The fine weather continued, after a minor thunder storm. The first signs of lightning were noticed over breakfast, prompting discussion of waterproofing strategies. The first raindrops were felt whilst loading the van, so we opted for a brief delay to the scheduled departure time, to "wait out the shower". This wasn't hugely successful: a brief lull in the weather lured us onto the road in time for the main event. Torrential rain followed. The usual excitements of giant-lorry-dodging were given an extra frisson by the tidal waves unleashed when they hit the puddles. The various waterproofing strategies were each in their own way inadequate to the task, though your correspondent's favourite was the fetching red-riding hood inspired outfit, designer unknown, sported by Damien.
The rain did eventually stop, and the sun returned. The drying out process was assisted by a relentless headwind, making for fairly hard going. The team managed pretty good pace nonetheless, stopping for lunch in Nieszawa and, despite simultaneous punctures from Andrew and Alex, arriving on time for the scheduled hospice stop. The biscuits and coffee were very welcome, as were the fresh plums. The hospice itself dealt mainly with children, seeming to fulfil various functions from palliative care to post-operative rehab and orphanage. The whole operation seemed to result from the efforts of one couple, the husband responsible for the bulk of the building work and the wife coordinating the administrative side. Despite the money worries that seem to dog the majority of these institutions, they seemed to be proud and happy to have achieved so much with what the funds they had.
Everyone was excited to be in a town for the evening, so excited in fact that the evening in Torun stretched, for some long into the night, with more than one "recovery beer".
The rain did eventually stop, and the sun returned. The drying out process was assisted by a relentless headwind, making for fairly hard going. The team managed pretty good pace nonetheless, stopping for lunch in Nieszawa and, despite simultaneous punctures from Andrew and Alex, arriving on time for the scheduled hospice stop. The biscuits and coffee were very welcome, as were the fresh plums. The hospice itself dealt mainly with children, seeming to fulfil various functions from palliative care to post-operative rehab and orphanage. The whole operation seemed to result from the efforts of one couple, the husband responsible for the bulk of the building work and the wife coordinating the administrative side. Despite the money worries that seem to dog the majority of these institutions, they seemed to be proud and happy to have achieved so much with what the funds they had.
Everyone was excited to be in a town for the evening, so excited in fact that the evening in Torun stretched, for some long into the night, with more than one "recovery beer".
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