Driving in Poland

[kaima]

Polish Americano is rich and satisfying.

I am sitting  along the freeway-tollroad in Poland sipping my cup of Americano gingerly as it cools to drinking temperature. It is a nice break, and one to enjoy now that I found  a  bank automat (ATM) and have enough Zloty to buy my freedom once I reach the  exit I need. I entered the country with 20Zloty to my name. Euro and Dollar are not currency, so ... the extended hunt for a money machine. I hate cameo / exchanges, so I sometimes take the difficult route.

It has been a beautiful drive from entering along the freeway at German Bautzen and riding free until I reached Wroclaw and entered the toll road. The new sections are up to a fine standard but don't reach the Super standard I experieenced last year from Krakow SE into the Carpathians and Gorlice. That is the best freeway I have ever encountered.

The freeway - note the limited American language, I cannot say simply Motorway as the Britts do, and toll road does not carry the picture of the divided super highway. The freeway did change into an older section, presumably built under communism and when capital and resources were scarce, and the tight shoulders and on / off lanes resemble the old Pennsylvania Turnpike.  Speed was limited there to 110kmh - you do the conversion, Dear American!
I exited for several villages that were near the highway and the drivethroughs failed to reveal  an ATM, but I ot to see some scenic villages and one community walking home after church let out. All in all the diversions were well worth the time to see a bit  of local Poland up closely and slowly.  I love the green, broad countryside and forests I have driven through. I will have to co me back for touring by train and bus, as I certainly hate driving in strange cities trying to find a hotel with parking.

Ahead of me lies the challenge of finding my way from the freeway to Slovakia through country roads. I expect no particular troube, just that I will have to pay close attention to roads and traffic as I discover new territory. Who believes in maps?

I just discovered this coffee stop has free wi fi, so will post this now!
PS. This is typed on a tiny keyboard, and proofreading is only partiaal. I am hurrying to get it posted, so forgive any typos.

[pieter]

Ron,

I am glad that you had a wonderful entry to Poland driving into the country from Germany. The highway must have been in better shape than in 2004 when I entered and left Poland from Germany too. The reasons the new sections are up to a fine standard but don't reach the Super standard is the fact that for an European country the higways and roads are long and land is more expensive than in the US, because Europe is more densly populated, and probably some farmers and other people who lose land during the construction of new highways have to be compensated. It is funny you mention the highway from Krakow. In 2004, just before the entry in the EU, the highway from Krakow to the West was one of the best highways I have seen too. Proably because it was very new and very smooth (a nice drive in a touring car) I don't know if we are talking about the same highway.

Kai, maybe the Polish countryside is stil less developed and Western than the cities, and maybe that is why the villages lacked any ATM. In the Netherlands and other countries due to cutback policies of banks they close ATM's in less densly populated area's, such as villages and hamlets. They close(d) banks and ATM's there. The local farmers and citizens go to towns to collect money at ATM's, in shops or banks there. Nice that you had the opportunity to see some Polish rural life. I remember the green, broad country side and forests from my childhood, when we went on holiday in Poland, often wild camping with our with our Popup camper. I remember the Polish farms with stork nests, large chickens, geese and Turkey's. I remember the lakes we swam in and fished. We ate our own fish back then. The forests had a lot of mushrooms which were delicious and used in Polish dinners.

I hope that you get or take the opportunity to come back and travel by train through Poland. My experiences are limited to the train travels from the Netherlands to Poznan and back and from Poznan to Warsaw and back in 1984. Different times back then with the East-German (DDR) strict border control back then. Today it must be a little bit more relaxed and cosy to travel to Poland from Germany, Slovakia or the Czech Republic by train. But I loved the experience and the adventure back then.

Finding my way from the freeway to Slovakia through country roads will be a challenge for sure. I hope the roads will not be to busy for you. You might have to watch out for agricultural work traffic from farms to the field. Does you car have a automotive navigation system? ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TomTom ) You will have to pay close attention to roads and traffic indeed, but in the same time can enjoy the rural life in the border lands like you already enjoyed it in Western-Poland driving through Poland. If you have a sense of direction, you don't need a map.

Cheers,
Pieter

[Jaga]

Kai,

I did not try to find ATM in Polish villages, just the towns. I also used credit card more frequently in Poland than even in Spain. As like Pieter said Polish countryside has its own rural style and it does not have that many ATM.... hope you would be get to the bigger town and change the money.

[pieter]

Jaga/Kai,

I hope that Poland has progressed and grown further after I visited it for the last time. From the news and images and video's I see it looks like an average European country, with modern city and town centers, business parks and area's, and modern Information Communication technology and fascilities. Modern infrastructure and better roads make Poland accesable from the West, South-West and South. Together with the Czech repubilic it has progressed. A lot of houses have been restored and newly built after the dismantlement of the communist system. Stil a lot of houses and appartment blocks of the communist era stil exist and are used as homes by many people. The contract between old and new must be huge in Poland. From Ultra-Modern skyskrapers, new shopping molls and free ways, airports and trainstations to new industries, neighborhoods and institutions.

