A time-travel

Started off very early this morning to drive to Janske Lazne, Czech Republic, with my dad for a week of cross country skiing. As western Europe feels more like spring at the moment we were not sure if we were going to have snow.
Right after the German - Polish border the broad and smooth highway turned into a broad but very bumpy highway with roadsigns changing from 80 to 60 to 50 to 70 by the minute. Memories stole into my mind of a certain road trip with my girls years back to the fabled "Castle Party" taking place at Bolkow. I actually passed the very place! Now as then Jelenia Gora seems to be the Rome of Poland as every crossroad had a sign pointing to it.
Eventually we neared the Czech border going up, up, up gaining height and snow until the road became slippery as hell. Crossed the pass/border at 1600m and then went down again to our destiny Janske Lazne.

The village itself is quiet and small, our accommodation simple but clean. Had a long stroll along the main road to check things out. Found two ski rentals where I'll get my equipment tomorrow. Still the whole system here is not clear to us yet. How does the bus connection work? How much does it cost? There seems to be no map of the cross country loipes at all. Guess I'll ask at the rental tomorrow.

Being here feels like a travel back through time to my youth growing up in the "Dark East". There is basically nothing here but a few restaurants with furniture from like the 1970s and the architecture is a mixture of a few old 18th century buildings resisting to fall to pieces, the ones who gave up resisting a long time ago and in between more or less run down plain buildings from the later 20th century.

Anyway, sitting in our room now relaxing. Have my guitar with me so I'll pluck the strings now and hope my dad won't mind, hehe.