After some time with family in Sweden, it was off to Poland for the main event of this trip: Jani & Mike's wedding! Needless to say, this leg of my Euro-trip was one of the best. As much as I love solo traveling, it's also nice to be surrounded by a group of friends. I met Jani and Mike in Hawaii, shortly after they started dating. What started as a tight-knit group of remote workers living in Hawaii has since evolved into an international group. Despite being dispersed across the globe, the "Mahalo Crew" still meets up regularly for fun trips. It's one of my favorite groups of people, and so reuniting in Poland to celebrate Mike & Jani was amazing.
What I didn't realize going into this was just how hard the Polish weddings go. It was an absolutely insane, multi-day affair of partying and celebrating. And eating more food than I would have thought possible. I knew that I was in for a wild time when the evening itinerary included three seated dinners, an open buffet all night long, and an open bar until 4 AM. What a night to remember!
The wedding venue was beautiful, in a secluded country side about an hour's drive from downtown Kraków. Outdoor pool, hot tubs, spa...the works!The hotel even included a kitty :)After a night of partying, it was really nice to relax in the courtyard, watching the warm summer sun filtering through the ivy. Beautiful and serene.Here's Phelix, enjoying one of the odder features of the property. We couldn't figure out who put this bench there, and why. Even without the shrubbery, there was nothing to see.In Hawaii, there were many hangouts with the friends where me and Aaron Cohen would jam together. Jani and Mike asked if we would bring our guitars and play at the wedding, which was an easy yes!Taking photos with the fans!Out for drinks with the bride, groom and many of the wedding guests.I had quite an ordeal with wedding attire. I didn't want to travel for a month with a suit, and was assured by my friend that I could rent one in Kraków...but that ended up not being the case. I had to scramble last-minute to find something which was wedding-appropriate without breaking the bank. I think I pulled it off, though!And here's some of the delicious Polish food. On the first night I landed, me and a large group of guests went to a traditional Polish restaurant and pigged out.