Kaunas revisited

Another long trekking day with not-so-pleasant winds, but after 140km arrive in Kaunas to stay with Ugne.

On the way here, found a smart phone on the side of the road and managed to return it to its very thankful owner, for which I added karma points to my account and also the following homegrown vegetables and chocolate. 

Decide to have a rest day and take it easy on my road back to Berlin. This means I get to see more of the city and what better guide than Ugne, who knows just about everything about the buildings in the city and also a member of the burgeoning squatting movement here. Sadly, our first task of he day is to meet with the other squatter members to determine how to save their squat from being evicted. The wooden building is not being used at the moment and the group has used it as a library, free shop and garden - this is considered some form of vandalism/ trespassing and the police and owner have been putting pressure on them to leave. Sometimes the world is crazy. 

Visited the supermarket dumpsters with Ugne and here is what we salvaged. It could have been more, but we had limited bag space. Again, a crazy wasteful world. 

Dumbliūnai (near Biržai) - Lithunania

Dumbliūnai (near Biržai) - Lithunania

Yes, Latvia is that small that I reach the border from Riga within half a day and take the obligatory border sign photo. 

Long day on the saddle (140km), with annoying winds, but my CouchSurfer host (Dalius) runs to meet me from his house in the small village of Dumbliūnai. 

Very excited to introduce me to his girlfriend (Greta) and family. After some tea, Saturday night village-style begins in Biržai. First stop the local pizza joint - the place to see and be seen. Then on to the lake (constructed to keep out the Swedes), the longest wooden bridge in Lithuania (500m) and two castles. With the mid-summer sky giving the lake a lake an ethereal blue hue, it's kind of like a fairy tale backdrop.

Riga once again

Get the chance to meet up with Laura to discuss the Love Nature experience. Here she is dressed in somewhat traditional self-made mid-summer dressed. Oak leaves and flowers in a wreath on the head is something everyone wears for these few days. 

Use the Radisson Hotel to have a panorama over the city. 

Loving nature in northern Latvia

A quick summary of the last nine days in the training course Love Nature. There are 24 participants from 9 countries (with me representing Germany). The subject is non-formal learning by bringing the group out of their comfort zones while introducing them to the reality of nature. 

This involves rafting approx 80km over 2.5 days, camping in nature and finally a hike through a swamp of approx 17km, singing songs from the movie Platoon as we wade through swamps up to chest high. 

Both physical and mental comfort zones are reached by most of the group and when we go back to the comfortable lodging in Kempani, we have the opportunity to reflect on the experience for the next 4 days. 

Food, accommodation, sauna, local beers and log fires are most welcomed by everyone. 

A very rewarding experience and make a lot of new friends and learned much about countries I have yet to visit eg Albania, Armenia and Belarus. 

Also have the opportunity to experience authentic Latvian mid summer's festival, with a fire ritual and singing followed by sauna, naked running and swimming in the nearby lake after midnight. Nobody, however, as tradition dictates, decorates their men parts :-/

And finally Latvia on the horizon

Running out of time and with a favorable wind forces and encourages me to make the 260km to Riga in 1.5 days. During which time I pass the 1000km mark. 

And then reach the Latvian border, after which (to quote Back to the Future), "there are no roads", well good ones anyway. 

This means that I break four spokes on the last leg of my journey and pray that my back wheel survives the final 80km to Riga. 

It does, and my wonderful hostess, Laura, and fellow participant in Love Nature, Janis, await my arrival with a packed day, including a trip to the beach where the sea is Baltic and a bar to test some Latvian beers and local delicacies.

 My poor back wheel. You lost one spoke in 1200km of travel to the Latvian border then another four on the last 80km to Riga - the Latvian roads have a reputation. You don't need to see the Latvian border signs, you feel it when you are in Latvia.

Lithuania here I come

My first time in Lithuania and the border crossing is barely noticeable. See a few police men and this sign to show me I have completed the Polish leg of my journey. Yes, that's real wind giving me that sexy look :-)

Arriving early to Dor's place (CS host) in Kaunas means that we get to have a tour of the city, which she insists will take a maximum of one hour. 

We spend the evening trying various IPL (micro-brewed) beers in a funky student bar. 

