26th-28th July
Heading north again, we crossed the border into Poland, coming to a really scenic little village named Bukowina Tatrzanska, which had some accommodation available. Lyn and I booked into a guest house there, while Terry found a little room just up the road. We hadn't travelled far that day, everyone was tired as we didn't get much sleep the night before, so an early night all round. The next day it was cold and rainy again, so we had a quiet wander around the village and stayed an extra night. We were all happy with our accommodation, (ours had a great view), so we didn't mind.
The following morning we had to leave early, (8.00am, must be a record for us!), as we had to be in Ociewem (Auschwitz) by lunchtime to catch the tour we had booked on the internet. It was a good ride up, with the weather much better, and we found a hotel and checked in before the tour.
Heading north again, we crossed the border into Poland, coming to a really scenic little village named Bukowina Tatrzanska, which had some accommodation available. Lyn and I booked into a guest house there, while Terry found a little room just up the road. We hadn't travelled far that day, everyone was tired as we didn't get much sleep the night before, so an early night all round. The next day it was cold and rainy again, so we had a quiet wander around the village and stayed an extra night. We were all happy with our accommodation, (ours had a great view), so we didn't mind.
The following morning we had to leave early, (8.00am, must be a record for us!), as we had to be in Ociewem (Auschwitz) by lunchtime to catch the tour we had booked on the internet. It was a good ride up, with the weather much better, and we found a hotel and checked in before the tour.
Bear carving outside the restaurant near our room
The view from our room
The tour was very good, but also very sombre. Hard to believe people can be so cruel. We visited both camps, (they are about 10 minutes apart), and it lasted about 3 hours. I won't try to describe it, it is one of those things you need to see for yourself.
Terry was heading off in another direction tomorrow, so we had a good meal and a few too many wines to lift our moods, and celebrate the last night together.
Poland again, August 1st, 2015, after Czech Republic
We headed back into Poland again, as we were heading for Gdansk to catch the ferry over to Sweden. The original plan was to go north to Berlin, then across to Gdansk, but Poland is a lot cheaper to travel in than Germany. It is a little more basic, but the people are friendly and helpful, and we both liked Poland. The riding was good, along narrow but good roads to Grogow, where we booked into a hotel for the night, not expensive, but we were surprised how good the room was for the price. Biscuits, cheese, and sausage for dinner, we had to try to save a few dollars for Scandinavia, we had heard horror stories about expensive it was.
2nd
Breakfast was at the hotel, (included in room price), then back through town for the road north, mainly through farmland. A lot of grain is grown in the area, wheat, barley, rye, and also hops. We rode past a few breweries, you can really smell them as you ride past. More narrow country roads, and a deer bounced across in front of us, fortunately not too close, and we watched it disappear through a wheat field. There are warning signs everywhere for them, but this was the first we had seen for a while. Lunch was at a little town with a nice park next to a lake, bread rolls and cheese left over from breakfast. We had passed a few bikes, and everyone waves, including the Harley riders, Aussies could learn from these guys. The day ended in a town called Stargard, in a hotel that looked really crappy on the outside, but was quite nice inside. There was no security in the carpark for the bikes, but the lady in reception told me of a secure carpark just down the road, so I headed down to check it out. There was a little old lady that ran it, and although we tried to talk to each other for about 15 minutes, neither of us could understand the other, so I came back to the hotel none the wiser. I chained the bikes up outside, and a couple of German bikers turned up and parked next to us, so the odds just got better.
3rd
A fine day, and we rode around town looking for breakfast, but could not find anything, not even a bakery. We rode about 60 kms through lots of towns, nothing. Eventually we came across a supermarket, and bought some cooked chook, bread rolls, and orange juice, then found a spot beside the road on the edge of a forest and had lunch instead. Our destination was the village of Nowe Czarnowo, where there was supposed to be some really weird trees growing, known as "The Crooked Forest". Google it, very interesting looking. We had ridden a fair way away from our intended destination to see this forest, but we never found it. It must have been national "take the piss out of a tourist" day in Poland, because we spent over an hour riding around this little village of about 60 people, and everyone we asked said "Yes, about 1 klm" down whatever road we were on, but it had disappeared. We criss crossed the whole area, as we really wanted to see it, but never did. There were no signs in either Polish or English, nothing to help locate it. Disappointed, we gave up, and took a different way back past Stargard, and continued on towards Gdansk. After wasting a whole morning, we got as far as Szczecinek, and found a nice hotel, for 29 euros, and booked in. While we were sorry not to have found the forest, it had been really good riding, nice weather, small country roads, (very small. you had to get off the road if someone came the other way!), through pleasant farmland. Corn and grain are grown everywhere here, and as it was harvest time, it was not unusual to come around a corner and find a big harvester bearing down on you, really keeps the attention levels up!
