E3: Stromowce Wyżne to Czarna Góra: Day 123

A walk through woodland and more open countryside of green fields with distant vistas of the High Tartras.

As I was waiting for sleep to envelop me last night I listened to the sounds around me. Cow bells dingling on nearby slopes, a bird chattering noisily nearby, a more restrained bird singing stanzas further away, cars crossing the dam above the campsite, people at the campsite talking quietly nearby.

Next morning I was up early, away by 7 am, walking on a road that ran beside a reservoir. On a hill before me, above a second dam there was a castle guarding the valley. Called Zamek Dunajec, it dated from the 14th century. I passed it well before opening time and the line of stalls in front of it, which might have offered a selection of goodies, were all closed. Then the climbing began.

There was a long ascent, its gradient varying. As I walked through mixed woodland I was wondering where the many fluffy catkins came from that I frequently saw scattered on the track. PlantNet identified them as from Halberd Willows. There were not many of these trees but they seem to scatter a large number of catkins. Despite the woods, I could at times see down to the large reservoir to my right and the many houses dotting the landscape. The highest point was called Źar, where there was a stubby observation tower. On mountain tops such as this one I have noticed a little box with a miniature pitched roof. Looking inside the broken door of the one on Źar, I found an inkpad and rubber stamp. This made sense as I had seen people, especially children, with books in which they collected the stamps of the mountains they had climbed.

Soon after there was another of the ridiculously steep descents. Fortunately the weather was dry, however my poles were still essential to stop me slipping on the earth "path". My descent was made more complicated by a large party of school children climbing up. Many politely said "Dzień dobry", ie "Good Day", to which I of course replied, many times.

Reaching the bottom it was then a gradual climb up to the first village of my day, Dursztyn. At a small shop I bought a few items which I then proceeded to eat in the shade of the bus shelter. I rather over-indulged with a bar of chocolate, a sugared brioche and to be healthy, an apple washed down with "Vitamin Water".

To reach the next village I crossed open cow pasture, giving me a good view of the High Tartra Mountains. In the warm sunshine (I was sweating heavily) the snow on the mountains looked incongrous. Here, as elsewhere in Poland, I frequently came up on a small shrine or cross, with the Virgin Mary or Christ looking down, often in remote locations. I liked the ones that had a bench beside them so I could take a rest.

After another wooded mountain with some steep climbs I reached my destination of Czarna Góra. At the apartment I had booked a dog announced my arrival, alerting the owner who let me in.

E3: Krościenko to Stromowce Wyżne: Day 122

A shorter day in the mountains but still tiring with all the climbing.

This morning I discovered that I lost my hat. It has happened before. I put it down in a café then forget to pick it up. So this morning I deviated to the places I visited yesterday. Being Sunday morning they were closed, although peering in, there was no evidence of my hat. So I gave up and started climbing, missing the shade that the wide brim of my hat gives me.

I was not alone. Many people were out today enjoying the sunshine. Families, couples, friends and runners, the later moving with effortless ease (which I envied), noisy children, sun tanned athletes and pot bellied old men. Yellow waymarks guided us on the first part of my uphill route. Today I am in the Pieniny National Park. Maybe as a result the trails are in good condition. Surfaces are even where possible, with steps on steeper sections, and sometimes a fence to hold onto or prevent you straying and stepping on wild flowers in the glades between the trees. Sweating profusely as I climbed, I was glad of a spring where the water had been directed along wooden channels conveniently ending next to the path. Washing my face with the cool spring water was glorious.

Switching to a more adventurous blue waymarked path, I reached Zamek Pieniny, the sparse ruins of a 13th century fortress. The base of very thick walls remained. Perched on steep slopes it would have been easy to defend but not very accessible for friends. Continuing on my way I reached Trzy Korony, the highest peak in the area at 982 metres. As I found yesterday for Sokolica, a payment was required if you wished to reach the top. Today I paid out and gained access to a steel walkway and stairs that led to a small viewing platform at the top. The platform was crowded with people who did not seem to want to move. Although I managed to get on the platform and survey the extensive panorama around me, the number of people on the structure which was attached to a small pinnacle of rock, did make me nervous. Consequently I did not stay long.

