Berlin to Helsinki Day 2: Goleniów
It was an easy-going vacation day - we still got to ride the northern blowing winds from yesterday and cross the elusive Polish border after riding so long next to the Oder and its canals.
Entering Poland along the border to Gryfino.
We were a little sluggish this morning, which is normal considering we are trying to figure out where we put what and in which bag but we finally left a little after 11 for our short 83km ride to Goleniów.
The ride on the German side was an idyllic bike path that continued from to hug the Oder canal like yesterday. At one point we had a stretch along a dedicated bike path through a national park which first took us along the river bank flood plains. Something encouraging that our host told us the night before was that the EU wanted to increase the size of the river to adhere to some standardized waterway size but the Green Party blocked the motion due to the many species of indigenous birds that inhabit the plains. And there are a lot of them! I'm not able to name very many but we saw a few storks and swans.
I'm not sure of the names in English but it is a bird lover's haven. There are even bird blinds along the bike path where you can park your bike and duck into with your binoculars to listen and observe. They make a cacophony of calls and provide an excellent addition to the landscape while biking across. Furthermore, this was a dedicated bike path (often they are simply rural access roads), so no cars whatsoever, but we did come across a few other bike tourers - even families with little children.
Here is one place I would have liked to have a camera other than my phone that didn't wash out or make any faraway shot out of focus. So sorry - no bird photos.
Shortly after the national park we crossed the border by riding across the flood plains into Gryfino.
The main attraction on the Polish side of the border is Sczeczin, the large port city in northwestern Poland. We are currently on the outskirts in what could be considered a faraway suburb. It was only as we got out of the city that we were hungry and needed to eat, but in the next three or four towns we passed there were only furniture stores and auto repair shops. We later learned that these villages are essentially under construction to make some new suburbs for the expanding Sczeczin, which is a large port city.
Goleniów is a small town of about 30,000 people supported by a huge industrial complex that we saw as we rolled into town.
Our host was Ilona, a Polish girl who just finished her degree in English at Poznan University. I asked if she had to read Joseph Conrad's the Heart of Darkness but she said that they read the Polish translation in high school (and no, he did not write a Polish version, somebody else translates it back into his native language).
She took us for a walk around the center of town and on a walking path along the river in the center.
Chopin carved into a tree with an accompanying sonata.
Later, after it got dark, we went to a bar (one of the only ones in town and the only one on the canal) and ran into a couple of her friends. Ilona used to work at an EasyJet call center and the two other girls both worked for call center hotlines for different companies. Apparently Poland is a large outsourcing site for call centers because none of them actually handled Polish callers - only German and English-speakers. They regaled us with irate customer stories from one who was offended because the pilot did not mention the full name of the Ben Gurion airport upon their arrival in Tel Aviv to a German man who ruined his car engine after adding Shell's V-Power formula to his gas tank - apparently they make a V-Power sugary Red Bull-like energy drink which he proceeded to pour into his car for advanced performance.
They also told us about growing up in Goleniów - most of their friends have now moved away for work and studying (her two friends were visiting from Krakow).
Tomorrow we have a longer trek up to the Baltic Sea. If it's as hot as it was today we might just ride right in.
Along the canal bike path (Neiß-Oder Radweg) in Germany
We found a nice chair to relax after our ride.
Mylène found a small piece of France - it was all Polish food placed inside a baguette.
This person really doesn't want your dog on their lawn.
Entering Poland along the border to Gryfino.
We were a little sluggish this morning, which is normal considering we are trying to figure out where we put what and in which bag but we finally left a little after 11 for our short 83km ride to Goleniów.
The ride on the German side was an idyllic bike path that continued from to hug the Oder canal like yesterday. At one point we had a stretch along a dedicated bike path through a national park which first took us along the river bank flood plains. Something encouraging that our host told us the night before was that the EU wanted to increase the size of the river to adhere to some standardized waterway size but the Green Party blocked the motion due to the many species of indigenous birds that inhabit the plains. And there are a lot of them! I'm not able to name very many but we saw a few storks and swans.
I'm not sure of the names in English but it is a bird lover's haven. There are even bird blinds along the bike path where you can park your bike and duck into with your binoculars to listen and observe. They make a cacophony of calls and provide an excellent addition to the landscape while biking across. Furthermore, this was a dedicated bike path (often they are simply rural access roads), so no cars whatsoever, but we did come across a few other bike tourers - even families with little children.
Here is one place I would have liked to have a camera other than my phone that didn't wash out or make any faraway shot out of focus. So sorry - no bird photos.
Shortly after the national park we crossed the border by riding across the flood plains into Gryfino.
The main attraction on the Polish side of the border is Sczeczin, the large port city in northwestern Poland. We are currently on the outskirts in what could be considered a faraway suburb. It was only as we got out of the city that we were hungry and needed to eat, but in the next three or four towns we passed there were only furniture stores and auto repair shops. We later learned that these villages are essentially under construction to make some new suburbs for the expanding Sczeczin, which is a large port city.
Goleniów is a small town of about 30,000 people supported by a huge industrial complex that we saw as we rolled into town.
Our host was Ilona, a Polish girl who just finished her degree in English at Poznan University. I asked if she had to read Joseph Conrad's the Heart of Darkness but she said that they read the Polish translation in high school (and no, he did not write a Polish version, somebody else translates it back into his native language).
She took us for a walk around the center of town and on a walking path along the river in the center.
Chopin carved into a tree with an accompanying sonata.
Later, after it got dark, we went to a bar (one of the only ones in town and the only one on the canal) and ran into a couple of her friends. Ilona used to work at an EasyJet call center and the two other girls both worked for call center hotlines for different companies. Apparently Poland is a large outsourcing site for call centers because none of them actually handled Polish callers - only German and English-speakers. They regaled us with irate customer stories from one who was offended because the pilot did not mention the full name of the Ben Gurion airport upon their arrival in Tel Aviv to a German man who ruined his car engine after adding Shell's V-Power formula to his gas tank - apparently they make a V-Power sugary Red Bull-like energy drink which he proceeded to pour into his car for advanced performance.
They also told us about growing up in Goleniów - most of their friends have now moved away for work and studying (her two friends were visiting from Krakow).
Tomorrow we have a longer trek up to the Baltic Sea. If it's as hot as it was today we might just ride right in.
Along the canal bike path (Neiß-Oder Radweg) in Germany
We found a nice chair to relax after our ride.
Mylène found a small piece of France - it was all Polish food placed inside a baguette.
This person really doesn't want your dog on their lawn.
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