Cheers,
Pieter

[kaima]

Am relaxing in the hotel after a well earned shower. I was on the road from about 9AM to 7PM, with many, many breaks to enjoy Poland and figure out where I was going without a map. It is all pretty plain, head east from Gorlitz on the German border until near Katowitz and turn south / southeast to catch the corner of Slovakia where it intersects PL and CZ. But that corner of Poland is thick with hills and twisting secondary roads. You can duplicate the map by tossing a bowl of sphaghetti on the wall.

Oh, the trick was to catch the right turn off point and have the proper list of roads and villages to follow. Signing is not like it is in the US. By the way, that Super freeway I referred to in the first posting exceeds the standard of freeway I have seen ANYWHERE, including the USA. That is why I call it super.

Well, I checked a lot of maps in the service stations and even asked directions, and it was so complicated that after the first six highway / village changes the man told me to stop and ask again. That is not a problem with Poland, that is the reality in mountainous areas!

I did download the two or three alternate routes, which all more or less paralell one another into Google Maps, and made sure to enlarge the images so they would have clarity. Then I kept it on, and when in doubt pulled over, touched "refresh" on its GPS finction, and Google gave me a blue teardrop where I was. Even so I ended up on one paralell country road to Hwy 75, but eventually got on it, and I followed it through CZ and into SK, with rain and wind in the mountains and temperatures changing to cold, hot and cold again in different parts of the mountains. Happily traffic was light and that made life much easier.

The country was beautiful and I really enjoyed the drive, and did manage to get into SK before sunset. I am here to see the countryside, so that is important to me. The trip was exhausting, evidently, so I stayed an extra day in this fine hotel to recover.

Somehow this second write up does not catch the feeling had during the drive.

Kai

[kaima]

I have jet to address the main features of driving, but I find my path finding - route finding in an auto - has changed totally. The Tablet and Google Maps has caused the change. My general map of Slovakia doesn't show much detail and I took a wrong turn in Zilina. Shortcuts lead to interesting experiences, however, and the gas E95 at Euro 1.43 / liter made me stop, that being 10 cents less, or 50 US cents less per gallon. Then the counter girl was cute, and they offered coffee and wi fi, so I stayed and oriented myself and found that yes, I can go to Martin without a toll pass (vognette?) for the toll roads. That buys me at least 2 days in August a flex time on deparure, when I buy the month's permit for Euro 14.

Now I am in Martin and passed what I was liiing for, so a stop at McDonalds for wifi and a nice espresso got me on line again with directions on how to get to the Pension I stayed at 3 or 4 years ago, rather centrally located. So I am nearly ready for my tourism!

I will also stop at tourist info so Ican find my way about with a paper map, leaving the car parked for city area activity.

Kai

[Jaga]

Kai,

I am glad you are making it all safely. Polish Northern part of the Carpathians are beautiful foothills. My mother family comes from Katowice and Silesia. It looks rough and industrial but it has its charm. I wish you could use some public transportation, but then you had to know the timetable etc....
What is Martin? It does not sound Polish?

[kaima]

Last time I tried to comment here I could not find the topic. I am glad it is easy tofind again, perhaps I will compose again in advance so I can upload when I have wifi.

I am staarting to had home toSK after visiting the Skansen at Nowy Sacz. Last year when I drove from Krakow to the Carpathians I passed by but as they were closing. Today I had perhaps 60 km to drive to get here, and got on the tail end of a group of Poles, so I followed tyhem through as my native guides, and the docents opened various buildings and gave familiarization talks. It was all in Polish, but I was quite content to understand a few wods that match my Slovak, and the exhibits are very welllaid out and displayed.

I do recommend it for all who make the opportunity. There is alit of history vwery well presented here. At 18:30 I will finish my coffee at mcDonalds, always reliable for coffee and good internet, and then hit the road on hwy 87 to Lubovna. I was able to tour the new bridge at Piwnicna / Mnisiik nad Popradom the other day, and have some photos of the mountain road sliding down the mountaain that is being bypassed by this new bridge. Thank you, EU.

I had my tablet ready as a camera as I entered Poland and was able to photograph the complicated sign they have for spee limits. Looking at the photo later, I see it is about as simple as the 3 speeds common in Slovakia.

Kai

[Jaga]

Jul 11, 2014 9:30:03 GMT -7 kaima said:

I am staarting to had home toSK after visiting the Skansen at Nowy Sacz. Last year when I drove from Krakow to the Carpathians I passed by but as they were closing. Today I had perhaps 60 km to drive to get here, and got on the tail end of a group of Poles, so I followed tyhem through as my native guides, and the docents opened various buildings and gave familiarization talks. It was all in Polish, but I was quite content to understand a few wods that match my Slovak, and the exhibits are very welllaid out and displayed.