A few kilometres later I left the blue trail for a red waymarked route that took me down to the river valley. Here there was an area with a restaurant, a historical display, stalls and a point where you could arrange a trip down the river on a flat bottomed boat. They were the same vessels that I saw yesterday, punted by men in embroidered waistcoat. From the displays, which were in Polish, I surmised that the taking of tourists on these traditional boats has happened for a century or more. If I was staying longer I would certainly take one of these river trips, but maybe on one of the kayaks that were offered.

There was then a tedious road walk to my campsite.

The campsite is of a reasonable standard. I made use of the shower and restaurant and generally had a lazy afternoon, hoping it would benefit my knee. I thought later I should have asked at the nearby boating location if they had any late afternoon trips down the river.

E3: Sczczawnica to Krościenko nad Dunajcem: Day 121

Today it was up a mountain, down to the Dunajec Gorge, up another mountain, down the mountain and then I decided to stop for the day.

For some reason, despite having checked the route last night, I completely missed that the E3 climbs a mountain called Szafranówka. For some reason I thought it followed the river and would be an easy, flat walk. Instead it was a steep climb, up a yellow waymarked trail, crossing under a chairlift. Seeing people (and their mountain bikes) drift upwards above me without any effort, just made me bitter. At the top the activities available included a long, curly slide which you went down on a sort of trolley, like a summer luge run. At the bottom there was a "ski" tow to pull you back up.

My route took me to an even higher summit where on a narrow ridge I reached the Slovakian border which I briefly followed. There was an equally steep descent to the River Dunajec now on a blue waymarked trails, where I could briefly walk in a relaxed fashion along a paved path and cycle lane.

I crossed the river on a foot ferry. A man with an embroidered waistcoat, propelled the flat bottomed boat to the other side with a pole, as if it was a large punt. As the river was flowing at a good pace, the boatman had to first push the boat upstream with powerful strokes so as to end at the landing point on the other side. Being a sunny Saturday the ferry was full of day trippers. 

The river lay in a gorge, and it was inevitable that there would be another steep climb on the other side. What I had not realised was how long the steep uphill section would be. The path was well constructed, zigzagging up the mountainside. Steps had been built and there was a metal handrail to assist the many people climbing up. The steel of the handrail had been polished to a shiny finish but the many tourists using it to pull themselves up. The E3 did not go quite to the top of the mountain, which was called Sokolica and nor did I. Not only did it mean an extra five minutes climbing (or so a sign claimed), there was also a charge to go up it.

On descending I missed a turn onto a green waymarked trail which caused me to re-evalute my day. I had planned to reach Sromowce Wyżne, but having started late (as I had breakfast at the hotel) and with the slow pace caused by the steep paths, it seemed unlikely that I would reach my intended destination at any reasonable time and my knee would certainly be complaining. So I booked a room near Krościenko for the night. 

After a steep descent there was a short walk by the river to this town. Flat bottomed boats similar to the ferry I had travelled in, were being poled down the river. The riffles on the water, and the occasional standing wave suggested the water was shallow, explaining the use of the punt like boats. I idly wondered how they got the boats back up the river, where tourist rides were offered on them. It would take a lot of effort to pole them upstream. Then I saw on the opposite bank the boats being loaded onto lorries, after being split longitudinally into four sections for easier handling. 

At Krościenko, I peered into a church, which despite its quite modern look on the outside, dated from the 14th century. Then, having plenty of time, I lunched on pierogies, a type of dumpling found across Eastern Europe. This was unfortunate as I discovered that the room I booked was above a restaurant that serves only pierogies, albeit with a varied fillings.

Deciding I needed something different I walked back into town. As cyclists and people on electric scooters sped up and down the pavement instead of the road, i kept well to the side. After passing a football match in progress I found a restaurant where I dined on trout. After I wandered back to the old church where a trumpet duo were playing a slow tune from the tower. Although not note perfect it made a sweet sound in the evening air.

E3: Rytro to Sczczawnica: Day 120

A sunny day in tree covered mountains with a lot of climbing and a complaining knee.

