OWMTBC 10 - in search of Team Poland

[CAS]

So here we are in Poland and the first pictures are of a ride we did in the ancient city of Wroclaw - wonderful buildings particularly the central town square - almost the\biggest in Poland only surpassed by Crackow so we understand. Oh ...and specially for Ed and those who rode Paris Roubaix - Belgium does not have exclusivity on cobbles, pave, or whatever it is called properly - having ridden in Wroclaw I can confirm that Poland has it in abundance as well.

Campsite is on the site of an old Olympic stadium - not sure what year but like being in a time warp - they seem to have hopes of renovating for 2016 but for now it clearly has seen better days

But after this visit it's on to see Team Poland ....the moment we have been waiting for!!

 

[CAS]

And so - finally after hours seemingly on the motorway between Wroclaw and Crakow and a couple of phone calls to Team Poland to ascertain their exact location we have arrived.

A warm welcome awaited us from the family - bit like Christmas really with gifts of tea, sweets and even Mountain Mayhem t shirts that travelled with us from England to further the retro "entente cordiale"

After a night's sleep Marcin has been our guide around the wonderful old city of Crakow - following Marcin's normal route to work in the city centre and checking out too many fantastic old buildings to list here on a bike forum. All I can say is that our retro guide on his Scott Boulder is to be recomended. Even to the point of taking us to his work to show off a wonderful retro road bike reburbished for a colleague.

Tomorrow out into the countryside - kids in the trailer and the rest of us on bikes -fantastic food when we came back and an exchange of English and Polish beer (purely for comparison purposes you understand!)

 

[mrkawasaki]

Looking forward to a visit to Team Poland next year, as we scout for OW 2012!

Hugs and kisses to children and wives - manly hug for the bearded racing snake!

Neil

 

[CAS]

So - our final post from Cracow- we discovered an important fact today - Polish rain is just as wet as English rain. Team Poland were out in force today as Marcin guided us round the nearby National Park - we did about 30 miles on small roads and tracks and conquered a few hills that Marcin claimed to have forgotten about along the way.

Tomorrow we say fond farewells and continue to the North of the country but in the meantime are some pictures from today.

I'm sure Poland would be an excellent place for OW 2012!

 

[skolioza]

Carol and Adrian leave our home today morning and went to visit central and north Poland Sky over our house was crying when they were leaving....

It was fantastic weekend for us! It was great to meet our friends from OWMTBC here, in Poland, in our home, and could show them some interesting places aroud!

Carol, Adrian - welcome again when You'll be next time in Poland!

Here all of You can see some pics from this weekend (pics was ussually made by Adrian)
http://retromtb.pl/galerie/jazda/Carol_Adrian.htm

Neil - many hugs from Team Poland! *)

 

[CAS]

Thanks Marcin - we will have memories to treasure from the weekend spent with Team Poland- but just a brief summary of of travels since.... the search for Team Poland may be over but we are stillmaking discoveries about Poland itself.

From Cracow we visted Auschwitz - touring the site where a million people were murdered is probably one of the most uncomfortable afternoons I have spent and i felt physicaly revolted at the evil perpetrated in this place.

Then north to Czestocowa and a wonderful Pauline monastery with an icon called the black madonna which many Catholic Poles revere - bit like Lourdes in France.

Continuing north to Torun - birthplace of Copernicus where heavy rain prevented cycling! Now at Elblag near to the coast and the Russian border.

Tomorrow Gdansk and the coast - here are some photos to illustrate!

As we have been constantly on the move we have not been on the bikes but hopefully will cycle again once we reach the coast!

 

[ededwards]

Great travel reportage and good to see Marcin and family again - looks like he's tapering for North Wales already!

 

[CAS]

Great weekend in Gdansk - photos to follow - now travelling west on the coast and towards the German border approaching the end of the week.

 

[CAS]

Gdansk is really a very surprising place - my vision was coloured by folk memories of ship workers strikes of the 70s and 80s and it's true there are lots of memorials to these events in recent history but there is also a vibrant city centre with an attractive waterside that's entirely unexpected and very beautiful.

Like lots of places in Poland it was virtually destroyed in 1945 and what we see today has been painstakingly rebuilt.

Campsites though are not yet rebuilt and remain strangely 1950's in character.

oh....and for those of you wondering what to so with the kids this summer holiday......

 

[CAS]

Another wifi permitting of the shipyard workers memorial - built of steel - what else?