After journeying uphill for hours there it was: Morskie Oko, or the Eye of the Sea. According to legend, the lake has so much fish because somewhere in the fathoms lies a hole that takes the brave diver through a tunnel all the way into the Mediterranean sea. I saw schools of baby trout swimming around. Some brave baby trout. The Adriatic is a long way away from the tail of the Carpathian mountains.

Morskie oko is emerald green, and even in the shallow shore waters it clashed with cornflower blue toes. Important detail to the esthetic photographer – although who cares when the sun throws sparkles in the water?

(Morskie Oko lake, Tatra Mountains National Park, Poland; July 2015)