Preparing For the Grapes

 These pictures were actually taken two weeks ago when we finally went into the basement and cleaned everything in there. As you can see there was a lot of stuff there including these massive wine demijohns which we were informed have a capacity of 50 litres.
Thankfully there was no sign of the rats who had been there previously but the smell down there wasn't the greatest. The mould on the walls was also not very good for the air down there.
Some of the wood had to be replaced as it was rotten.

Finding a wine press was a pleasing sight as we have all the tools now to prepare wine. It's been a good seasons for grapes as it's been very dry. There's just one more month until harvest time but some of the grapes are already ripe. Wine making is an art and my expectations are not so high for the first batch as I really don't know anything about how to make it but I am looking forward to trying it.

The Good and the Bad

The Bad

Slugs are eating their way through lots of the things we have planted. They have eaten our pumpkins, courgettes and nearly all of our cucumbers. Desperate attempts to save one last pumpkin sadly failed despite going round at night and rounding up as many slugs as we could. Below is just one portion of snails just before they got boiled.

The Good

Flowers are blooming and it's strawberry season. I don't have a picture yet but there are so many strawberries that we are finding it hard to think of ways to eat them and preserve the ones we can't possibly eat. We are in the process of making jam and have been enjoying smoothies the last few days but there are so many there that we may have to just restrict our diet to strawberries for the next while. Radish has been picked, the salads are growing well and we have finally planted the tomatoes that we had been growing at home. The vineyard is proving to be a challenge. We have pruned the shoots and branches without grapes and are carefully monitoring them for diseases as this seems to be a big problem here. Fingers crossed.

From Gardening to Farming

As a certified horticulturist I thought I knew something about how to make things grow but it turns out that beyond the basic requirements of watering, providing sun and keeping plants in reasonable conditions, I don't know so much.

It's been a long time since I studied Horticulture and there is very little I remember, however I didn't think that my skills were so lacking.

I have gathered some knowledge in recent times from helping out at a my friends' land and have learned to distinguish weeds from strawberries for one thing. Working on my girlfriend's grandparents' land has also helped but when you don't have the help of experienced people it's not so easy. My girlfriend, Yulia, has a lot of experience but there are questions that need answering when it comes to planning and preparation of certain crops.

Before all of that, we had to figure out how to obtain a piece of land to grow things on. With our limited funds we thought we would just ask as many people as we could and also search online with the unrealistic hope that someone had a piece of land that they would be willing to let us use for free or at least for a very low price. This was a very idealistic plan but it actually worked.



About 25 km from Bratislava we now have the place we envisaged for some time but never really thought was possible. It is a proper farm with a neighbour with hens. There is even a vineyard on it and we've been told that on a good year, the owner produced as much as 300 litres of wine.

There is a big patch of land and also a little cottage and basement. Absolutely perfect.


It does need some work and we've just started to realise how much of a commitment it is to plant and maintain such a large area. We've also had rat problems in the basement. These horrible creatures have made a mess of potatoes that were stored there and it seems that there are quite a few of them lurking in the depths of our cellar. Poison has been put there and we've found two dead bodies to date but suspect there will be more. The soil is also a bit stony in parts. We've been given lots of advice on how to take care of the grapes but most of them involve spraying them with chemicals which we are reluctant to use.

So far we've planted carrots, beans, onions, potatoes, radish and weeded a large area of strawberries. We've also lit a huge fire of old vine branches which probably put us first on our neighbours' hit lit with all the smoke that blew in their direction.

There's a lot to do but it's been enjoyable so far despite the aches I'm feeling in my back right now.

Selfies - Everyone Is At It

What is the big fascination with 'selfies'? It is hardly a new idea yet for some reason it has become very popular since the widespread use of the smart phone. In the past taking a photo of yourself would have been deemed an act of vanity or necessity if there was no one else to take your photo at an interesting sight. Recently it seems that it doesn't matter if someone else can take your photo or not. What's important is the ability to capture yourself and perhaps others in a photo taken by yourself. What is fascinating is that this is considered cool. Why is this the case? How can something so self-absorbing not be frowned upon and ridiculed?

