16-18 June 2011 - Poland

Big post... did lots. Left Magdeburg on a baking hot morning for Poland, the first totally new country of the trip with another three nights CouchSurfing arranged between Wroclaw and Siemianowice. 

People I’d spoken to on the way generally pulled faces about Poland’s roads, they have a reputation for being awful. The reality though, was much worse than that... For 50kms or so at least, then they’re fine, just like anywhere else on motorways but towns became a bit bumpy again. When you cross the border from Germany, the pool table smooth autobahn suddenly, you can literally trace the border line across the road, turns into lumpy black tarmac. A speed limit of 70km/h on the motorway isn’t for any speed reasons, you just can’t go any faster. 

After starting to panic about how far there was still to go, sooner or later the mad stripes of laid and re-laid and potholed and re-laid tarmac eventually came good. Driving standards also improved, I followed 7 vehicles all sat in the overtaking lane for about 10 minutes just in a big line with not a single car in the outside lane. People just pick which side of the road is less worse and stick with it. Must just be something about border areas, so far from major cities they get neither attention nor improvements.  

All that aside, I rolled into a new build estate on the edge of Wroclaw to meet CouchSurfing host Asia. She’s incredibly well travelled, a biker and fiercely proud of the city, with good reason. Wroclaw is beautiful with big Renaissance Germanic style buildings, each in distinct pastel colours arranged in figure 8 squares that all interlink through little alleyways and snickets. It’s compact, interesting, full of little details, gnomes hiding everywhere and bursting with life. We saw kids playing on movement sensing music mats, a garden exhibition, photo displays and a Capital of Culture bid tent. I voted twice.

Central Wroclaw

Wroclaw central square

Asia, CouchSurfing host

Wroclaw cathedral

The moon over a bridge to Wroclaw island

After having a beer to get out of the rain as a passing storm blew over, we went for a curry then a walk along the riverside and Wroclaw Island past the biggest cathedral as the moon was hovering just over the horizon in an orange haze. Another great night with interesting company.

The next few days were fantastic, the very best you could hope for. Through sheer luck I’d arranged to stay with a couple, Kaja and Marcin, in a town I’d never heard of, Siemianowice Slaskie. Apart from the joy of spending two nights in the same place, I’ve never been more welcome and well looked after from the first to last minute! Kaja’s family had us over for a BBQ on Saturday night at their gorgeous house. 

Getting the BBQ going

With Wojtek & Hania

Marcin & Kaya

Cute couple

Earlier on Saturday I'd been to the Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp. There’s no point making too much comment as everyone takes their own personal experiences and thoughts away. The main things that hit you though are how open the location is, and just how vast the site is. Auschwitz site 1 is apparently so busy you have to go round in tour groups which would be enlightening, but I’m glad I chose Birkenau to be able to walk round and take it in at my own pace.

It’s obviously a very sombre place, people walk round barely making a noise. Given its size there’s space to avoid the crowds of tourist groups which is good, but when you wander around a bit and end up the only person in the area, you soon start looking to find a few other people to keep in sight. Photo's on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stumuxlow/sets/72157626873908645/

I had to go, and was expecting to be in a bit of a funk over the next few days. Fortunately though, I was so lucky to be able to contrast the very worst of the world, with the very best, the kindness of strangers. I was watching a random travel program where a Croatian farmer said something akin to, “happiness is in small things”. There was no greater contrast to the incomprehensible evil of nations than time spent with new friends who’ve taken it upon themselves to make a stranger welcome in their family.