We had intended to stay another day in Slovakia, popping into the nearby town of Dolny Kubin for lunch, to catch our breath before the vast distances that Poland will bring. Here’s what actually happened….
The morning is uneventful enough. We make it into Dolny Kubin to pick up a few supplies, but at some point Himself rolls the drivers window down…and it just stays there. No entreaties can encourage it back up again. This goes well beyond nuisance value – without a functional window, there’s no security. We can’t leave the motorhome, we can’t lock it, and we definitely can’t sleep in it.
Thoughts of lunch set aside, it’s a frantic Google search to identify a repair centre. It’s potentially physical – the cable may have snapped, or otherwise it could be electrical. Luckily, there’s a place nearby and once language barriers are overcome, the door is stripped and examined.
It’s not the cable – our man says, it’s the motor that runs the mechanism. It’s burnt out. He resolves our short term problem by fixing the driver’s window in a permanently closed position. Great for security, less so for toll booths. We’ll need to find a Fiat centre where a suitable replacement part might be available, ASAP.
By this time, thoughts of lunch are long gone. We decide to hit the road instead, bound for Poland. We’re at the very edge of Central Slovakia – it’s quite rural, farmland with traditional wooden cottages and ski chalets perched up high.
There’s just one last castle, before we cross the Polish border.
Farewell Slovakia, you’ve been equally fascinating and lovely.
Poland is immediately different. The architecture is the first thing I notice. Big is the rule, four stories are the norm.
The blocks are enormous, and it’s not unusual to see chickens, sheep or even a couple of cows grazing in front yards.
Colours are bright, the language incomprehensible, and the euro is out. It’s all about the zloty here. It’s all a bit of a culture shock.
We had intended to push through to Krakow, but Himself decides to leave it to tomorrow, when we’ll have more time to hunt down a Fiat centre.
By mid afternoon, we settle in the quiet surrounds of Lake Dobczyce
and take ourselves off for a calming walk.
I could have done without that window drama, between you and me.
Miss Baci Travels 