Cold, cold Krakow!

Lucky me, I was treated to a surprise trip to Krakow for New Years Eve this year! Krakow is somewhere I have always wanted to visit and it definitely didn't disappoint.

Following my visit I have a few tips for anyone thinking of visiting;

What to wear?

Surprise, surprise Krakow really is cold in December! Bring your layers and your thermals and your woolly jumpers! Luckily while I was there it was crispy cold but snow is a regular feature in the winter.

                                                           Crispy cold!

How to get around?

Everything is walking distance and it is the best way to really get to know this small city. Walking to whatever sites you decide to see means you discover plenty of other sites along the way! The city feels pretty safe as well so getting back to your accommodation late at night is no problem! Trams and buses run quite late but to an Irish person the boarding methods of Krakowians seems deranged at best, with people just jumping on and off trams, and running across the road at traffic lights as well as stops!

Word of warning, non polish student cards are not acceptable on public transport as there is a specifically Polish student travel card. Be especially aware of this on the train to/from the airport!!

What to see?

The city is divided into numerous districts with the main tourist areas being the Old Town (or Stare Miasto in Polish) in the centre of the city, Kazimierz and Podgorze to the south.
Stare Miasto is a beautifully conserved medieval city with cobbled streets winding into a new square, castle or church with every turn! Rynek Glowny the main market square is well worth a visit especially when the christmas markets are on. The Cloth Hall in the centre of the square is magnificent and a centrepiece of the New Years celebrations. Wawel the castle hill is a massive fortification slightly to the north of Rynek Glowny, this is a major attraction that makes the grade as a UNESCO world heritage site.

                                                       The Cloth Hall lit up at night.

                                                       Interior of the Cloth Hall.

Kazimierz is a desolate looking area in some parts but this all the more reminds you of the history of the city. Kazimierz was originally a separate settlement that was mainly Jewish with a small Catholic contingent. This is evident from the majestic old buildings on every corner. Much of the film Schindler's list was filmed here as there are plenty of pre war buildings intact. Well worth a wander for what appears to be a revival led by cute cafes and bars that buzz with life after dark. Plenty of cutesy graffiti to spot too!

                                                              Pre war synagogue.

Outside Krakow.

Seeing as you have flown all the way to Krakow there is no way you cannot visit the nearby site of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. It is a harrowing and heartbreaking experience but it is something we must do to commemorate all those it has affected.

There are many package tours covering both sites with a tour guide and bus pick up from your hotel. I would recommend this as Auschwitz is an hours drive from the city and the tour can take 6-7 hours total.

                                                                  Auschwitz

                                                     Birkenau

All I can say about this is be prepared to walk a lot, bring some tissues as you will most likely cry and it will take most of a day so try to go early.

Overall

Krakow is a beautiful city for a weekend break. So easy to wander around and find things to do and places to see. There are so many historical sites and natural attractions you wont run out of things to do and see! The Polish people we came in contact with were super helpful, with immaculate English and the city constantly had a really fun vibe! We stated in the Qubus hotel in the Podgorze area. 20 minutes walk to the Stare Miasto, beautifully situated on the banks of the Vistula and with all the facilities you could want. I would especially recommend the in house restaurant for spectacular food!

Polish food has to be tried, its a little stodgy but the flavours are amazingly deep (Pierogi are delicious!) and Polish vodka is one for the duty free. Cheap and so good especially Wyborowa!

I couldn't recommend Krakow more and would definitely go back again as I didn't see half of it!

Pop culture and what you wear.

If you have in any way kept up with trends in the past 5 years I am sure you will find a piece of 1950s inspired paraphernalia in your wardrobe. But why did the 1950s trend rise to the surface in recent times? Because of what you watch on tv of course!


5 years ago in 2007 Mad Men appeared and it exploded not just onto our TVs (or computers) but also into every high street clothing store within months. Whether you were a Joan, squeezing yourself into a wiggle dress or a Betty, aiming for the perfect floral printed circle skirt, you could find what you wanted with ease.


