Poland Part One... North & West

We wake up feeling slightly worse for wear after spending the night exchanging travel tips and stories with Simon and Amy, a couple we met at our wild camp in Rüdersdorf. We make an early start and begin our drive to Poland. We travel 80 miles east across the border and into Poland. It's a miserable day and as we cross the border the unfamiliar surroundings paired with the gloomy weather are unwelcoming. We drive for miles and miles along an eary deserted road lined on both sides with trees and farmland as far as the eye can see. We pass the odd house that looks as though nobody's lived in for years but oddly there's smoke coming from the chimney. We reach a deserted village called Ownice, drive down a dirt track and reach a large lake where we decide to spend the night. There is nobody at all around and the only noise comes from a Rotwieller standing on top of his kennel barking loudly at us. Jac has a productive afternoon re-sealing our leaky sky light and kitchen sink. It's pitch black outside by 3:30pm so we spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in the camper ready for another early start tomorrow. 

Our noisy neighbour 

We are awake early after a silent nights sleep and I spring out of bed like an excited child. Today is Friday 21 November, Jac's 26th birthday. No banners and balloons this year, but there is a little pile of cards on the table next to his sugar puffs. After a number of unwanted photos and insincere smiles the birthday boy, who is still half asleep decides we should head off towards our next stop. We are aiming for a place called Hel right on the tip of a peninsula in the far North of Poland 645 km away.

The Birthday Boy

 

We drive for around 7 hours before stopping in a busy town called Koscierzyna, 248 km South of the northern peninsula. There are no campsites open at this time of year and Poland doesn't have many camper van stopovers so we settle for the next best thing. Tesco car park. Feeling right at home, we spend the night cooped up in the van huddled around our tiny heater trying to keep warm. The temperature is reaching around 1-2 degrees at night which is far colder than anything we've been used to since we left the UK. After a noisy night in the car park we are awake early ready to set off on our last stint before we reach Hel. Hoping to find Kettle Chips and Tesco Finest Chicken & Chorizo Pâté we excitedly bounce through the doors with a list of 'essentials'. Approximately 6 minutes later we skulk back out with a loaf of bread and a bottle of Cherry Vodka and head off.

Trying to get comfortable

The majority of the journey is along dual carriageway and through fairly large towns and villages until we reach Władysławowo, the first town on the peninsula. For the next 45 km we travel along a quiet road lined on both sides by the sea. The Baltic Sea to be specific. A train track follows the course of the road although we don't see a single train. We pass run down army barracks, a military museum and dozens of closed campsites. We finally reach Hel which looks like the ghost town of a former seaside resort and huge tourist hub. It's uninviting but we're told there's lots to do here so we find somewhere to park and set about exploring. We'll worry about where we're going to sleep later. 

We visit Hel lighthouse set in the middle of dense pineforest used to guide ships into the bays of Gdansk and Puck and take a walk along the white sand beach. The water is crystal clear and earily calm, there is a single boat sitting on the beach in which Oscar finds a fat cray fish wriggling about on its back. We pass a seal enclosure on the beach and watch the seals diving around playfully after a ball before wandering back through the quaint little village to the camper van. We fail miserably at finding somewhere to stay for the night so eventually give in (after 216 nights in the van) and check into Hotel 77 in Kaperska. We justify it as a 'Birthday Treat' and treat ourselves we do!! We pay 150 zloty (around £30) for one night, full use of the spa and breakfast. Bargain!! At such a steal we decide to stay for two nights. Later that evening we head down to dinner and enjoy a three course meal and a bottle of wine. We ordered a prawn salad and baked Camembert to start, pork tenderloin wrapped in Parma ham and Stilton and steak with Gorgonzola sauce together with real roast potatoes and steamed veg with almonds. We topped it off with a raspberry cheesecake to share (total cost 230 zlt, about £46).

Hel Lighthouse

Oscar at Hel Lighthouse

Hel Beach

Hel Beach

 

Hel Beach

Excited was an understatement

Heading down for dinner

We wake the following morning after a warm, cosy nights sleep (in a proper bed) and fight over the shower. Today is Sunday 23rd November, my birthday. I open some cards and presents before heading down to breakfast. An impressive display of fruit, meat, cheese, and an unusual egg arrangement is on offer. After gorging on 2nd, 3rd and 4th helpings, making full use of the facilities we drop our laundry (3 weeks worth) at reception and leave the hotel and head back along the peninsula to Hel to spend the day exploring old military bunkers and spooky underground passageways. Jac's inner child (and Boy Scout) takes over and he's straight in with a torch dashing in and out of pitch black rooms whilst Oscar hurriedly trots behind. I however tip toe slowly and silently along the corridors terrified of what might be down here. Such a baby.

