Much of Day Recovering in Oświęcim Hospital Blues: Tuesday, June, 12th!

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

Still in hospital for most of day but convinced the authorities to discharge me. Bus back to Krakow where I immediately collected my EuroRail Pass to book train reservation for next day.
 

[Snap by chap, Roman Kurian, on desk at Ginger Hostel.] On way back, now on foot, near Castle, I moved to avoid a woman beside me and somehow stumbled, landing heavily on my face/forehead. Did not lose consciousness this time, fortunately. [Hat I was wearing was almost filled with blood!] Two nurses from Ireland and a kind woman from Glasgow, took care of me until ambulance arrived. Five stitches to my forehead and five to my right hand and I was discharged after about six hours. An incredibly kind woman noticed me as I was leaving hospital and asked if she could be of help. One of her sons had been hospitalized the day before and she was just waiting for test results. She and her other son, a lovely teenager, drove me to a pharmacy and using prescription for antibiotics, given to me at hospital, he went into pharmacy and picked up my prescription. Mother didn't even want me to pay for pills but I insisted, given what else they had already done for me. When they dropped me off at The Ginger Hostel she gave me her phone number and said to that if I needed anything to call. How extremely fortunate I had been with all the Good Samaritans I encountered! Little did I know then what was yet in store for me, Dear Reader!

Once back at The Ginger Hostel I made arrangements to take a cab to train station Thursday morning at 4:00 am, knowing that with latest fall I couldn't risk riding there, lest I fall yet again. Spent rest of evening trying to wash out blood from my clothes and jacket. Another fall, was in the offing, however! Already exhausted, I still wanted to take a shower to try to help my battered and bruised body so stood under the spray with temperature as hot as I could stand, and massaged myself with the reasonably forceful stream of water. As well I tried to wash as much encrusted blood from my poor face! Once I'd had enought I turned off shower but slipped on extremely slippery floor to land on my back and rump. Struggled and struggled but was unable to gain any purchase on anything to help me up so I ended up calling for help. Once a staff member had unlocked the door a very kind, strong lad staying at hostel hoisted me up to gather my wits. 

Fortunately, I'd not done any additional damage to my already black and blue body so after I dried myself off, brushed and flossed, I fell into my bottom bunk bed around 9:00 pm, sleeping fitfully for the rest of the night!

Hi Steel Magnolia! Sorry I've not been in touch sooner. No excuses but plenty of reasons! I missed my train connection this morning due to being most of last two days in hospital in Oświęcim! I'm on the same schedule but leave Thursday morning to now arrive in Aarhus on Friday. Don't worry about me as I'll just hang around the train station until you arrive. More later but I need to pack and rest. Cheers. Patrizzio! 

Dad, Do you know this woman? some one at work knows her and she was going on a bike trip around where you were? Karen Norris Chloë

[Photo taken by Alyson Belcher many many years ago, happiness is a good swim!]

Hi Patrick, looking forward to seeing you in two days, I will do my best to be at the station, or I will write you here and facebook if I might have to let you wait at train station for me, or other to pick you up. (have a meeting 12.00-12.20 pm which was hard to arrange and thus to change, but I can definetely be at train station on my bike /or in car if needed 12.45 pm, which will leave you waiting for a littel more than an hour downtown. )

We live in Northern suburb of city centre, Risskov, at Engblommevej 37. You bike along the seashore to Risskov. On the way you passe close to my job, Psychiatric Hospital, , everyone knows where it is. I wonder if you are travelling with bicycle and luggage and able to ride 5 kms to my house with everything, if I send some information/instruction? Johan will be able to be at the house on Thursday, but he is not driving af car. I write you about other solutions. Welcome to Aarhus! XO Margaret

[Insurance photos - Oświęcim Hospital, taken by Anna Kozieł, lovely young woman on Registration Desk at Ginger Hostel when I first arrived back in Kraków.]

