Wegry ------- Krakow

The "rigs" - Andrews and mine

187km day, but does not prove too punishing. Must be getting those leg muscles that Andrew keeps telling me about. Carrying 4 panniers and a tent. Now believe that this is way too much. Probably get by with two panniers and a tent next time. Chalk this one down to experience,

Margorzata, Tomak, Mylene and I

We arrive late in the evening and meet our hosts Margorzata and Tomak in market square. Also meet Andrew's girlfriend who has travelled 15 hours by train to be here for the weekend. Why have I never been here before? It is an spectacular city with hige piazzas and various styled churches. I learn that unlike most other Polish cities that were rebuilt after the war, this one was spared. I also learn from our knowledgeable Gorzana that the city's wall were preserved only after one of the people said that if the walls were destroyed, then the winds that entered the centre of the city would cause the dresses of ladies to be blown upward in a most unreligious way.
We visit the city centre and go to Vis-A-Vis jazz bar later that night but its chucking out time after about an hour.

Mylene smiles, I eat

Next morning, after church, narurally, we go on a wild bike tour of the city with M & T. M. shows us all the cool little cafe bars inwhich she likes to loiter on lazy Sundays and then we visit the Jewish quarter where we eat some of these filling toasted cheese melt open sandwiches. Of course, both Andrew and I are eating for two - yes, we believe bikes are people too. Also visit some synagogues and then eat some of the finest homemade ice-cream I have ever eaten. This theme of eating a lot will continue in this blog (180km ~ 5500 calories ie plenty of ice cream and cakes).
Sadly, Mylene needs to catch a plane that evening, but its been great biking about the city. Shame that work has to cut her biking with us short. Next year will be different.
In a moment of inspiration, M. decides that a lake swim is in order. The fact that it is dark and bit cold is of no significance. We bike to the lake, and the boys go for a naked swim while M. is left minding the bikes. Again, REM had it right - "nightswimming, deserves a quiet night" and I see why they were inspired by this idea.
Fresh from our swim, we return to Vis-A-Vis in search of promised live jazz. Poland is all about the accordian and its no surpise that an accordian player is leading the band tonight in mostly contempory jazz pieces. Again, we are the last people to leave the bar and meander our way back home, cruising on our two-wheeled steeds.