The Route

The Route
It is a very long way.....

Monday, 26 September 2011

25th Sept - Olsztyn to Nowe Miasto Lubawskie

I have been out of the UK for exactly 1 year today!

It was a great way to celebrate. A fab relaxed Sunday morning in Olsztyn with Malgorzata, then 90km along roads passing lakes and forests in the sunshine to Nowe Miasto Lubawskie where I stayed with a very welcoming Polish family and had a celebratory diner :-)


I woke up at 6.30 and had a lovely relaxed breakfast and a natter with Malgorzata. It was great to be in a warm house on a lovely sunny morning and to have good company. The views of the lake/river from the flat were really good.


I spent an hour or 2 taking Xena (my bike) to pieces to find out what the problem was and to make sure that she was safe to ride today. It turned out that the noise was from the hub of the back wheel. It was not running smoothly and the ball bearings where crunching and making a really bad noise. I took it apart and manage to get oil all over Malgorzata bath room and spent more time cleaning the bathroom after my mess than actually taking the wheel apart and cleaning it with the shower hose. The wheel ran much better afterward but still was not perfect - but it was OK to ride. A weight off my mind that it was something more serious. She might even get me back to the UK without me having to take her to a bike shop.



We took a ride into town around 10 and had a potter around and an explore on foot. Malgorzata told me about the history of the town and showed me round.

The architecture was very lovely and remarkably similar to some English small towns.


I was surprised by the wealth of the area, the cleanliness and what a lovely little holiday spot it made. It was not how I imagined Poland would be. It is very strongly Catholic.


There were loads of little cafes and shops.



We had a treat of cheese cake and coffee in the sunshine. It felt like summer again for the first time in about 1 month! It was actually warm.



I left about 2ish as I only had 90km todo. It was the first time in about 1 month that it was warm enough to be wearing just shorts and t-shirt again. I am such a summer person. I was not designed to live in cold climates.


This area is considered to be the Lake District of Poland. Although the road was pretty busy the views either side of lakes and forest where really nice.



I know I am very nearly home now! TESCOS!



I arrived in Nowe Miasto Lubawskie about 6.45 (just as it was going dark). Marta was really happy to have a Couch Surfer stay with her and her family. I was her first surfer. She had surfed herself but not acted as a host before. Her family had thought that no one would want to visit such a small town in rural Poland and teased her about it. She is a student in Torun. She made me very welcome and I had a very hot bath and ate diner with her and her sister.


I told them that it was exactly 1 year today that I left the UK and they decided to celebrate with me. They got out the China and we had wine, grapes, tea and cake! Lovely.

Marta invited her Aunty and her Aunty's husband round for drinks as well as they both speak English. They acted as translators. Nice people.



They were such a friendly family and really interested in my travels and why I was doing it. Even though the Mum and Dad did not speak English I could still tell a lot about their personalities. The Dad was a real wind up and tease and the Mum really warm and caring. The seemed to have a close family and it made me miss my family even more than if I had been on my own in a tent in the forest!

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