We spent most of the day on the Autobahn when we left Dresden until we passed out of Germany and then rode on similar roads through Poland to our destination for the night.

Gniesno is the town that was chosen as our half way point and we did not know what to expect. We had booked an apartment in the main street of this pretty town. It turned out to be more than we xpected with a spa, indoor pool and a restaurant. We were even given a welcome drink and a bowl of fresh fruit in our apartment. About 40m away at the end of the street was the town square and even though it was Tuesday night there was a band playing Elvis songs entertaining the gathered locals. We walked around the town's impressive cathedral but could not get inside.

In the morning we set out again but this time Greg had plotted our journey to stay on local roads. These were just as smooth as the motorways until you came to the outskirts of each town - then the roads were shocking. The roads were also only one lane in each direction which did mean we were sometimes held up by trucks and tractors. The area was kilometre after kilometre of agriculture - some fields ready to be planted, some with well-developed crops and some that had recently been harvested. The weather was delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed being on the bike.

Our destination was The Wolf’s Lair and our last blog entry was dedicated to this visit so I will now continue with the journey through Poland.

After leaving The Wolf’s Lair we started to head west, back towards the UK. Some of you are probably reading this and saying ‘what happened to Scandinavia?’ Well – it is a damn long ride! We have rearranged our schedule yet again – all will be revealed in due course.

We spent the next 2 day riding west through Poland. We planned to do about 320km per day. All was going well until be stopped at Malbork for a McDonalds lunch. When we went to get back on the bike about 2pm – it wouldn’t start. Greg tried everything that he could think of but still could not get it going. So, we went back inside McDonalds to use the free Wi-Fi and ask Greg’s friend Google where a motorbike mechanic could be found. Lucky there was one only about a 20 minute walk away – so off he went. About 40 minutes later he returned with a mechanic who spoke no English and his friend who did! The problem was found but could not be fully rectified but we are able to start the bike and ride. We were supposed to ride another 150km to our overnight stay but a quick cancellation of one hotel and booking of another had us stay in Malbork for the night – a good result all round.

Malbork is situated on the banks of the River Nogat and like most river towns is very pretty. By far the biggest attraction in Malbork is the castle of the Teutonic Knights of the Middle Ages. It is the biggest 13th century castle in Europe and covers 20 hectares beside the river. We wandered around town for a look and saw many children carrying shields, swords and bows and arrows – obvious souvenirs from the castle. We even saw a couple of young princesses in full royal regalia! We didn’t visit the castle but took a few photos from across the river. We were also lucky to experience a beautiful sunset to finish the day.

The sound of the bike starting first time in the morning was music to our ears. We rode on towards the west. Again, the road was fringed with agriculture. We travelled through many small towns and villages usually about 10km from the last one. Each town had a sign to let you know a village was ahead and another sign to inform you that you were leaving the village. Traffic slowed every time we came to a village and we soon discovered why. Between the 2 village signs there was ALWAYS a speed camera positioned to catch unsuspecting motorists. Every town also had an impressive church and well maintained grottos and statues of the Virgin Mary or a Cross. Cemeteries were
beautifully maintained and almost every grave was adorned with flowers. Poland appears to be a very religious country.

Our next destination was a town called Szczecin – how on earth do you pronounce that? We stayed on the outskirts of this large city and did not venture any closer to the centre. Apparently this town also boasts a castle which has been rebuilt since WW2 and a cathedral founded in 1187. We saw neither but did see a wedding that was being held at our hotel. Our stay in Szczecin was just a stopping spot on our way.

Just 30km in to our ride in the morning, our visit to Poland was at an end. We have spent only a week here but have made some simple observations. The countryside we have ridden through is very flat, dry and seems to be quite poor in most areas. The people have been very friendly including one man in a small village that stopped for a chat and then gave us a small Polish flag to take on our way. The language for us has been almost unpronouncable - some words don't even have a vowel in them! The history of the country has been horiffic for the people and their resiliance is amazing. We still have not visited Warsaw or Krackow - next time I guess!