we are now somewhere in Lithuania, we were supposed to be in Vilnius which is the capital of Lithuania but found out they have a city festival and that means it'll be crowded, so Mom stopped at a parking place to look where else to go, and we're still at that place. First, she got hungry and cooked, and then she needed a nap? and oh well.............we're in no hurry.

Before it got dark we had this view.

There are storks nests everywhere here and apparently, it's baby season 

last night we slept by a lake in a very quiet spot, can't really say that about this spot, it's too close to the road, and when we pulled in here we saw this sign. It looks like we're under camera surveillance and that sounds like it'll be very safe? right. According to google translate, it says: You will be fined for the sale of household items.................ok we are not selling anything

When we woke up this morning we finally see blue skies and a sun on it's way up, so we went for a nice long walk by the lake. This bird looks familiar 

but I have never seen this kind before?

Leaving this place around noon and heading north we start to see signs that let you know it'snot that far to Russia, and Mom worries about Linnea leading us wrong so we mistakingly cross the border to Putin land. According to Moms friend, we will know for sure where that border is............haha

He also asked for more pictures of the country and the people, enough churches already ...............so we stopped in a small village, one street a couple of bars and a supermarket a bunch of old guys sitting on a bench drinking beer and shooting the shit. Mom bought an ice cream and we sat and took in the scene. 

There were quite a few curious stares and this man chatted away with Mom and she responded to him in English and Swedish telling him she's sorry she can't speak Polish. It didn't seem to bother him at all. He still told her his story

the ice cream was delicious, I didn't want any even though Mom offered to me

A Munk on a mountain bike is not something you see every day.

The Polish people are really serious about their cemeteries, we have seen many like this and this one in the middle of nowhere it seemed?

Another thing here is the constant detours because of road work, and that usually ends up getting very bumpy, but this one broke a record. Mom was so sure Linnea screwed up because how can you possibly meet another vehicle here? 

and when she met a guy in a Volvo that happily waved she was sure this is not going to end well...........(she thought he was laughing at her choice)

then this sign popped up ?? and ok this is for eighteen wheelers too? I sure hope we will not meet on now

all went well. Another sign we often see is this, but we never see many cows or is it a bull warning? Either way, we don't  see them often and never on the road

This is me telling Mom I have to go out NOW......................

see you tomorrow......................all is well

It is still crappy weather (and it's a heat wave in Sweden? can't win)  

I'm still in my bunk sleeping while Mom who couldn't sleep is updating my blog. It's very quiet here so I don't understand why she's not sleepy.............oh well

Yesterday when we got to Warsaw we found a parking space a few blocks from the old town right on the river and that's where we spent the night, and for some reason, Mom couldn't get the modem to work so there so no wifi no update of the blog. It also turned out to be a bad choice to spend the night here since the noise from traffic was on all night. Didn't bother me so much but it kept Mom up.

Warsaw is the capital and the largest city of Poland The metropolis stands on the Vistula River in east-central Poland and its population is officially estimated at 1.765million Moreover, its historical old town was designated a UNESCO world heritage site. Sounds like a repeat from other cities we have visited and honestly, that's the way it feels now.

Warsaw was once described as Paris of the east andwas believed to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world until World war II when the German invasion started in 1939.

These kids had a ball playing with the water pump...........kids are never cold it seems

the famous mermaid statue, no idea what she has done to become famous, but that's what it said in the tour flyer, which we didn't bother with. This weather didn't inspire to do anything at all although Mom would have liked the Chopin concert offered in one of the chapels.............but for whatever reason, I wouldn't be allowed to attend

The history of Warsaw is like other cities we visited in Poland horrific, there was the massacre of the Jewish population and deportations to concentration camps which led to the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto in 1943 and to the major and devastating Warsaw uprising between August and October 1944.

Warsaw gained the new title of Phoenix City because of its extensive history and complete reconstruction after the severe damage it suffered in World War II, which left over 85% of its buildings in ruins. The city was awarded Poland's highest military decoration for heroism, following the Siege of Warsaw.

Central Poland, including Warsaw, came under the rule of, a German Nazi colonial administration. All higher education institutions were immediately closed and Warsaw's entire Jewish population – several hundred thousand, some 30% of the city– were herded into the Warsaw ghetto.

The city would become the center of urban resistance to Nazi rule in occupied Europe. When the order came to annihilate the ghetto as part of Hitler's "Final solution" on 19 April 1943, Jewish fighters launched the Ghetto uprising Despite being heavily outgunned and outnumbered, the Ghetto held out for almost a month. When the fighting ended, almost all survivors were massacred, with only a few managing to escape or hide

An old man who went for ice cream with his dog who's begging for a taste .................and he is kind to share 

Hitler, ignoring the agreed terms of the capitulation, ordered the entire city to be razed to the ground and the library and museum collections taken to Germany or burned.

