September 23, 2014
To Pilica: The start of the last stage of our journey
Ken writes
The morning was cold but not raining, in our attic room it is easy to tell on the sky lights. The escape from Krakow on the planned route went well - but just as we got on the 794 it started to rain with a strong head wind. The rain continued on and off all day (the temperature reached 9 degrees) and together with relentless hills and heavy traffic it was the hardest days ride we have ever had. We seriously doubted that we could make it but we had booked the next 4 nights accommodation on the assumption that we would.
We sheltered from the worst episodes and as soon as the rain eased off got going again, We had to walk any significant hills, the wind kept us in low range even on the flat. We tried at many places to find shelter and a coffee - but none till we got to Woolbrom at 1pm after 45km. There we found a lunch bar which was fairly warm and right out of the rain. We had a bowl of very traditional bright pink Polish soup with coffee and by great good luck a heavy shower passed while inside.
The last 13km to Pilica proved to be the easiest of the day - traffic lighter, gradients less and only one hail shower.
We got here just after 3 and are well established in a nice but cold hotel. All our polyprops are on.
Naturally we saw little but cars, trucks and the edge of the narrow road, no shoulder of course. There is a continuous line of houses, mostly pretty new on both sides of the 794 for fully 20km out of Krakow, there must be extremely slack (or no) town planning.
It is 75years since the dreadful things that happened to Poland in September 1939 when I was 2years old. There are lots of TV programs on the History Channel, to bad we have no Polish.
Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 2,698 km (1,675 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |