POLEN (nr 2) APRIL 2013

16 to 27 April.
My second walk in Poland took off from Morag in the north-east region of Warmia-Mazuria in former (German) East Preussia and ended six walking days later in Chorzele just south of the old border between East Preussia and Poland. Wizzair brought me from Göteborg City Airport to Gdansk (45 minutes only) and after a bus 210 (50 minutes) to Gdansk Glowny i.e. Central Station and the evening train to Morag via Elblag (2 hrs) and a taxi (5 minutes), I could finally get some sleep at the E-Lektor hotel that I had booked though www.booking.com some days before.
A simple ** hotel but value for money. After breakfast the following morning, having bought som bread, cheese and water at the Biedronka (Ladybug) store, my walking sticks full lenght, I started my walk. A few drops of rain, I say a few drops, before I was out of town was in fact the only rain I experienced during the coming eleven days in the country, of which I walked six and rested the rest...
My backpack was light: only four kilos plus the food and drink of another kilo. Two sticks instead of only one turned out to be very helpful balancing on the ditches aside the relatively heavy trafficed main roads as on the simple gravel or sand roads in the peacefull woods.
It did not take long to meet with the first couple of white storks. Their show should repeat itself every coming day. At one time south of Szcytno, I spotted six or seven storks. Along with those impressive and proud birds along the road I would identify a large number of frogs even though a majority were only skins on the road surface after meeting with some vehicle's tire.

One week until take-off. Scary because of all snow that still covers the Polish towns and countryside: Elblag 24 cm, Olsztyn 16 cm. I hope it came down recently and will pass away soon or I will have to bring my Le Chaneau 1927. Nice rubber boots but unfortunately 1,3 kilos to heavy. I wish my backpack not to exceed 7,0 kilos.
All overnight accommodation has been booked - on excellent www.booking.com with only one exception - and at very good prices but after Szczytno even Agroturystyka B&B is sparsely represented. I fear more the rain and certainly cold rain and snowy winds. Cross my fingers that this scenario is behind us by next week. During my walk, that I will share for day 3 and 4 with Björn from Lund, I will leave the old Preussian today the Warmińsko-mazurskie województwo region full of lakes and natural beauty and enter the most populated of the new regions (since 1999) the Mazowieckie region including the capital of Poland, Warszawa. However, my way is - deliberately - avoiding the capital area with Ostroleka as my goal this time.

From an idea more than five years to a plan a year ago to a test walking last april (2012) and then first 100 kilometres walking across the Wisla delta from Gdansk via Elblag to the little town of Morag last September (2012). Now, the next leg is defined and organised: Morag-Olsztyn-Ostroleka. From the September stage of four days I will now try to do seven days with three days for rest inbetween. A friend will join me.

Olsztyn is former Allenstein, today a vibrant middle-sized regional centre with some 175,000 inhabitants and a modern university (1999).

 

Finally, my idea developed to a plan, and my plan emerged as a test last April and now I am doing it! After two days of constant walking from the outskirts of Gdansk in northeast Poland across the shores, through the villages and on the walls of the Wisla delta, I reached its eastern city of Elblag yesterday afternoon. Not to damage my knees and feet, I took a break today but will be anxious to get going again tomorrow morning, the sooner the better. Direction Paslek. There are numerous pictures to be published soon. Poland has been extremely welcoming. The people, the landscape, the weather. These two days I have started my walking around 9.30 or 10.00 and following the advice of my friend Björn I take a break every hour (with few exception) to have some bread and Kavli's soft cheese plus a sip of water. Six-seven hours of effective walking has not proved to be to much so far. 25-30 kms per day. Let's see what tomorrow will bring to that piece of statistics.

Hello everyone of you who have been asked to look into my blog for m\"more information".

To quote some of the modern equally provoking artists - everything in this project is art and experimental - I haven't a clue what to expect BUT tomorrow I will start walking on real in Europe (for some of us, Sweden is still not Europe, not the 'continental' anyway). To navigate a blog site in Polish is difficult so I hope to be back with more information and pictures to prove my route along the coast, across the Wisla river etc

Walking to the Mediterranean was from the beginning five years ago just another wild idea. But having tested my body, especially its legs and certainly its knees, I can say that the show has begun! 80k in Skåne in April confirmed my desk operation model of four days 20k each day. Now, flight tickets are booked from Göteborg City Airport Säve to Gdansk in September for five or six days of walking, crossing Wisla at its mouth heading for Elblag and Olsztyn. My friend Björn will join during two of those days. Any tip or suggestion where to stop, to eat, to sleep is welcome!

Fler och fler av familj, vänner och bekanta (nya och gamla) känner nu till min plan att vandra till fots till Medelhavet. Testvandringen i Skåne klarades av i april, 8 mil på fyra dagar. Startpunkten på kontinenten har varit bestämd sedan länge, ja, ända sen jag drog det första strecket utmed linjalen: Gdansk - Thessaloniki. Gdansk, alltså. Trodde först att jag skulle behöva sätta av ett par dagar bara för framresan med tåg och färja) men sic det går direktflyg med Wizzair från både Sturup och Säve. Det blir från Säve dvs officiellt heter den Göteborg City Airport, där gamla F9 låg. Det viktigast är redan inköpt: liten lätt ryggsäck (50 liter) och joggingskorna (Saucony Guide 5) med anatomiska sulor. Nu gälller det att se över övriga utrustningen, främst kläderna. Kanske det behövs ett underställ. Gamla joggingdojorna får bli reservskor, de anatomiska sulorna passar även i dessa. Vattenflaskan. Regncapen. Tips är välkomna!