holidaying in wonderland

I spent last two weeks in a fairyland full of eccentric characters and truly magical places. The weather was a little more prosaic, so I came home with a cold as a memento of beautiful holidays. There was a huge Pegasus prancing among the stormy clouds.

Huge weird mushrooms were popping here and there. I swear, I almost saw a caterpillar smoking a pipe on one of them...

Stone gate straight from the opening of Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia). Do you remember castle ruins and apple trees in the long forgotten orchard?

And then there was a palace. Maybe not as old as the one in Narnia, but palace nonetheless!

Gate opening to the sky...

...and the magic door behind which the art happened.
Oh, and did I mention over a dozen quirky artists?

Market day in Cracow

Farmers markets are becoming a new place to be, there is no question about that. However, it took several years in India for me to see the attraction of Cracow's old market.

 And I'm not alone! Both tourists and locals are flooding in and the market is keeping up well with the new fashion. Next to the seasonal fruits and veggies, new stalls opened up. You can find everything from fresh antipasti, Turkish soaps, spices from every corner of the world to organically grown grains and cold-pressed coconut oils and doggy treats.

On top of that, once a month you can enjoy kind of a market picnic with specially selected food, drinks, and some handmade items.

Living in Goa, I can't complain about the availability of fresh produce, but I did miss all the berries, homemade cheeses, and wild mushrooms.

I'm still planning a photographic visit, but till now I stayed true to the purpose of the place and only managed to click few pics, ladened with bags and bags of fruits and jars (hello preserve making season!).

I also discovered rather funny addition - a milk vending machine, where you can get a bottle of farm fresh milk anytime!