Today I will be going to Lithuania.
I shall post about my last couple days later, when I have more time. :P
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Battle
I feel like I make it sound like the trip is all rainbows and butterflies. It is in general an amazing experience, but every day is a battle. Every hill is a challenge, and every kilometre takes effort to complete. It takes a lot of physical and mental strength to keep going every day. Every day I have moments when I feel like it's tough, the sun is burns, traffic gets too dangerous, bag is too heavy, it gets hard to find accommodation for the day, I get lost, I can't decide which way to go, difficulties to communicate to others due to language barrier... The list goes on and on, there are countless challenges that I am forced to face every day. Plus there is always the safety factor - am I safe where I am at, will I be safe at the destination, are my things safe, and will my bike be safe? Constant questions and doubts are going through my mind all the time.
Yes, I am on a holiday, but it is not the relaxing type of holiday. It's action!
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I'm just pointing it out that it is not always as easy as it seems.
Yesterday I had a short trip to Warsaw. On the way I also passed through the city where Chopin was born - Żelazowa Wola. I stopped there to have an ice cream, that's all. :D
The trip to Warsaw was fairly simple. I went on a road that wasn't too busy most of the time. When I got closer to the destination, I used the cycling paths or the side walks. One funny thing happened though. I was about half way between Sochaczew and Warsaw, and police decided to stop me. They rode at my side and said something in Polish, then stopped. I assumed they wanted me to stop, so I did. The two officers got out of their car and came up to me and one of them (a rather handsome fella :D) started speaking Polish.
-Something in Polish.
-Sorry, I don't speak Polish.
-You don't speak Polish?
-No.
-Do you speak English?
-Yes, I do understand English.
-Where are you from?
-Latvia.
-Latvia?
-Yes.
-Do you have any ID?
-Yes. (Found my passport and gave it to him)
-Rituma Marta. Ok. Where do you live in Poland?
-I don't. I'm just passing by.
-Ahh, OK.
-What seems to be the problem?
-(He then inspects how my bag is placed on the back rack and tells something to the other officer) Hmmm, ok, nothing.
And then I got my ID back and they just let me go. It was a very strange encounter.
I found my host's flat fairly soon. It was early evening when I arrived. He made some pasta. Then he showed me the way to the city. I cycled about quite a bit. Stopped at the Citadel and enjoyed some time swinging on swings. This was great as I hadn't been on swings for a very long time. Felt like a child again.
In the city I met with a person from Couch Surfing. He showed me around a bit, and then we went for a couple of beers. He did a similar journey to mine two years back; cycled from Poland to England.
When I got back to my host's studio apartment he and some of his friends were about to have a midnight BBQ. So I joined them, it turned out to be a very fun night. :D
I got some nice breakfast (at lunch time, haha). And now I shall continue my journey. I have about 60 km to cycle today, so not too far.
Distance: 65 km
Yes, I am on a holiday, but it is not the relaxing type of holiday. It's action!
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I'm just pointing it out that it is not always as easy as it seems.
Yesterday I had a short trip to Warsaw. On the way I also passed through the city where Chopin was born - Żelazowa Wola. I stopped there to have an ice cream, that's all. :D
The trip to Warsaw was fairly simple. I went on a road that wasn't too busy most of the time. When I got closer to the destination, I used the cycling paths or the side walks. One funny thing happened though. I was about half way between Sochaczew and Warsaw, and police decided to stop me. They rode at my side and said something in Polish, then stopped. I assumed they wanted me to stop, so I did. The two officers got out of their car and came up to me and one of them (a rather handsome fella :D) started speaking Polish.
-Something in Polish.
-Sorry, I don't speak Polish.
-You don't speak Polish?
-No.
-Do you speak English?
-Yes, I do understand English.
-Where are you from?
-Latvia.
-Latvia?
-Yes.
-Do you have any ID?
-Yes. (Found my passport and gave it to him)
-Rituma Marta. Ok. Where do you live in Poland?
-I don't. I'm just passing by.
-Ahh, OK.
-What seems to be the problem?
-(He then inspects how my bag is placed on the back rack and tells something to the other officer) Hmmm, ok, nothing.
And then I got my ID back and they just let me go. It was a very strange encounter.
I found my host's flat fairly soon. It was early evening when I arrived. He made some pasta. Then he showed me the way to the city. I cycled about quite a bit. Stopped at the Citadel and enjoyed some time swinging on swings. This was great as I hadn't been on swings for a very long time. Felt like a child again.