Leaving Rytro early I began the long climb, knowing today the total ascent would be in excess of 1400 metres. At first it was up quiet roads, where the firm surface made for good progress as I rose through green fields. Flowers such as pink clammy campion lined the roadside. Then it was into the forest on rough tracks, going forever upward.

As I climbed higher, conifers increasingly dominated the forest, pushing out the brighter greens of beech and birch as I crossed the 900 metre contour. The highest summit I reached today was the top of Radziejowa at 1266 metres, however I went even higher, climbing up the many stairs to the top of the observation tower. A few people were about, parents taking their child out into the country, the tower was a destination for their rambles.

Today, beyond the wooded mountains surrounding me, to the south west I could see the much higher, snow streaked mountains of the High Tartra, while to the north I could see large urban areas at lower elevations.

Around 1 pm I reached the Przehyba mountain hut where I bought a Coke and a slice of what might have been biscuit cake, a heavy offering containing chocolate and embedded pieces of biscuit. Probably highly calorific, but with all the walking uphill with a heavy rucksack I decided not to worry about getting fat (my watch suggests I am using around 3,500 calories a day). The hut, with its terrace looking out at the distant Tartras, was run by the PTTK, the Polish Society for Tourism and Sightseeing. As well as maintaining a network of huts they were also the originator of the waymarks and directional signs. A hiker who was also at the hut yesterday spotted me and said "hello". The hut was popular with both hikers and mountain bikers. Many parts of today's route were also bicycle trails, and in the winter, used for cross country skiing.

Hikers I met on the trail would say "hello", but in Polish. My phrase book says hello in Polish is Cześć (sounds like cheshch), which I did hear, but more often people said "Dobry", as far as I could tell, which means "good", it is easier to pronounce and I assume is short for "Good Day".

After the morning's exertion my left knee was suffering, not fully extending with each step. Tracks with loose stones, from a few inches to several inches in size were the main problem, they forced my knee to bend sideways and then the rock might slip away further annoying my knee. My progress was slow as I carefully picked my way through the rocks, or walked on adjacent rough ground. However, I was not going to let it stop me and there were many sections of hard earth where I could move faster with confidence.

Later in the afternoon, I deviated from the red stripes marking the Beskid Trail and followed yellow waymarks down to Sczczawnica. The town is squashed into a valley with parts built on its steep sides. It is another place with Spa facilities dating from the 1930's and places like an "Inhalatorium", with saline inhalation on offer. It is now a tourist town with hotels, restaurants and hiking opportunities. I liked some of the old, slightly delapidated wooden buildings at the edge of town with lace curtain. I wondered how often they had to treat the brown wooden cladding to preserve it. Nearer the centre the old villas with fancy woodwork around their balconies had been renovated, painted and converted to guesthouses, shops and other facilities. Their red metal roofs were moulded around a complex array of dormer windows.

After showering I rinsed some clothes, a task made more difficult by the lack of a plug in the washbasin, a frequent omission. Then I visited a restaurant. My chicken filet with mashed potatoes and salad was fine, yet everyone else's dinner looked better. Sadly I did not discover which items on the menu they ordered. Google Translate was essential to understand the Polish menu but it was difficult to know what the translation meant. As people wanted my table I paid and walked down the road to a stall selling gofrys (waffles) and had one with cream for dessert. Even then someone else did one better and had waffle with fruit and cream, I just do not have the words or actions to ask.

E3: Krynica-Zdrój to Rytro: Day 119

A dry day with sunny intervals walking over forested mountains.

Today the big climb was early on from the centre of Krynica-Zdrój at 587 metres to the top of a mountain called Jaworzyna Krynicka at 1114 metres. Apart from a dip into a valley filled with a modern hotel, spa and conference centre, it was a steady climb uphill through trees until I entered the sweeping, grass avenues of the downhill ski runs. Each side of the runs, snow making machines idly waited for mext winter. At one point I thought I was near the top after a particularly steep gradient. Cable cars coming up at a steady speed from the valley below were levelling out. However, the cable cars were merely dropping into a dip before rising to the final summit. I still had a kilometre or so of uphill to overcome.