Kai

Kai, glad to have an update from you. Maybe the next time you would be able to understand even more in Polish and Slovak. Glad that you visit not only tourist traps in Poland. You are probably visiting the areas not seen by international guests but rather by the locals, therefore no English applies.
We are in Grantham today, going to Cambridge. A bit tired and need more sleep. The first time we have a good internet. ENgland is not good with internet!

[pieter]

Jaga,

Strange that England has such bad internet connections? Grantham looks like a wonderful English town surrounded by green hills. I am curious what you will find of Camebridge. Coming from an university family background, you might feel at home, due to the university college architecture. Krakow in my memory had that typical university city atmosphere, with thousands of students on the street and many college buildings and student café's and clubs. Camebridge must have something of the same. The university student and college atmosphere.

Cheers,
Pieter

[Jaga]

Pieter, Cambridge was beautiful, cozy, small enough to feel safe and comfortable. The only danger here were bikers or cyclists (this is British way of calling bikers) since they were everywhere, agressively driving among cars and people. I really liked it there, cafees were great and I will miss them also
Krakow has nice universities and dorms but it is also a big town, Cambridge is mainly a students' town and tourists attraction. Many Asians teens groups were there!

[pieter]

Jul 24, 2014 19:08:07 GMT -7 Jaga said:

Pieter, Cambridge was beautiful, cozy, small enough to feel safe and comfortable. The only danger here were bikers or cyclists (this is British way of calling bikers) since they were everywhere, agressively driving among cars and people. I really liked it there, cafees were great and I will miss them also
Krakow has nice universities and dorms but it is also a big town, Cambridge is mainly a students' town and tourists attraction. Many Asians teens groups were there!

Cambridge is next to Oxford the most important university city in England and famous all over the world. It's a bikers city due to the many students there.

Jaga,

I am glad that you had a safe, cozy and comfortable stay in Camebridge. Maybe the bikers were so aggressive, because they have to fight for space with the cars, public transpport (busses) and pedestrians. In European countries with a lot of bikes, bikers can be stressed due to very bussy traffic of fellow bikers, cars, trucks, busses, cabs and pedestrians. In larger Dutch cities and some densly populated and crowded towns and urban agglomerations bikers can be aggressive too. They compete with the other users of the streets, squares and boulevards, you and I mentioned.


Panorama of Kings Parade in Cambridge at St. Mary's

Amsterdam bikers city

I don´t want to scare people (you) off, because Amsterdam can be a very cozy, relaxed and fine place to go. But I would advise Polish, American and other visitors to mind the bikers there. Don't walk on bike lanes and watch out if you cross the streets. Dutch cyclists are speedfreaks, and they don't stop. Or they get irritated and angry with tourists or compatriots who stand in their way. The second thing I would say to foreign guests. Don't use an Amsterdam taxi at the Amsterdam central (train-) station, us public transport (Tram, bus, Metro) to go to your hotel, museums or other destinations or walk. A taxi from the airport to your hotel is okay by the way. The Cab drivers at the central station are thugs. The other cab drivers are okay. And if guests want to visit a museum, go early. Often there are lines of half a kilometer next to the Anne Frank House up to the Westerkerk (Westerchurch). The same with the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum (=Museum of Modern Art) and the Rijksmuseum (with the famous painting of Rembrandt; the Nightwatch). Three times I have been 'a sort of' tour guide for Polish-American family who visited Amsterdam. I showed them around, and therefor they could avoid the problems other American, Italian, Polish, Spanish and Portugese tourists face. Like Camebridge we are a bike country. If you go to museums before 11:00 hours ante meridiem; you will have easy acces and a pleasent time to watch the art and historical paintings and sculptures. The Museums open 11:00 hours A.M. So be there shortly before 11.


Great St Mary's Church marks the centre of Cambridge, while the Senate House on the left is the centre of the University. Gonville and Caius College is in the background.

England is different than the Netherlands ofcourse. Thank god all countries are different, that gives flavor to life, and the diversity of people, cultures, styles, infrastructures, architectures and languages enriches our lives. It is great that due to you upbringing Jaga you had the chance to meet people from all over the world. Thanks to your parents you (probably) understand people from different cultures. Knowing foreign languages is an adventage and joy in life. With your Russian, German, English and little bit of French and Spanish you will know how to maintain yourself in Europe. You know that in most European countries you can speak in English and in some European countries (Germany, Austria and the German part of Switzeland) you can speak German. Probably you can use German in Croatia, Slovenia, Czech republic and Slovakia too if they don't understand English there. The way you speak about Camebridge reminds me of Oxford (I stated that before here on this forum). Also a small University, college, city. More a town actually. Your holiday must have been a wonderful mix of Scottish and English nature (Scottish mountians and lakes, English countryside, wondeful towns, cozy villages, old castles and noble houses), meeting Scottish and English people, and spending time with your relative. What were your favorite places and encounters? With your university family background you must have felt at home in Camebridge. Kraków indeed is a larger Polish city, maybe the only comparisson is that both have a large university and are world known for their universities.


Punting on the River Cam is a popular recreation in Cambridge

Cheers,
Pieter