We Ride to Zielona Gora With Our New Polish Friends

July 23, 2017

Bogdan gave Mary Ellen a pin of Krosno Odrzanaskie.

Poland has been full of surprises and rich experiences. We really love it here and find it odd that we aren't seeing any other cyclists touring. We expect that once we are touring in better known places like Wroclaw and Krakow, we will sure to see fellow cyclists. That being said, we like that this part of Poland is "off the beaten path"and we enjoy the unspoilt hospitality and unique experiences that it gives us.

Having the experience of an elderly lady standing up this morning and clapping as we rode by...meeting Bogdan and spending two wonderful days with him (as well as Adam and Zygmunt) all add to our enjoyment of this special place.

Last night, the view outside our window showed the coming storm and it was a doozy. The extreme winds make us feel like we are in Kansas with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

Last night we experiencd an extreme thunder storm with heavy rain. This bird is enjoying the water on the roof outside our window.

Our eclectic yet comfortable room at Hotel Odra.

Bogdan, his friends Adam and Zygmunt met us at our hotel as promised at 9:30. It will be fun to ride in a convoy to our next destination.

The Polish flag is proudly mounted on the front of Bogdan's bike.

Helmets are not required in Poland - Adam's cap is for cycling and is covered in cycling related pins. Bogdan was wearing a similar cap as well.

Bagdan's bike reflects his love of cycling, touring (note his stickers from Scandinavia where he rode 3000 km in 29 days from Nordkap to his home in Poland) and his technical skills. We especially loved the accrostic poem he created based on the Polish word for cycling "Rower"..

Our translation of the 5 lines follow: Moving is healthy. Environmental protection. Rest. Energy to work. Joy of life

Route planning and communicating via the ipad with Bogdan to sort out our plan for the day. We are relieved that the predicted thunder storms for today seem to be less likely.

Sunday is such a popular day for friends to ride together - we met this group from Zielona Gora (our destination) out for a ride.

Crossing the Odra River on a small (and free) manually operated ferry.

Bogdan gave Mary Ellen a pin of Krosno Odrzanaskie.

Small river crossings by ferry are a delight in Europe. We are having such a great day with our friend Bogdan.

At each rest stop, Bogdan would mimic typing and out would come the ipad to help us converse.

Saying farewell to our dear friend Bogdan.

Cleaning up after an ice cream cone at the fountain in the old town of Zielona Gora.

The large market square and pedestrian areas were filled with families and people visiting and enjoying the evening. People watching for us is such fun. This couple have such character in their faces.

We had read that Zielona Gora has really good pizza for a reasonable price downtown - it is inexpensive but really excellent.

Zielona Gora is known for its white wine industry. The old town is filled with miniature bronze sculptures, many with a whimsical touch, celebrating the wine making.

Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 514 km (319 miles)

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