It seems that even animals are getting in on the act. Recently I even heard of a story of a black macaque monkey who took selfies of himself.This cheeky monkey began snapping away after snatching the camera from photographer David Slater. The website Wikimedia has since published some of these photos stating that they belong in the public domain as the monkey took these photos and not the photographer. These photos have since gone viral making this particular monkey more famous than he realises.


If even monkeys are at it, what hope is left to end this vain act of self-photography?

Link to video about the monkey selfie.

The Final Day - Day Eight 1/9/12 From Kraków to Toruń

The hostel was very peaceful when I woke up. My luck had run out regarding the weather. It was the first time it had been really bad but I knew I couldn't stay in Płock as I was running out of time and was eager to get to Toruń, the city of gingerbread and Copernicus. Once again I ate a large meal.  This time it was eggs and beans for breakfast. The rain was not heavy but drizzly and steady. It was a chance to try out my striking red smock. It was not pleasant at all - the weather I mean but I had to keep going.
       I took the 559 road to Lipno. What made cycling hard was the fact that there were grooves in sides of the road where water had lodged. This was slippery and a lot of concentration was needed to not fall off my bike.Wearing the smock also meant that I was very hot underneath it and was wet as a result of this and the rain.
        I was not sure if this was the last day of cycling or not. I still had time before my parents were due to arrive and I knew I could always meet them a bit later in Gdańsk and complete the route I had set out to do. On the other hand, I was tired and the gears on the bike were not behaving themselves. My plan was to get to Toruń and then make a decision.
      The hardest part of the first 50km was from about 9km from Lipno. The rain had eased off by then but the road was in very poor condition making it impossible to build up some speed. I felt my bike was taking a real hammering on the uneven surface and was afraid of something breaking off or of a wheel coming loose. .

Lipno was not very impressive. There were lots of shops and a nice park where I ate some lunch but not much else to see or do. This was the halfway mark of a journey of around 100km. I was tired but determined to get to Toruń. The next stage of the trip was all on done on a busy road - number 10. Despite my previous fears that this would be dangerous to cycle on, it turned out to be the opposite. The road was nice and smooth and there was a hard shoulder where I could ride with enough space separating me from the  other cars. I rode really hard and soon 48km had been reduced to 24km. This inspired me to dig into my energy supplies and keep pushing hard to reach Toruń. The last part took longer than expected as I passed from the 10 to the 80. Every sign I saw, I expected to signal the end but there was still a long way to go. I was tempted to stop and have a break or buy some chocolate but I felt that I was close so I didn't. The way into Toruń was on a really busy road which was definitely not for cyclists. It was very wide but fortunately, I only had to use this road for a short time before I was in the suburbs of Toruń. I felt very satisfied with myself. I had made it on a day which had been quite a challenge.
       My first impressions of the Old Town were striking. The Old Town was full of tourists and it was easy to see why. The architecture was beautiful with a lot to capture my attention. Accommodation first and then time to walk around. I tried one hostel but it was full. At another one, they were also full but they had a second hostel which thankfully had a free bed. I was really tired but satifsied and felt that another two days of cycling was not something I wanted to do. I had made it to Toruń, not to Gdańsk but I was content with that.
       Once I showered, washed and then changed my clothes, I set out to explore the city. It was very pleasant to wander around the cobble-stoned streets searching for and finding interesting things.
Knowing that I didn't have to rush myself was also a pleasant feeling. I didn't have to think about cycling the next day. I was done.

       The trip had been a very fulfilling experience. I had seen a lot of Poland I wouldn't have had the chance to see otherwise. There had been ups and downs as I had anticipated with particular bike problems that I couldn't have planned for. The most memorable part had definitely been the route to Kazimierz. This had really embedded itself into my memory. I thought back to some of the people I'd met - the drunk pervert in Staszów, the cyclist on the way to Żabno and the kind woman in Kazimierz who had helped me get my bike fixed, my friend's mother and aunt who had looked after me in Czerwonka. I was happy to be finished despite having a slight urge to go all the way to Gdańsk by bike. I had ignored most Amber Trail route which I had mapped out because it was too long and it would have been easy to get lost in the forests that the route went through. I had made my own route which sometimes involved taking main roads because they were more direct despite being more unpleasant. My bicycle had caused me some problems with two punctures, chain difficulties and one repair job on the back wheel. My knee felt much better and I felt stronger with the exception of the circulation problems in my little fingers on both hands. I suppose this was from gripping the handlebars tightly for long periods of time. I had learned a lot and knew what I needed to change for the next trip. A new bike would be good, a smaller tent and gloves. Also a speedometer would have been very useful. I don't know when the next trip will be but perhaps I will go south along the Amber Trail from Kraków to Budapest. That's the idea but not until Spring or Summer. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.

