Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt



Thursday 4th of July

08.28 The night at Penzión Bardejov (https://www.penzionbardejov.sk) in Bardejov has been long but now it's over. Our time in Bardejov and also in Slovakia will soon be over. Now another city in another country awaits.

09.15 During breakfast here in the room, we figured out where to leave the keys at check-out. Will it be in the room or in the number box? We decided to leave them in the room. According to Flixbus, a text message should be sent to Christer when the bus is arriving.

09.23 New bids apply. According to a notice in Slovak in the room, the windows should be closed, the lights should be turned off and keys should be left in the box where we picked them up. Then we´ll do so.

10.02 The keys were not left in the box but instead to a girl in shorts, not because she had shorts but because she asked for them. She was part of the cleaning crew. Now we are at the nearby bus station waiting for the bus from Flixbus that will take us from Slovakia to Poland.

10.23 The Polish-registered Flixbus has let us on board. Flixbus is starting to become our familiar bus company. They have driven us on a number of trips in several countries. Spontaneously we remember that we went with the company from Sweden to Norway, through France a number of times, from Hungary to Romania, from Croatia to Slovenia and maybe even more times.

10.48 There is a shortage of straight roads and plenty of vegetation where we travel. However, we are sitting comfortably. Soon we´ll reach the border between Slovakia and Poland.

Morning in room Katka, Penzión Bardejov.

We head to the bus terminal in Bardejov.

Flixbus has picked us up.

We travel through the spa town of Krynica-Zdrój.

We got off the bus in Nowy Sącz.

Beautiful flowers in Planty, Nowy Sącz.

POLAND

10.58 The bus has now reached Tylicz in Poland. Apart from us, there are houses, people and a slalom slope here. Tylicz can be compared to a larger village.

11.07 We have rolled through and now stopped in the popular tourist resort of Krynica-Zdrój. There are plenty of tourists here, many in old age. The bus has also received an addition of new Polish passengers. The resort with the nickname the pearl of the Polish health resorts is not only a health resort but also a winter sports resort.

11.59 We have arrived at the bus station in Nowy Sącz. Now we have to do something before we check into our hotel. The city coat of arms depicts Saint Margaret, the virgin who, according to legend, was swallowed by Satan, in the form of a dragon, who was forced to spit her out again because the cross she wore irritated the dragon's entrails. In Margaret's other hand is an olive branch, a symbol of peace.

12.13 We have quite a long distance to walk before we reach our hotel. The first stop in Nowy Sącz and Poland is made on a park bench inside Planty, the city park. Nowy Sącz with 84,376 inhabitants is the third largest city in the Małopolska region, which translated is called Little Poland.

12.50 The first Polish lunch in many years will be at American Burger Point (https://www.americanburgerpoint.com.pl). We are waiting to order beer, Žywiec Biały and hamburgers.

13.57 Satisfied and happy, we went on to Hotel Panorama (https://htpanorama.pl). Here we are now in room 104. There is plenty of space and the fact that the room has a window we can open and a kettle adds to the joy.

14.56 It has been raining outside and we have been drinking coffee in this room. Via Christer's mobile phone, we heard a Swedish local radio broadcast. Among other things, we have heard from the store in Tänndalen that had a visit from the reindeer Kaspian.

Ławeczka miłości (Love Bench), sculptures in Planty Park.

We walk through Nowy Sącz.

Today's lunch restaurant, American Burger Point.

Some Polish men look enviously at our lunch.

Hotel Panorama, Nowy Sącz.

Peter in the Polish summer greenery.

15.55 There is a Kebab Oslo in the city, we are not going there. There are also buildings and other things to see. However, we will do that as soon as we see some sun.

16.32 We hear birdsong, feel raindrops and cold winds. We have walked along the Dunajec River, seen a large bridge and are now between a ruin and the river. It's discovery day.

16.55 All of a sudden and somewhat unexpectedly, the rain has made a comeback. We and some cyclists have sought shelter under the large bridge Most Józefa Pilsudskiego.

17.03 After the rain, we photographed the city's castle ruins. The ruin is after the royal castle in Nowy Sącz. It was built in the mid-14th century during the reign of King Casimir the Great. Now we walk towards the center.

