Firsts

When was the last time I did something for the first time?

This morning. 

It was the first time I have eaten breakfast in a McDo before a Parkrun. Sausage and egg McMuffin, french fries (aye, for breakfast) and coffee. 

I think it was the first time I have been in a McDo in Poland, now I think about it. (This happened because the hotel breakfast did not start until 8am, and Parkrun starts at 9am in these parts.)

For sure it was the first time I negotiated the McDo electronic ordering system in Poland. It has an English language option (helpfully) but always switches back to Polish at crucial times (unhelpful). The staff were super. 

These glitches might explain why I ended up with a sriracha mayo dipping sauce with the fries. It was nice actually. Another “first”. 

It was not my first Parkrun in Poland, but it was my first at the Parkrun Zamek w Malborku course. I recommend it. Flat as a pancake and just lovely surroundings - the castle (see yesterday’s Extra) and the River Nogat. 

Over lunchtime I visited the castle. It is massive. It is wonderful too. It might be the first time I have wandered around with the headphones on listening to a guided tour. I hate that. Usually. Not today. 

In the afternoon I took another train - northwards again, but only 30 minutes on PKP’s lovely pendolino service (reservation only, so quite civilised). 

Now I am going to stay put for a while. I might get on a few trams, but that is it. I might even eat in the hotel. 

My Blip is my other-worldly visit to McDo at 7am. One Extra is the Parkrun start/finish area under the castle. The other Extra is a detail from inside the castle. It suffered massive damage in 1945 so surviving detail like that is quite rare.