Still in Polska

The last two days were quite lazy. On Thursday I raced to Bytom, so that I could have a lazy day on Friday, get a few parts and things, relax, sleep well, meet friends and simply have a good time. And I did. Marcin helped me with all the things I wanted to get done. Showed me his new work place in a really fantastic old building. This old power station I already mentioned in the last post. I would like to upload a photo, but it would take too long now. I'll do that either some other day on tour, or after the trip. Finally, I will get a website for some of my photos when I am back to Munich.

I got some parts (another spare tube, spare tires and a rear mirror) and help in this really friendly and well equipped bike shop in Bytom. My rear brake needed adjustment.. which I didn't even notice. But the nice guy was so kind to check my bike before letting me head off to Ukraine. Great. The support I get from people that have never seen me before is amazing.

Marcin's friend let me use his computer for quite some time in his beautiful office in the same old power station, other friends invited us for dinner - and so I could leave Bytom well equipped and full of great food. I didn't leave the city before 6pm, so that day I just did a really short ride of about 63km. I planned to meet Marcin that night in a close by climbing area. Polish Jura. Really beautiful area, with soft hills, limestone pinnacles and ruins of old castles. So Marcin followed me in his little Fiat 126p, one of the most beautiful cars ever built, and we later met in someone's garden, where we camped, grilled a sausage on the fire and had a nice cold beer.

Yesterday i started quite late again, so after 149,9km the sun was setting and I was in the middle of some never-ending dark forest. So I tried to get out of it as fast as possible. Didn't really want to get run over in the dark by one of the rather fast cars constantly passing me... Out in the open again I quickly found a nice spot to pitch my tent. Not far from the road but hidden behind a line of trees. Even ground and... ABBA music in the background. For hours. I wonder what sort of entertainment thing was going on there :)

Today is another really burning hot day. Like yesterday, just a little hotter I guess. I should better get going. I am still bit behind schedule now. With 1078 kilometers done I have to catch up about 85 kilometers. Would be easier to do this in Poland, as roads and everything else is most likely to be a lot worse and/or complicated in Ukraine and Russia. But then - it's still a holiday, not a race, and I like stopping anytime I feel like it. And I don't expect to see too many computers before I get to my final destination.

Anyway, I better get going!