Biking Poland

27 June 2023, Gliwice, 54.58km
Hostel Kwadrans 130zł [R583]

I wish I could claim that spending a night in Gliwice came about as a result of thoughtful research into towns with the prettiest skylines. Instead, I chose it by dividing the distance between Oświęcim and Wrocław into three manageable chunks. How lucky we are!
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So here's the thing about cycling a busy arterial like route 44, which we did for much of today's 57km: take advantage of any safety offering. This might simply be when the road widens to double-carriage, giving drivers room to overtake and cyclists a smidgen of breathing space. Or there might be a section of sidewalk you can cycle, or a narrow strip of tar on the flip side of the crash barrier or a shoulder. Where the road is single-carriage, for your own peace of mind, you must assume no-one wants to hurt or kill you. Then do your risk analysis based on what percentage of those approaching from behind might be stupid, careless or drunk (the last a combination of the former). Then just do it.
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Random comments
1. Lots of people walk their dogs in cities. Lots of shopkeepers thoughtfully provide water in a bowl on the pavement.
2. We have seen in a couple of cities now the use of sound barriers between highways and homes. Tall narrow structures designed for creeping plants to cover and very effective (pictured).
3. We have learned how to pronounce cześć (hello)! cz is pronounced ch as in Czech. ś is pronounced sh. ć is pronounced ch with a sort of soft t added. If you say chest, that is close enough to be understood.
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For dinner: sauerkraut soup with smoked rib, and buckwheat groats with bacon and dried plums.
A good day.
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Visited this pretty church en route…