Day Twelve - Łeba to Gdañsk (84mi)
Today was mostly about business, the business of getting to Gdañsk after six days in a row of riding that has tested my mind and body. The rain. The mud. The sand. The route changes. I just wanted to get to Gdañsk and try out the clothes that have been wet for a few days.
As a result, there aren’t many photos for today, but the ones I have at the end of this post will make up for the lack of quantity.
The plan was highway 213 all the way to Puck. I would have to deal with cars, but that would be better than pushing through sand. I had a MASSIVE tailwind. I was riding 20-30 mph in sections. It was insane. I didn’t take any photos until after Puck. This was a nice flat section heading towards Gdynia.
Poland is investing in infrastructure, and it shows. This is a rest area off the bike path for cyclists, so cool!
I love the character of the bus stops here. Every one is different. I came across this one while meandering through the woods, and then back out to the small town of Rzucewo.
Gdynia is a port city, and not super pleasant to pass through on bike. That said, it’s relevant and interesting from an international commerce standpoint for Poland. The port is massive, and makes the center of the city. Note the empty beer bottles on top of the bike in the fencing. Not from me.
Despite being built around a port, the city has made infrastructure for cyclists. The USA needs to take a lesson from this.
There are these stops for cyclists at the lights, made for resting your feet on as you wait for the light to change. Brilliant. It made the experience of riding through Gdynia more pleasant.
Heading south through Sopot was beautiful. The beaches were gorgeous, and I was treated to a rainbow!
Getting into the outskirts of Gdañsk you could start to see the beginnings of a true Polish city, like I remember living in 20 years ago. This was an apartment block outside of the center. These were built after WWII for efficiency, and low cost. They seem to be becoming a relic here now.
Finally I entered the Długi Targ (long market) area where my hotel is. I walked around before dinner and shot some photos of the space. The light was good and it felt great to be heading into a rest day.
Dobranoc (good night)!