lördag 30 maj 2015

It cannot wait. I just need to put these pictures on display.

15 May. From the Pietrowska family in Polana village (Chrewst) through the Hulskie Nature Reserve to the village Chmiel in the River San valley. All the way some, 28 k, these German shepherd dogs a male and a bitch (wrong vocable for such a beauty...) followed me, guarded me. Indeed, as of a miracle, they offered me a long walking day with much comfort. What were their secrets? I was told that they were owned by the priest in Polana.Not even wearing collars.  ???


 

 
 
The area is wild and practically empty of habitation, people and traffic. Although half way into the mountain between the valleys we met with Ania and Lukasz, working for the Lukowiska's forest revier. And soon after, to my surprise, we faced two black persons - and I mean black - they were charcoal burners. Totally black. I was so stunned that I forgot to ask for their permission to take a picture. What a pity.
 

 




 
 
Having walked up the hills for three four hours the dogs seem all too happy to turn back to their village. We are soon entering the Hulskie Nature Reserve with many restrictions. Certainly stray dogs (they don't wear collars) are not permitted or any dog for that matter. When a fallow or red deer crossed the road a hundred meters ahead of us, the dogs had already felt the scent and flew, when they saw it, like rockets into the Wood. But. What could I do? They are not my dogs.



I was asked to be alert if there were bear babies around. If so, the bear mother could prove a real danger to both me and the dogs. Let's see what we soon would face.
 
 I the soft forest road, suddenly, I spotted this foot print. A bear?
Well, why not - the size and the shape of it? More to come...

 In the wet muddy ditch dirt an unmistakable trace of a bear. No doubt. And fresh.
 No close encounter with the bear. Good outcome. We have reached the road along the river San and my watch dogs can take a rest. 

 Here we met two men from Gdansk who seemed to have no idea about the true wilderness that they were in.



 
I hoped that the dogs should walk with them back to Polana but, no, they fancied me and we soon walked on.

 
 
 to be cont'd
   

torsdag 28 maj 2015

9 May. The fortress town of Przemysl.

My leg with quite some sratches and bleeding - I felt obliged to look for a doctor.



In the 19th century under Austrian-Hungarian rule Przemysl town was strategically fortified into a dubble-ringed stronghold to prevent Russian invasion. During WWI sieges and battles were many between the two super powers at the time. And from the fall of the two empires - with their Kaiser, Tsar and all - Poland rose out of the ashes as a free nation Przemysl prospering in its south centre. Today, the town is only five kilometers from the Ukrainian border which has damaged its economical potential quite badly.  Thus, you will find here and there very poor housing conditions.




However, Przemysl is a friendly place. I failed to find any GP facility open since it was Saturday and I had to take a cab up to Szpital Miejski on Monte Cassino. With my EU insurance card I was registered in a minute and within the hour I was treated - a needle in my arm with tetanus vaccine. The young couple helped me translate to Polish.




The hospital did indeed live up to its own motto

"From door to needle within the hour".

 
Back in town and across the river San with many restored houses, churches and other buildings...
Tillbaka i stan och över floden San med många vackra, pietetsfullt restaurerade bostadshus, kyrkor och andra byggnader 




 
 and in the midst of a surprisingly quiet presidential election campaign
och mitt i en för övrigt överraskande stillsam presidentvalskampanj
 
I visited near the Przemysl Dworzec PKP and PKS the new local museum
besöker jag det nya stadsmuseet nära Przemysl Dworzec PKP och PKS




Maria, the guide gave me a swift presentation before closing time. Her own family story was as interesting as the exhibits...  Thanks Maria!

 
The most famous about Przemysl is the double-ringed fortress but since I am no tourist I did not rent a bike for the suggested  bike tour along the outer ring Learning all about the two sieges in September and October by the Russians that ended by Austrian surrender in 22 March 2015 of the stronghold. A hundred years ago.


to be cont'd
 

lördag 23 maj 2015

POLAND - more pictures from Polin Museum.

 


 The only sign that cannot be read Points to the new Jewish Museum POLIN with its


numb facade and entrance shaped as a ?? anyone who knows what ??

