Leaving my apartment in Krakow, Poland wasn’t easy. Not only did I have to wake up super early to clean the apartment and prepare my bicycle, but after more than a month in the city I had really started to feel at home there. I loved my little 4th floor apartment and getting back on my bike meant cycling in the cold, dark elements of winter once again. But I had committed to riding my bicycle to Slovakia (three days away) and it was time to get back on the road.
The first day of riding (from Krakow to nearby Gmina Kalwaria Zebrzydowska) was cold, short and easy. I covered only 35 kilometers before reaching my destination some time around 2 PM. Knowing I had little ground to cover that day, I stopped to take photos and even considered riding to the next town up the road because the day had ended so quickly. Instead, however, I checked myself in to the small Viktor Inn ($16 per night) and quickly fell asleep. I was tired from having woken up so early and my ankle was hurting me (I think I twisted it somewhere along the ride that day), so I wanted to get some rest and be prepared for the next day of cycling.