Krakow, Poland: Searching for a Shake

This trip seemed like it would never come; then that it would never end; and now I'm procrastinating packing for one last post before I head home tomorrow from Poland.  I can't wrap my head around all I've seen and learned--so insights and pictures will have to come later.

I've loved Krakow.  I visited Auschweitz-Birkenau yesterday--wouldn't try to describe that yet--but today I had a great day in the old town. They were having a pierogi festival in one of the squares , so I filled up at lunch on these wonderful Polish dumplings filled with minced meats and cheeses while listening to local performers (future post).

I have learned in previous travels that McDonalds reliably has the best bathrooms abroad, so later  I headed for one in the Old Town.   However, here you had to have a receipt to use their bathrooms.  Without speaking Polish, I was able to order a raspberry shake to cool me off (more people speak English and they don't use cyrillic).  However, the concept of "shake" seems to have gotten lost in translation.  In the cup was a bottom layer of raspberry syrup with cold milk poured in and about 8 ice cubes.  If I stirred it a lot, the syrup and milk mixed and thickened a little, but there were still these big ice cubes in the way.  I've decided I definitely like  my milkshakes to be "shaken, not stirred."  

I've just ended my last night in Eastern Europe, celebrating Chopin's 200th birthday with a magnificent Chopin piano concert in a small historic salon.  My soul is filled.  Time to pack.