Poland, here we come!

July 21, 2017

We stayed in Frankfurt on the Oder at Pension Oderrblick and it was not a place that we would recommend. In spite of being a new building, it was poorly maintained, wifi was spotty and staff were never onsite. The breakfast was poorly done and presented haphazardly by a distracted fellow. Nonetheless, we enjoyed its lovely location along the river.

Pension Oderblick - a good protection from the storm but not recommended

We got an early start and headed across the bridge into Poland. Wow, what a culture shock. Throughout the day we rode on just about every kind of surface and most of them were bone jarring. The tiny villages that we rode through were from another time. Much of the riding was on top of the dyke that followed the Oder River. The surface was particularly bumpy as the path was concrete with many cracks and plants growing in them. As Barry said - well it can either get better or worse...but what we do know is that it will not stay the same. We ecountered very old and bumpy cobbles, washboard gravel and sand, pavement, cement. Despite these challenges which caused us to work hard and go slowly, we had a most rewarding day.

This surface looks prętty good but the frequent seams in the cement and the green growth mąkę for a bumpy ride. The payoff though was that we were riding through a beautiful naturę reserve rich with bird life.

Each village typically has a decorated cross like this in the centre of town.

This red and white post signifies that we are in Poland

Signage for the Polish Oder/Odra River route

Many of the homes in the countryside have decorative cement fences.

We stopped at a shop in a village for a treat and a break from the heat. We have learned to look for the word Sklep which means Shop. Usually it just looks like a home and it can be easy to miss.

We sat by this bridge and made lunch. This is one of the many bombed out bridges that no longer connects Poland with Germany as it was destroyed near the end of the war in 1945.

We enjoy watching the storks in their natural habitat. They look like they are good parents.

The storks have chosen to nest in a busy spot - they don't seem to be bothered by us or the cars.

When we arrived at the hotel, this man approached us to welcome us and to check out our bike.

Polish hot dogs at a gas station. The last time we ate this style of hot dog was in Iceland.

There are many hair salons in Poland. I thought that this was a Supermarket but discovered that it was a former bowling alley and now a salon. Clearly my Polish skills need improving..

After a 70 km ride we were happy to stop in Krosno Odrzanskie. We found the 2 star Hotel Odra situated directly on the river. The room is comfortable and it includes a cooked breakfast for 36 euros. Prices and value are very good in Poland. We are going for a walk to explore and find a store for dinner provisions.

We find the Odra River to be very pretty. We are staying across the bridge on the right.

Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 462 km (287 miles)

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