 





torsdag 21 maj 2015

WALKING FROM SWEDEN TO GREECE 2012 - 2020.
Acknowledgments:

Thanks, to each and everyone of you who made my sixth and final hiking stage such a fabulous experience full of surprising highlights and rendered me many moments of genuin happiness!
Special thanks to:
- Director of Szkoła Podstawowa w Woli Rokietnickiej Ms Narolska, English teacher Ms Levytska and the school janitor.
- Nurse Agnieszka Choma and dr Mariusz Kuczkowki at the Regional Hospital Emergency Room in Przemysl and the young couple who helped navigate
- The Romani sisters Matkowskich at the Folklore Festival in Przemysl
- Zbigniew and Grazyna Muzykar, Pod Visna in Kalwaria
- Magda, Lukasz and Anja, all on duty in their respective forest territories
- Jacek £eszega, Ustrzyki Dolne Town hall
- Michal Regiel, Ustr. Dolne Tourist Information Office
- Maciel Augustyn at the Polish Science Academy in Ustr. Dolne
- Family Piotrowicz: Witak and Karolina, Maria and Babcia, Polana village
- Macjul and Josefa in Chmiel village
- The two German shepherd dogs, Polana
- Dominik and Marek in Ustrzyki Gorne
- Leopold Bekier, Director of Bieszchady National Park, Ustr. Gorne
and to many more friendly and helpful persons that I met during my hike.


5 May 2015. Warszawa. +24°C. A taste of summer and certainly a spring time fuse.
Wizzair did it again: allowed my backpack including the sticks. Landed on time.
Airport train shuttle at low fare of 1.70 PLN to Warszawa Centralna and from there a short walk to Intercontinental Hotel to see if our 1984-85 au-pair Monika was in her Pearl Beauty Clinic&Spa. www.pearlspa.pl. But no, too busy elsewhere in town...
Soon after at check-in desk of IBIS Hotel Muranowska, a reliable standard hotel. In the evening, back to city centre for a meal at the pleasant Greek restaurant www.elgreco-restauracja.pl on Grzybowska followed by an espresso and a meringue at Green Caffee Nero down the Grzybowska


and a slow walk along a peaceful Marszalkowska Avenue



back to IBIS in front of the Monument to the Fallen and Murdered in the East.



6 May 2015. Warszawa. Straight after breakfast to the newly opened Polin Museum to learn more about the Polish Jewish Community - its history, its culture and its destiny.

Namnet Polin (Polen) kunde enligt legenden uppfattas betyda 'vila här' och det var vad många judar gjorde som hade dragit österut, likt sina tyska grannar i överbefolkade städer som Frankfurt/Main eller Köln från 13/1400-talen.



Det första som mötte dem var ett ännu inte uppodlat, skogsbevuxet land, som därför är temat för den första utställningsavdelningen.



The name Polin (Poland) was, according to tradition, to be understood as 'rest here' and that was what many jews did who - like their German neighbours - had moved east in the 14th and 15th centuries.

The first that they met was a territory not yet cultivated but densely wooded and thus the theme for the first exhibition section. I spent eight full hours trying to get a grip on the enormous information, perfectly displayed.




Once started your museum visit you met no chair, no coffee machine.

7 May 2015. 4:59. I am already packed and on the street to take the tram no. 18 to the central train station. The sun is up reflected on the latest skyscraper. Time to buy a breakfast before the departure 06:11 of the Warszawa - Lublin PKP InterCity.














The plan is to get to Jaroslaw and walk 15-20 km to Rokietnica and stay overnight Jasminowy Dwor. Changing from PKP train to PKS bus in Lublin was easy but I could start my walking not until 3:10 p.m.
As often in Poland today this place was a fully modern hotel in the country side.


8 May 2015. 10 am. Finally, a full day of walking! Along blooming colza fields, through mini villages and a surprisingly new and big school building.
For the 55 pupils there were nine (!) teachers including the director.

 
Noon. Entering the  f o r e s t , my favorite walking environment.
 
 


1:15 pm Ooops. Accident! A false step on the street through a part of Mackowice village and I fell scratching my right leg quite badly but nothing broken.



4:30 pm Przemysl in sight.
5:09 pm Hotel Pod Bialym Orlem in sight.
 

 (...to be cont'd...)