Struggling to get up

One of the bunkers in Hel

Disused Military Land in Hel

A disused lookout tower in Hel (notice the noose)

That night we eat in the restaurant again, another beautiful meal but I won't bore you with the details. We spend the evening skyping family and catching up with some blogging. We've been slacking a little recently as there's been a serious lack of wifi. Poland is probably one of the best places for wifi so far. Every lamppost has a wifi point which is great for a quick look at Twitter or Instagram but sitting under a lamppost on my laptop is pushing it a bit, even for me. The following morning we enjoy another giant breakfast and walk Oscar along the beach on the other side of the train track for a couple of hours before setting off for our next stop, Gdansk.

A cold dog walk along the beach

Dog walk along the beach

The weather here is really starting to turn and night time in the camper is becoming more and more difficult. After stocking up on 7 fleece blankets in Germany we decide dressing gown and slippers are in order (living the glamorous camper life) and call into a retail park en route. Probably the most exciting stop we could have made. I come away with a new dressing gown and slippers (as intended). Jac on the other hand purchased two new pairs of Adidas Gazelles. Not really practical for sub zero weather but an absolute bargain all the same. He splashed out 80 zlt/£16 on one pair and 120zlt/£24 on another. Pleased with our purchases we continue our journey and arrive in Gdansk 96 km South East of Hel. We park the camper and head straight out in the city centre. Quite possibly the prettiest city so far. We spend hours window shopping and admiring the beautiful old buildings before stopping for dinner. We escape the cold in Neopolana Pizzeria. A large pizza and three beers set us back 64 zlt/£12.80. We watch a band in the main square before walking along the canal back towards the camper.

Gdansk

 

Gdansk

 

Gdansk

The following morning we are up and out bright and early to make our way 450 km south to Poznan, we stop halfway and spend one night in Ciechocinek on a brand new campsite where we are the only ones staying before continuing to Poznan the following day

 

 

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Berlin Bound...And Beyond

After an incredible few days in Wachtberg we throw ourselves straight back into camper van life. After 154 km we arrive at our first stop, Seige. We have no gas or electricity which makes for a long cold night. Our next stop is 258 km away in Hofgeismar. We spend the night in a quiet carpark in the centre of the small town alongside two other campers. We stock up on yet more blankets from a discount textile store in the village before moving on once again.

Hofgeismar, Germany

Hofgeismar, Germany

We drive 80 km East to Einbeck. The drive is beautiful, quiet country roads lined with huge trees the leaves are brown to gold and every colour in between. We count hundreds of discreet hides camouflaged in trees lining the the fields around us used to hunt deer. After driving for two hours in the beautiful countryside we reach our stop. We are staying in a carpark next to a swimming pool and are one of two campers. We head out for a leg stretch with Oscar and search for the town centre when we pass a very excitable dog and his owner. We get talking to the lady and she kindly invites us along with her on a dog walk. She tells us all about her dog Chief who she rescued from America last year. Her story was heart breaking, she found him on the side of the highway chasing cars and took him to a shelter where she was told to take him back to the highway because the shelter was too full and they would only have to put him down in a few days. By now she'd grown attached to him and obviously wasn't prepared to leave him by the side of the road. She had him flown back to Germany for a grand total of $2000. She explained that he is hard work at times but he looked so happy and grateful of some love and attention. Just the cutest story. So whilst we quizzed his owner on the village and surrounding areas Chief and Oscar spent the walk chasing each other in and out of the river and across muddy fields. The walk takes an hour or so and afterwards the lady walks us into the city centre to show us around. This place is unbelievably beautiful. A famous beer producing city, dating back to prehistoric times. The entire place was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1540. The fire was started by an arsonist, Heinrich Diek who was convicted and died in an iron cage which is now on display in the town hall. We spend the morning wandering around before setting off again.

