Colonel Katarina and the Rental Bike Blues: Monday, May 28th!

So many gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind, While just the art of being kind is all the sad world needs. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (1850-1919)

Up at 5:45 am this morning as I went to bed just after 11:00 pm last night and find that I don't really need more than about seven hours of sleep, depending on previous day's activities, of course. We have our orientation meeting with Katarina this morning, in the hotel lobby at 10:00 am. Will meet the three "new" people to the tour as well. Want to be down for breakfast as soon as service starts at 6:30 am as we think there will be hordes of people. Three bus loads of tourists arrived yesterday evening,  around 6:00 pm, just as Glasgow was going out for a bite to eat. I was still cycling so missed the frenzy in the lobby! Must away as a steaming cappuccino calls, and urgently so!  

Hi from Ginger Hostel, You did well with the room at Ibis. We were there yesterday to find out how far from here. We are just around the corner. See you this morning. Lorraine Hi Sweet Lorraine, et al! Come by and I'll buy/steal you a java! Still in breakfast room, composing as I make sandwiches, start a fruit stand and fill my camel pack with juice! Please wipe any smiles off your faces before arriving for orientation. A very serious business so no joke cracking or suppressed giggles, otherwise, you will be assigned the worst bikes and no sight-seeing allowed after each day's ride. However, I'll visit you in your room as I'm very interested to hear about your day trip to Auschwitz, yesterday. Must away as I need my twelfth espresso! [Guess I'll be looking for The Blue Tree during today's city tour!] Cheers, Patrizzio! Account of today's tour and ride:

Had our orientation meeting at 10:00 am and met Merrily, another Sunshine Goil. She has been here for a number of days and was already at The Ginger Hostel when the others arrived on Saturday. Finally met Carol and Tom, from The Naramata. They also know The Summerlanders, Judith and Jimbo, so we have to be nice to them whether we want to or not! After introductions were made, Katarina outlined plans for the day. It involved a tour of The Wawel Castle at 11:30 am so I went back to our room to change into my riding clothes as we were going to go directly to the bike rental store afterwards. 

Took us about twenty minutes to walk to the bottom of the hill on which the castle stands and while the others climbed the stairs to the entrance, Katarina and I rode our bikes up the long, inclined, cobbled street. We locked our bikes together outside the entrance-way and everyone walked to the various viewpoints to admire the city and river and take snaps of the various vistas and the castle itself. Extremely busy place with many tourists as well as scads of student groups, of all ages. As we had a few minute before our self-guided tour time, I looked for some souvenirs and was pleased to find a couple of tea towels. I have been looking for such easy to carry times ever since I arrived in the Czech Republic and had found nary a one, anywhere, other than some unattractive, utilitarian ones. 

Our tour involved seeing the Crown Treasury and Armoury but since no picture-taking was allowed I have no visual record of any of the magnificent pieces on display. Still, the jewelry, set with precious gems of all kinds, the gold and ceramic work, the miniature portraiture, the tableware fit for kings and queens, quite literally, were stunning, especially since many of the items dated from the mid-1600's. The Armoury was just as fascinating, providing an exquisite, informative chronological map of changing technologies, from swords and daggers, pikes and lances, nasty, cruel maces and horrendously powerful cross-bows and finally gunpowder firearms, flintlock pistols and rifles/blunderbusses, to huge canons. Body armour and helmets, chain-mail and horse trappings, all traced how wars were fought and battles lost. 

Exhibits were extremely well-displayed with explanations in English so these texts obviously made the visit that much more enjoyable. Once we'd seen enough we decided to skip the visit to The Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus as Katarina felt wait would be far too long, given number of tour groups so we made directly for the bike rental shop. On the way we passed Bar Mleczny, an inexpensive restaurant so we stopped there for a spot of lunch. I had a wonderfully delicious bowl of borscht and an equally tasty salad comprised of finely shredded carrot, red and white cabbage, unmixed, but each flavoured with a separate dressing: the carrot was slightly sweet while the cabbage had slightly different amounts of vinegar, all for $3.34! I'd go back in a heartbeat, so fresh and tasty was everything.

