S2D12 (Day 26) – A Little Mishap on Our Last Full Day in Poland

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Today was our last full day in Poland. Tomorrow we cross the border into Lithuania and begin our journey through the Baltic states. These last 10 days cycling across Poland have been better (and worse) than we expected in many ways … at times more beautiful, more delicious and more intriguing than we anticipated; at times, worse roads, more aggressive drivers and, unfortunately, a little accident today (which had nothing to do with Poland itself). Everyone’s okay, and the good news is, this is a short post because we took less pictures! 🙂

Gizycko to Suwalki

  DAY #26 of 35   Poland   1,600 miles total

Our ride today continued through the Masurian Lakes as we worked our way east towards the Polish city of Suwalki. Beyond it lies the Lithuania border, and with it the continuation of this epic cycling adventure from Paris to Russia.

We cycled along the meandering picturesque country lanes en route to Suwalki and once again spotted an abundance of storks along the way. Many of the roads in this area are unpaved and as a result we had to ride on some busier roads. However, we were able to use the bike paths where available.


We have the roads all to ourselves this morning on our departure from Gizycko. The front that came through has cleared out the skies… Blue with bright sun forecast all day and a high of 70°. 75 mi to go!

Traveling from Gizycko to Suwalki. Many of the houses had lush lawns bountiful with flowers and plants.

Unlike the storks that we mostly see in their nests or in the fields, these swans commandeered the road.

Shauna Takes a Tumble

Shauna had a little mishap today. She was okay, in fact, she hopped right up. Her knee was banged up, but her helmet protected her head; really thankful she didn’t break her jaw. She asks that you ignore her #uglyfallface … she hurt worse watching her expression than anything else!

Video: Please excuse the language!


We had a lovely lunch spot at a huge park in Olecko, a perfect spot for Shauna to survey herself for damages after she rode in following her fall. The swelling under her kneecap had created the “humpback” of all kneecaps, so she sought out some ice and first aid and chilled out for awhile.

Alison cleaned her up, Catriona propped her up, and Colette provided superior levels of TLC after her mishap.

She continued the ride after lunch; her knee actually felt better riding than not. She joked when she got to the hotel that maybe she should just keep pedaling very slowly all through the night and catch up with everyone in Lithuania the next day!

Our Final Polish Meal at The Velvet Hotel (really)

Arriving in Suwalki, it was straight to the room for some icing, ibuprofen and perhaps a small refreshment to take the edge off of the day. No sightseeing for us.


Arrival at the Velvet Hotel in Suwalki, our last stop in Poland. Yes, it was really called the “Velvet Hotel” and it was very contemporary … but no heart shaped velvet beds like we were expecting; just this velvet decor in the lobby.

We ate a late dinner at the Velvet Hotel’s restaurant and ordered the local cuisine, Poland’s version of heart attack on a plate.

These pickled cucumbers were crisp, very lightly salted and very lightly marinated in vinegar. The perfect veggie after a long ride.

The knee was a bit iffy as we turned in for the night. (Spoiler alert: it felt, and looked, surprisingly better the next morning).

Our Route

From here it is less than 20 miles to Lithuania, the next country on this epic European journey, where more (hopefully upright) adventures await.

Next Stop:   Alytus, Lithuania

2 thoughts on “S2D12 (Day 26) – A Little Mishap on Our Last Full Day in Poland”

  1. An unfortunate spill for sure. Certainly it could have been a worse ending. After seeing your head hit the curb, I am surprised that you are able to continue. Shauna, you are a tough cookie, but we already knew that! Better luck for the rest of the trip!

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