Finally at the top ofJaworzyna Krynicka, among hiking groups who had reached the top the easy way in a cable car, I searched for the café. It was closed. So I set off along the red waymarked trails, soon leaving the industrial ski paraphernalia, and almost all the people, behind.

Now on higher ground the trail rose and fell across minor peaks. Occasional breaks in the trees where there were areas of grass or trees had been felled, allowed me to see ranges of wooded hills become greyer with distance. In one place I could see farmland at lower altitudes far to the north. Although mostly pleasant walking in mixed woodland with sunny patches, there were stony sections of track, where the scattered rocks caused my knee considerable discomfort and slowed my pace. Despite yesterday's rest day, the amount of fluid on my knee had not reduced.

A mountain hut made a convenient place to stop for a lunch break. Although no sign on the outside welcomed you in, I opened a few doors and found the canteen area. A few hikers were sitting at tables. Although they served hot food, the effort needed to translate the menu, and the piece of cake sitting beside the serving hatch, made it much easier to point to the cake when the lady serving said something unintelligible to me. She also understood what I meant when I asked for Coca-Cola. The cake was served with squirty cream and blackcurrant compote. I enjoyed this while others waited for some kind of hot food. I took the opportunity of the lunch stop to put on my knee support and swallow an ibuprofen which may have helped in the afternoon.

The trail continued for several more minor summits among the trees. During the day I passed two hiking groups as they rested, one of them obviously on a school outing. As with all the people I met today, there was very little English spoken.

Finally, at a high meadow, I saw beneath me the curving River Poprad, with villages grouped around it, way down, hundreds of metres below me. I prepared myself for a rapid descent. Much of this took the form of a muddy, stoney path with water tricking down it. Both knees felt the pain of holding my weight as I cautiously moved downward, trekking poles ahead of me. Among gaps in the trees I could see the castle ruins above Rytro.  Another castle dating from the 13th century, the remaining tower was encased in scaffolding. Eventually I reached a road, steep but with a firmer grip. Then I was crossing the river and heading towards my lodging in Rytro. 

My progress was halted by an ice cream stall which obviously needed attention. The lady serving added a mixture of flavoured ice cream to a cone and then weighed it to ensure I received the correct amount, adding a touch more or less to get it exact. Not a practice I had seen before. 

My accommodation was above a restaurant where I had a very purple, clear borscht soup with dumplings, followed by "robbers pancakes" with goulash and cabbage and carrot salads.

After dinner, I tried to make some repairs. One end of my hip pocket had come away from my rucksack's hip belt. I sewed it back together in the dim light of my bedroom but am unsure how long the frayed material I was sewing onto will last.

E3: Krynica-Zdrój rest day: Day 118

A day doing tourist stuff in a tourist town.

Krynica-Zdrój is an old spa town which blossomed in the 1930's. This is when the funicular was built that lifted me up to the summit of a nearby mountain, helped by the weight of the carraige coming down. At the top there was an observation tower (an extra 10 złotys) which I climbed to see the view in all directions. Fortunately there was no mist today, just cloud with the sun occasionally breaking through. From the top I could see the urban area spread along the base of the valley with mixed woodland on the surrounding mountains.

Beside the observation tower was a garden of "Music and Illumination". The Illumination would have to wait until it was dark, as for music there were a series of musical instruments made of plants, and plant covered images of people.

I walked down from the mountain to see an area of educational, hands on science exhibits, such as an Archimedean screw. Unfortunately all the instructions were in Polish making it difficult to know what other pieces of apparatus was meant to do.

In the centre of Krynica-Zdrój a long promenade beside a small river is the central feature. Each side are stalls selling tourist items: fridge magnets, mugs with town's name on, furry toys, gofry's (ie waffles), ice cream etc.. There are some old looking villas, some made of wood, serving as restaurants and guesthouses. Areas of grass were laid out with paths and lines of trees with many benches for people to rest, sunbathe or just pass the time relaxing. The town's visitors seem to be either groups of school children or middle aged people. The latter either carried walking sticks to stop them falling over, or because they were hiking in the area

This morning I woke up really stiff after yesterday's long walk and the lack of flexibility has continued through the day. Hoping it will improve by tomorrow as that is a 32 kilometre day with quite a bit of uphill.