Einbeck, Germany

Einbeck, Germany

We travel 582 km east making a stop in Klosterberg before arriving in Berlin. After attempting to check into three different campsites to no avail we finally find a camper parking site in Kopenick 20 minutes outside Berlin city centre. After a busy day we wander into the town and stare in awe through all the shop windows shivering in our inadequate winter coats. An hour later Jac and I are the proud owners of new, very practical winter coats. Feeling guilty after blowing our budget we wander back and settle in the van to watch a couple of episodes of Dexter before getting an early night ready to meet my cousin Aaron at Schonefeld airport the following morning.

Today is November 14th, we've been away 29 weeks and are overly excited about seeing a familiar face. We catch the train from Kopenick to Ostkreuz (Central) then onto the airport. We wait anxiously in the arrival lounge, our eyes lighting up every time the double doors open to reveal another passenger. After what seems like an age Aaron finally appears and we briefly catch up outside in the bitterness. We are about to head back to the train station when the doors open once again and to my shock/horror/surprise........my dad and uncle Tony walk through, suitcases in tow.

Best. Surprise. Ever.

By this point I'm bounding around like an overexcited puppy and nobody can get a word of sense out of me. We spend the whole train journey gabbling like a flock of geese before dropping their cases in the hotel and heading out for some food. We enjoy a marathon catch up over steak, burgers and beer at 'Ribs & More' and spend the rest of the night in cocktail bar.

So excited to see my Dad



Jac, Aaron, Uncle Tony & Dad at Ribs & More

The following morning we are nursing our hangovers like bears with sore heads, we struggle to shower and dress ourselves before meeting Aaron, Dad and Uncle Tony at their hotel. We try and fail miserably at finding something that resembles an English breakfast before giving in and consuming a mountain of eggs and fruit. Feeling slightly more human we head, on the train to Oranienburg where we walk 2 km to Sachenhausen Concentration Camp. This is the third camp Jac and I have visited so whilst the others take a look around we educate ourselves in the library and warm up with a hot chocolate.  Later that afternoon we head to the Brandenburg Gate, built as a triumphal arch city gate in 1791. Next we head to the Reichstag, the 19th century home of the German Parliament, remodelled in 1999 by Norman Foster when an impressive glass cupola was added. This now serves as a huge tourist attraction with a restaurant affording views over the new government quarter that has developed around the Reichstag available to visit by appointment only. Next on the list is the Holocaust Memorial, officially known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. A moving arrangement of 2711 upright concrete slabs of varying height designed by Peter Eisenman and Buro Happold. The memorial took 20 months to construct at a cost of 25 million Euros. There is also an underground information centre holding the names of all known Jewish Holocaust victims.  We head back through the Brandenburg Gate and stop in an Italian restaurant near Pariser Platz for dinner. We walk back to the hotel with the others and enjoy a couple of drinks in the hotel bar. Jac and I leave around midnight to head back to the camper.

My Dad and Jac at breakfast



Sachenhausen Concentration Camp, Berlin



Berlin, Germany





Brandenburg Gate, Berlin



The Reichstag, Berlin



The Holocaust Memorial



These four in their 'Boy Band' pose

The following morning we meet at the underground station to head out for another day of sightseeing. All three of them (Dad, Aaron and Uncle Tony) look shattered and are struggling. It doesn't take them long to confess that they managed to run up a 150 Euro bill in the bar last night. We get the tube to Prinzenstrasse where we visit Checkpoint Charlie the best known Berlin Wall crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.  None of them are particularly chatty until they get a McDonalds breakfast (or two) inside them. After breakfast we head to the Berlin Wall open air display where we learn about the construction, failed and successful escape attempts and are able to see a portion of the wall. We follow a trail which takes us along the former course of the wall until we reach Friedrichstrasse where a large part of the wall still stands. Here we are also able to see parts of the former Gestapo and SS Headquarters which now houses a huge photography exhibition named Topography of Terror. After a morning of sightseeing in the rain the others head back to the city centre to do some shopping whilst Jac and I head back to the Brandenburg Gate for a hot chocolate. We meet at the hotel where the guys are printing bording passes and getting ready to fly home early the following morning. We head out for dinner and a few drinks to celebrate a great weekend and say goodbye before heading back to the camper in Kopernick. An amazing action packed 3 days has left us exhausted so we spend the following day relaxing before leaving Berlin.

Harry & Lloyd looking worse for wear

 

Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin



Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin



Oscar at the Berlin Wall



At the Berlin Wall & former Gestapo and SS Headquarters



My Dad and I after a busy day of sightseeing

Next stop...Poland.