Day 16: Chase Sick, Laid Back Day
Chase was sick and I tended to him in the morning. I have to give him credit. He never complained, although, in the same circumstance, I probably would have. Did I tell you I'm an attention whore?

Anyway, when I came back from breakfast, he asked me to drop by the Apothecary (Apteka) to fetch some pills for him.

Chase took his temperature. It was 38.3 degrees at one point. An hour later, he was up to 38.6 degrees (whereas 37 degrees is normal.) He was feeling like crap and insisted that we find a doctor's office.

I warned Chase that if we go to hospital, it would be an hour or two wait, at minimum. He was insistent, so we asked the concierge where we'd find a hospital. He said he could have a doctor come directly to the hotel. Even better. After a few calls, he got Chase and appointment for 2:00 pm that afternoon.

Having sat with him for a while back in the hotel room, I decided that I was hungry, so I went to get a bite to eat for lunch.
JEWISH LUNCH & (YET MORE) SHOPPING

I walked in to a Jewish restaurant not far from the hotel. As mentioned, before WWII, the quarter had had a large Jewish population.

The two waiters were 6 foot with dark features. Honestly, they looked like they were right out of a fashion magazine, despite the fact that they were in a simple black waiter uniform. One dropped off a menu and muttered something in Polish, with a large, bright, camera-ready smile.



I smiled back considerably and ordered a glass of Kosher wine with Yankiel Soup with Beef Knedlach in Dill Sauce. Have to ask friends back home how authentic this food is.

After lunch, I struggled to think of an excuse to capture the guys' pictures. Right as I was leaving, one was in the kitchen, the other on the phone. So, I just left.

THE DIAGNOSIS

I had an hour before Chase's doctor's appointment, so I taxied it back to Galeria Kazimierz. Yes, I know, third time in three days. But Chase was out of under garments, so I surprised him buy purchasing 3 pairs that were a small departure from what he normally wears.

The doctor was dressed in a full suit and had a leather doctor's bag. He asked about the condition and examined Chase a bit.

"It was food intoxication, or possibly salmonella," he said somberly, after a few minutes.

He then prescribed an antibiotic, Imodium and another drug. I went back to the Apteka and shortly returned to Chase with the meds. He was not a happy puppy. I hung out with him for a bit, but then decided to go out. I made a quick visit to Spartikus again, before showering.

THE CONCERT AND KLUB 7

I had two tickets for Vivaldi at 7:00 pm. Since Chase wasn't available, Marcin volunteered to go with me.

After scarfing down a Kabab/flatbread sandwich at my favorite place, I met Marcin in front of the wrong church. We hurried along to the correct church and got a nice seat in the front.



It was damn cold and the wooden pews were terribly uncomfortable. Still, the music was fantastic. They played excepts from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, as well as some other lesser known Italian music. A couple of parts were truly moving.

The portly female flute was extremely talented and I loved the way she moved as she played. Her motions were almost a dance. The male trumpet player was also talented, but was in need of a haircut. His dumb, foofy hair did nothing for me. I thought about seeking him out and telling him, after the concert, but alas, he was nowhere to be found.



Afterward, Marcin called a cab and we went to Klub 7. It was a quiet night at the bar. Not too many bar patrons.

We had a couple of beers, then a shot of Zubrowka, my favorite bison grass vodka, which is ever so slightly sweet tasting. Then Marcin suggested that we drink some "U-Boats." This is a glass of vodka sunken to the bottom of the glass of beer. If it's done right, you don't taste the vodka until you get to the bottom.

I met a snobby, unfriendly woman from Belgium with whom I spoke in French. She was happy to hear French, but had a bitchy little attitude, but then, I struggle to find an example of a putain de Belge that wasn't a bitch/jerk.

"U Boats" get you drunk and loud. Marcin and I were both making a lot of noise and at one point I dropped the younger brother (cell phone) and he went flying about 6 feet across the stone floor, under the bar stools. The Belgian woman picked it up and passed it to me. Younger brother was still in perfect shape. Now, why can't the iPods be engineered like this?

I was feeling the effects of the vodka and took pictures. (Andrew is saying, "duh.")

Sidenote: So, who likes aLASKA anyway? So much snow and misery. If it were my choice they'd be closer.

POEM
Oh tram 34
You lovely girl of 5 years
You cost just 2.50 zl
Or just 80 cents

You glide past Klub 7
Past the Barbican and opera house
Through the Planty and across Dieta

You choose direct, main streets that
Taxis do not seem to know

You quietly woosh me
Through the snow covered streets
You take my drunken self to my hotel

Oh tram 34,
I love you so

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Chase was just getting ready to sleep. I turned off the lights. I had a beer and some mineral water, before going to sleep myself.
- posted by Matt @ 2:42 PM