In the city I met with a person from Couch Surfing. He showed me around a bit, and then we went for a couple of beers. He did a similar journey to mine two years back; cycled from Poland to England.
When I got back to my host's studio apartment he and some of his friends were about to have a midnight BBQ. So I joined them, it turned out to be a very fun night. :D
I got some nice breakfast (at lunch time, haha). And now I shall continue my journey. I have about 60 km to cycle today, so not too far.
Distance: 65 km
Friday, June 14, 2013
Long Story
Where to start?
So on the 10th of June I cycled from Zbaszyn to Poznan. That was roughly 80 km, but I got lost along the way a bit. I departed from the Zb...something city after noon, and was in Poznan fairly late. The route I took was Zbaszyn - Nowy Tomysl - Michorzewo - Buk - Wieckowice - Poznan. Somewhere before Buk I got lost, because originally I did not plan on passing through this city.
That night I stayed at a couch surfing host's dorm. She was a student at an university in Poznan. I was very glad she took me in, as it is exam time, and many other students declined my couch requests due to exams. I liked talking to her as she had interesting stories to tell about her travels.
Distance: 85 km
The following morning my host left to go to university and I left for Konin. It was around 10 in the morning, if I remember correctly. I believe I was about 5km into my journey when my bicycle started to make very scary noises, it was cracking, and it was very difficult to keep pedalling. I decided that there is no way I can cycle like this more than 100 km, distance to Konin. So I tried fixing my bike, but I realized the back wheel was turning with it's screw. I failed to fix it. Then a man, I'll call him Superman, came to rescue me. He helped me to carry the bicycle to a bike-shop that was about 1 km away. The bike-shop worker found out that the back wheel is not usable, so he had to change the wheel, tire, chain, and back chain disk.
At fist the two men at the shop said that they can get it fixed by tomorrow (the following day). This, of course, was not an option for me, so I asked if there is anyway they could do it today, not just today, but right away. And finally they were kind enough to fix it within two hours. While they were fixing it, Superman took me to his friend's place, who lived near by. There we had some coffee, and the nice woman even gave me delicious lunch. With the help of this woman's son, I was able to tell my Superman that it is too late for me to cycle to Konin, and that I would like to take a train to there. We picked up my bike, and then he cycled with me to the station and helped me to get a ticket. This man was just amazing! I can't believe how lucky I was that he stopped to help me. I got his name and address, so I think I will send him a superman t-shirt when I'm done with my journey.
I arrived in Konin, then found my hosts place. For that night I stayed with a couple who have travelled a lot, it was nice to hear about their adventures, I also learned a lot new about Poland.
Then the following morning I was off to Kutno.
I left Konin early, my bike was good and rolling, and I was well rested. I took the route 92, so it was easy to get to my next stop. No wondering about, or getting lost. The weather still was good, and the road was wide, so I didn't have to worry about all the cars. It was abut 90 km ride. I arrived there earlier than I thought I would. I met up with my host and he took me to his spacious apartment that was very close by. He cooked a lovely dinner. We enjoyed each other's company over couple glasses of wine. It was very interesting to talk to my host as he had very solid ideas and thoughts about life and future, and people. We had some good laughs.
Distance: 90 km
The following morning, Thursday, 13th of June, due to my hosts schedule we departed early. He went to work, and I was off to a city not too far away called Sochacew. Again, I chose the easy 92 route, which then turned into route 2, and it lead me right to the city. It was not far away, and I was cycling fairly fast, so I was good on my way by mid day. I stopped couple of times along the way, enjoyed the weather, and had a good lunch in one bar/restaurant on the way. I found my hosts home easy, and before arriving I got myself a big three-scoop ice cream! Just what I needed in the heat. My host was very hospitable, fed me nice dinner, and we had a short chat about this-and-that.
Distance: 70 km
Today I am going to Warsaw, that's roughly 60 km, but I can't know for sure, since I don't know where my next host lives. :D
PEACE OUT!
So on the 10th of June I cycled from Zbaszyn to Poznan. That was roughly 80 km, but I got lost along the way a bit. I departed from the Zb...something city after noon, and was in Poznan fairly late. The route I took was Zbaszyn - Nowy Tomysl - Michorzewo - Buk - Wieckowice - Poznan. Somewhere before Buk I got lost, because originally I did not plan on passing through this city.
That night I stayed at a couch surfing host's dorm. She was a student at an university in Poznan. I was very glad she took me in, as it is exam time, and many other students declined my couch requests due to exams. I liked talking to her as she had interesting stories to tell about her travels.