17.17 The town hall (Ratusz) on the square (Rynek) is in need of a facelift, a refresh. Scaffolding and tarps cover some parts and there won't be any pretty photos here.

17.21 Next to the town hall we saw a well-known figure, someone you often see here in Poland. It is a sculpture of Jana Pawła II (John Paul II), the popular Polish Pope.

17.34 After a quick look at the Basilica Bazylika św. Małgorzaty we have had to seek shelter again. Stupid rain! Hold up! Stop! We want to go shopping.

Dunajec, a tributary of the Wisła.

Christer by the river Dunajec.

Good infrastructure for cyclists.

The ruins of the castle in Nowy Sącz.

An East German Trabant is parked.

Plac 3 maja, Nowy Sącz.

18.01 On the square, not far from the town hall, we found a small cozy grocery store. There we bought something to eat and drink. Now we are back in the room to plan the evening and book upcoming train tickets.

19.52 We no longer hear any rain outside the hotel window. Instead we hear singing and guitar playing. Both things are enticing and inviting. Besides, we're getting hungry.

20.24 "What is love?" is asked, sung over the loudspeaker at Knedel Hospoda Brovar (https://www.knedel.com.pl). So we went to a Czech restaurant here in Poland. It is located opposite the American Burger Point lunch restaurant. There are few other guests here. In fact, we are the only ones.

21.29 It was delicious from both plates and glasses. Now that we are back home, the day will be summed up and tomorrow planned.

23.15 Now we have tomorrow under control. It is if you add it up from door to door, check out, go to the railway station, travel away, new railway station, go and check in.

23.45 Before sleep arrives, we catch up on the day's various news. Labour appears to be heading for a landslide victory in the UK general election.

Peter writes in his travel journal on the square Rynek miejski.

Basilica of St. Małgorzaty is difficult to photograph.

Christer is eating a Czech dinner.

Beer glasses in the ceiling at Knedel Hospoda Brovar.


Friday 5th of July

08.29 We have woken up at Hotel Panorama and are checking the latest news. The new Prime Minister of Great Britain is named Keir Starmer. According to polls, his Labour party is getting 410 of the 650 seats in the British House of Commons. What Christer and I get today is breakfast, a long walk and a train journey to begin with.

09.45 After one of the better breakfast selections of the trip, we mostly take it easy for a while before checking out.

10.31 I have good hopes for this day. I guess Christer shares this. I haven't heard anything to the contrary. We're going to a city we've visited twice before, in 2000 and 2003. What do we recognize? What has changed?

11.07 On our three kilometer long walk from the hotel to the railway station, we are currently making a stop in the Planty park where we also sat yesterday. The sun is shining and the birds are singing for us.

11.54 Here on a bench in the park next to the railway station, we had a conversation with a happy, curious Polish man. I barely understand a word of what he said. In any case, he has in some way had experience of Sweden, possibly he has driven a truck there. It was a little difficult to understand him. Now he has found others to talk to a little further away.

12.09 On platform 2 and at track 2 of the railway station in Nowy Sącz, we are now sitting and waiting for train 33105. A small child screams, sounds, is heard. So far, the day has worked well. When does the train arrive?

12.24 The train came in and we got on board. No sooner had we sat down than it started rolling. Now we will return to Tarnów. The last time we were there was in 2003. I was in a worse and younger condition then. That summer, both Christer and I were really unwell after suffering from some stomach bug we brought with us from Ukraine.

Breakfast at Hotel Panorama.

At the end of the Planty park stands the national poet Adam Mickiewicz.

Inside the station building in Nowy Sącz.

Peter is waiting for the train.

Polish countryside seen through the train window.

The station building in Tarnów.

12.39 Our tickets have been checked by a train conductor. There were few seats left on this train when we booked, so Christer and I are not sitting together. There are a few rows of seats between us. The journey continues through a rural and hilly landscape. A small child appears to be asking for water.

13.37 Not much happens on our long means of transport. But what do I expect, large buildings, savannah with wild animals? No, I settle for Polish countryside.