Alan Waldron Patrick James Dunn! Nooooo! That looks terrible you poor guy. .anything broken?Colleen Teahan Waldron Oh my God!!!!! Alan Waldron you crazy bugger! Is this on top of the injuries already sustained or including? Colleen Teahan Waldron Oh Patrice I am so sorry what a horrible drag to dampen your holiday all I can is milk it baby
Hi Colleen, I've been working with Tripfuser and they have sent a couple of tour ideas. The cost is total for the 4 of us. It includes 2 rooms at every hotel. the price is in US dollars converted to CDN it comes out to about $3500/person. That includes all internal flights, other transportation and tours. See what you think? I will also send you the other suggested trip plan. Cheers, Corinne

Hi Corinne, Thank you for all the work that you have put into arranging our trip. I have been meaning to call you and discuss how things are going and what I can do to help...my hope was that we could book our flights etc... when we are together in July but if we need to do this sooner just let me know.

That looks amazing and well within our budget. I see that this trip only includes Cambodia and Vietnam and wondered if you two still wanted to do Thailand as well, or should we save that for another time? What evening is good to call you to chat in person? When does Patricio return? I see you have been keeping busy while he is away...let me know if you are passing through the city as my schedule is a little less hectic now that spring has arrived and we could arrange lunch or dinner one night. I will be attending my convocation this coming Thursday at Douglas...can't wait to get that piece of paper in my hand after all my hard work. Mom and Dad will be in attendance as well. Give my love to Chloe and the ferocious felines Love Colleen

Hi Colleen, Congratulations on your graduation! What a great accomplishment! Patrick is back July 10th so we can certainly look at tickets when we are again together. Remind me what dates you are joining us at Spirit Ridge? I was in Manitoba the first 2 weeks of July and just got back to Penticton when my niece was diagnosed with bone cancer. So back I came to Manitoba have been here now 2 weeks and am going home on the 20th. My brother is my mother care giver and he needs to be in Winnipeg to help care for his daughter who is 39 and their 2 grand children who are 7&9. A sad time for us all. She is in alot of pain as cancer is in her spine, ribs liver and lungs. She has started chemo and had some radiation already. Getting a back brace to help with the pain. She is at home in hospital bed in their living room.

I have been doing the gardening here and helping clean out closets. I think they will be moving sooner than was planned. We will be in Vancouver for the folk festival I will come down on the 12th. But we will see you the following week. I was thinking that we would fly to Bangkok before we leave for Shanghai and Japan. We would maybe spent 3 days there.
I will send you one other tour plan. See what you think. I checked out the hotels in the first one I send you and they all looked good. Hugs, Corinne

Great snap of the speed King! Hello North America! Trust every one is well, Wish I could report the same for me, Many of you might know I took a guided tour of Auschwitz/Birkeneau yesterday. Pretty horrific but extremely well done. The first section ws just drawing to close when one of my sandals caught an uneven paver and I went down like ton of bricks, to return to consciousness in the ambulance.The long and the short of it was I simply cannot about anything other than missing Birkenau, the facility I truly wanted to see. Anyway, spent most of yesterday, being prodded and pulled, then a high end head scan, followed by sonor exploration of my more than ample, tummy this morning, and more blood taken, and then a heart exam with some sort of high end probe,

Although it is only 9:00, I am really bushed and Id want try to catch at least four hours of sleep before I leave for the station arodnd 3:00 am! Much Love, Fondestos and Cheers, Patrzizzio, in The Pummeled, Prize Figher!Pics: Taken this morning! My poor Canon is probably finished unless I can arrange to have the lens cover replaced. Lovely young woman on the ward desk took to these for me!

Dear Poppa,This news is very distressing and the pics are not helping. I am hoping you're going to be okay and you need to be more careful and start wearing safer shoes!!! Are you still in the hospital? Good grief you need a chaperone!!! Love from Los Angeles Ayn Are you still alive?? Let us know pleas

Really sorry to see you in such bad shape. You look like you lost the fight. Maybe now you will get better walking sandels. At least Maggie can take care of you. Too bad about your camera. Hope that you aren’t in too much pain. Let me know how you are when you reach Aarhaus Love Corinne Hi Patrick, I wrote Ayn to get info on the accident and your condition. I hope you can manage the trip to Aarhus. I suggest you take a taxi with all your stuff to my house. I will ask Johan to be there. Perhaps I can even persuade him to meet you at station and go in taxi with you back home. I pay for the taxi. If I find other solution I write you again. Have a safe and restful trip. Xo m
Margareta

