Where is Duszniki-Zdroj? A good
question you might ask. But all I know is, that it is where we were not meant to be on Sunday night.
We were planning to stay in a campsite in Klodsko, which is below Wroclaw, and close to the hills which border the Czech Republic. But the camping ground was closed. We had no book of campsites in Poland and no internet. And it started to rain, so we set the satnav for Prague (2 hours away) and set off in the heavy rain, winding up through the hills.
And then
we saw a sign for a campsite and it looked to be open, and it was. One star, and it looked like a camping ground
which had fallen into disrepair, or maybe it was work in progress. The campsite was part of a group called agrocamp, so
there must be more like this around. We found a very friendly owner, who spoke
English and for 39zl (8 pounds) we had a lovely spot nestled among the green hedges.
The toilet and showers were clean, the water hot, and we had electricity. We also purchased a map of Poland which showed all the camping grounds. A little late, I know as we were heading for Prague in the morning.
That evening we walked into the picturesque village and stocked up on food at the little local supermarket, so what more can one want. Sometimes, unexpected stops can prove to be the best.
But I need to go back to the journey from Poznan to Klodzko. We travelled along minor roads, as our Satnav was detemined to take the shortest route. It was all very interesting though, but luckily we were not in a hurry as progress was slow, due to the speed restrictions, and sometimes very patchy roads.
We were a little confused as we seemed to be
the only motorists keeping to the speed signs. Were they something that the European Union insisted on, but the Polish people ignore? Even the trucks were passing us. However there were plenty of speed cameras about in the towns and villages. Luckily, I had read in the Lonely Planet, that when there is a sign with a white background and black outlines of buildings, it means you must reduce your speed to 50 kmh. They are easily missed.
On the whole the roads were much better than we expected, and it was evident that much money has
been put into building new roads and improving the old roads. The countryside was really beautiful, with
forests and acres and acres of land that was used for grain production. We saw a lot of horses but not many other
animals. The farmers were obviously
doing well, as the farm houses were new and large, with lovely gardens. I think farmers are subsidized by the European Union. Most agricultural land in Poland is privately owned now. But the post war houses in the villages were square and plain, reminders of a communist run era.
We have enjoyed our three days in Poland, but there was not enough
time to really make a judgement about the country. It was strange being in a country where we were not familiar with the language, and getting used to different customs was hard. We did find that people were stern looking, and very reserved, except for young people who seemed carefree. But I think I made this comment about the people in north east Germany. And in Poland I can see why. Poland has been invaded, annexed and occupied for so long and people have really had to fight to keep their national identity. Life has been tough. So I can understand why people are still a little hesitant about being open, and friendly, to visitors and tourists.
The food was really great,
or at least it was at the two places we ate in. Coffee was excellent, and as you
know this is important for us! And food,
and campsites, are so cheap. It is
definitely a place to come for a holiday, as long as the weather is decent. Poland has the same problem, weather wise, as does most of northern Europe and the UK.
The next day we set forth on our trip to Prague. We ditched James, the Australian voice on the Satnav. His Australian drawl did not blend well with the scenery. So grating. We went back to Serena, with the posh English voice.
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