Day Six 30/8/12 From Kraków to Toruń

Eggs for breakfast and too many were not enough. I don’t know how many I had but it was a lot. I felt well-fed, well-rested and ready to cycle the short distance to Warka and then to Warsaw. Before I left, I was also given a packed lunch for the journey by my friend’s mother. There was nothing else I could have asked for. Great hospitality and care.

          From Czerwonka, I took the 730 to Warka and then the 731 which later joined the 79. Góra Kalwaria is obviously a busy interection for lorry drivers as I have never seen so many lorries in one area. I felt tiny on my little bike in contrast to these metal, dirt spewing giants. The roundabout before the town was so crowded with them that I couldn’t wait to get away from there. I kept moving and took the less busy 724 which lead to Warsaw and this was where I felt something was wrong with the bike. I looked down to check what it was and saw that my back tyre was flat. This is always a risk but not something I had expected to have to deal with. There was a repair kit in my bag but my previous attempts to repair punctures have nearly always ended up with lots of frustration involving struggles to get the tryres off and on. I remember one occasion when I managed this but then somehow made another hole in the tube when putting the tyre back on.

There was no time to waste. I had to do something. There were some houses nearby so I approached one and opened the gate. As usual there was a dog there who made sure he was heard. The owner appeared and I explained the problem. He gave me the bucket I requested and let me get on with things. Surprisingly, fixing the puncture was relatively easy and it was not long before I was back on the road again feeling very proud and grateful for the help which came at the end when he helped me to wash the oil from my hands.

My pace picked up again and remained quite fast until I reached the outskirts of Warsaw. This was a proud moment and a photo moment. From Kraków to Warsaw felt good. It really felt like I had achieved something even though getting to the centre of the capital still took some time. The traffic was pretty heavy but I kept going at a fast pace until I reached sights that were familiar to me.

Time for lunch in Łazienkowski Park, a relaxing place to stop and a welcome break from the noisy traffic from earlier. The only thing was that now that I was in Warsaw, I wasn’t sure whether to stay or not. It was tempting. After eating all of my food supplies, disasater struck again, the chain came off my bike, not once but twice. I was really getting fed up with bike problems and felt like abandoning it in a ditch but couldn’t bring myself to do it even though my patience was really being tested.

After a bit more exploring in Warsaw that involved briefly going into the Old Town and then Old Praga, I decided to leave. Łomianki was next on my map but it turned out to be a mistake. By the Wisła there was a path but this turned into a dirt path that was too sandy at parts to manage so I had to dismount and walk. When I finally got back onto concrete again, a local woman helped me to get to Łomianki but then I was faced by a forest which scared me as it looked easy to get lost there. Nervously I ventured in feeling that there was no choice. I rode for a bit before deciding what to do. I didn’t want to take  the busy E77 or the forest so I backtracked and took the road to a place called Stary Babice and then rode past village after village in a daze. It was slowly starting to get dark and there was no sign of any accommodation anywhere so I kept pedaling as if trying to escaping the darkness creeping up behind me. This continued until I got to Leszno and that was when I asked a local if there was any accommodation in this town and was so happy when she gave me some good news.

Cycling past the forest to my right, I was so happy not to have to resort to camping wild once again. The sound of insects was a sure sign of being bitten multiple times during the night had I slept in a tent. The hotel that was recommended was not bad at all. The price for a room was really low at only 36PLN, without a TV I must add (it was 48PLN for a room with a  TV). The room was clean and very modern as was the hotel. What a surprise in such a quiet area called Julinek. Dinner back in Leszno and then a really scary cycle back in the dark before bed after a testing day.

From Kraków to Toruń - Day Five 29/8/12

I woke up with the plan to get to a village near Warka to meet friends who had also been on a biking trip in the east of Poland and were nearing the end of their adventure. I will keep the anonymous here for legal reasons. The intial aim had been to get there on day four but I had been over optimistic and unrealistic about this as it is about 85km from Kazimierz Dolny to Warka.

