For the first time in over a week we get rain. And, of course, it has to happen in the middle of the night. Quickly get out of the tent, pull the rain cover over the tent, and retreat back into the dry inside. Fortunately, the rain doesn't last and is gone by the time we get up in the morning. A coffee and some bread later, we're back on the road towards Lithuania. If everything goes according to plan, today should be our last day in Poland, we'll cross the border tomorrow. Just when I'm starting to get used to Poland, am able to get bread and cheese in the shops, and can at least ask for directions, we'll be thrown into a new country with a completely different language. Also, I've left my language ... read more

What a great campsite it was! After a good night's sleep and some breakfast and coffee, we continue along eastward. We don't get far though, as the Masurian lakes are tempting...calling us to take a break...campsites and hotels left and right, people kayaking around in the lakes, and our legs feeling as though they're made of lead, we soon give in to temptation and stop in Zgon, where we decide to spend the rest of the day and take a room in a hotel. The first B&B we find has no rooms left, so we move on to the next...an ex-Sowiet recreational facility, made into a hotel with walls of cardboard and original pre-1990 furniture, amazingly still intact. The son of the owners speaks English quite well (as he's studying in Warsaw, just helping out his ... read more

I wake early from a not very restful sleep, around 6am we are up. I get some coffee from the nearby petrol station while Hans takes down the tent, then we slowly make our way out of Kwidzyn. The town looked quite attractive last night, but neither of us are in the mood for sightseeing, we simply want to get out of here. The first 20km are a drag, the road constantly rising and falling, with the uphill stretches too steep for a loaded bike. After 25km, we find a lake with a beach, almost empty since we're early. We take a dive, relax for a bit, until more and more people arrive. By the time we leave, the beach is packed full of people trying to cool down from the hot day. The road leads ... read more

We make it through the night ok, if not quite rested. Our "hosts" had a party (Hans said he was close to complaining about the noise), and the dogs on the neighbouring farms gave an all-night concert. We use our burning alcohol to make some coffee and then hit the road. At Trzcienka, we take a break in front of a Sklep, where two Polish men start their Sunday with beer and a cigarette. One of them speaks a little German. When we tell them of our plans, they tell us that we're crazy, especially Belarus is full of robbers and thieves, we will be left dead by the side of the road. Of course, one shouldn't believe what people say (especially at 10am over their first (?) beer), but I can feel that both Hans ... read more

Friday the 13th - the ideal day to start off a two-week long bike tour! After a quick breakfast, we jump on the train to Frankfurt/Oder, on the border to Poland. After the border, we cross over the Oder, Poland waiting on the other side. Immediately, confusion: only the main route is signposted, we need to find a smaller road. The first "conversation" in Polish follows: using hands, feet, and the map, we get directions and find our way out into the countryside. The weather is slightly wet, but ideal for cycling, the road good, a good start to our tour. In Osno Lubiske, we buy some provisions (not so easy if you don't speak a word of Polish and are faced with 10 different types of sausage). I end up with some blood sausage and ... read more