2nd
Breakfast was at the hotel, (included in room price), then back through town for the road north, mainly through farmland. A lot of grain is grown in the area, wheat, barley, rye, and also hops. We rode past a few breweries, you can really smell them as you ride past. More narrow country roads, and a deer bounced across in front of us, fortunately not too close, and we watched it disappear through a wheat field. There are warning signs everywhere for them, but this was the first we had seen for a while. Lunch was at a little town with a nice park next to a lake, bread rolls and cheese left over from breakfast. We had passed a few bikes, and everyone waves, including the Harley riders, Aussies could learn from these guys. The day ended in a town called Stargard, in a hotel that looked really crappy on the outside, but was quite nice inside. There was no security in the carpark for the bikes, but the lady in reception told me of a secure carpark just down the road, so I headed down to check it out. There was a little old lady that ran it, and although we tried to talk to each other for about 15 minutes, neither of us could understand the other, so I came back to the hotel none the wiser. I chained the bikes up outside, and a couple of German bikers turned up and parked next to us, so the odds just got better.
3rd
A fine day, and we rode around town looking for breakfast, but could not find anything, not even a bakery. We rode about 60 kms through lots of towns, nothing. Eventually we came across a supermarket, and bought some cooked chook, bread rolls, and orange juice, then found a spot beside the road on the edge of a forest and had lunch instead. Our destination was the village of Nowe Czarnowo, where there was supposed to be some really weird trees growing, known as "The Crooked Forest". Google it, very interesting looking. We had ridden a fair way away from our intended destination to see this forest, but we never found it. It must have been national "take the piss out of a tourist" day in Poland, because we spent over an hour riding around this little village of about 60 people, and everyone we asked said "Yes, about 1 klm" down whatever road we were on, but it had disappeared. We criss crossed the whole area, as we really wanted to see it, but never did. There were no signs in either Polish or English, nothing to help locate it. Disappointed, we gave up, and took a different way back past Stargard, and continued on towards Gdansk. After wasting a whole morning, we got as far as Szczecinek, and found a nice hotel, for 29 euros, and booked in. While we were sorry not to have found the forest, it had been really good riding, nice weather, small country roads, (very small. you had to get off the road if someone came the other way!), through pleasant farmland. Corn and grain are grown everywhere here, and as it was harvest time, it was not unusual to come around a corner and find a big harvester bearing down on you, really keeps the attention levels up!
The memorial for the plane crash in 2010 in which all 96 people aboard the plane died when it crashed in Smolensk, Russia. Among those killed were the Polish president and his wife, vice president, and most of the senior government staff in office at the time. The cause of the crash was put down to bad weather and pilot error.
4th
Another fine day, with breakfast cooked on the petrol stove, (as was last nights tea), and a leisurely ride along more narrow roads to Gdansk, only 190 kms for the day. Leaving one town, we followed a police car that was following another car, and we were all doing about 15kms over the posted speed limit, but it didn't seem to bother anyone. We rode for miles through pine forests, timber is a big industry here. We had booked a room on the internet, and finally found it, it was a dungeon under a church, first time for everything! It was nothing like the pictures on the net, but it was clean, big enough, and cheap, so all good. The bikes were locked in a hallway inside the church, so they should be safe enough, even though it looked like a dodgy area.
Another fine day, with breakfast cooked on the petrol stove, (as was last nights tea), and a leisurely ride along more narrow roads to Gdansk, only 190 kms for the day. Leaving one town, we followed a police car that was following another car, and we were all doing about 15kms over the posted speed limit, but it didn't seem to bother anyone. We rode for miles through pine forests, timber is a big industry here. We had booked a room on the internet, and finally found it, it was a dungeon under a church, first time for everything! It was nothing like the pictures on the net, but it was clean, big enough, and cheap, so all good. The bikes were locked in a hallway inside the church, so they should be safe enough, even though it looked like a dodgy area.
On the beach at Gdansk
5th
We awoke nice and early, so packed up and headed off to meet up with a lady biker Lyn had been talking to on the net. She lives in Sweden, but was visiting Gdansk, so a coffee and a chat was in order. Nice to meet you Donna! A walk around the old town followed, lots of markets, then we stocked up with grog for Sweden, and filled the fuel tanks. These things are dearer in Sweden! Down to the ferry terminal to board, then tried to work out where we were going to sleep, it is a 19 hour trip across to Nynashamn, south of Stockholm. People had grabbed any available floor space they could, and spread out sleeping bags on it to mark their territory, obviously done this trip before. We had not booked a cabin, it was too expensive, so settled for what they call an aeroplane seat, a reclining seat you can supposedly sleep on, they sort of work..... Did you know the sun comes up here at 3.30 in the morning!!
We awoke nice and early, so packed up and headed off to meet up with a lady biker Lyn had been talking to on the net. She lives in Sweden, but was visiting Gdansk, so a coffee and a chat was in order. Nice to meet you Donna! A walk around the old town followed, lots of markets, then we stocked up with grog for Sweden, and filled the fuel tanks. These things are dearer in Sweden! Down to the ferry terminal to board, then tried to work out where we were going to sleep, it is a 19 hour trip across to Nynashamn, south of Stockholm. People had grabbed any available floor space they could, and spread out sleeping bags on it to mark their territory, obviously done this trip before. We had not booked a cabin, it was too expensive, so settled for what they call an aeroplane seat, a reclining seat you can supposedly sleep on, they sort of work..... Did you know the sun comes up here at 3.30 in the morning!!