14.30 The two travelers disembarked at the beautiful railway station in Tarnów. We first visited a small shop Żabka (Frog) to buy some snacks. Then we walked the short distance to the nearby nice Hotel GAL (https://www.hotelgaltarnow.pl). We included breakfast in the price to make it a little extra good. Now we are in room 101. By the way, GAL is an abbreviation for Grażyna Andrzej Ligara.

15.25 After consuming what we bought and taking it easy for a while, we are now ready to see Tarnów again. How much will we recognize? Tarnów has 117,799 inhabitants and is located 75 kilometers east of Kraków.

16.08 On our long walk, the same route as 21 years ago, towards the center, we have not, so far, recognized ourselves very much. Memories fade over time. In any case, we have seen a beautiful church, a café inside a tram and a lot of other things.

16.15 Now we hear a man talking loudly, almost shouting. It seems comical because people laugh at him. The sound comes from Tarnów's square, Rynek. We ourselves are at the Jewish Cultural Center and a memorial. There is also Bima Starej Synagogi, the remains of the Tarnów Synagogue. The city was hit hard by Nazism during the Second World War. Before World War II, about 25,000 Jews lived in Tarnów, about 45 percent of the city's population. When the city was captured by Nazi Germany at the beginning of the war, persecution of Jews began and from 1942 Jews were deported to the Bełżec, Auschwitz and Płaszów camps. By the end of 1943, the city was declared "Jew-free" and only a few Jews from Tarnów survived the war.

To reach the hotel we have to pass a president.

Room 101 at Hotel GAL.

We stay near the railway station.

Kościół św. Rodziny w Tarnowie.

Café Tramway, café in a tram.

Plac Kazimierza Wielkiego, Tarnów.

16.21 We have found the loud man in the square (Rynek). He seems to be acting, telling something. People flock and listen to the passionately speaking man. For the first time today we recognize ourselves. You will not forget this beautiful square. In 2003 we also stayed in a room somewhere here in connection with the square.

16.43 It is quiet and peaceful at Aida Restauracja & Pizzeria (https://aida-restauracja.pl). For nostalgic reasons we had to return here. When we were here in 2003, I arrived in a worn condition. By the time we left the restaurant, both were worn out. Christer suffered the same stomach problem I suffered when he tried to eat spaghetti right here. For details, check for yourself at https://resedagboken.one/2003/polska.html

17.31 Dinners were eaten at Aida's outdoor dining area. Less drama this time. The portions weren't that big but it was good. Now it's time to get home before today's football matches start.

18.09 After shopping for malt drinks at yet another frog (Żabka store) we are back home. Now we will follow the European Championship match Spain against Germany. We have now reached the quarter-finals.

18.47 There haven't been any great goal scoring opportunities. There are several who got green colour on their clothes.

19.11 Olé, Spain scores 1-0. A quick pass in the penalty area frees the goalscorer Dani Olmo.

19.33 There is increased German pressure but the ball does not want to go in for Die Mannschaft.

19.48 Yes, there will be extra time after all. Germany have just equalized through Florian Wirtz.

Bazylika Katedralna Narodzenia NMP w Tarnowie (Cathedral of the Holy Family).

Once again we meet John Paul II.

Peter and the Tarnów poet Roman Brandstaetter.

Bima Starej Synagogi, the remains of the Tarnów Synagogue.

Rynek Główny, Tarnów.

Muzeum Ratusz, Tarnów.

20.00 The extra time has started and we are planning at the same time when and how we will travel on tomorrow.

20.15 Our first evening beers as well as the first quarter of extra time are over. Also, train tickets have been booked for tomorrow.

20.33 With a powerful header in added time, Spain regains the lead through Mikel Merino.

20.39 The organizers have finished playing in this tournament. Auf Wiedersehen Germany. Much of the talk afterward is about a missed penalty that the Germans think they should have received. It evens out. In the match against Denmark, on the other hand, they received a very cheap penalty.

21.00 We've barely had time to catch our breath and fix coffee before it's a new match. This time it's France against Portugal. I predict Spain's neighbors to win this match.

21.48 France against Portugal is still 0-0.

22.12 Now it's high-level drama. A ball is headed on the broken nose in Kylian Mbappé's face. When the referee rushes there, he loses his yellow card. It is picked up by a Portuguese and returned to the referee. What would have happened if he kept it?