Secretary style was all the rage, collared shirts featured in couture collections and Penneys collections. Floral prints were modernised and perfected by Erdems digital printing and recreated in the average persons price range by Oasis.

Mad Men then took a hiatus and what were we to do? Who were we to look to for sartorial inspiration?



Luckily for us just as the 5th season of Mad Men came to an end another programme that harked back to bygone eras piqued the interest of those that provide us with our wardrobes. Boy did people go gaga for Downton Abbey. The clothes do not as easily translate to the average high street wearer and took more alteration to appeal to a modern consumer. But look at any high street on a busy day and you will find early 20th century influences in some of their fashion!

Equestrian style boots, jackets and jodhpurs featured prominently in the last two years and proved very popular as they are flattering and easy to wear. An easy trend to incorporate into any wardrobe. Finer touches of the early 20th century do appear in our everyday wardrobes if you look closer. The low heeled lace up boots that would have been the standard shoe of a house maid on Downton Abbey is now an absolutely necessary accessory for the coolest of students as they can go all day from lectures, to meetings and on to the pub!


The slimline maxi skirt to me is the epitome of Downton influenced fashion. The long lean lines of the three sisters are replicated with any of the form fitting maxi skirts found in River Island or online at Asos at the moment! Pair this with an ornately beaded top or a translucent blouse and top with a delicate single strand chain, you could be in 1914.

What I wonder is whether Mad Men and Downton Abbey will continue to shape the stock we see in the shops for the forseeable future or will there be a new popular show to influence those who influence the fashion markets! Will Game of Thrones style prove adaptable? Or will the vampire porn that is the new season of True Blood induce leather lust to resurface?

Sustainable Fashion

The idea of sustainable fashion is somewhat of a juxtaposition. Fashion at its essence is constantly changing whereas sustainability implies stability. However I am firmly of the belief that the majority of clothes we buy are sustainable. In that if you don't like it I'm sure someone else will!

Doing regular raids of your wardrobe will make sure you keep it fresh. It will remind you of the good things you have and by getting rid of things you don't actually wear you might make better outfit decisions when you can see your options! The primary way you can make your wardrobe as socially conscious as yourself would be to donate things you don't wear to a charity shop.

However some items of clothing cost you so much money or you are so emotionally invested in them, letting go is too hard and charity shops are just not an option. There are a few different ways you can get something back from what you put into your wardrobe.

The simplest of these is to get involved in, or organise your own clothes swopping party with some of your girlfriends. Let me say this has to have been one of the funniest afternoons I have ever been involved in! Piles of clothes, accessories and shoes were scattered all over my tiny apartment and you would hear sporadic squeals of delight when someone pounced on a gem AND it fit! Months later my friends and I are still wearing each others goodies with delight!

The next step up is the Swopshop in Templebar, run by a lovely lady named Adele. This is a treasure trove of all things from vintage prom dresses to Cavalli suits. Here you bring in the good stuff, that ridiculously expensive dress you wore once to a wedding, that jacket your mother bought you but you despise and those heels that never really fit but were the bargain of the century! Adele will get to know you and will even point out items she thinks might suit you (and she is good at it!). Last time I went in I got a beautiful skirt from warehouse with the tags still on for less than 1/10 the original price and I rid my wardrobe of a tote bag of stuff I haven't worn in at least the last year.



The most extreme of wardrobe clearance options is one I partook in recently in an attempt to downsize from 2 massive wardrobes to one medium sized wardrobe. To sell at Closet Clear Out you rent a full/half rail (60/30 items) and display your wares for a Saturday afternoon. You can sell any clothes, shoes or accessories you want at whatever price point you want. For those just looking to get rid of things at any price this is ideal as you get plenty of bargain hunters. This way you will get cold hard cash for some of your lovely things. Be warned you will want to buy everything on your neighbours rail!



