Journeys
Journeys are trips where the route itself provides the structure. They can be bike rides, walks, runs, hikes or other micro-expeditions. I write about what I saw along the way, what made me curious, and the stories I later researched. Sometimes the history is planned in advance, sometimes I only notice something while passing through.
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What We Ran Past: Historical Notes from the Warsaw Half Marathon Route
The Warsaw Half Marathon was not only 21 kilometres of running. The route passed Most Poniatowskiego, the National Museum, the Royal Route, Plac Krasińskich, Żoliborz, Cytadela Warszawska, Most Gdański, Warsaw Zoo, Port Praski and PGE Narodowy. This is a slower look at what we ran past.
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Augustów to Sokółka by Bike: 96 km of Bunkers, Churches and Roadside History
A cold 96 km ride through north-eastern Podlasie passed Soviet bunkers, Orthodox and Catholic churches, Jewish heritage, old estates and a cholera cemetery before rain ended the cycling in Sokółka.
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Góry Stołowe in the Rain: Three Days Among Rock Labyrinths
A three-day hike through Góry Stołowe with Łukasz: from Ścinawka Średnia and Wambierzyce to Szczeliniec, a rainy day among rock passages, and a quiet finish in Kudowa-Zdrój.
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River Trekking on the Świder: The Micro-Expedition We Didn’t Finish
We planned to follow the Świder from Glinianka towards Józefów. The river corrected the plan, and about 9 km was enough for a first river trek.
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From Ossów to Radzymin: A Half Marathon Through the Battle of Warsaw 1920
A half marathon from Ossów to Radzymin became a reason to look more closely at the Battle of Warsaw 1920, visit two very different museums, and rethink a familiar piece of Polish history.
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From Łeba to Stilo: The Lighthouse That Made Us Keep Walking
A short barefoot walk east from Łeba became a 30 km trip to Stilo Lighthouse, with a shipwreck mystery, forest tracks and a much longer walk back than we had planned.
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Wisła 1200: The River Ended Before the Ride Did
The final 147 kilometres brought headwind, Gniew, Tczewskie Łąki and the Vistula mouth before the official Wisła 1200 finish in Gdańsk.
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Wisła 1200: The Old Towns Broke the Monotony
Toruń, Chełmno and Grudziądz interrupted a tiring day of overgrown tracks, levees and wind on the lower Vistula.
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Wisła 1200: The Working Middle River
From Zakroczym to Bobrowniki, strong headwind and old Vistula towns turned 150 kilometres into a day of practical checkpoints and small decisions.
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Wisła 1200: The Day the Ride Needed a Repair
Mud, Otwocka Amazonia and a broken spoke made Day 4 the first Wisła 1200 stage that depended on solving a mechanical problem.