Poland

Parked beside the quiet road here in Augustow we are grateful for the tall pines that offer a little shade. It's a toasty 27°C today!

It was a late set off from our campsite in Łomża because we made a beeline for the nearby Lidl and made the most of the site's facilities. The multi lane motorway we've enjoyed since entering Poland finally petered out to a single carriageway that passed through several towns. Tyre ruts in the tarmac frequently threw Martha this way and that but progress wasn't too slow. We are drawing every nearer to the border with Lithuania and as we do so we are seeing more and more Storks, mostly busy in their huge nests with a chick whose off white neck feathers we occasionally glimpse above the cylindrical wall of sticks.

As this was to be our final full day in Poland, we kept our eyes open for a roadside eatery, pulling in at an interesting looking wooden chalet with what looked like a classic American car parked as a decorative curio.
The services of Google Translate were called upon once again and we were soon served with chips, Swiezynka (a Polish pork stew) and Surówka z marchewki, which according to good old Wikipedia is "salad made with coarsely grated carrots, coarsely grated granny smith apple, lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt, and sugar". We chose a Tyskie beer and a refreshing lime and mint alcohol free drink to accomlany them. The food was tasty and the place was spotless, with polished glass tabletops sitting on top of green lace tablecloths and embroidered doilies. Original acrylic canvass paintings hung on the beams of the open timber frame and in through the wooden trellis fencing between them we could see a carriage and bench swing in the beer garden. What a great lunchtime experience for only 52zl (£10.40)!

Arriving at Augustow, Vicky needed to rest but Will headed straight for the water to cool off. Walking past a pink/peach 'palace hotel' whose golden adornments erred on the side of garish, he came to the bank of the Kanal Augustowski that links Poland to Belarus. Strolling along the paved path, as canoeists paddled between him and the pale reads on the opposite bank, he came to a corner where the canal opened up into an expansive lake fringed by trees. It was all part of the winding Kanal Augustowski, whose route makes use of glacial lakes and river valleys. It was here Will plunged into the cool water, before returning to the van with a smile on his face.

We returned together later for Vicky to have a paddle. It was thankfully on the way back that she disturbed a grass snake, which leapt into the water. Will had warned her he'd seen one earlier but it still made her jump out of her skin!

The hot day was beginning to darken as steely grey clouds covered the sun. We heard peals of thunder and just as we were getting close to the van, the skies began to throw down heavy droplets of rain. The cooling effect of the intense shower made our last night in Poland a lot more comfortable.Read more