          In my charming wooden room I felt better but still tired but resisted the temptation to have a lazy morning and leave later in the day. Knowing that my bike was back to good working order also gave me the encouragement needed to force myself to pack up and leave. Since being a child I have always hated riding my bike when something is wrong with it. I used to spend so much time trying to fix things and often made them worse by not having either the tools or the skills with which to do it. Nowadays I am willing to humbly pay someone to do it especially if they are genuine and trustworthy which I don't always find bike mechanics to be.

          Once packed, I bid the owner of the house a fond farewell as she had been very helpful by not only getting my bike fixed but also by making me feel very much at home. If I come back to Kazimierz, I will definitely stay there again.   From Kazimierz to Puławy I cycled at a good pace, not too fast but steady, and got there pretty quickly. Once again I crossed the Wisła, this time by bridge and stuck to the main road, the 738 and later the 48 all the way to Kozienice. I really felt pleased to be making a lot of ground with my knee behaving itself better than before and my bike reveling in the speed I was pushing it to do. Taking the main roads also made the journey easier despite things getting a bit hairy at times. Keeping concentration was the most challenging part as lapses caused me to veer off the road on more than one occasion into the gravel or stones that lined the road. I didn't injure myself or fall but it meant breaking the rhythm I had built up.

          A phone call from my friend gave me the energy to really push myself to get there before they left. Her mother was willing to feed me and put me up for the night in her place in a small village called Czerwonka, not far from Warka. There was still the slight chance I could make it to this village before my friends had to leave. It was unrealistic but I made myself believe it was possible in order to maintain the pace I was keeping. Knowing there was a place for me to stay was another motivating factor.

          I pushed hard and got to Głowaczów and then took the 730 which was a pretty good road. The cars on both sides which raced past made me pedal faster. I found myself in a good rhythm with my legs feeling stronger than before.

          When I arrived at the village my friends had just left but I was warmly greeted by my friend's mother and aunt. I had a wonderful shower and was fed with a delicious meal. It was a chance to enjoy the comforts of a nice home – the luxuries of civilisation which I must confess I really missed. It sounds great taking a tent and going into the wild, and I love this idea, but when it actually happens I find myself craving a good bathroom, a proper bed and all the modern comforts that I have at home. 

          After eating, I slept, woke up, ate again and chatted with my friend's mother and aunt for a while. Having a long conversation was an activity which had not happened since leaving Krakow. It was nice to share my thoughts out loud with someone else. I had started talking to myself a little while cycling, a sure sign of the need for a conversation and perhaps the beginning of a mental breakdown. After drinking some wonderful homemade cherry vodka (wiśniowka) it was easy to fall asleep early satisfied with the position I was in.
         Time was starting to run out so I knew I would have to do more of the same over the next few days if I was to make it to Toruń. By more of the same I don't mean eating and sleeping but giving my body the rest and energy it required to stay strong and energetic in order to reach my final target.

From Kraków to Toruń by Bicycle - Nearly Along The Amber Trail

For the next 8 Mondays I am going to post entries for each of the eight days of my biking trip that was supposed to be from Kraków to Gdańsk along the Amber Trail (Szlak Bursztynowy) but ended up being from Kraków to Toruń. It was a journey with many moments of happiness and also other times when I found myself questioning why I was doing it. One thing came from it is that I got to see many parts of Poland I had never seen before and experienced a hell of a lot in a very short space of time. I got to spend a lot of time passing through the beautiful Polish countryside but also had to try to survive on busy roads where I was greatly in fear for my safety.
The above picture was actually taken in the Dublin / Wicklow mountains in Ireland when I was doing a small bit of training before the trip. One hour long cycle was not really enough to prepare me for what lay ahead.

Snapping

I am delighted with my new camera and take it out far more often than I expected and when I don't have it with me, I curse myself for missing out on such great opportunities which I can see but cannot capture .
Flat problems are the highlight or should I say lowlight of things at the moment. Power cuts have been followed by a non - spinning washing machine which has somehow become the responsibility for me and my flatmate. On top of this there is the smell from the bathroom. That's the thing about living in the centre - great location but appalling standards and the former is the excuse used by landlords and ladies.