Aida Restauracja & Pizzeria, Tarnów.

A cold Okocim is what you need on a hot day.

Peter has an early dinner at Aida's.

Wałowa Street runs in a semicircle around the center of Tarnów.

22.54 It's time for extra time. Considering the effort of Portugal's goalkeeper in the previous match, France probably wants to decide before penalties.

23.11 It is still goalless, but occasional scoring chances can be seen.

23.30 Not a goal as far as the eye can see. How many/few penalties will there be? In Portugal's last game, it was all over after six, six penalties that is.

23.44 There were nine penalties this time. Portugal missed one and France is in the semi-finals.

23.56 A day with a reunion of Tarnów and an evening filled with football is now over. Time to sleep. Tomorrow is the weekend again.


Saturday 6th of July

08.35 A quiet night has turned into a quiet morning here at Hotel GAL in Tarnów. We take it slow before we go to breakfast.

09.33 We are back after eating a simple breakfast. Do we need to eat more before leaving here in three hours? If so, what and where do we eat? The range around the hotel is not wide.

10.19 Waiting for check-out, we make plans on how to get out of Poland and into Lithuania in about a week.

11.14 Everything we picked up has been put back in the backpacks. A note has been written for our trip out of the country. Now we will shortly bring possessions and key cards. We take the earlier ones with us. We leave the latter at the reception desk. The reverse only leads to trouble.

11.46 All she wanted at the reception desk was the key card. Now that we have bought an apple and ice cream, we take a park break before going to the station for further travel.

12.16 The train we intend to take to Lithuania in about a week is fully booked according to the lady at the ticket booth at the railway station. The train we will be traveling on today to Rzeszów, on the other hand, is cool and has plenty of room. Now we get the opportunity to find another alternative to Lithuania's entry.

12.36 Christer is trying to find a ticket for us each to Lithuania via the internet.

12.46 On a Lithuanian booking site, Christer may have found two tickets on the train that was previously said to be fully booked. We hope it goes well with booking these.

13.05 Just before we reached the station in Dębica, Christer managed to buy tickets for SEK 150.50 each on the train to Lithuania, which was said to be fully booked. We've been through this before. When you ask at ticket booths or travel agencies, there are no tickets, but when you look on the internet, suddenly they are available.

Christer is eating breakfast at Hotel GAL.

The train that will take us from Tarnów to Rzeszów.

Peter is ready for today's train journey.

From our room we have a good view of the railway station in Rzeszów.

We have lunch in the hotel restaurant. We chose pierogi and beer (Tyskie).

Pomnik Wdzięczności Armii Radzieckiej, an old communist monument.

13.21 Before the station in Lubzina, a discussion arose between the conductor and a newly arrived elderly gentleman. It appears that the passenger is missing a ticket. Nor does he seem to want to buy any. The conductor has moved on for the time being. What can he do?

13.43 There is no solution in the conflict between Hamas and Israel, nor in the one between the man and the conductor. As far as we are concerned, we will be disembarking soon.

14.13 We arrived at the station in Rzeszów five minutes late. We walked across the street to Hotel Polonia (https://www.hotel-polonia.com) and checked in. We took the stairs up to floor 3 and into room 313 with a separate bedroom. What do we do now? At check-in we received a discount coupon. We get a 10% discount in the restaurant belonging to the hotel.

14.56 After some coffee in the room, we are now ready for some food, sightseeing and shopping. The city of Rzeszów is not entirely easy to pronounce for those of us who do not speak Polish. During the Second World War, the Germans called it the Reichshof. The city is the capital of the Podkarpackie region and has 158,382 inhabitants.

15.04 We have made it from the top of the building to the bottom. With menus in front of us, we are ready to order a late lunch.

15.42 After a reasonably stable lunch consisting of pierogi (what is called dumplings in English) and beer (Tyskie), we are ready to see the city. First, though, I'll pay for both of us.

15.55 A small misunderstanding arose during the payment. Apparently I only paid for myself. Everything was arranged before we left, so there was no mistake. Now we are sitting in a park and listening to birds.

