Yesterday, I left Damian’s place around 9:45 AM. On my ride to Kielce there were some hills, but nothing too bad. I was warned that there will be more hills as I get closer to Kraków.
I cycled on the side of the road most of the time and avoided the dirt trails. I noticed that it’s better to use Google Maps on the top view than the default view. This way I can see which paths Google Maps will take me because sometimes it would guide me to a longer route or an unpleasant road than the one I was on.
I made it to my Couchsurfing host’s place around 12:30 PM, having ridden less than 30 miles.
Darek was my host. He works at home as an automation tester and is a big fan of the X-Files. We went out to lunch at a local Polish restaurant where I finally tried żurek, which is a Polish soup that has potatoes, sausages, and an egg. It was delicious! I also had another dish that I forgot the name of. It was also very good. I really enjoy Polish food.
Darek splits his time in Poland and Vietnam. Since he can work remotely, he works from Vietnam during the winter months. Darek also likes to travel and will be in the Balkans around the same time as me. I hope we can meet again.
When we came back to the apartment I did some administrative work on the computer. Then around 3:30 PM, Darek drove us to the Royal Castle in Chęciny. I paid for the admission fees and we walked around the castle ruins, climbed to the top of the two towers, and pretended to have a medieval sword fight. LOL! The castle also offered some great views of the surrounding landscape.
After the castle visit, Darek drove us back into downtown Kielce. We went to a restaurant called Ferment Neobistro for dinner where I had a fusion sesame noodle dish. Darek then showed me a historic building where some Polish Jews lived. They were killed by the locals after WWII due to a false rumor about them. Now the site is a museum. We walked around a bit more in downtown before coming back to the apartment after the sunset.
When we got back I was too tired to even take a shower. Darek contacted his twin brother to see if he could host me in Miechów, which is a town on the way to Kraków. I will be heading there today.
I woke up at 7 AM today. I have about 50 miles to ride to Miechów. I feel anxious about the roads and the traffic for some reason. Also, the weather is much cooler today and it’s drizzling. I plan on leaving between 9:30 to 10 AM even though I don’t have to get to Darek’s brother’s place until 7 PM. I figured it’s better to get there early.
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| Wide shoulders are rare on Polish roads. Got to enjoy them while I can. |
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| The city square in Kielce |
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| A church in Kielce |
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| Finally tried żurek, a Polish soup |
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| Forgot what this is called, but it's also good. |
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| One of many wooden sculptures of Polish kings on the path to the Royal Castle in Chęciny |
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| Royal Castle in Chęciny from the bottom of the hill |
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| A great view of the nearby town from the castle |
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| On top of one of the towers |
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| In the castle grounds |
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| Hard to fight me when Darek doesn't have a sword. LOL! |
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| Another view of the castle grounds |
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| Castle from the other side |
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| Fusion sesame noodles for dinner |
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| Darek, my Couchsurfing host |
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| This dessert is called wuzetka. It's Polish and is similar to tiramisu. |
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| The sign on the building where 42 Jews were murdered in Kielce |
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| I love this saying! |
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| The plaques on the sidewalk with the victims' names |
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| Photo of the church in Kielce taken around sunset |
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