OH MY GOD Patrick! I hope you're ok, you poor thing. We wish you all the best, hang in there, that really really sucks while being on holidays. My god!!!! Kind thoughts sent your way! Sincerely, Danielle and Dj That is terrible news. With all your biking you have the big injury walking down a sidewalk. Oy vay. I hope you get a chance to rest and the dreadful looking injuries prove largely superficial. Perhaps you will end up looking better when they heal? You never know....Sending you buckets of love along with this bit of sick humor.
Cactus

Oh Patrick, so sorry, you look like you lost a fight! Glad to see you are in good spirits still... amazing! Were you finished the bike tour with Katrina, and on your own? What a way to end a holiday, oh my gosh! Hang in there, hopefully their beer is good! Judy

Oh Dad, You look so bloody!! How does this happen from tripping on a stone?? You must have hit a jagged floor going down. Poor Daddy D, you need to come home and rest, Etta will clean you up and cuddle and Duke will entertain you with tricks!!! I’m sorry this happened, sorry you missed rest of the tour, and sorry you now will have to but good sandals as mom suggests and probably a new camera. Sending you huge love and hugs from Wayne and Michelle’s spare bed. Had my egg retrieval this morning. They got 8 which is great!! In some fair discomfort and have been sleeping since Wayne picked me up at 10:30 this morning. Will attempt toast but don’t do well the first time I eat after going under. Although I was only in a twilight state. I’ll head back to Penticton tomorrow morning early so I’ll be able to get to work as soon as possible. Love you Dad, please be careful, you look a little like Nick Nolte in a mug shot!!! 😳 ❤️Chloë Alexis

For crying out loud Patrick. I am so sorry this happened. Take the doctors advice whatever that maybe. Take it easy. Take care, Matt Wow, You look bashed up. So sad to hear about your mishap. Hope you heal soon and quickly so you can enjoy the rest of your journey.

Had a fairly straightforward trip home though both flights were delayed because of thunder storms. Finally made in home by 10 pm on June 10th. Glad to be home, Lorraine

Dare Devil Cyclist! Just received the photos of your improved image! I don’t think the face lift worked!! Seriously I do hope you are on the mend and can continue the rest of your tour. Must have been a real shock waking up in hospital. Let me know how you are doing. We are on our cruise next week. Much less risk than cycling!! Best wishes, Derek 

Hi Patrick, We are now only 50 km from vienna after 340km of hot weather (in the 30’s) and one thunder storm. We like the danube flat with beautiful scenary and traffic free. Hope all going well on your journey. Cheers greg and claire

Patrick James Dunn Too banged up, after catching a raised paver on trip to Auschwich Missed my train connection this morning due to being most of last two days in hospital in Oświęcim to worry bout fries! I'm on the same schedule but leave Thursday morning to now arrive in Aarhus on Friday. More later but I need to pack and rest. Cheers. Patrizzio! Patrick James Dunn Fortunately, not. However, I moved too to quickliy' earlier this morning.to avoid a lolly-gagger and went down rather heavily on my foread Spent about two hours beween paramedics and then being stictched, five in my rigth hand and five in hard noggin and then I was Free To Go! Creature From The Black Lagoon!

O.M.G. Patrizzio, what does the other guy look like? How are you today? Vitamin E oil helps reduce scarring. Hope you heal quickly. Carol Hoenisch

Still in hospital for most of day but convinced the authorities to discharge me. Bus back to Krakow where I immediately collected my EuroRail Pass to book train reservation for next day. On way back, near Castle, I moved to avoid a woman beside me and somehow stumbled, landing heavily on my face/forehead. Did not lose consciousness. Two nurses from Ireland and a kind woman from Glasgow, took care of me until ambulance arrived. Five stitches to my forehead and five to my right hand and I spent the night in hospital. Think I took a tram back to the Ginger Hostel where I needed my Eurail Pass to make new train reservation to Prague on Friday, June 15th. Made arrangements to take a cab to train station next morning at 4:00 am