Poland and into Germany - just

We have spent 5 nights in a campsite near Cottbus just over the border from Poland - catching up with washing - clothes and Sally, who was covered in thick dust - and chilling out with ice cream, cold beer and shade (thank goodness for the bigger fridge in Sally 2!).  We have had some very high temperatures - in the low 40s - one of the reason's we decided to 'rest up' for a few days.  Today has been up to about 37.  We have also decided that we will not be going to Berlin next (it will still be there when we come back this way again) - it is far too hot for visiting cities, so we plan to make our way slowly towards the Baltic coast, and work our way along the north of Germany, hopefully catching some sea breezes on the way.

Some pictures of what we have seen

Torun

Birthplace of Niclaus Copernicus.  Like Darwin 2 centuries later, he was considered a heretic (and, no doubt, a lunatic) for his theories - in his case that the earth revolves round the sun and not the other way round.

We have a Pied Piper - they have a fiddler (not sure if he was 'pied' or not!).  In his case it was a plague of frogs which he saved the town from.

Frances laughs at the fact that I notice such things, but with this standard of workmanship, it is not surprising that so many Polish building workers were able to find jobs in the UK.  Nor is it surprising that so many have now gone 'back home' - there is more building going on in Poland now than there is in the UK!

But the building quality may not always have been so good.  Apparently they have put in new, horizontal, floors so your beer won't spill

Warsaw

An older building - a present from Stalin - never much liked and still there is a lobby to have it removed.  It bears a striking resemblance to 'Stalin's birthday cake' in Riga.  It seems that the architect was going to get paid anyway, so why bother thinking up something different?!

A mermaid - symbol of Warsaw.  I thought that was Copenhagen??  And so far from the sea?  I am confused.  The water around it was much appreciated by children on a very hot day

And finally - any football fans?  Leszno have a pretty impressive stadium, with plenty of room for coaches on match days - leaving room for a good overnight stop for us well away from the road.  Have they been in any European competitions, I wonder?  They were obviously having a lot of work done to the stadium during the off-season