Monuments and government buildings were blown up by special German troops known as"Burning and Destruction Detachments".About 85% of the city had been destroyed, including the historic Old Town and the Royal Castle which was burned and looted by the Nazis in 1939 and almost completely destroyed in 1944 after the failed uprising. Reconstruction of the castle carried out in 1971-1984 was led by the Civic Committee, responsible for the reconstruction of Warsaw. It was afforded by mainly US donations 

By July 1944, the Red Army came deep into Polish territory and pursuing the Germans toward Warsaw.

Knowing that Stalin was hostile to the idea of an independent Poland, the Polish government in exile in London gave orders to the underground home army to try to seize control of Warsaw from the Germans before the Red Army arrived. It was in August 1944, as the Red Army was nearing the city, and the uprising began.

The armed struggle, planned to last 48 hours,and was partially successful, however it went on for 63 days. Eventually, the Home Army fighters and civilians assisting them were forced to capitulate. They were transported to pow camps in Germany, while the entire civilian population was expelled. Polish civilian deaths are estimated at between 150,000 and 200,000.

On 17 January 1945, the Soviet troops and Polish troops entered the ruins of Warsaw and liberated Warsaw's suburbs from German occupation. The city was swiftly taken by the Soviet Army, which rapidly advanced towards Lodz as German forces regrouped at a more westward position.

This is called the Barbicanand was largely destroyed, as were most of the Old Town's buildings. It was rebuilt after the war, during 1952–1954, on the basis of 17th-century etchings, as the new government decided it would be cheaper to rebuild the Barbican and the nearby city walls as a tourist attraction than to rebuild the tenements. In its reconstruction, bricks were used from historic buildings demolished in the cities of Nysa and Wroclaw most of it was rebuilt, save for two exterior gates and the oldest tower on the side of the Old Town. 

I say I'm still one of the biggest tourist attraction in every city we visit. Maybe I should have a little cup on the carriage for donations as street performers do?

the stadium on the other side of the river

this looked like a great interesting shop,but we had a feeling the shop owner would not be happy if we pulled the muddy wheels of my wagon over those pretty rugs.

this is about getting along even if we are different

Mom actually tried these taps to see if any beer came out of them? 

A little old lady watching what's happening in the streets below. I do think she notices Mom taking pictures of her because she quickly closed the window and pulled the lacy curtain shut.

The old town which like in all cities is covered in cobblestones and  usually the outside restaurants are full of tourists but today's weather is keeping them from sitting outside Mom getting hungry was looking for a place for us to eat, and since she prefers the little "hole in the wall"places we asked to come inside here, but not possible because of me. I don't get it? I'm sitting quietly in my carriage?

Oh well, eventually we were invited into a very nice place and this dish was suggested. It was a potato pancake and a meat stew with mushrooms and topped with another pancake. I loved the meat and there was so much Mom could finish and she didn't let me do it. Here in Poland there is no custom of taking leftovers home, which I think is a shame, it would have been a great breakfast for me.

It is cold and wet, not a great day for a stroll, so after supper, we walked back to Lucy and tried to sleep. Unfortunately Moms choice of parking spot wasn't that great since the traffic noise never seemed to end.

We got up really early and continued on North, not exactly sure what's next. Moms mood are as gray as the weather and she's pissed about the modem not working and was looking for a free wifi hotspot to figure out what's wrong.

Often the bigger gas stations have wifi so she pulled in and tried to fix this issue. She got online but still couldn't connect to the modem. Ready to give up she met two young men who were hitchhiking, and she invited them to come along and it didn't take one of them long to fix it. Here they are at a short stop for a bite to eat

They were heading up to Poland's biggest lakes to go sailing and it wasn't far from our plans to begin with and it'll take us off the high ways on much nicer roads.

Both guys spoke good English and although I had to give up my seat and the weather still sucked we had a great time and learned more about everyday living in Poland.

We dropped them off at a marina and Mom had the brilliant idea about looking for the chemical we needed for Lucy and yesss score. According to Linnea, there were so many camps to choose around these lakes so Mom picked one that looked good, but when we got there it was so bad we didn't stay and that's a first.

Finally found a nice place by a lake and if it wasn't for the rain it would be great.................maybe tomorrow will be better

It is now 4 am and Mom is coming back to bed and back under the covers so I can keep her warm, it is cold

it'll get better later 

..................................