Day 15.

 Day 15. Tuesday August 26 

(Happy 1st Birthday to grandaughter Lauren. Today is for you.)

Suwalki to Goniadz (Poland)

96km

Weather: Stayed dry all day although a thunder storm crossed my route...ahead of me. Wind calm for most but headwind for last 20km into destination. So much nicer than yesterday.

Road conditions: Lovely road surfaces; gravel sections were ridable; cycle paths approaching all  towns.

Ready to leave Suwalki at 7:30 ; could have left earlier as sun had been up for an hour...it doesn't adhere to time zones.

By 3km I was out of town, turn left at ALDI and I had the road to myself.

Passed along by a military base (on my right) and a mighty gravel mine/pit on my left.

Then I was entering into Wigry National Park. Beautiful riding here and the narrow gauge (60mm) tourist railway crossed my path often. This was originally a 45km forestry service railway built during German occupation. Since 2001 9km of it is used as a tourist attraction running 3 times  daily.

At 18km I dropped down to a jetty on mighty Wigry Lake (the growth on the 'far side' is just one of many small islands. No combustion engines allowed to users. The couple going out fishing as I was there had a small battery outboard.

No big expanses of wheat today; it was predominantly maize. More cows and chickens visible but really savored the aroma of the freshly turned sod. Delightful!

I had a 9km spin on gravel through noble stands of pine and silver birch claiming its space where light still penetrated.

Met more cyclists today than yesterday...not surprising. Some were just out for a daily spin while I came across 4 heavily laden touring cyclists as I neared Godianz.

The largest town I passed through today was Augustow, a renowned therapeutical spa town on the river Netta.

After my morning break at 50km I noticed darkening clouds ahead. By 55km it was clear that 2 thunderstorms were out there but they were moving across (west to east) in front of me. I could hear the thunder. They were well ahead of me but a few drops began to fall. I decided to rest up and monitor those moving clouds. Having swept across I proceeded and sure enough the road showed plenty of puddles. I had escaped.

With clear skies ahead, no need to rush and I pulled up by a wayside shrine for a bite and to remove the jacket.

At 94 km I pulled into my accommodation, Dom Piotra in Goniadz but cycled back to town to a skelp to provide for tomorrow's breakfast. All counter service again in both I visited.

A dry day of cycling, I suppose I deserved it after the previous days. Forecast looks good for tomorrow.

I dined in the restaurant with meat dumplings....not my favourite.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.