Feeling motivated to tackle that bulging wardrobe yet?

Taking care of damaged hair

My hair has been varying shades of orange for the past few months but now I'm feeling adventurous. I want a change! However before I can attain my desired shade of pinky/lavender I am going to have to strip and bleach my hair. These are harsh processes and can damage healthy 'virgin' hair much less pre-processed hair like mine! 

Desired Hair Colour

Bright Orange

Faded Orange

I began stripping as much of the dye as I could using some harsh shampoo and baking soda mixes (I am DIY all the way!) and yes they stripped some colour but they left my hair in abysmal state! To be expected but not the ideal situation when you want to bleach your hair soon after!

I panicked! I tried all my old reliables, VO5 Hot Oil treatments, Coconut Oil left in overnight, deep conditioning masks, trying my best to get moisture back into my hair which crackled at the merest touch, but to no avail. 

I was at a bit of a loss, but internet to the rescue, with the highly advanced research skills I have acquired through doing my PhD (not) I found mentions of a wondrous thing called a protein treatment for highly damaged hair. This is something you should use when your hair is beyond a bit dry. This is for chemically treated hair that is on its last legs. The ingredients to look for on a product are things like Creatine, Hydolyzed proteins, Betaine and Starch. These differentiate a protein treatment from a deep conditioner.

There are super expensive salon brand versions such as Redken Anti Snap which gets absolutely brilliant reviews or you can check out Youtube for homemade egg hair masks, which logically should work with the high protein content of eggs but seem like the last thing I would want to put in my hair! I opted for something in between the two. 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment is wonderful. It is marketed as something to help you grow your hair, but it isn't a magic creme that goes into your scalp and stimulates the hair follicle; this doesn't exist! To stimulate hair growth you need to ensure the proteins required are in your diet or else take supplements. What this treatment does is by improving the condition of the proteins in your hair it stays on your head longer and therefore can grow to a longer length. Simple!

And boy does this improve the condition! My hair was a frazzled mess, it stood 2 inches from my head it was so dry and straw-like. The split ends were so numerous my split end picking habit had returned with a vengeance. But I used this once and it was literally a hallelujah moment! When my hair was dry I didn't have to fight my hairbrush through it and it was approaching normal levels of frizz. I've been using this a few days now and the difference is amazing. The condition of my hair has changed completely, it is light and shiny again and feels more manageable than ever. 

The beauty of this protein treatment is that you only use it when you need it and then you can return to your normal routine, busting this out in times of desperation. It costs €10.50 but is always on some sort of 3 for 2 in Boots, this is expensive as you will use a lot of it each time you apply, however at almost twice the price for any of the salon alternatives, it is, in my opinion a banker; something you buy when it's on special and you are feeling flush! 

Genesis

Well, here goes nothing!

I have thought about setting up a blog for quite awhile, but always thought that there are so many people out there who the hell would want to read what I have to say! Well I don't really care if no-one reads this, I am writing this for myself. I realised recently that since becoming a real grown up (almost), with a job, bills to pay and more carbs in my kitchen presses than alcohol, that I have lost all the creative outlets I so enjoyed when I was younger. Now all my creative energy is being channeled into my wardrobe and my kitchen and to be honest I am not enjoying either.

My wardrobe is limited by where I work and how little I earn and my kitchen is limited by wanting to be able to fit into the clothes that I own! I enjoyed writing until it was ruined by the dreaded undergraduate thesis, I haven't even kept a diary since then it was such a soul wrenchingly awful experience.

Now with a "Confirmation Report" looming over me in work, it has made me think about my attitude to writing and why I have avoided it for the last 2 years! This is a challenge I am setting myself that will hopefully entertain a few people, if not, it will at least make me flex my writing muscle and get back in the groove.

All criticism is welcomed but please be kind and don't send me crying to my flatmate, asking where he hid the chocolate!

Talk to you in the comments!

Edel