In the evening I went to a show which, according to Google Translate, advertised Highland folk music, sausage, and repartie, very much an event for (Polish) tourists. It was of course the Polish Highlands. As it was all in Polish I copied what everyone else was doing. This involved collecting a large sausage and cooking it on a long fork in front of an open fire. My neighbour indicated how the fork could be fixed in place. Not sure how you were meant to know it was cooked but I left it as long as my neighbour did, it dripped oil and was hot when I ate it with a mild mustard, tomato sauce and the bread provided. The band, two trumpets, an accordian and a double bass, sang folk songs. For some songs the audience evidently knew the words and sang for the band, for others they knew the actions. There was dancing which almost everyone took part, but I had no-one to dance with. I very much missed my wife.

E3: Zdynia to Krynica-Zdrój: Day 117

An amazing day in which I walked over 35 kilometres with 1500 metres of ascent, for which I awarded myself a rest day.

The tourist spa town of Krynica-Zdrój was the next major destination after Zdynia. However, it was over 35 kilometres away with five mountains in the way. Having struggled to walk 25 kilometres recently I was not sure I could do it. As there were plenty of hotels in Krynica-Zdrój I decided to aim for it but be prepared to wild camp if I becane too tired, or my knee became too swollen and debilitated to reach it. Despite waking with a stiff left knee I surprised myself in achieving the distance. A clear target, a dry day and the potential reward of cake, coffee and beer probably helped, whereas recently the daily destination has been yet more forest and even more mountains to climb up and down. Less attractive.

I started promptly, enjoying the use of the toilet at my cabin in Zdynia after three nights of wild camping. At 7 am I was on my way, up the road, rejoining the E3, this time heading west towards its final destination on the Atlantic. With my morning's energy I was over the first two of the mountains ahead of the timings indicated on the signs. As the day progressed I was meeting the timings, and finally falling a little behind them. However, observing the time needed to reach Krynica slowly fall at successive posts was a major source of motivation. Unlike some of the earlier signs in Slovakia which were optimistic, those on the fingerposts in Poland seemed reasonable. 

On the first mountain top I found another First World War cemetery. It was designed by the architect who also was also responsible for the cemetery I saw yesterday. This held the Russian, Austrian and Hungarian dead from another battle that took place here. Rather than use heroic themes that glorified death for one's country, the architect used features of the local folk constructions, such as the wayside shrines. 

As well as five mountains I passed near or through five villages. These included a few old houses built of logs, with the gaps between the trunks filled in to make the house wind and water tight. Lace curtains hung in the windows. The final village had a shop where I bought an Ice cream and coke. Unfortunately my złotys were deep in my rucksack, however the lady serving took my card, after a bit of effort getting the card machine going.

My route went over ridges and across valleys. The villages lay at the bottom of the valleys surrounded by green fields of for grazing cattle or making hay. Yellow dandlelions covered the grass and I also saw blue bugleweed. These fields rose up the valley sides reaching the trees which grew on the higher ground. Today there were more conifers than on previous days, pine and fir trees. Where wood had recently been cut down the fresh scent of pine filled the air.

I met two Polish backpackers today, unfortunately they did not speak English, so we just "fist bumped" to express solidarity among hikers, that were were part of the same community. They were possibly following the Beskid Trail, the Carpathian Mountain Trail that the E3 follows in this part of Poland, marked by red stripes.

My final mountain was Huzary (864 metres). Although the climb was not too steep the summit seemed to take a long time to arrive. Then it was downhill to Karnica where I stopped at the first coffee shop for a latte and cake (actually a sort of brioche with bits of plum on top). This allowed me the time to put my poles away, switch my phone on and generally get ready for finding a hotel. I chose one near the coffee shop, picking one of the better rooms for a very reasonable price. Dinner was in a nearby restaurant with a large beer. Now stiff from my day's walk, I made my way back to the hotel. On the way I saw a many people collecting around the fountains in the main pedestrian area. At just after 8 pm, the water spurted up and down to music, illuminated by coloured lights.