Czech Republic

I’m in Poland clinging to a Pole

Day 33 – Ostrava Czech to Oswiecim Poland

KM – 90.6

Avg – 20.2

Saddle Time – 4:29

Well all I can say is WHAT A DAY!! What an experience.

It started off in the morning leaving the hotel (always hard and the thoughts go through your mind of everything that you need to do again whilst on the road) – it’s funny how relaxing it can be with a proper bed and a roof. That thought goes out the window in about 20 minutes of hopping on the bike though. The church literally outside my window at night was nice enough to keep reminding me of what time it was by 4 dings to notify you that it’s about to DONG DONG DONG so many times on the hour and then again on the ½ – That was really nice – Thank you for keeping me in touch with time – I needed that. I don’t need the dings to tell me that you’re gonna DONG!!! Sheesh (that’s what she said)

So anyway – I got up early to watch the Crows – Bitterly disappointed but at least we get another crack. Sydney were just too strong in defence and putting too much pressure on us and we fumbled, rushed and crumbled. I could go on about the footy but I won’t. It’s about the travelling isn’t it – ahhh but a bit of home always comes in handy.

I chose to take a route to a little town about 15km from hotel and then map out the rest of the day from there using my maps and then putting in the waypoints into my phone (i’m getting better at it) – I chose for ‘adventure’ today and I found it. I purposely chose the roads that still got me to my destination but they were the ones that are in between all the secondary and boy I was not disappointed. I was dancing on my pedals all day and steaming up the small but enough to sweat up hills. I was going through farms, horse agistments, ghetto’s, war torn cities, roads that I would say ‘Surely this isn’t a road – it can’t be’, going through creeks, dirt roads, beautiful country side, picking corn for dinner from fields(that tasted like crap – HEY I am not a farmer I don’t know), lovely neighbourhoods – I had the works today – who knew Poland was so nice – I certainly didn’t. I had a tailwind all day and was flying. Another one of those ‘gee this is why am I doing this’ kind of day. I followed a lot of the Greenways route again. Just following signs and when I lose them I just follow my own signs in my head hahaha

You know – what is it with the countries I have been through and pastel colour houses? A lot of neighbourhoods have very similar houses obviously but they are all either yellow, green, blue, red pastel colour…maybe they like to be different then their neighbour who knows. So many people sweep their front porch too – I’ve never seen so many people do that in my life – perhaps I am a crap house keeper ha ha.

The minute you go off main routes looking for lets just use that cliché word again ‘adventure’ – you do find it but you find hills and bad roads also – it is worth it though if you have the strength for the day. You pay for it but you get change – hah – do you like that one?

The minute I hit Poland (as every country so far) it’s amazing how fast it changes – the roads were definitely worse and you get stuck looking around going ‘whoooaahh’ and then BANG – a pot hole – SH!T….gotta keep an eye on the road here don’t I. If Poland had a smell I would say it smelt like Chimney smoke combined with a damp cellar, forests and farms. Hah – like tasting a good wine **insert traditional English voice** ‘yess yesss a woody undertone which compliments the leathery cigar wooded flavour on the pallet’

Malcolm – you asked previously what do I do with my gear when I go wandering etc….well I never leave my bike locked up in the city and just go walking that’s for sure. Most campsites, hotels, hostels are really nice and accommodate me by letting me use their cellar or they have room for a bicycle to be somewhere secure – if they don’t have a secure place – I don’t stay there and look elsewhere (like a forrest hahah) or I take my bike walking with me. I then leave all clothes/non valuables on the bike and lock it up and carry a day bag with me with all my important stuff in it. When I go into a shop I always lock my bike to a rail (every place has bicycle stands in Europe) and make sure I sit inside the cafe where I can see my bike. If I can see my bike through the window I don’t even lock it – all my valuables are in my handlebar bag so I just click it off and walk in anywhere. If they steal anything it’s only cooking or clothing etc…seems to work so far – sometimes I leave all my panniers in my tent also – it’s just clothing and the like – everything that can be re purchased if needed and I have full insurance. I’d hate to try to steal my bike and try to pick it up hahaha – someone who has never toured would definitely fall over hahah it’s like a mothership on wheels – a mothership with attitude too – plus they wouldn’t be able to pedal fast – I have the small mountain bike clip ins requiring particular shoes.

Anyhooo – I made it to here and I found a campsite directly opposite Auschwitz – it’s a strange feeling to be so close but this campsite is the best I have stayed in regarding reception, plush green grass, tables everywhere, 24hr service, great info, and a reception that looks like the grand hotel honestly – very strange – it’s a church/camping ground. I am the only tent here and one motorhome – so peaceful. $10aud – wicked.

Dinner tonight:-

Scrambled eggs (oregano for seasoning – yes I have oregano with me haha) with leek

Bread n cheese

Peach

Custard

Corn (I certainly picked the wrong one – tasted like chalk)

A beer

A full stomach, off to Auschwitz tomorrow to spend the whole day there and then off to Krakow the day after. I can’t believe i’ve been on the road over a month now – wow. I also can’t believe how much I type sometimes – WOW!

Just ……………………………..WOW!!!!

Tanya and Lorraine (and everyone of course)– you are guns for reading my blog and commenting recently – thank you…I love reading your comments and knowing that you’re following me – it means a lot.

Today’s Route