The weather has changed dramatically from the heat and humidity of a few days ago. Now we have cooler temperatures, heavy winds, clouds and humidity. Last night it rained heavily all night. This morning it is trying to rain and the winds are pretty fierce. Our first stop of the day was in Bytom Odrzandski. There is nothing to suggest that it is worth a visit, but we are so glad we stopped. So much character and village life in the town square where we got some provisions at the small Sklep (shop) to make our lunch. We are trying to avoid the river bike path as our experience earlier was that it is too rough and the heavy rains might mean mud as well. So we are finding our own way on secondary roads. The drivers are crazy fast, but most are patient with us and it is ok. Stopping at the bike shop in Glogow was one of the highlights of the day. The people were great to deal with and we had many laughs with them. Thanks to all for their helpfulness and hospitality. The paved bike path through the larger city of Lubin made for an easy way to pass through it...and the route selected by the bike shop gave us quiet scenic roads to get to our destination. A good but long day. A note about our motor - we are thrilled that we asked much of it today in terms of distance and hills (of which there were many). When we finished for the day, there were still 1-2 bars of power left. Thanks to Akkurad for settiing us up with what we need.
We continue to be astounded by the quality and good value of accomodation in Poland. Hotel Kelman is a modern, well appointed hotel (with free beer on arrival), fresh fruit always available, a lovely shared kitchen and costs about 35 euros. We have been unable to find any campsites in this part of Poland, so we are happy to take advantage of good places to stay like this one. The owner was very hospitable and accomodating.
The next village, Bytom Odrzanski is a sleepy place but charming with a wonderful old square. Villagers were busy going to the shops around the square. As tourists, we attracted a lot of stares. We have a feeling that this is not a place where tourists usually visit.
This is typical of the reaction we get from locals. This man stood like this the whole time we were in the square eating our lunch and taking photos. The other reaction we get is from people watching us from their windows. We have noticed that most windows have a cushion on the sill and this is how older people spend their day visiting with passersby or staring at us.
We have been using a map that we got from a Tourist Office in Gubin Germany. It takes us as far as Glogow, which is where we are. We have tried unsuccessfully to get another map. At many villages and cities, we have gone to Tourist Infos, bookstores, etc and no luck....only a big map of Poland. We are using our Garmin and Base Camp which works. We pulled in to this Rowery (Bike Shop) to see if they have any maps.
Pawel and Kuba were incredibly helpful. Some English and Polish was spoken but we got there. They had no maps, but they printed a map from Google and wrote out the names of villages to look for. It was fun interacting with these nice fellows in the bike shop.
Don't you love a bike shop that is limited in space, but jammed full of bikes and parts hanging from wherever possible? When Barry came in to see what I was up to, he noticed a box of 16" tires and he found a Schwalbe Black Jack to use on our trailer. It is not as good as the Marathon we wanted, but it is far better than the Chinese one we had to get in Zielona Gora.
This fellow cycle touring enthusiast is the brother of the owner of the bike shop. He came to the shop to see our bike and he kindly rode with us out of town to help us find our way. And as a bonus, he gave us 2 yummy Polish apples for our journey.
We found Chata Karczowiska on booking.com and what a find it is. This charming lovely hotel is in a country village and offers comfort and an excellent restaurant. Barry had the House Cutlet (Pork, cheese, ham, etc). Our meals averaged about 7 euros.
Fond memories of Mrs. Morris' potato pancakes when Mary Ellen was young, encouraged her to try these. Chanterelles in a cream sauce over the pancakes made for one of her best meals of the trip. Once again, this hotel which offers luxury is only 35 euros including breakfast.