Next, we made our way through the Old Town Main Square/Rynek Główny, briefly stopping as Katarina gave us a bit of historical background on some of the buildings there, (St. Mary's Basilica, ‎Cloth Hall, Town Hall Tower), before continuing on to the bike rental shop, just a short distance away. Took about an hour by the time everyone had picked out a bike, had the seat adjusted, found a helmet and had a water bottle holder attached to frame and then we were ready for a trial ride, to check out fit, etc., so that any adjustments that needed to be made could be accomplished before we left city, two days hence.

At the orientation meeting Katarina had suggested we take the bike trail on the south bank and ride west for a round-trip of about 30 km or so. I was pleased as having done that yesterday I really liked the trail and planned to do more exploring when the occasion arose. 
 

This happened more quickly than I had expected as once we were over the bridge the group separated, almost immediately. I went ahead as I knew exactly what I wanted to do, keeping to the road instead of heading to the top of the dyke when the trail presented a fork in the way. I assumed that this road would intersect, at some point, with the highway that I had seen at the west end of the whitewater training and competition facility, crossing over the river on a large bridge.

My assumption was correct so I had been looping the facility for about 15 minutes or so, before the group showed up. Katarina proceeded to lead them under the bridge. I declined to follow as from yesterday's outing I knew I didn't want to ride on sandy soil, preferring the tarmac with my narrow tires. Anyway, I continued to circle until I had 21 km on the clock and then decided I'd follow the trail atop the dyke, further west than I'd been before. 
 

Discovered that this lead to the bridge deck itself and once over the river a rather rough trail lead to an almost mirror-image of the smooth dyke trial on the south side. Very pleased that I'd found an relatively easy way to ride back towards the city I sped along, not even minding having to buck the fairly stiff head wind. A few kilometres from the city's outskirts dedicated trail ended but cyclists were allowed to ride in the bus/taxi lane. This took me to but a very short distance from the start of the trail along the north bank and I was soon whizzing around and below Wawel Castle.

By this time I had a fairly good idea of where I wanted to go next as I still had about 20 km to ride if I wished to log my basic 51 km outing. Kept heading east until I came across and gently sloped access road to a bridge that would take me to the south side of the river. Once over the water I descended to the trail which ran along the river and followed it almost to the bridge I'd crossed yesterday. Turned around here as I wanted to complete the circuit by riding the section west form where I'd crossed a few minutes before. Had a bit of difficulty finding the trail once I was forced back up above the river to a surface road which ran parallel to it. Dipsy-doodled for a bit and then found the trail back down to the water and was knew exactly where I was from then on. 

By the time I was back at the bridge I would take to the hotel I still needed a little over 10 km so I simply continued west for 5 km and once I'd clocked that distance, I turned around and headed for the Ibis. Since I had 53 km on the odometre when I approached the hotel, I did about five loops of the neighbouring block so I could push up the distance to a nice round 55Km, Dear Reader. Stored my bike in Left Luggage and went upstairs to obtain bike lock key from Matt. I assumed the rest of the gang would have been back already and since we were now storing all the bikes in a storage space in underground parking I wanted to lock my bike to his. Turned out he wasn't in the room. I knocked but received no answer. My key card wouldn't work so I assumed it had somehow become demagnetized so had to return to Reception to have it fixed. Did this and was going to go back upstairs when I saw Katarina outside!

After they had left me at the kayak facility they stopped at a bar, further down the road, and had some drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic and then became separated over course of the return. Katarina went in search of those still missing and those who didn't need adjustments to their bikes stored them in the parkade. This was not as simple as it sounds. In the first instance, Matt and I couldn't get into the garage and once we did there wasn't enough room on the bike rack for everyone's bike. After much backing and forthing, we were shown another rack a floor down and I locked my bike to Patrizzia's although she received a nasty blow to her left little finger when a cord on her pannier rack snapped and the clip on the end thwacked her, drawing blood! What an end to a training run! Cheers! Map and Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2733891487#.Wwwvob_UJc0.email

Dear Patrick Thank you so so much for your travel update and photos. Loved seeing Krakow's Old Town. The castle, cathedral and flea market looked great. I would never have believed that there would be a Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology. Not sure we will have time to go there but the Buddhist art and personalized tour in English really sounded interesting. It looks like you are having wonderful weather. I was impressed with the Wisla River and it looks like the streets are not crowded with people. That's one thing about Istanbul and main street Banff--so many people. Too many in fact almost gets on your nerves.

