Trans Europa Day 29 Turany to Banska Stiavnica - 110km

So the choice this morning was what colour van to take - I was in no mood to ride from the moment I awoke to pouring rain so opted for the blue van which would deliver me to the end after following the white lunch van, setting up lunch and then tagging the route to the hotel. Nice surprise to be staying in a hotel tonight rather than camping!

Ready to ride in the rain

The rain had cleared by the lunch stop and it actually became quite hot for the rest of the day. The riders today were unanimous that it was the toughest day of the tour to date - a good day for me however :)

Banska Stiavnica is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and quite an old mining town. Here's an interesting link: Banska Stiavnica

I rested until noonish in the luxurious Hotel Kerling 

and then wandered into town for a spot of lunch and a look around. The local dish seemed to be pizza so that's what I had. As an "unofficial rest day", here's an array of photos.

Trans Europa Day 28 Oravice to Turany - 85km

I awoke to a much cooler day with little rain on the horizon and liked my chances of completing  today's ride of 85km. With that goal, I managed a few spoons of porridge with brown sugar and a banana and set off through the mist with the hills ahead!

I felt OK and rode comfortably even though I had to walk the steeper hills. The cooler weather was certainly a bonus today.

I got to lunch determined to ride on and managed to get an open sandwich into me. There were a few nice churches along the route and I made it into camp which had a nice little bar with Sprite and ice cream to reward the day's ride.

Tonight's dinner was the best so far. Bow tie pasta in a light pesto sauce with walnuts served with salmon poached in white wine. Well done Miles!

There were thunderstorms and lightning - very very frightening- around 4am and it poured from then on. More coughing and waking up with the prospect of a long hard day in the rain convinced me that a rest day would be in order.

Trans Europa Day 27 Krakow to Oravice - 128km

We convoyed out of Krakow under the burning morning sun and it seemed it would be a long hard hot day - for some. I managed only 2 pieces of toast for breakfast and I was fading fast on the hills and in the heat having to stop several times for ice cream, Sprite, water or anything cold.

I quickly fell to the rear of the pack and Gergo, who was riding sweep, had a tough time as well.

He was playing wait and chase but I eventually just beat him into lunch at 57km. I took one look at the array on offer and decided my day was over as I could not face the prospect of no food, more hills and searing heat. Louise also decided to call it a day and we rode in to camp with Ciaran but not before being stopped by the Polish police for an ID check just before the Slovakia border.

It was still way hot at camp but just after the tent was pitched a thunderstorm rolled in and it was suddenly cold and wet. Miles prepared grilled weisswurst sausages, lentils and potato salad for dinner and I turned in for the night thankful for cooler weather but with an unfortunate side effect - the return of the night cough...

Trans Europa Day 26 Krakow Rest Day - 0km

A real rest day today. Wandered through the old town, the Jewish section and visited two musuems.

Galicia Jewish Museum

Very sad to learn that Chris Schwarz who established the Museum and whom I met in 2005 died in 2007. He was a great photographer.

Schindler Krakow Museum

A relatively new museum tracing the history of the City of Krakow on the site of Schindler's factory. There is also a new contemporary art museum next door.

As is the rest day custom, enjoy the photos!

And today's chicken soup: with matzoh balls.

Hitting the road again tomorrow for Slovakia with camping for 4 nights so you may not see me until Bratislava on 7 August. Bye for now.

Trans Europa Day 25 Krakow Rest Day - 0km

Seeing as we have two rest days in Krakow, today is a working rest day.

I spent most of the morning updating the blog and catching up with emails and I then had a meeting at the hotel with a local lawyer who is acting for a client of mine in relation to a property here in Krakow. After successfully having the property transferred into my client's and relatives' names as survivors, the government is attempting to have the property forfeited as it was "abandoned" in 1941 - coincidentally when the then owners were rounded up and sent to the ghetto, and worse.

In any event, once work was finished it was laundry time as is a ritual on rest days. I went by tram with John to a very cool laundry bar http://www.franiacafe.pl/en/ and we hung out there for 90 minutes or so. Daphne and Shirley happened to be there too.

There is a large shopping centre across the road from Hotel Polonia and I went over to Carrefour to stock up on snack bars and water.

I hadn't eaten much today so I wandered across the other road from the hotel into the edge of Old Town. Luckily I found a restaurant that had delicious chicken soup with kreplach AND chicken schnitzel with french fries. Most satisfying.

I am thinking about writing a guide book for chicken soups of Poland.... or not.

Trans Europa Day 24 Bobolice to Krakow - 91km

Did not sleep well and woke up with an uneasy stomach. Not a good sign...

Packed up the very dewy tent, had a little cereal for breakfast and set off into castle territory - and  HILLS!!!                          

I don't like hills at the best of times; and today was certainly not the best of times. Despite Merlin's best efforts, hill after hill after hill was taking its toll on my back and I had to walk  a few times. The morning was getting warmer and I stopped for an ice cream here and a Coke there. Not the best for an unsettled stomach. I finally had to what the bears do in the woods and I was glad to see the lunch truck at around 65km. I could not actually eat anything so decided to call it a day and vanned in to Krakow, thus avoiding the treacherous tram tracks which were waiting to grab my front tyre.
 
There were a few interesting little towns with their church and square along the way and another big castle at Skala.

                











The Polonia Hotel is camp for the next 3 nights and quite well located on the edge of the Old City and three tram stops from the Jewish area Kazimierz. John agreed to accompany me to dinner at Hotel Ester in Kazimierz and we shared a delicious meal of cholent, latkes with smoked salmon, green salad and desserts all to the accompaniment of a klezmer band - fabulous!

OCHI CHORNYA!!

                 

                             

Trans Europa Day 23 Smardzewice to Bobolice - 143km

Woke up feeling not bad and, with much cooler weather, I set out in the hope of riding a full day.

Not long out of camp, I rode past a Catholic cemetery with every wall graffitised with the Star of David and the initials "LKS" which I understand is the Lodz soccer team, known for its antisemitism.

I just don't get it. Not a Jew in sight and a long way from Lodz so what's the point. I just don't get it...

Onward through rolling terrain and I was feeling OK when I got to lunch at 75km. If not today, then when? So I bit the bullet and decided I would push on and break through the mental barrier.

A few interesting sights along the way and finally made it in to camp with 8 hours actual time in the saddle and 143km on the odometer. My longest ride in quite some time.

Set up the tent and had dinner before a nice warm shower and an early night. It got quite cool during the night and the dogs of the area decided to talk right through the night. Such is life in the countryside...
                                         
                                              

Trans Europa Day 22 Warsaw to Smardzewice - 142km

 

Although I saw a fair bit of of Warsaw trhis time I barely scratched the surface. I would like to come back when the new Jewish museum is completed and delve further into the historical landmarks. There is also a museum devoted to the Warsaw uprising of 1944 which one of our riders visited and recommended. Something for next time.

At breakfast we bade farewell to Rodney and Jules who are returning to Israel and I plan to meet up with them when I am on IsraelRide in November.

We convoyed out together for about 14km and as the sun got stronger I felt weaker. I made it to lunch at 75km but the thought of cycling a further 67km was too much for me. Walli threw in the towel at lunch (maybe we were both suffering from post katchke syndrome?) and we vanned in to camp where Miles was back on duty and made a very tasty dinner of gnocci with gorgonzola served with grilled chicken legs.

Retired to the tent for a good night's sleep and with the prospect of cooler weather tomorrow.