(Krakow, Poland to Cottbus, Germany via train;
Cottbus to Spremburg Reservoir via bike)
View 2008-06-02b Cottbus, Germany to Spremberg Reservoir in a larger map
Highlights: 8-hour train ride, beer with Deidrech
Last photo op in Poland (Main Market, Krakow)
Deidrech and me (Spremberg Reservoir)
Journal: To save time (& to avoid backtracking on some the same route we took to get to Krakow) we've decided to head west by train into eastern Germany (formerly part of East Germany). We were originally thinking of training to Dresden (or even Prague) but that could have involved as many as six train changes (not fun with a loaded touring bike). So instead, we are taking a direct train to the east German city of Cottbus, from which we will (hopefully) buy some bike maps and head south towards Prague (about 300 km away) before ultimately returning to Munich (where we began on May 7).
So today is our last day in Poland. As I look out the window, I am glad we have chosen to take the train & not pedal back to Germany. It is the warmest day so far this year (nearing 90 degrees) & the scenery is quite bland (mostly flat, somewhat industrial & run-down in the big cities). However, that doesn't mean I have any regrets about bicycling in Poland. More so than in the Czech Republic or Slovakia, the people in the smaller towns were friendly & helpful (even though most did not speak English). Also, the scenery was pleasant & varied along the Vienna-Krakow Greenway, traffic was generally agreeable, and the food was surprisingly tasty. Not to mention Krakow being my favorite city so far. The only negative has been the high prices. Yes, the US dollar is weak right now, but I am still baffled when the average Polish salary is $1000 US per month and beer costs twice as much as in the Czech Republic. Evidently western Europeans have discovered Poland as a worthwhile vacation destination & pushed up many of the prices. I am hoping I'm not disappointed with similarly high prices in Prague when we get there.
Despite several unexplained periods of sitting on side tracks, the Polish train pulled into the station in Cottbus, Germany right on time. We were glad to be off the train since the air conditioning had not worked well & it was a hot day (upper 80's I think). From the station we had to ride to the city center to find some German bike maps & figure out which way to go to reach Prague. The local bike shop was helpful and we soon were heading south towards Dresden & the River Elbe (which we can follow all the way upriver to Prague). Despite the heat, riding in the afternoon was basically a piece of cake as we followed shady bike paths for the majority of the ride. When we reached Spremburg Reservoir it was time to call it quits. Just before reaching the campground, we met an interesting local German fellow named Deidrech. He is 64 years old and was rollerblading 120 km today (more than I have ridden on any single day of this trip so far!). As we followed him to the nearby beer garden for a drink & chat, he led the way...easily keeping in front of us on his blades. After sharing some stories, we said goodbye and Deidrech headed off for home (still 30 km away!) while we rode the measly one kilometer to our camping place.
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