Stage 2, Day 4: Another ‘century ride’ today, but only in terms of 100 kilometers (so not really, according to real cyclists, but sometimes we make our own rules :)) Today was a shorter day at 62 miles and once more the topography was ubiquitously flat so progress was relatively easy. After successfully cycling up and down the mountains and valleys of France and Germany, it was admittedly relieving to be riding on more level ground. P.s. officially in the 2nd half of our #Napoleoncyclingtour!
Poznań to Herbarium
DAY #18 of 36Poland1,102 miles total
We began our journey this morning by cycling north from Poznań, skirting the lakes as we headed towards one of the hotel highlights of the tour – The Herbarium Hotel & Spa.
A Little Lake District
Ready to depart Poznan for a relatively short ride today … another Century, but only on kms. 100km, 62 mi. Shauna and Ben texting each other? Interesting to see the American and Canadian flags along with the Greek Flag at our Polish hotel. Rolling out in a large group. Since we had about 20 riders and Poznań is a large city, we found that we regrouped periodically at major intersections. Which gives us both a chance to snap some pics. On your mark, get set,….. … Go! … Stop! … Go! About 5 miles out we hit a glorious stretch of cycle paths. Once we hit the paths, it was terrific not to have to travel on the highway. They went on and on…. … and on and on. Can’t tell if he is focused, determined or just in great pain. 🙂 Later on, we hit long straight roads with little or no wind. Clear sailing. The farms have become more prosperous as we have ridden north. We had a picnic lunch in a little town park. #Napoleoncyclingtour Kindergarten: recess …. lunch … nap.
It’s Time To Reward Ourselves!
Now that we have reached the halfway point of our epic cycling trip from France to Russia and the terrain has leveled out, it only seems fitting that we treat ourselves to a little pampering. At a mere 62 miles, today’s route was one of the shortest legs of the journey in regards to distance, as well as the shortest day thus far in terms of sheer time spent on the road.
One might consider that reward enough, but it’s not….
Welcome to The Herbarium Hotel & Spa, a 19th-century mansion in a wooded area on the shores of Lake Chomiąskie. What a great room!
This upmarket hotel is 10 miles from both the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja, and Biskupin, an ancient archaeological site. Although both sounded tempting, the primary reason that we were here was to try out their fashionable spa and sauna facilities. We’d been informed that they are exceptional – the spa even features an indoor pool with lake views. We took full advantage of the pool, saunas, and even fit in a massage. Heaven! Dusk on Lake Chomiąskie. Good evening from Herbarium Hotel and Spa.
Polish Food & Drinks
Since first crossing the border into we’ve been steadily working our way through the plethora of Polish delicacies, from Golabki (stuffed white cabbage) to Zrazy (juicy meat rolls).
Along the course of this journey we have also sampled plenty of local ales, however there is one drink still on our “must try” list: that magnificent Polish mead which the country is so known for.
Perhaps most eloquently summarized by a famous 16th-century Polish poet:
Wine comes from the earth muddy and grey,
Mead must be sent down straight from the heavens.
Polish mead.
Polish mead has been part of Polish culinary tradition for over a thousand years. It is a refined and sweet beverage based on pre-Napoleonic recipes using all-natural ingredients and aromatic honey.
As with any process that has been continually honed and improved century after century, the Polish have spent more than a millennia mastering mead and no one else comes close. By comparison, Scotch whisky was first distilled in 1494 yet it was not until the mid 18th century that the Scottish Highlands began producing “whisky worth talking about”. Even France did not begin producing respectable champagne until the late 17th century.
(In other words, imagine how incredible Scotch and Champagne will be once they’ve had another 700+ years to further perfect their art.) 😉
