Cycle through Poland 2005 by Jan Nijman
Up to Poland (80 km)
The German Railway offers a fast connection from the Netherlands to Berlin. In 6 hours you can be in the heart of the town. And if you rise early, and take the first train, it is possible to be there at half past one in the afternoon. Enough time to cycle the remaining 80 kilometres to the eastern border. I want to camp near Slubice. There is a camping site, says the webpage of the town.
It is a hot afternoon, the 18th of July 2005, with western wind. At half past six I reach the 'Hotel Sportowy przy Osrodku Sportu i Rekreacji'. It is not difficult to find. Everywhere in town there are signs, also indicating that there is a camping site. 'Nie mamy kemping', says the woman in the lobby of the hotel, when I ask her. She says that it has been long ago that there has been a camping. 'But there is a very beautiful camping in Osno Lubuskie, 30 kilometres further on.' That is not what I expected, and I don't want to cycle one or two hours more. 'Are you alone?' 'And is it for one night?' she asks. Then she proposes to camp on the previous camp site: there are still some dirty toilets and a water tap. I can use the swimming pool. No, I don't need to pay. Perhaps it helps that I speak a bit Polish.
Following Odra (160 km)
The camping in Slubice was a surprise, after the first disappointment. Today is the first full day in my beloved country. I plan to reach Wroclaw tomorrow, to visit friends. And I want to follow the river Odra, more or less. I hope to find a camping site near Bytom Odzanskie. My map, Mapa Krajoznawcza indicates that nearly every village has its Pole Biwakowy, a primitive camping. That's just what I want.
Following the river is not always possible. The first 20 kilometres south of Slubice are beautiful. Cranes fly over me. On the road to Krosno Odrzanskie I see a fox near the road. In Krosno I drink a cup of coffee near a café. A German man - drinking beer at 10:30 in the morning - starts to chat: Wroclaw is only 60 km, he says. He married a Polish wife, is unemployed. He invites me to a camping site not far away. It does not sound interesting. I do not believe him. Wroclaw is still 150 km I think. So I decide to go on, direction of Zielona Góra.
The main road is not interesting to cycle. Not dangerous, but too nerving. I decide to take a smaller road, direction of Buchalów. Beatiful area, a bit hilly, sunny, forest, birds... Until a thunder storm surprises me when I'm eating my bread. I think waiting in the rain is boring and chilling. You can better cycle, so I go on through the rain. I pass Kuzuchow. At around 4 pm I'm in Bytom Odrzanskie. The pole biwakowe is hard to find. No problem, I think. In the next village there is also one, says my map. I follow river Odra. The landscape is not as nice as I hoped. And my desperate search for a camping makes that I'm getting fed up. When I reach Glogow I ask someone for advise.
Go to Slawa, he says, but that is 30 km to the north, the wrong direction. That is right, he says. 'But you can also camp in my garden, if you want'. That is a nice invitation. A nice garden, a perfect camping place. They offer me a warm shower, clean towels. I want to go to the shop to buy something nice for the children. They warn me not to intend to make a dinner. 'We will eat together'. And they refuse the presents. We have a nice evening together. 'What time will you leave tomorrow?' 'Early, around 7 am.' 'Okay, then we'll have breakfast ready for you.'
To Wroclaw (110 km)
Hospitality in Poland is still overwhelming. With warm feelings I leave them the next morning. Today I don't have to worry not finding a camping place. I will visit my friends in Wroclaw and stay with them. The road to Wroclaw is a beautiful. I decide to follow Odra again, but this time on the northern side. I cycle near Rudna, Scinawa, Wolów, passing a beautiful landscape park.
At the beginning of the afternoon I'm already north of Wroclaw. I spend some time enjoying the river and enjoy a drink on the 'Rynek' in Wroclaw. Cycling in Wroclaw is not easy. Sometimes there are real cycle roads, like we have in our country, but the sometimes suddenly stop. Then you have to cycle over cobble stones, over the pavement (not allowed in our country) or between cars and trying to avoid the rails of the trams. In one of the shops I buy some oil for my chain in the bicycle. It needs oil after the rain of yesterday. My friend gives me a warm welcome. Polish people are always amazed that it is possible to cycle long distances.
Pokój (180 km)
Next day I plan to go to friends in Lupice, not far from Pyzdry. We stayed there with our family the year before (http://home.wanadoo.nl/ernest-mols/Lupice/) Teresa does not know that I'm coming, so it will be a nice surprise. But before I'm there I have to get out of Wroclaw. That is not easy. I lose the road. The infrastructure for cyclists is not always good. I want to find a smaller road, but did not succeed. To Trzebnica I take the E 261. That was not a good idea. It is simply not nice to cycle there, and a bit dangerous. There were alternatives, but that needed more map-reading. From Trzebnica - nice area - I can follow the 15 up to Jarocin. A fast way to go to the north. That morning the radio said that there was chance of rain. I kept dry until Jarocin. And that is only 25 km of Lupice. So more or less I was lucky.
Just north of Jarocin it starts raining...pooring. I get wet. Teresa is surprised to see me. The welcome is warm. 'Czy masz pokój?' I ask (do you have a room). Of course, she says. And a few hours later friends from the Netherlands arrive there. They are very surprised. They have been in Wroclaw as well. It took them three or four hours to drive from Wroclaw to Lupice, I did it in eight hours.
More cyclists (140 km)
Next morning, it is still raining, I start to cycle westward. It is Thursday. On Sunday my train goes again from Berlin. The first 50 km is well known. I've cycled there the year before. A nice man brings me to the other side of river Warta with his ferry. I do not have to pay. Fortunately it is becoming dry again. Trees with plums near the road are a nice treat. The road to the west offers a lot of variety. I do not want to pass Poznan - I don't like to cycle through Polish towns. My plan is to go to Nowy Tomysl, there are some camping sites there.
South of Poznan is a beautiful area. I pass Rogalin and The Wielkopolski National Park. But unfortunately in the afternoon it starts raining again. I get a bit fed up with the rain. At around 4 pm I'm in Nowy Tomysl. On the signs I see that there is a schronisko in Stary Tomysl, the dormitory of a school. They're opened at six. I think it is a good alternative for camping on a wet camping site.
I'm not the only cyclist in the schronisko. Two young Polish students from Gliwice are on their way to Kolobrzeg. Today they have cycled 30 km on mountain bikes. There bicycle is not good packed, they have to small cycle bags. They say they are a bit jealous of my cycle, my equipment. But when I was a student 30 years ago, I also did not have the equipment. It was too expensive that time. They're surprised that I can speak Polish. They wonder how much I understand. Not everything, I told them. The schronisko is good. Because I'm not a student, I have to pay the full prize: 15 zloty. Incredible.
Leaving Poland (170 km)
Next morning it is dry again. From Nowy Tomysl I pass a sandy road through a forest. Not the best road to cycle, but it is beautiful. Especially when I see a few cranes flying. Near Trzciel I see a real pole biwakowe. They still do exist. Then I follow the 137 via Miedzyrzec, Sulecin, Osno Lubuskie en Slubice. At 4 pm I cross the border again, leaving Poland behind me. I'm going to find a camping place not far from Berlin.