16.28 A new stop is made. This time we are in the fan-shaped Ogrody Bernardyńskie (Bernardian Garden). Next to us is the Pomnik Czynu Rewolucyjnego (Monument to the Revolutionary Deed) and also the basilica named Bazylika Wniebowięcia NMP w Rzeszowie. The sun is shining and a fountain does what fountains are good at.

16.33 On the way to the center we met a procession of serious looking men. They seem to be carrying a saint's image through the city. It was just to step aside and let the sacred pass.

16.45 On the city's main square, Rynek miejski, there is an old town hall and a beer festival, the Rzeszowski Festiwal Piwa, is also taking place here. However, we have another goal right now. We need to eat dinner before tonight's football matches in the Euro 2024 are to be played. It's a bit typical that we find a beer festival when we don't have time to explore it.

16.55 On the square we found, in addition to the beer festival, also a brewery.

Bazylika Wniebowięcia NMP w Rzeszowie.

Ogrody Bernardyńskie (Bernardian Garden), Rzeszów.

Wanda Siemaszkowa Theater in Rzeszów.

Monument to a hero of the First World War, the Polish major
Leopold Kula, also called "the fox".

We have walked into the city center.

Rzeszów's Old Town Hall (Town Hall) from the 16th century.

17.30 There was plenty of well-cooked food and locally brewed beer. However, it is time to go home. Possibly we will buy football beer from the festival with us.

18.09 There was no festival beer for the football, Most attractive on the square was a stand with an Azeri flag. However, there was no beer there, only drink made from pomegranate. However, we found beer in a Żabka shop around the corner from the hotel. Now we cover the quarter-final between Switzerland and England.

18.31 England do not play football. They practice short passes. It's really boring football right now.

18.47 Short of goals, there are plenty. Now it's a break in tonight's first quarter-final.

19.22 There are still awkward, tentative attempts. No obvious scoring chances, no long balls.

19.32 This match will not be goalless. Switzerland just made it 1-0 through Breel Embolo.

19.36 England do not want to be worse. Now it's 1-1, a diagonal shot made it through the penalty area and into the post. Goal scorer is Bukayo Saka.

19.52 It was again a draw. Will it be "just" an extra time? There is sadness in tennis Poland. Iga Świątek is eliminated in the Wimbledon tournament.

20.08 So far, there are no goals in extra time. From outside, children can be heard screaming, shouting, talking. Now the referee blew the first extra quarter.

20.29 This match will be decided by penalties. Will there be ten, more or fewer penalties?

20.46 Switzerland can only score four penalties. This because they missed one and England sat all five of them. Who will they face in the semi-finals, the Netherlands or Turkey?

21.00 Christer is currently booking tomorrow's train journeys. The last bit seems to be by bus. However, that bus journey is only 10-15 minutes. Now the last quarter-final begins.

We found a beer festival in Rzeszów.

Peter has dinner at Stary Browar Rzeszowski.

Stary Browar Rzeszowski, Rzeszów.

The thirsty hand grope for the beer.

Rzeszów's Town Hall is centrally located in the city.

Evening at Rzeszów Główny.

21.23 It's a higher tempo but just as few goals in this quarter-final. While the game continues, we are planning and booking upcoming trips.

21.36 It was just 1-0 to Turkey, who are really on the hook. Samet Akaydin scored the goal.

21.47 Turkey is a half game away from the semi-finals. This is the best quarter-final in a while.

22.05 The joy of the game continues at the beginning of the second half. We have also made some plans for tomorrow.

22.29 A high jump and a quick nod. Suddenly it's 1-1. Stefan de Vrij was responsible for the goal. It's a shame that one of these teams will be knocked out tonight.

22.34 The Netherlands attack on a wide front and take the lead 2-1 through a Turkish own goal.

22.43 It is party mode for Turkey at the end of the match but the ball does not want to go in.

22.54 Unfortunately, the match is over. This has been one of the best matches in this tournament, definitely the best quarter-final. Too bad one team is eliminated.

23.23 Now it's time to sleep before an intense Sunday. The day will be filled with travel and activities.


Sunday 7th of July

08.30 The night's sleep has been good. Today, Sunday, we will check out from Hotel Polonia but only temporarily leave Rzeszów. We will make a small day trip before traveling further in the afternoon.

