Poland

*Tatry National Park, Poland (Tatrzański Park Narodowy)Lake Morskie Oko*

Poland, for us, was the right blend of natural beauty, easy wild camping and beautiful architectural cities. We loved both Kraków, and Wrocław with their iconic old city centers. We had visited Warsaw on a quick pass through Poland last year so did not re-visit it this time, but hold fond memories of wandering its ancient and elegant old town.

Highlights:

Wroclaw - as Polish people say "everyone loves Wroclaw” - colorful and beautiful
Kraków - well preserved medieval core and Jewish quarter
Auschwitz-Birkenau -although it feels odd to mention this as a “highlight” the emotional impact of visiting this site was so enormous for us we can only recommend it as a place to go when visiting Poland
Tatra Mountains gorgeous mountains, glacial lakes and waterfalls

*Taking a moment to celebrate 2 plus years on the road full time*

First stop on our Poland cultural and architectural tour was Poznań. A gorgeous town, we walked the streets, following the recommended walking tour provided on free maps from the tourist office. Unfortunately the central square was undergoing a huge construction project, but we could still see the beauty. Our only regret, we found out later that it is famous for almond croissants (who knew?? should have researched more) so we did not sample them.

*First wild camping spot in Poland, lakeside*

Next, onto the UNESCO World Heritage site, Toruń, filled with Medieval buildings and renowned for gingerbread.

*Toruń, sampling the bakery fare, always our favorite*

*Birthplace of Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus who first developed the model of the universe with the sun at the center instead of the earth*

Adventures with the Truck

Continuing our blog content on truck challenges and maintenance, we had lost our second solar panel. We had been running with two solar panels from Overland Solar which kept our small fridge, water pump and lights going and provided overnight charging for our electronics. They had been perfect, no issues unless we parked for multiple days in cloudy weather. A year ago one of them broke due to the initial installation failure by the outfit that originally built out our truck. Overland Solar kindly replaced it in Boise. But then, once overseas, the second one failed for the same reason.

We decided to replace it with a semi-flexible panel from Renogy. We had some interesting emails back and forth with their customer service asking if we could pick one up somewhere as we lived on the road, and their standard responses saying they needed a zip code to ship to. Finally we enlisted the help of August, whom we consider our “German son” and his family who live in Leipzig. They kindly agreed to receive a panel so we zipped over to see them and arrived with a list of technical needs for the install, hopeful to enlist August’s local knowledge and ability to translate German for us. No problem!

Learning from the poor solar panel installation by our truck customizer, we knew we needed to raise the panel above the camper roof to keep it cool while fully supporting the semi-flexible panel. In the end we decided to use an aluminum composite panel material which is both stiff and light. August found us this, provided us with a saw to cut it to size, helped us find high-strength, double-backed sticky tape and Velcro and was even the extra set of hands for Andy as he executed the project. Meanwhile, Franzi, his girlfriend, tackled the problem of mold on our duvet, taking it to an industrial washer at her workplace. We also managed to do two loads of laundry and sample German beer and wine. Perfect pitstop. Now back to Poland.

*Support base Andy and August made for new solar panel*

*Thank you to our Leipzig support team, Franzi, Ida and August*

With its busy central square, green paths along rivers and lively atmosphere, Wroclaw, our next stop, was one of our favorite places in Poland. We booked our favorite, the free walking tour and learned about the troubled history of the city as it transferred ownership between Poland, Bohemia, Prussia and eventually in 1871 to Germany. A historically important trading route, the city had a significant Jewish population until WWII. Today the old Jewish quarter is a lively area of the city filled with cafes and boutiques. We had a fantastic lunch with some kind local young people translating the menu for us and making some food recommendations. I think it was painful for them to watch us stumble along with Google translate on our phones.

Our last urban stop in Poland was Kraków. We found a great campground just outside the city and took the bus in to explore. Kraków felt like the great aunt to Wroclaw. It also had a medieval core with colorful buildings and a vibrant old Jewish quarter, but felt older and more distinguished somehow.

*Central market square, reputed to be one of the largest in Europe*

*Public art sculpture doubles as children’s playground*

*Following the yellow umbrella of the free walking tour*

*Wawel Royal Castle, for centuries home to the kings of Poland*

*We loved the information system on the Polish bus system - so easy to understand! Follow the digital rolling ball. Andy was mesmerized.*

After leaving the bustle of Kraków, we made our way south to Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp. This was one of our all time most impactful travel experiences. We spent a day trying to comprehend the horror that humans are capable of. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.

*Pile of children’s shoes, victims of the gas chambers*

*Prisoner’s barracks, for those selected to live and work*

*The infamous “work will set you free” sign at the entrance*

*Cattle car used to transport human beings*

We left sobered and heavy. But also feeling the importance that we continue to visit these sights and bear witness to the atrocities. Other places that have effected us in the same way are the Killing Fields in Cambodia and the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg. We are committed to travel which pushes us to feel and learn. Auschwitz Museum is incredibly well done and the tours are impactful, well thought out and respectfully done without shirking the horror.

Our last stop in Poland was the Tatra Mountains. Using the tourist town of Zakopane as a base we found several great hikes. The iconic 10 miles Lake Morskie Oko hike was crowded but worth the views.

*Hiking in Tatry National Park, not great weather but fantastic scenery*

*Tatry National Park, beautiful hike to Lake Morskie Oko, 5 miles each way*

So long Poland, next stop, Slovakia. Thank you for reading and please let us know if we can answer any questions!

Hungary

Slovakia