The main pedestrianized street of Zakopane, whose name I forget because I don’t know how to pronounce it, is full of people walking up and down not seeming to be going anywhere, many of them going there with ice creams, binoculars, cameras and pushchairs. Most of the shops are restaurants, either fast food burger kebab type places, or grills, where you can have a slab of meat, a kilo of potatos and salad.

Neon lights opposite say “Cocktail BAR Morskie M Oko Sam — AR”. A sign in a shop says “WAKACYJNY SZOK CENOWY !!!” In another window it says “END OF SALE” four times, white text on a pink background with some fancy bordering at the top and bottom.

It starts to cloud over. It seems to do that here at around this time. The mornings are sunny but by mid-afternoon it’s cloudy and then late afternoon it’s raining and then the evening will probably be cool coat-wearing weather.

People in costumes and painted faces, one all gold, many silver ones and a pink lady, stand still and until someone wants to take their picture, then they collect money. Further up the street is a guy with amputated legs, his stumps showing, sitting in a wheelchair.

It’s become quite a bit darker since I’ve been sitting here, in a cafe on the street. Thunder sounded just now, some way off. There were some ooos from people walking past. I could go now and try to get back to the hotel before the rain comes, or I could wait here under the canopy.