Zemaitija National Park

Sometimes it really is astounding what a difference 24 hours can make. Ever since we had arrived in Warsaw about 12 days ago, we had experienced hot and sultry weather. The past couple of days on the bikes has been particularly tiring and we have been making sure to never ride past an ice cream seller without taking advantage of his product.

Late yesterday afternoon the long awaited thunderstorm finally arrived, complete with rolling thunder and heavy rain. Of greatest significance was the considerable drop in temperature. When our group gathered outside the hotel this morning, I was interested to see that everyone (except me) had donned cold weather jackets, thermals, leggings, polar fleeces and the like. David had layered himself with some of Carol's riding gear, including her pink jacket (and maybe some of her winter underwear as well)..

I was just happy to be cool and wore only my short sleeve cycling jersey and shorts. We set off retracing our route back through the town and were soon out on the open roads again. We knew that this was going to be the longest ride of the entire trip. I also had the secret knowledge that it was also likely to be the hilliest as well.

Fortunately the first section was quite flat, there was no wind and the road surface was excellent. We found a comfortable rhythm and made good progress. Along the way we passed a succession of run down houses, almost all of which were fitted with crumbling asbestos roofs. In some cases the entire roofs had collapsed into the structure. This was obviously not an affluent area.

One thing that we were not expecting to see was a large wooden windmill, although it was no longer in operation and I suspected that, unless it was restored, it would also soon collapse into a woodpile.

On the 27th of June 1941 the Germans shot 111 Jewish men, women and children they accused of supporting the Russians. The spot is now marked by a large stone and metal plaque. It was such a quiet and beautiful spot,that it was hard to imagine the atrocity that had been committed there 78 years ago.

We also passed numerous large stork nests, some of which had mothers feeding their babies. The nests were enormous, probably up to a metre in diameter.

An interesting insight into the local culture was provided when we happened to arrive in a village right in the middle of a funeral procession. The hearse was preceded by a small group of mourners, all dressed in black and some carrying photos of the deceased. The bell on the church steeple sounded a prolonged, melancholy slow peeling as the procession made its way into the church yard.

The half way point of our day's ride was Selentai, a modest sized village with a couple of small supermarkets and also an open air market as well. It was the perfect spot for lunch. When I asked a local where to get the best coffee, I was directed to a small kebab shop (the shop was small,the kebabs certainly weren't).

I must admit that I have tried kebabs all over the world, and I have seldom been disappointed. I can now truthfully say that the the kebab I enjoyed at Selantai was one of the best I had ever tasted. The meat was tender, the salad was fresh and the 3 Euro price was perhaps the best part of all. It would probably have been sufficient to feed a family of four.

Another most welcome feature of this region is the beautiful cherries which are sold from every market and fruit shop. For a couple of Euros you can buy a huge bag full of sweet, juicy cherries which would be enough to fill you for the rest of the day.

After lunch we soon left the flat lands behind and entered the hill climb section. We were riding up to a huge lake in the Zemaitija National Park. The only problem is that to get there we first had to ride up a never ending succession of small, sharp hills. Although each one was not very long, the cumulative effect was quite tiring.

With 8 km to go,we stopped for a final drinks and rest break. It was here that we happened to meet the driver who had taken our luggage to the next hotel as he was conducting his own rest break.

The final section around the perimeter of the lake was quite beautiful, offering glimpses of the huge expanse of water. We finally rode into the large Linelis Hotel, situated right on the shore of the lake. Since tomorrow will be our first (and very well deserved) rest day, we will have lots of time to explore this lovely location.

The evening meal was easily the best hotel meal we have had in this trip so far. After the dinner was finished the sun was still shining brightly, children were playing on the grass and several were swimming in the lake. It was only a little after 10 pm after all.Read more