09.23 It was a long way down to breakfast on the ground floor and just as far back. The morning meals were probably not the most stable we ate, but we were full. Around half past eleven the first train of the day departs. Then we don't bring the big backpacks. At breakfast a man ordered a beer. Some start early.

10.10 We have now checked out of the hotel and left most of the belongings in safe custody behind the reception desk. With a smaller but very important part of what we own, we are now on the regional train which, when it starts, will take us east to the neighboring town of Łańcut, which is about two kilometers away.

10.53 We said goodbye to the train after a short journey. Now we will take a longer walk towards the center of Łańcut. It's a long way to go and it's hot today, +30°C.

11.23 It doesn't go fast when we walk on a hot day like this. Also, it was uphill for the last bit of the walk. Now, in any case, we are on a park bench in the center of the town, a town that has been a city since 1349 and is inhabited by 18,266 people. There is certain entry to the castle (Zamek w Łańcucie) so it will have to do without us today.

11.28 A tired gentleman with a bloodshot eye has approached out here at our park bench. He politely asked for some money but us being cash free couldn't help. The homeless beggars haven't started with card payment yet.

Hotel Polonia, Rzeszów.

The train has stopped in Łańcut.

Peter strolls through a warm Łańcut.

Various vehicles outside the castle grounds in Łańcut.

A cart that sometimes functions as a flower bed.

Kościół Rzymskokatolicki pw. Św. Stanisława Biskupa.

11.45 There is a nice breeze and sacred singing can be heard from the city's church Kościół Rzymskokatolicki pw. Św. Stanisława Biskupa. We want to pass it but risk disturbing the outdoor mass in progress. It is also a bit awkwardly placed and almost impossible to photograph.

11.59 The church was passed on a street below it without disturbing the congregation. Now we make another stop at another religious building. This time it is a yellow, almost inconspicuous former synagogue. In 1939, a German invasion force tried to burn it down. However, they were stopped by Count Alfred Antoni Potocki. It has since served as a grain store and exhibition hall. Since 1981 it is a museum. Who then was Alfred Antoni Potocki? Before the war, he was one of the richest men in Poland. As the Red Army moved closer in 1944, he filled 11 train cars with 700 boxes of valuables and fled to Liechtenstein. When he died on March 30, 1958, he had squandered most of his fortune.

12.06 In the middle of the small park (Plac Jana III Sobieskiego) we are at, there is a green grand piano with an accompanying chair. A little further away is also the bench with sculptures of Jan and Stanisław Cetnarski, mayor and builder here in Łańcut.

12.15 A child calls mum and the loudspeaker asks the question in a singing version "Why do you have to be a heartbreaker?" We wait for our lunches at the Sunday open restaurant Piwiarnia. Here we sit comfortably in their outdoor dining area. More guests join. Some have probably been to mass in the church recently.

12.45 The good beer Warka that we liked during the train trip era is still good. A little pasta or pierogi with it enhances the taste. Now we put an end to lunch with a duo Americano coffee.

13.07 It's time to slowly walk back to the railway station. Otherwise we will miss our train back to Rzeszów.

There are plums in the trees.

Synagogue in Łańcut.

Jan and Stanisław Cetnarski on a bench.

Plac Jana III Sobieskiego.

Peter drinks Warka.

Lunch at Piwiarnia, Łańcut.

13.37 It went faster to walk back. Partly we knew the road and partly it was more downhill. Now we are soon at the station and the platform. Christer is currently checking if the shops in the next town are open as we will get there tonight.

13.54 So we sit again on a platform bench. The divine wind cools and gives hope for life. Polish is being spoken around us and now comes an exclamation, also in Polish.

14.05 The return journey to Rzeszów has begun. There we will pick up the backpacks from the hotel and wait for the next train.

14.48 We returned to Rzeszów and walked the short distance to the Hotel Polonia to collect the backpacks. We also took the opportunity to drink free water at the reception. Now we have stopped in a small park. There are dark clouds in the sky and surely rain is coming. A dog is outside resting his owner. We are waiting to go back to the trains.