We had a great visit with Colin's sister Val--who is very courageous and determined. Her life is so compromised by all the surgeries she had and the prognosis for improving the quality of her life is simply dismal. They simply can't seem to do anything. Very depressing. She can't even enjoy a simple car ride--just too painful. At least she has two cats to pet and her daughter Hannah is home for the suumer from McMaster and she is a comfort and delight. Colin's mother who is 93 is a worry as she is now on the farm in Camrose. Then there is my Dad who is also 93 and even though he is in good shape is stubborn and unwilling to hire people to help him. I keep hoping that we will be different when we are older but I suspect not. 

I must say it has been one set of travels after another for us. I am not glad to be home--too much to do before we leave again on Saturday June 2. I had rushed back from Alberta because we had a planning retreat for the BC Book Prizes Society 10:00-4:00 pm on Sunday. I was glad that I had made the effort to come back as Roberto Dosil hosted the meeting in the common room in his magnificent high rise just off of West Pender and Broughton streets--one block over from Trump Tower. I was glad I went just to see the building--it was a gorgeous Vancouver day so the large windows looking out on beautiful gardens with view of the inner harbor was superb. He taught in the SFU publishing program for a number of years and also was a partner in Stanton Atkins & Dosil Publishers--published Canadian history books. Anyways the strategic planning went okay but as with anything there is a lot of work to do as follow up.
 

Meeting with Ron Jobe for lunch today. Then catching up with Marlene Asselin and Karen Armstrong from UBC for supper. Marlene is thinking of retiring I believe this June -- she heads up the teacher-librarianship program in F of Education. Karen and her husband have a place on Galiano and she maintains an apartment in Toronto--she teaches sessionally for York University--used to teach at UBC. David Eby was under fire yesterday--hosted a townhall meeting with his West Point Grey constituents who are hopping mad about the new "school tax" on homes over 3 million dollars. I know several fairly ordinary people who have owned their homes for quite a time and of course because of the increase in prices are now being hit with an incredible tax increase--3000-4000 dollars per year increase. 

I certainly understand how upset they are and just feel lucky that we are under the 3million mark. Of course the pipeline is a big issue and I drove back a vehicle from Alberta for my brother who has bought a place in Victoria. I am afraid that given the warring between Alberta and BC that someone might take it out on the car. Tomorrow I will drive his vehicle to Victoria and I look forward to the trip--first time I will be sailing free as a geezer.
 

We will be in Poland June 13-15. Will visit Warsaw first and then Krakow and Auschwitz. Enjoy the rest of your stay and all your amazing bike rides. It seems your bike is working very well. I am envious at how in shape you must be. My shape is changing but not for the better. Take care and we look forward to hearing more about your adventures. Love Jo-Anne  Looks beautiful! What a lucky boy you are to be able to enjoy these beautiful pathways along the river and soak up the culture and history. We just came back from our exploration in the Blind Mice area with an early start of 8am. Lupins and Arnica are out already and Balsamroot had their best days. Creeks are high and grasses greener than ever. Not enough bridge these days with everybody coming and going.

We are off to Calgary and Kananaskis Country Wednesday and will be back June 10th, just in time to hug you before we leave again for Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City June 21st. Have a wonderful cycling trip, we look forward to your stories. Jos Hi Pattrrriiizzzio! Thanks your sharing your interesting adventures with us. While reading I was expecting you & Katarina to go out together. I would have certainly loved to be there and make you 2 a cappuccino for desert, no better ... sing you some teardropping love songs! 

I too love the trumpet concertos from Haydn. They very much fit the environment you are in. I look forward hearing more of your stories, although reading them I feel gives me a good impression of what you are immersed in. After all we grew up in the old world of style and elegance (although a lot of that seems to be evaporated nowadays). Cheers Your friend Aarturo the Mountain Bard

Hi Patrick, Thanks a lot for your very interesting, as usual, report. We envy your adventures. Soon you will know about the historical capital of Poland more then we do, what an experience, super trip!

Say hello to the Holtiers from Mariola and I please. They are our good friends. We are in Calgary now visiting our family and friends here, and enjoying beautiful, summery weather here. 

Enjoy your biking around one of the nicest polish city, and see you soon. 

Mike