Rolling through Polish history - coming to you this summer

I've been bike touring for the last three years and I have to face the truth: this one is for life. This July it will be Poland's largest river, connecting cities like Torun, Warsaw and Krakow. And this time, you may be involved.

There was a time when I found it hard to understand why anyone would voluntarily spend their holiday time on a bicycle, or simply ride more than 35 k a day. Then, in the summer of 2011, a seemingly harmless travel plan escalated and i found myself one misty october morning entering Istanbul by bike via a four lane highway. Hell on wheels. But even though this first trip ended in Cyprus instead of on a third continent, it was only the beginning of a serious love affair.

I was hooked. Not a year later I circled the Baltic sea, crossing 10 countries. This time I could not halt myself to enjoy the central European temparatures, but sped along. Due to low temperatures and long nordic days, I overdid and cycled 6000 km in just 3 months. In the last month alone I lost 8 kilos. It worked as a reminder to myself that cycling are about fun as well as dilligence.

Last year I initially thought I would leave the bike parked and do my travels mechanically, but frustrations with depending too much on the tourist infrastructure led me to schedule a 3 week leisurely trip from Bordeaux to Porto, familiarizing me with a shady green side of Spain I had no idea existed. I realised that I would not be able to spend a bike trip-free year.

So since spring 2014 has swung by, the unending itch is back. Where to go this year, and who with? The answer came last week when I recollected memories of my visit to Gdansk with my host Maciej. As a professional photographer he has told me about his photo series on parts of the Wistla river, Poland's main artery-like river that snakes from the Southern mountains to the Baltic Sea in the North. Maciej is a bike enthusiast as well, and I jokingly suggested following the whole distance of the river. Maciej agreed.

Now the details are still up in the air, as the wedding season is at its high point in July- providing Maciej's bread and butter - but the dice are cast. It will be my pleasure to present a detailed description of the trip, alongside a historical portrait of this part of Europe that has so often been at the center of our continent's developments.

If you are keen to come along for a part of the road, there is room for enthusiasts. And if you live or know someone on the route that might be interested in showing some of the local history or meeting for tea, please let me know. More to come soon.