15.20 We left the park just before the rain started to fall. After buying some drinks at Żabka next to the hotel, we moved to Rzeszów Główny railway station. Now we are sitting under a roof on platform 3 and waiting for the next train. The rain is pouring down so we're glad we have a roof here.

15.40 The awaited train has arrived and we have taken our seats. The departure from Rzeszów will be initiated shortly. It is quiet on board, not many travelers want to go towards Stalowa Wola, which is the train's final destination.

16.55 Calmly and quietly, we speed north through the verdant landscape.

17.12 We have arrived in Tarnobrzeg. According to various information on the internet, the last stretch to Sandomierz is to be completed with a replacement bus. However, there is no information about this on the train. Hope we avoid it.

17.30 Without a bus or other obstacles, we have calmly arrived at the railway station in Sandomierz. It's time to start walking. It is a bit before we reach the town itself. There is probably a bus we can take, but we'd rather walk than figure out which one to take and how to pay for it.

Kościół Matki Bożej Królowej Polski i św. Jana Kantego.

Peter rests during the walk from the train station.

We cross the Wisła.

The Wisła is Poland's longest river.

A town can be seen.

We take a break at a stone table in Plac Jana Pawła II.

18.05 During the long walk from the railway station, we have seen a large modern church and bought drinks in a shop in the Żabka chain. Now we have walked on a long bridge over the river Wisła. We walked on the bike path, which might also serve as a footpath. The Wisła is the country's longest river, 1047 kilometers long. We have previously seen the river in Warsaw and Kraków on our travels.

18.27 After two kilometers of movement on foot, we are now in a large park area, Plac Jana Pawła II. Most of it has gone but more remains before we are in the town centre. Here we have sat down at a stone table to rest and stop sweating for a while. It has been +33°C here today and even though it has become evening, it is still warm.

18.57 With staggered steps we made our way up steep cobbled streets into the city centre. We went to the restaurant and hotel Flisak (https://flisak.eu) in the center. We found there an older lady who knew who we were. We were expected. She didn't know English, but she could speak German. Our own ability to speak German was limited as tired and sweaty as we were. Here, in room 18, we will become like people before we go out for food and beer.

19.32 The bodies that have been washed off from the outside will now get an internal washing off, soaking.

19.52 There was a miss on the first meal attempt. Restauracja Świętokrzyska just below our hotel had unfortunately already closed its kitchen. Now we are instead at table 9 at the restaurant Kasztelanka by the square (Rynek). So we are in the small cozy town of Sandomierz. Here in the town, which is a Polish national monument, there are 25,087 inhabitants. It was a royal town and regional administrative center from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

20.07 There is something special about the first sip of beer. There will be an explosion of taste in the mouth, throat and throat. This is also the case tonight when we taste our hard-to-pronounce beer, Książęce.

20.41 They wanted payment before we had finished eating. We were surprised but it didn't matter much because we were satisfied with what we ate and drank.

John Paul II looks out over the green area that bears his name.

This is the Flisak restaurant and hotel, our home for one night.

Rynek, Sandomierz.

Christer at the restaurant Kasztelanka.

Christer's dinner is decorated with red currants.

After many hours we have arrived in Sandomierz.

21.36 After a good dinner, we are back in Flisak's room to unwind after an intense day. The polling stations in France have closed. It will be a cold shower for the favored National Assembly led by Marine Le Pen. According to a polling station survey, the left-wing alliance, the New People's Front, is expected to be the largest.

22.07 Today we have lost a lot of liquid. We have walked around five kilometers in Łańcut, strolled a bit in Rzeszów and then walked with packs on our backs for three kilometers here in Sandomierz. To compensate for this, we first drank juice and iced tea. Now we continue with coffee.

23.15 It may not be the best, but we continue the rehydration with beer.

23.33 Tomorrow we will explore Sandomierz during the day and then travel on in the evening. First we need to sleep.


VIDEOS


You can see 53 photos from July 4 in this photoalbum.
You can see 45 photos from July 5 in this photoalbum.
You can see 39 photos from July 6 in this photoalbum.
You can see 45 photos from July 7 in this photoalbum.


CONTINUE


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