Augustow - last stop in Poland

Longest day so far on the saddle this trip thanks to a late start, 140km distance and strong head winds so I arrive in Augustow very tired and late. Greeted warmly by Barbara (CS host) and enjoy fresh salad from the garden and a lovely cup of cha (ie tea). 

The next morning I have a leisurely breakfast and decide to take it easy on legs and split the journey to Kaunas - yes, finally crossing the border to Lithuania!

Ostrołęka school fun

Halina (CS host) from Ostrołęka is more than pleased to have a native english speaker on hand to help her with her English lessons. She's an English teacher and within 15 minutes of arriving, I am conversing with her elite after-school class in her home. 

While bringing her dog (Betty, a boxer) for a walk about town, involving Betty performing somersaults that would make dolphins jealous, we have a beer in the most-like-an-Irish-bar in town. 

One thing striking about polish people is just how polite they are - a girl in the bar politely asks whether she can give Betty a bowl of water and is thrilled to do so. 

Rather than getting an early start the next morning to tackle strong headwinds and  140km distance, another opportunity presents itself: a chance to visit Halina's school and talk to some of the pupils about this trip, Ireland and anything else that pops into my head. Other teachers get a whiff of this action and suddenly I am talking to many classes. 

Well worth talking the time and learn that there is an organised football hooligan sport consisting of two teams of 11, with similar rules to fight club and dodgeball as far as I could make out.

Warsaw was with the wait

Biker's log : day 5

I wake up in the same quaint forest, unsurprisingly... marked with an arrow in the route planner below. 

Piotr and Ella are wonderful CS hosts, who welcome everyone to Warsaw. Go to the newest veggie bar in town, a quick stroll about the historical district and some micro-brewed beer in the evening. 

Thoroughly enjoy my time chatting with these two about everything and anything. A special thanks for the cool shades that Ela gave me to replace my waylaid ones...Miami Vice or Top Gun? - which film stars these glasses?

The road to Warsaw

The tail wind that has been my friend for the past three days deserts me, the traitor, and the road (92, pretty much all the way from Poznan) is surprising devoid of traffic. All this makes for a rather uneventful day on the saddle (110km). 

The search for a suitable forest inwhich to camp this close to Warsaw also proves tricky. OpenMaps once again points the way and I find a quaint spot and tuck in for an early night. 

Konin

Early start and a sad farewell to my very gracious CS host in Poznan - Waldemar. Excellent cook, company and city guide. 

The main roads on Poland are of high standard but sometimes cycling is forbidden and you have to take a more scenic route. And today this was very tortuous and damn near impossible to cycle. 

Exhibit A: quicksand - two wheels bad, two feet slow

Exhibit B: standard country road with extra sand topping

Exhibit C: open street maps describes this as a road suitable for cars. I found it hard to discern their definition of road

Blistering midday heat and 115km completed, but still in time for lunch in Konin...my timing for meals is improving. 

Met with my CS host Karina who fed me with homemade plum cake until I could eat no more and then took our bikes out for a spin around town. Had a chance to check out the petting zoo, the park, the river, town hall and the main square. Karina and Robert on their renovated super chic bikes. 

Random forest to Poznan

A relatively short day in the saddle (75km) allows me time to see a Corpus Christi parade and not fret about wasted cycling time.

Actually I arrive on the doorstep of my CouchSurfing host in Poznan (Waldemar) just after noon. This allows us to have a leisurely lunch, before hitting the town to see his "best of" Poznan. 

It's really a very livable city, with historical quarter, good infrastructure and public transport and lots of sports facilities. 

And who ever knew that the Pope was the real Batman... to be specific Pope John Paul II, that omniscient presence throughout Poland. 

Berlin to some random forest somewhere in Poland.

And on to my latest biking adventure to Riga in Latvia and back to berlin pedaling as much of the way as possible. 

From the German border town of Frankfurt Oder, complete 130km easily with a good tailwind and sunny skies.

One of the more random sights that I witness en route was a huge queue of cars.... being able to bypass all these stationary vehicles is a delight and brought before my eyes the following struggle to put a car transporter on the road - those things are heavy! Schadenfreude and poetic justice in action. 

My bed for the night is in my tent in one of poland's wonderful and numerous forests. What a magnificent morning view.