Biking

I’ve been riding a bike in Poznan for the last couple of years – ever since my friend, Elzbieta, planned an outing for us on bicycles.  Before that, my last bike had a baby seat on the back.  The baby now rides a motorcycle and is old enough to rent a car, so it’s been awhile.

I usually do a lap or two around Lake Malta.  When I’m feeling really up for a challenge, I have done as much at 30 miles at the lake; that’s a lot of laps.  Occasionally, I’ll ride to the supermarket and bring home groceries in the basket that’s designed to carry a dog.  I’ve also taken the dog to the vet’s office just a few blocks away by bike, and one time I biked to Sweet Surrender.

Recently, my husband got the clearance and encouragement to start biking as part of his physical therapy in recovering from sepsis.  No surprise here, the fighter pilot is more adventuresome than the accountant – also better with maps.  I think it’s been 3 weeks since we started riding together and I’ll bet we’ve logged 100 miles and only 1 lap around the lake. There are some really nice long bike paths in Poznan; they’re just not all connected at this point.  If one path has been too congested, Ed has been really good at finding us a better route.

We have been exploring, been to the Olympic Stadium, through the forest, found the remnants of old forts (the fortress kind not the kids playing kind), and out for pizza on our bikes.  We’ve ridden on a narrow bike path that is in the median of a highway – cars whizzing by both sides in opposite directions; that will make you dizzy.  We’ve found some beautiful paths along the river, although, this time of year, some that we’ve looked for are under water.

We’ll try this one again when the river is lower

This bridge to the cathedral used to be the middle span near Polyteknika Univ.  Our friend, Norbert (who is now a professor at said university), told us that when he was in school it was tradition to walk over the top of the arch.  I can’t remember if it was at the end of the year or when you graduated.  Maybe someone who knows will answer that question.  It’s now the place where couple seal their commitment with a lock and throw away the key.

It’s also a popular spot for wedding photos

Lois Britton

An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com,  she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.