Trans Europa Day 21 Warsaw Rest Day - 0km

PART 2


My dad was born in Warsaw and grew up in an apartment building at Chlodna 20. I visited the building in 2005 and did not feel the need to revisit. That is until I read that a new illuminated footbridge had been erected in Chlodna in 2011.

Chlodna 20 still stands as it did in my father's day.. Not only is it an outstanding example of art nouveau Warsaw, but there’s also a bit of history behind it. Built in 1913 this is the former residence of Adam Czerniaków who assumed fame as head of the Judenrat (the Jewish led organization responsible for implementing Nazi orders in the Ghetto). After my father left for Australia in 1938 and when the ghetto was established in 1940, I gather the residents of the Building were evicted into the general ghetto and the building was taken over as Judenrat headquarters.

Chlodna 20 balcony

Outside Chlodna 20

One of the most recognizable images of life in the Warsaw Ghetto was that of the footbridge over Chlodna that linked the small and large Ghettos. Roughly 400,000 people (around 30 percent of the city’s population at the time) were wedged into an area that took up just 2.5 percent of the city itself and was divided into two areas with the footbridge the only link between them.

Original footbrige connecting the ghetto sections 1940-1942

There wasn’t much in the way of an official monument to mark the bridge’s former location on the street until in 2011 when the city unveiled Footbridge of Memory, an installation designed by Tomasz Tusch-Lec that is made up of two pairs of metal poles connected across the road by optical fibres. At night the fibres become illuminated and mimic the shape of the footbridge over Chlodna. During the day when the installation isn’t as striking visitors can peer through viewfinders at the base of each pole to see photographs of Ghetto life. Here's a link: New installation

Trans Europa Day 21 Warsaw Rest Day - 0km

PART 1

As is my custom on rest days, it's about the city, street art and people watching. And food, of course!

It was quite a warm day in Warsaw and, after doing laundry,  I wandered around the old town which has been fully reconstructed after the Germans bombed it to smithereens in 1944.

Six of us set off for dinner. Four felt like Italian but Walli and I opted for katchke (duck) which was absolutely delicious!

Just the katchke head remains..

Trans Europa Day 20 Pultusk to Warsaw - 63km

It did not rain during the night and I slept reasonably well in my tent away from home.

The plan today was to follow a complicated route away from major traffic to get to a "lake beach" about 25km from downtown Warsaw and then to come in with a local guide.

Having vanned in yesterday, I was not ready for the sandy path on the way out which proved quite treacherous so I erred on the side of caution and walked where I felt it unsafe to pedal.

We had a leisurely breakfast and packed some sandwiches for lunch as it was not clear whether the lunch van could set up. We had to reach the beach by noon for the convoy but arrived well before then.

Not much to do but gaze out upon the water, visit the local deli for drinks and ice cream to accompany the tuna and avocado sandwich and take a nap in the shade on the grass until our guid arrived to lead us in to Warsaw.

There are 5 members of the Jewish faith on this tour and 2 of the guys now live in Israel. I certainly felt something "special" about riding in to a city of great historical importance to us.

Preparing for the triumphant return to Warsaw.



Our guide led us along the river banks, under bridges and across to more paths until we caught our first glimpses of Warsaw  and then, after coming along the cablecar route under the bridges we popped out at our hotel. A very interesting way to enter a large town safely!

After showering and unpacking, I set off for a quick look at the ghetto memorial and am pleased that they are now building a proper museum of the Jewish people to open in a couple of years.

After a visit to the local barber for a shave, I headed to old town for a shabbat dinner of chicken soup and mushroom pierogies. A lady was taking her pet echidna for a walk..

It takes all types...

Trans Europa Day 19 Nowograd to Pultusk - 112km

After breakfast off the blue van in the schoolyard, we set off in warm overcast conditions. Having had no rain since I arrived in Vilnius, I had not packed my rain jacket on Merlin so, of course, it rained today.

I managed to tack on to a  pace line at around 25kph motored by Gareth, Louise and Jules and we rode together through to lunch at around 60km. We passed Herman Munster around Dabrowska.

I was a bit wet arriving into lunch and after being told there was really not much to see between lunch and camp other than a 2km sandy road into camp, I decided to have a leisurely lunch break with Ciaran and then van in. We waited quite some time at lunch for the remaining riders who all rolled in except without Gergo riding sweep. Gergo remembered a turn from 2 years ago and took that one. He did eventually make it to camp which was the setting for a group of 30 or so 60+ ladies with easels and paints having a great time and partying til after 9pm!

Dinner by Eszter and Gergo was Hungarian goulash.

I had already late lunched on a quite delicious tomato soup with papardella style noodles at the camp restaurant which strangely did not stock ice cream...

The picture at the right hangs inside the main guest rooms and WC facilities building. Quite innocuous and the only one of its genre.

Off to the tent after dinner and not a bad night's sleep. Just a couple of coughs and hopefully this whole chest congestion is almost done.

Trans Europa Day 18 Augustow to Nowograd - 135km

The coughing continued through the night and I awoke with a choice to make. To take the blue van or the white van.. Well, I might as well ride til lunch and then take the white van in.

I promptly made it to the back of the pack and had Ciaran the wonder mechanic for company as he was riding sweep. He kindly took this photo along the way.

Slow and steady into lunch at 71km  hosted by Gergo but nothing much I fancied. Jules had popped some spokes yesterday and, although Ciaran had performed a minor miracle to fix the wheel, I told Jules that he could take Merlin for a spin in the afternoon. We eventually caught up around the 100km mark at an ice cream stop and I handed Merlin over for some more exercise.

