I arrived at my campsite last night at around 7:30, delighted by the world, relieved to have made it and totally beat. I wolfed down the contents of my food bag, rinsed off in the shower room and quickly fell sound asleep. This morning when I awoke, I realized that the campground was essentially in a public park. For the record (since I have a bit of a reputation for unconventional camp spots), it was a legitimate campground for which I paid a few Zloty, but it felt like waking up on a weekday morning at Greenlake, with early joggers shuffling by.
Dzień dobry!
I rode into Poznań for a cup of coffee and once again was amazed at the gorgeous city center. I was in Kraków a few years ago and knew how pretty that city is, but I simply had no idea that these much less well known cities have similarly well preserved central market squares.
I also stopped at a farmers market as it was just opening and bought some delicious summer fruit, beautiful tart red currants and a few outstanding pickles, which I ate on the spot. The owner of the stand was flattered by my enthusiastic response to his delicacy and we exchanged some great pickle making intel, which I have safely emailed to myself.
The riding today featured more small roads and even many gravel paths, and despite yesterday’s long haul, my legs felt good and it was a delight to be out in the hot sun watching the Polish countryside roll by.
I arrived in Leszno by mid afternoon, hungry, thirsty and hot, with temperatures in the mid 90s. I rolled through town and found a little lunch counter, where two matronly ladies with pink aprons were happily chatting away while filling up plates from a kitchen that smelled great. Naturally I stopped and was treated to a lunch that on an ordinary weekday might leave me in a food coma but that today hit the spot. Yep, that is a meatball, mashed potatoes, noodle soup and side of pickles with sweet cherry tea.
After last night, I opted for a bed rather that a tent and am staying tonight in a bed and breakfast with an incredible history. It is a beautifully restored tenement house where Leo Baeck was born. Baeck was a 20th-century German (Leszno was part of the German Empire prior to 1918, then part of Poland, then annexed by Nazi Germany, then returned to Poland in 1945) rabbi, scholar, Holocaust survivor and a leader of Progressive Judaism.
smallchainringbigworld 
Gabe-
Glad that the Poles are treating you well and you are enjoying sleeping in their beautiful city parks. You’re their kind of guy except that you have a little work to do on the proper appreciation of vodka. The appreciation of pickles, you seem to have mastered. Our adopted Polish musician left us with vodka as a departing gift but was mildly disappointed to not be able to give us Polish potato vodka, so gave us Idaho potato vodka instead. Clever substitution. It’s all about the potatoes. I notice you’ve been eating a few. Good fuel. That was an excellent gesture of the guy who pulled the last 20 miles for you on the stretch before this one. I’ve allowed a big guy named Matthew to pull for me in the past. Love and safe travels.
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I’m thinking I’ll go camping at Greenlake this weekend — thanks, Gabe! Great suggestion. Much easier than North Cascades.
Looking forward to tasting Polish pickle secrets this fall — and don’t go all dirty on me.
Keep pedaling, buddy. Love you.
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Exactly. You have an anniversary coming up, right? Not Minsk? Maybe Greenlake camping.
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The fotos today are unparelleled – I’m enthralled. That pickle stand pretty much sums up everything I’m looking for in life. Warm wishes, your pal benj
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better make sure that you share that recipe with Cindy. Incredible photos!
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Gabe, I look forward every day to getting your adventures in my inbox — what f-in great storytelling and photos!! It’s quite cold down here in Joburg, and promises to get colder in Capetown where I’ll be for the weekend. I kinda forgot that winters can get pretty frigid in South Africa and only brought a thin fleece (before I left Seattle I checked the weather in Tanzania where my trip started but neglected to keep going down my itinerary..), so I’m enjoying reading about your adventures in 90 degree Poland! Na zdrowie!!
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So glad to hear that Orin, thanks! Stay warm! Apparently the next few days in southern Poland and Czech are supposed to break all time heat records! Ugh!
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Caught signal in my tent a few days ago and saw the pickle photo and started to get seriously hungry for food I did not have nor was remotely close to obtaining. Had to close the blog. Literally could keep reading. Your riding and noshing look so delightful. Oh, what a world. Keep on, G!
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