Distance: 85 km
The following morning my host left to go to university and I left for Konin. It was around 10 in the morning, if I remember correctly. I believe I was about 5km into my journey when my bicycle started to make very scary noises, it was cracking, and it was very difficult to keep pedalling. I decided that there is no way I can cycle like this more than 100 km, distance to Konin. So I tried fixing my bike, but I realized the back wheel was turning with it's screw. I failed to fix it. Then a man, I'll call him Superman, came to rescue me. He helped me to carry the bicycle to a bike-shop that was about 1 km away. The bike-shop worker found out that the back wheel is not usable, so he had to change the wheel, tire, chain, and back chain disk.
At fist the two men at the shop said that they can get it fixed by tomorrow (the following day). This, of course, was not an option for me, so I asked if there is anyway they could do it today, not just today, but right away. And finally they were kind enough to fix it within two hours. While they were fixing it, Superman took me to his friend's place, who lived near by. There we had some coffee, and the nice woman even gave me delicious lunch. With the help of this woman's son, I was able to tell my Superman that it is too late for me to cycle to Konin, and that I would like to take a train to there. We picked up my bike, and then he cycled with me to the station and helped me to get a ticket. This man was just amazing! I can't believe how lucky I was that he stopped to help me. I got his name and address, so I think I will send him a superman t-shirt when I'm done with my journey.
I arrived in Konin, then found my hosts place. For that night I stayed with a couple who have travelled a lot, it was nice to hear about their adventures, I also learned a lot new about Poland.
Then the following morning I was off to Kutno.
I left Konin early, my bike was good and rolling, and I was well rested. I took the route 92, so it was easy to get to my next stop. No wondering about, or getting lost. The weather still was good, and the road was wide, so I didn't have to worry about all the cars. It was abut 90 km ride. I arrived there earlier than I thought I would. I met up with my host and he took me to his spacious apartment that was very close by. He cooked a lovely dinner. We enjoyed each other's company over couple glasses of wine. It was very interesting to talk to my host as he had very solid ideas and thoughts about life and future, and people. We had some good laughs.
Distance: 90 km
The following morning, Thursday, 13th of June, due to my hosts schedule we departed early. He went to work, and I was off to a city not too far away called Sochacew. Again, I chose the easy 92 route, which then turned into route 2, and it lead me right to the city. It was not far away, and I was cycling fairly fast, so I was good on my way by mid day. I stopped couple of times along the way, enjoyed the weather, and had a good lunch in one bar/restaurant on the way. I found my hosts home easy, and before arriving I got myself a big three-scoop ice cream! Just what I needed in the heat. My host was very hospitable, fed me nice dinner, and we had a short chat about this-and-that.
Distance: 70 km
Today I am going to Warsaw, that's roughly 60 km, but I can't know for sure, since I don't know where my next host lives. :D
PEACE OUT!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Welcome to Poland - Home of Good Food
My journey continues to bring great experience! Yesterday I cycled from Selecin to Zbaszyn. The Polish names still surprise me! How can there be so many consonants in a row. It is very hard to even write things down, not to mention pronouncing them. To be honest, I don't even try! In my head it is Zb...something city. On my way I accidentally took two de-tours, this added about 10 km to my day's trip, so not too bad. The weather started off being very hot! But as I went East, it got a cloudier, still very warm, but it was bearable. I left Sulecin very late, my host's mother made me dinner. When I came to thinking about it, it was my first warm meal in several day time. The food was great! FULL of flavour, loving it. And when I arrived to Zbaszyn my host also gave me warm dinner, and again, the food was very good! My host is a very nice girl, she lives with her husband and two little boys. She is a very nice girl, with a kind heart!
I will be leaving, hopefully soon, since I don't want to arrive to Poznan too late.
The map of Poland that I purchased in Germany is very poor. It has only major roads, which does no good for me, as it is better to travel along the smaller roads. Now I often rely on GPS on my phone.
Good quality roads are great for speed, however, cars use this to go fast as well, so such roads are not very safe. The older, bad roads can be literally a pain in the bum, but at least I know that cars will not go fast, so it feels a lot safer. Poland runs short on cycling routes. They are present in some cities, but between cities, not really. There are some routes that are marked as cycling routes, but here they don't have may signs as to where the paths go.
Anyway. I should get ready for the days trip. ;)
Distance: 85 km
P.S. It takes a long time to upload pictures, that's why there are very few up. Sorry about that. I know I am several days behind, deal with it. :P haha BYE now.
