June 29, 2016

This was my last day to ride with my new Polish friends. It had been a long time since I rode with anyone else, and it felt strange at first, but I was enjoying the past few days, not only the riding and the scenery, but the companionship. My lack of language skills didn’t create a barrier — at least not as much as I feared it would, thanks to Michau and Lukasz’ excellent english — and we were able to enjoy each other’s company.

After packing up our camping gear, we rode a short distance to a bath house.

The water here is supposed to be very good for you, so we all drank some. Well, all of us except Ela. She had tasted it before and knew better. It has a very metallic taste, and almost seems a bit carbonated as well. But, when in Rome, er, Poland…

We continued on to a huge fortress in Kłodzko.

Kłodzko Fortress

This fortress has existed for hundreds of years, changing hands between the various ruling factions in the area. During WWII, it was used by the Germans as a prisoner of war camp, as well as an extension of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp.

The fortress has a large labyrinth of tunnels beneath it as well.

As you would expect, the views from the fortress are expansive.

After Klodzko, we rode together across the border into Czech Republic for a typical Czech lunch. I had a beef goulash. Some of the others had Smaženy Syr, which is fried cheese. Think of fried mozzarella sticks, but in the size of a large piece of toast, and typically with Edam. It looked so good I ended up having it for dinner later.

At this point we both had about 90 miles to get to our respective destinations — mine in Czech Republic, and theirs home near Wrocław.

Saying goodbye to a great group of new friends: Paweł, Marcin, Lukasz, Michau, and Ela. I know I’ll see Lukasz and Michau again in Texas or in Poland; I’m hoping the others decide to join them in the States, and if I’m around, I’ll ride with them for as long as I can.

It was a great few days hanging out and riding with this group. And the advantages of having local tour guides who speak the language and know the history is priceless. I hope I’m able to reciprocate in the future if these guys come to the States.

As odd as it felt to be riding in a group, it now feels odd to be riding alone again. But I’ll adjust quickly.