A Day in the Life of a Bicycle Tourer
Krakow to Budapest Stage 3 – Jastrzębie Zdrój to Ostrava 50 Km (Fri 21 Sep 2018)
Weather: 11⁰C min – 25⁰C max, clear and sunny
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
How could you ever suffer from stress or anxiety when you are bicycle touring? You become one with nature, totally aware of the present, forgetting about cares of the past or worries about the future, just savouring each precious moment as it comes, simply immersed in the here and now. Somehow your senses are sharpened so that you fully appreciate all the beauty that surrounds you. Peace and tranquility permeate your whole being.
And there were lots of precious moments on my last day in Poland … lush green countryside, blue sky, gentle breeze, winding laneways and humpback bridges, smooth roads, autumn trees turning golden, enchanting little houses with well-tended gardens, the rustic charm of lived-in farm houses, chickens and ducks roaming free, the fresh scent of pine trees in the forest, a herd of deer rushing up close to pose for a photo!
At the 36 Km mark I happened to notice a small road sign Česká Republika. I had just crossed an imaginary line separating Poland and the Czech Republic, but there was no fanfare, border control or stamping of passports. Now there is a feeling of excitement at the prospect of experiencing a new culture, different customs and language, different food, different architecture, and a new currency (Czech Koruna instead of Polish Zloty). Importantly, pekařství is now the word for bakery and I am about to go looking for one right now!
Can you understand why I am so addicted to solo bike touring?
It’s nice to be free as a bird no stress no anxiety and not a care in the world. The photos tells the story It’s great to see how others are living just a stone throw away the lives of others are different. You have so much to look back on when you hang up your bike and become a “Tour Guide”. Follow the ?? As the Tour Guide would say?