vodka, a trip to Auschwitz and several leisurely nights sitting in the Rynek rounded out the two+ week adventure with our daughter. Whew...

To summarize...a week in Rome, two days home, five days in London, three days home, two days in Prague, three days home and a trip to Auschwitz, too much eating and drinking equals "too much of a good thing". I need a nap!

Next up? An American in Poland will be relocating back home to Minnesota at the end of September. I'm not sure what scares me more...having our son living with us again, or our repatriation meeting with the Polish tax authorities! Of course all will be blogged about - I promise!