I will be leaving, hopefully soon, since I don't want to arrive to Poznan too late.
The map of Poland that I purchased in Germany is very poor. It has only major roads, which does no good for me, as it is better to travel along the smaller roads. Now I often rely on GPS on my phone.
Good quality roads are great for speed, however, cars use this to go fast as well, so such roads are not very safe. The older, bad roads can be literally a pain in the bum, but at least I know that cars will not go fast, so it feels a lot safer. Poland runs short on cycling routes. They are present in some cities, but between cities, not really. There are some routes that are marked as cycling routes, but here they don't have may signs as to where the paths go.
Anyway. I should get ready for the days trip. ;)
Distance: 85 km
P.S. It takes a long time to upload pictures, that's why there are very few up. Sorry about that. I know I am several days behind, deal with it. :P haha BYE now.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Berlin and then Crossing the Border
Berlin. Berlin. Berlin. Berlin is full of everything. It has a lot to offer, and falls short on almost nothing. It is beautiful, has great sight seeing places, and colourful history to tell. My friends' mother took me to an ice-cream place where they serve the best ice-cream in Berlin. I've not tried every ice-cream place there, but I do believe that that was best ice cream in the city! It was brilliant, full of flavour. The next day, Friday, I had a long morning, as per usual, and then went for a cycling tour in the city. I managed to see a lot of hings despite the short time I spent there. Along the things I saw were the Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten, part of Berlin Wall, the Jewish Memorial, and others. After my short city tour I was off to Furstenwalde, a city not too far from the Polish and German border. I left the city relatively late, and arrived at my hosts place at about ten in the evening. The ride wasn't too exhausting. My host in Furstenwalde was a very pleasant man who welcomed me like a friend. We talked about my trip and other things. It was a very nice, calm evening/ In the morning after late breakfast he and two of his kids ode with me to show me the right way to go off to Poland.
Distance: 50 km
The ride from Furstenwalde started off not too good. It was a very hot day, and I had put a lot of sun cream on, and was very frustrated about the heat, it was difficult to ride in such condition. But soon I grew accustom to the situation and managed to overcome my frustration. I got to the border at Frankfurt Oder (Germany) and Slubice (Poland). From there I cycled to my host's city Sulecin. I took my time on the German side of the trip, and so I was a bit behind schedule. Poland welcomed with beautiful cities, and in some places free WiFi spots. Can't complain! :D The ride in Poland was on the road since there were no cycling paths. It felt very unsafe, but it's not like I had much of a choice. I had my high visibility vest on, made me feel a bit safer. I arrived at my host's place at soon after ten. It has so far been a great experience. My host stays with her parents (until today, so I was very lucky), they took me in like a guest of honour! I am the first guest they are having from Couch Surfing, so they tried their very best to make me feel like at home. Actually all my hosts so far have been wonderful and there is no bad thing to say. I've been very fortunate. Today I have about 80 km ride from Sulecin to Zbaszyn. My host's mother just now told me that there is quite a bit of the road to go uphill. I think I will handle it well. I had a surprise yesterday to see that Poland has some hills. They don't seem very apparent, but when on a bicycle every hill is noticeable. It is always worth it because what goes up must come down. :)
Distance 100 km
P.S. I will no longer write the time, since I basically spend the whole day to get from point A to point B. That what I am here for! :D
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Berlin
Today I had a long short ride. In the morning I took some time to plan where I will spend the first day when I get in Poland. I had a long morning. When I finally left my hosts place, it was noon. I took some time to cycle around the city. The weather was great, again. For the first time I did not wear a long sleeve shirt, instead I had a short shirt, and rolled up my leggings. I put on a lot of sun cream. Before going to Berlin I took a de-tour the other direction. There I found a nice picnic area there were no people there, so I parked my bike, took out some of my clothes that were still a bit wet, so they would dry in the sun. I ate some lunch and spent almost two hours just enjoying the sun!
After all that I finally cycled to Berlin. An old friend of mine was able to arrange me a place to stay for the night with her mother. This was really sweet! So here I am now in Berlin. I don't think I will go out today since tomorrow I have a very long day. I shall get up early and see the city a bit, and then off to Hangelsberg.
Time: ALL DAY :D
Distance: 40 km
After all that I finally cycled to Berlin. An old friend of mine was able to arrange me a place to stay for the night with her mother. This was really sweet! So here I am now in Berlin. I don't think I will go out today since tomorrow I have a very long day. I shall get up early and see the city a bit, and then off to Hangelsberg.
Time: ALL DAY :D
Distance: 40 km
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