Leszno to Sobótka, Poland

Last night, after arriving at my wonderful little bed and breakfast and cleaning up, I went for a stroll around Leszno’s old city. Leszno is a tiny town, yet once again, the main market square was exquisite.   

 It’s been very hot here and someone thoughtfully attached a sprinkler to the fire hydrant for the kids to run through. I was awfully tempted to join them.   
After a great night of sleep, I awoke early and set out at 6, a bit worried about temperatures forecast to be close to 100.  

Early morning riding is among my favorite ways to start the day. The light is beautiful and the world seems so fresh and full of promise. Also, the miles seem to fly by, which was important today because later this afternoon I wouldn’t be moving so fast.   
   


 Despite a big bowl of musli and yogurt for breakfast, by around 9 I was famished and stopped on a quiet farm road to eat a banana and some deliciously salty Russian peanuts (I still have a supply from Kaliningrad). I watched a small weather-worn farmer, grease stained shirt open to reveal a sinewy frame and a cigarette dangling off his lower lip, repairing his hay bailer. Once he got his old machine working to his satisfaction, he bent down and, with extraordinary ease, lifted one of the large bails overhead and threw it aside. A minor scene, perhaps, but illustrative of why I love bike touring, as mitigated by a car windshield such little details go unnoticed.  
In need of more water, I stopped in a small town with a little bakery where I treated myself to a delicious sweet roll filled with ground up poppy seeds called a “makowiec.”  
By mid afternoon, it was very hot. I rode through a thick forest of pine trees, which in the heat were exuding a rich fragrance. Here, at an absurdly overbuilt EU funded bridge in the middle of nowhere, it said the temperature coming off the roadway was 102. 

Despite the heat, I was making great progress until a little map reading snafu. Where am I?  
  I arrived, dusty and parched, in a little town called Sobotka by late afternoon and saw in the distance something I haven’t seen since starting my trip – foothills.  

Tomorrow is my last day of riding in Poland, a country that I have grown to love, as I climb through the Western Carpathian mountains from Poland to the Czech Republic.  

11 thoughts on “Leszno to Sobótka, Poland”

  2. Gabe, enjoy the spring water, with or without gas, along the way. The region is experiencing the biggest heat wave they have EVER had. 40+ C is not common. And the poppy seed pastries, makowiec in Polish, makovy kolac in Czech, is a very traditional pastry. Enjoy many of them for energy. I look forward to your next phase in my homeland of the Czech Republic. Let me know what your route will be from Brno south. Now that I have you setup with accommodations in Brno, do you need place to stay in Vienna? Another good friend could look after you there…

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    1. Makovy kolac! Important vocabulary for me!

      Thanks for the connection in Brno also. Look forward to meeting Radka. All set in Vienna. Ric connected me with a friend of his who is there. Thanks for all the Intel Martin!

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  3. You’ll roll out of Sobotka this morning which is fitting because Sobotka in both Polish and Czech means “little Saturday.” Enjoy Kraliky which in Czech translates to “many rabbits.” You will ride through Moravsky Kras which is a beautiful part of Moravia. Hopefully you can stop to enjoy the beautiful nature and scenery. You’ll skirt past Olomouc to the east which is one of the more scenic towns in Moravia, and the 3rd University Town in Czech Republic after Prague and Brno.

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  7. Gabe, I’m glad you had a great ride into Brno and that you were able to connect you with Radka. She took you to one of the most hallowed restaurants in town. Enjoy Moravia. The people of Moravia are some of the most gracious and friendly in all of the Czech Republic. You really should experience a visit to local wine cellar if possible while there. You’d cool off, their white wine is great, and it’s a very strong tradition of the region – nearly every family has a small cellar where they store their wine from their small vineyards. Also, I’m happy to connect you with my friend Andreas in Vienna. I played college tennis with him at UW. He lived in Seattle 5 years, is from Linz, and has lived in Vienna since 2000. He’d show you a local corner of Vienna you wouldn’t otherwise see!

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