S2D10 (Day 24) – A Mid-Day Swim and the History of Torture

Our peaceful restorative hotel near Godkowo and the ride into Reszel provided great opportunities to soak up the scenic Polish countryside. Tonight’s accommodations, however, are truly unique; a stay inside a castle that captured our attention when we first read the itinerary before Napoleon Cycling Tour commenced…. Reszel Castle. A castle complete with ghosts down at the pool table (according to local legend), and a torture museum.

Our destination for today: Zamek Reszel.

Godkowo to Reszel Castle

  DAY #24 of 35   Poland   1,455 miles total

Today’s route had us fully immersed in the pristine Polish countryside of the lovely lakes district; the region is spattered with vast tracts of beautiful blue.


Prior to leaving this serene scene, we found our friend Gary, a college history professor, soaking up a few more minutes of nature (and the best internet connection.)

Shauna says goodbye to the hotel mascot. Now … to get back up …

This beautiful setting provided the attitude adjustment we needed to set off on a gorgeous day. Only 100km today. Gonna be a great day!

The lake vistas were a nice distraction from the bumpy roads we had to endure for the first few miles of today’s ride. After that the roads smoothed out and the verdant, bountiful countryside made for some super-serene cycling.


Shady lanes …

… to rolling fields …

… to lakes big and small, some perfect for swimming.

After-lunch Swim Stop


We had a nice refreshing post-lunch dip with Mike and Catriona from Scotland (and part-time San Fran-ners).

Someone was happy to find a lake clean enough to swim in after last night’s disappointing “icky” frog-swamp.

Video: Shauna Takes the Nestea Plunge:


Catriona beckons…. ‘the water is perfect’!

Shauna ‘goes first’ to test the depth for the boys before they’ll jump in.

After Shauna tested the depth of the water, Mark ‘directed’ a coordinated jump by Mike and Shauna. Catriona, directory of photography, captured the action.

Video: Mike and Shauna try some synchronized swimming:

Sun goddess drying out her cycling kit before we ride on.

Rolling into Reszel

The end point of today’s journey was the town of Reszel in northeastern Poland.


Despite its smallish size at 5,000 people, the town has a long history plus several monuments and attractions that appeal to tourists, most notably the 14th century Gothic St Peter’s Church and 15th century Reszel Castle.

Reszel Castle

Our accommodations tonight are the impressive 15th century Reszel Castle, which is surrounded by woodland and overlooking a stunning monastery. This castle is as rustically beautiful as they come; the backdrop and adjoining church are a splendor to behold. It even has its own art gallery, torture museum, and a spectacular courtyard terrace where we enjoyed a fantastic dinner and a post-dinner bonfire.


Zamek (Castel) Reszel, our hotel for the night.

Our arrival at the impressive Zamek Reszel after 62mi, and 2,643 ft of rejuvenating rolling hills and a swim stop.

Our room is right behind the RideAndSeek van here, at the entrance to the tower. A couple of tourists even tried to open our door to see ‘what’s in here’?!

Our Zamek Reszel room.

Torture Before the 18th Century

At Reszel we viewed graphic medieval torture instruments, and our historian Gary gave us a quick lesson on the history of torture. First, in his opinion, the best torture museum in the world is in Antwerp, Belgium, which no one in our group could refute (or even name another torture museum.) Something to add to the bucket list? (hmmm … maybe.)

Historically, torture was a legal instrument, embedded into Germanic law. A judge’s order was needed to carry out torture. The judge or court decided what, where, when, how long; they set conditions to ensure the torturers weren’t employing torture in such a way as to get false information, thus making a mockery of the legal system. Often, they prescribed letting the torturee just see the torture instrument, which often extracted the needed information.

This system was embedded in legal procedure until the 18th century. In 1764, Italian Cesare Beccaria published ‘On Crimes and Punishment’, a treatise which condemned torture and the death penalty and was a founding work in the field of penology. Within eighteen months, the book passed through six editions. It was translated into French in 1766 and published with an anonymous commentary by Voltaire. An English translation appeared in 1767, and it was translated into several other languages. The book was read by all the luminaries of the day, including, in the United States, by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

The book’s principles influenced thinking on criminal justice and punishment of offenders, leading to reforms in Europe, especially in France, at the court of Catherine II of Russia, and in the 13 colonies. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany subsequently abolished the death penalty, the first state in the world to take this measure.

  Reszel is the third castle we have stayed at so far on this adventure but the first that is renowned for its ghostly inhabitants. Fortunately, we did not encounter any such spirits but we did see some ghastly torture devices…. yikes!


Torture device? Or original bike seat design?

Bike seat design version 2.0?

“I Spy” the RideAndSeek vans and bike trailer in the castle courtyard.

Our Route

Next Stop:   Gizycko

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