The rest worked a
little but my body was aching and in need of a lot more of the same. Attempts
to fix my bike seemed to work initially but then the same strange feeling kept
coming from the back wheel each time I pedalled. I was moving but
something was not right and my fear was that it would get worse the further I
went. My spirits were quite low and dropped lower when I discovered I was going the wrong way and had to turn back. They dropped even lower when I missed the ferry crossing at Kludzie because I hadn’t realised that the the object I saw in the water was the only ferry across the Wisła. It also didn't help that when I asked someone who was on it, they didn't really help in any way.
I set myself a much less ambitious
aim for the day, to get to Kazimierz Dolny which was not so far away. The route on the
other side of the Wisła was very pleasant with orchard upon orchard lining the
pretty, smooth road I cycled along. There was no heavy traffic, not much wind
and no problems in making good speed towards Kazimierz. There was just the
problem with the back wheel which was getting a little worse the more I
traveled. At least I knew Kazimierz having been there before and was looking
forward to returning.
Soon I was only 12km away. I decided
to follow one of the blue bike signs which led me up a massive hill which I
had to walk up. At the top I was rewarded with a wonderful view of the
surrounding countryside. People were working the land harvesting raspberries
and more apples. This area really lifted my spirits and made all earlier
frustration disappear. It was really something special and I was very tempted to ask for a job and stay for a couple of nights. Fruit-picking is something I have always wanted to do during the summer but have never gotten around to it yet.Going down to the next village was tricky as the path was very uneven and once I got to the next road I decided to follow this to Kazimierz rather than the bike path sign which seemed to led off onto another dirt track.
When I finally saw the sign which signalled
the end of the day’s traveling, I felt relieved to have made it. My knee was
still sore and the bike's condition had deteriorated even further with slipping gears another problem. Finding affordable accommodation was not easy
with prices quite high but a little outside the town I found a great place to
stay in an old wooden house that was run by two women, one who was particularly
friendly and helpful.
When I explained her the difficulties I was having with my bike, she
told me to follow her. She drove slowly back into town and I kept up with her on my bike. She brought me to the only bike mechanic in the town who
fixed the back wheel there and then and only charged me 5PLN for the work and
15PLN for replacing the damaged part on the back wheel. It was a lot less than the 215PLN fee I paid for the bike to be serviced in Krakow. With a fully
functioning bike once more and a comfortable place to stay, I felt elated. 
Kazimierz is a town famous for the
artists that live there and the charming architecture. It is also
located near the Wisła with wonderful views especially the one I saw as I
walked around the town as the sun was setting. At night, I didn't do too much. After getting some food, I went for a coffee and returned early enough to my accomodation feeling more optimistic about the following day.
No comments:
Post a Comment