Ginger Hostel and the Trek to Base Camp, Last Overnight Stop, 3rd Floor Kraków, Sunday, June 10th!

If history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth. The human mind evolved to believe in the gods. It did not evolve to believe in biology. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929)

Taking the birthday girl out for crêpes! Rach was 28 yesterday!

Up at 6:30 am when I heard Glasgow doing his final bit of packing. Said goodbye to him a few minutes later, she was taking a cab to the airport. Quick shower and then downstairs to find the breakfast room awash with the Norwegians, bus-loads here on a school tour. Fortunately, Sweet Lorraine and Patrizzia were sitting at a table so I joined them, chatting amiably until they left to go back to their room to do final bit of packing. Pat joined me just before they left and I visited with her for a few minutes before I went back to my room, stopping to wish Carolina and Thomasino, bon voyage. They were off to Northern Poland to meet his sister, before spending some time in Germany before heading back to Penticton.

[Colleen Teahan Waldron

 All my children ♡]

In the room I packed up my large knapsack and a small shopping bag and strolled over to the Ginger Hostel, just a block away, to leave them at Reception until I could officially check-in at 2:00 pm. Only 195 PLN for three nights so roughly about $23 CDN a night, although I'll be leaving at about 3:30 am on Wednesday morning as my train leaves at 4:59 am! Have my key code so I can come and go before I check-in. I will probably leave my fully packed panniers in the luggage storage at the Ibis as just after I check-out at noon, I want to scope out the very best possible bike route to station, ie, smoothest surfaces, and then access to station, at that early hour, so that I can find Patform 1, Track 9, with elevator access. Given my heavy load I don't want to do any more carrying and fetching than is absolutely necessary, none if possible. 

Helsinki:Got here Saturday around 4. Went downtown to look around. Had reindeer pizza for supper. Very tasty. Today we went to the market and then took the ferry over to Sveaborg, the sea fortress, a UNESCO world heritage site. On our return we looked at some government buildings, did some window shopping, and foraged for food. On reaching our digs, we had a smoked salmon salad with reindeer salami, cheese, and buns on the side. All washed down with Karhu beer. Colin

My day-trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau is Monday morning, with pick-up at the Ibis at 8:30 am so that will be a long, full day, given the experience of The Sunshine Goils. Tuesday I'm just planning to conserve my energy as I don't arrive in Flensburg, a border town next to Denmark until almost midnight and then must overnight there until 8:48 am, (In the train station, I hope, Dear Reader!), Thursday morning to continue on to Aarhus, arriving at 11:25 am, desperately searching for Steel Magnolia! Must way as want to finish packing my panniers. Muck Love and Fondestos, Patrizzio/Dad/Poppa!

Hi Patrick, your final dinner sounds like fun. Is Matt on his way home or to Scotland? Spent yesterday doing more clean up in the garden. Cutting down more dead raspberry canes and loading them onto George's trailer. Also held the ladder while he cut down a huge branch on the fir tree between Mom's and there place. It was broken and hanging and we didn't want it to come down on the garden fence. Cool yesterday but much warmer today. I will take mom to church and then Greg and Pam will come for supper. George will still be here as well. He will go back into the city on Monday morning.
 

He had dinner with us last night. Life here is pretty quiet. Reading alot. and working on our trip to Vietnam. Think we should fly to Shanghai from Bangkok and then take train to Hong Kong and then fly from there to Tokyo. We probably won't go into Winnipeg this week. Going to start to clear out closets to get mom better able to move. Maybe a trip to Kenora. Hope to see Marlo before I go but that will depend on how she is feeling. Give my love to Maggie and the boys. How long are you staying there? Hugs Lady Dar

Dear Patrick, We had a great visit in Reyjkevik. The images I have in my mind of the Icelandic scenery will be lasting. What a landscape especially in the south--crater upon crater--like a moonscape. The Blue Lagoon was really green lagoon and sadly I didn't want to pay $70.00 to go in the hot springs complete with facial mask and choice of drink. Sigrun (a librarian --was the National librarian for Iceland) spent a day touring us around and we went to the centre part towards Geysir--what remarkable scenery. Reminiscent of northern Scotland. Ethereal--will definitely have to read the Icelandic sagas now. Reyjkevik is a very nice city small but interesting. We stayed in a great Airbnb and having rented a car it was easy to get around. So few people in Iceland--country's population is about 350,000.

We are enjoying Helsinki and visited the Sveaborg fortress yesterday--built by King Frederick I of Sweden spent a long time on the island and had a picnic lunch. Also watched several cruise ships as they departed--Viking Line, Sjlibline?? and a German one. We also went shopping in the Market Square and yes I bought a reindeer skin for Eric. Not sure how I am going to get it home. We visited two out of the three recommended old churches yesterday. Saw where the church of the rocks was located from our tram and we will visit it today together with the Design Museum and maybe the National Library of Finland. I have gone to the sauna twice in my hotel. Ours at Byng is just as nice. Both times had a lovely visit with a Finnish lady from Ooulu. I suggested she might like to fly from Helsinki via Reykjavik to Vancouver on Icelandair as she could stopover for 7 days. She was very interested. Hope your travels are going well!! Lots of love Jo-Anne