Jules in charge of the titanium magician

Camp tonight would be at the local school ("gymnasium") which was making some extra money over the holidays. Boys were put up in the mathematics room with dinner at a local restaurant. Stuffed schnitzel as it turned out. Very tasty..Followed by a trip to the corner store for ice cream of course.

We all turned in around 8pm and it was not an uncomfortable night's sleep dorm style!

Only a few coughing fits during the night which got drowned out by the snorers to some degree.

Another half day for me but, as some-one once said to me on a Ciclismo trip , "it's my vacation!!" The weather has been warmish and the riding reasonably pleasant so let's just take it a day at a time.

Trans Europa Day 17 Silaciai to Augustow - 92km

Woke up after a restless night and managed to pack up the tent before a breakfast of hot porridge and brown sugar and a banana served with tea and lemon..

The day was flagged for 88km and I figured I would pace myself and ride through. We crossed the border between Lithuania and Poland at the 32km mark. What a difference between the signs!

Welcome to Lithuania

Welcome to Poland

I was still struggling with the cough but took my time and enjoyed the sunshine through to lunch at 76km catered by Ciaran, a great Tour D'Afrique staffer who is a fantastic mechanic. He has been taking excellent care of Merlin

We set the watches back an hour in Poland and also gained a few extra kms so, rather than head to camp, I decided to head into town. I really felt like chicken soup and managed to find a restaurant that served the magic elixir with chicken dumplings.Just what the doctor ordered!

Before- looking like crap

Instant effect

The Krolowa Woda Campsite has a nice bar restaurant with wifi so the blog is now up to date! I believe we have risotto tonight. Bye for now.

Trans Europa Day 16 Vilnius to Silaciai - 133km

With heavy chest but clear weather, I set off on Merlin heading for a wonderful night of camping. I haven't done much riding this calendar year but I have been carbo loading...

My lungs were not very happy with the cool morning air but I managed to get to the lunch spot at the 70km mark where my friend John Waterhouse was relaxing with a migraine - oxymoronic I know.

I did not really feel the need to ride another 63km so I joined John and Gergo in the bus to the campsite, encouraging riders as we passed them on the road.

Merlin looking shmick

First lunch with Gergo - watermelon..

Set the tent up just like the old times last year and managed to get some sleep after Eszter's dinner of linguine with meat sauce. It got chilly around 9.30 pm so I broke out the sleeping bag and then coughed my way through the night. Hopefully, the other happy campers were not too inconvenienced.

So if you you went by van rather than bicycle from lunch you got a hefty discount!

Trans Europa Day 15 Vilnius Rest Day - 0 km

I left Melbourne on Friday 20 July 2012 at 9.30 pm via Emirates and 36 hours later arrived at the Domus Maria Guest House in Vilnius with a breaking cold, blocked ears from 3 painful descents, a tight left hamstring and a broken bike box (although nothing escaped from it).

Today, Sunday, I put Merlin together again and headed to breakfast to meet the new gang and my room buddy John Waterhousae from last year's trip. They have had plenty of rain the last 2 weeks but no incidents of note other than our cook Miles being savaged by a German Shepherd on Saturday at the campground while intervening to protect his son... Not sure what we'll be eating the next 5 days as Miles is taking time out until Warsaw. Don't bite the hand that feeds you springs to mind...

Vilnius had a thriving Jewish population and its most famous inhabitant was the Gaon of Vilna. So I decided to have a Gaon day. More about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilna_Gaon

I took the bus out to the old Jewish cemetery and finally found the gravesite and has a chat with various people in the cemetery including Yossi who lives in Israel but comes to Vilnius for 3 weeks each year and wanders around - he now knows where the Gaon is!!

It is quite an interesting cemetery with lots of old stones including some influenced by the Russians.

I headed back into old Vilnius and continued the tour of Jewish sites including the old synagogue and holocaust memorials. I skipped the Holocaust museum in this town in favour tracking down a statue of the Gaon which proved very difficult to locate.

 

After fruitless searching for the statue of the Gaon I came back to the hotel to google for some clues and finally located him nearby the hotel on the site of a school which once was the Great Synagogue. I think the Gaon is actually a forebear of Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky from The Simpsons.. A reasonable likeness I believe :)

Trans Europa Days 1-14 The Road to Vilnius

Although I just arrived in Vilnius, I would like to keep the blog of this Tour D'Afrique bike trip consistent with my last one. So here's what you missed so far .....

Bike the Baltic

St Petersburg to Vilnius
Sunday July 8, 2012 - Saturday July 21, 2012

 

Start: July 8, St Petersburg, Russia
Finish: July 21, Vilnius, Lithuania

Distance: 1,275km
Riding Days: 12 days
Resting Days: 2 days

This section begins in the 'Venice of the North', St Petersburg. Riders will cycle along the gorgeous Baltic coast of Estonia before arriving in the capital of Tallinn, with its amazing 14th century Old Town architecture. From there the tour pedals south towards Latvia, enjoying a second rest day in Riga, the ‘Paris of the North’. After a day enjoying its cosmopolitan atmosphere, riders will head across the less travelled central portion of Lithuania, ending their journey in Vilnius, with its Baroque Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You also missed a lot of rain...

And here's why you missed it:

Ben Adler born 27 June 2012

So now we're all up to date! Enjoy the rest of the Ride.