September 21, 2023
Krakow ride: Men in Trees
Cruising Krakow wins the toss for our bike rentals today. Their trekking bikes have low gears and wide enough tires to roll over the tram tracks in Old Town. After a bit of confusion navigating out of the city center, we find the bike path on a loop route west of the city.
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Around mile 26 in the town of Mnikow we veer east off the RidewithGPS route to find some lunch in Kryspinów. There's a place there called Skanaen Smakov that has pierogies. Terry raves about them and I feel we must go and try them for ourselves. The restaurant sits on a lake and offers a Polish show two nights a week with music, dancing and traditional cuisine. Sounds like the real deal.
I map the detour using Google Maps bike directions. Soon we find ourselves on a dirt double-track path with watery potholes, rocks, broken bricks and mud. In places there's several inches of water nearly all the way across the road.
We're likely to run across plenty more rough tracks in the weeks to come, so it's not a bad thing to practice. I'm glad for the wide full-size tires on these bikes. They handle the rough stuff well, I think better than the 20 inch wheels on our Bike Fridays.
As I wobble around one water-filled crater, a big muscular guy ambles out of the woods, stark naked, and we both get an eye-full. He seems unbothered by our presence but does turn away, rather considerately I think. We don't stop for pictures. That scene is seared into my brain.
He's not the only one walking around sans attire. There are more men strolling through the trees around us. What is this place? Unnerved by the terrain and the society, we press forward for a mile or so on the rocky track, eventually reaching busy Cholerzyn road and the restaurant.
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Later when we return the bikes to Cruising Krakow, I'll ask Krysztof about the men in the trees. He says there's a nudist beach there and hastens to add that it's not considered a normal thing in Poland. Maybe not, but on Google maps I find Plaża Nudystów Cholerzyn - the Cholerzyn Nudist Beach - right where we were riding. Visitors have posted reviews about it for years.
The next few miles getting back to our route are on a busy road that crosses the A4 highway. Motorists are courteous, but we're happy to leave them behind to ride up the hill in Bielańsko-Tyniecki Landscape Park. The park roads take us most of the way back to the city.
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After a late afternoon nap, we walk back to the market square in search of vegetables to balance out the meaty diet of the last few days. Chopin Cafe has the cure - a creamy tomato soup, mixed green salad and wine. It's a mellow finale to our day and our time in Krakow.
Today: 40 miles, 2040' ascent
For the tour: 60 miles, 2963' ascent
Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 60 miles (97 km)
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