2011-8-12 Vilinus to Warsaw via marijampole

Rained again in the night so damp leaving but as usual it soon

warmed up and was fine. Have to head west to Marjipole as the

straightline route is thru Russian Belaruss which we don't have letter of invitation or a visa.

Rolling country ripe for

harvesting when the paddocks and grain dry a bit more. Of course we are in crane country so all eyes open for a nest, and one with

chicks. The locals must help the birds as the pole platforms are

braced at the top as the nest are bid and I suppose could short

the power wires otherwise. I'm driving first thing this morning so

have to train my mechanic to have his camera in his hand and look

for the perspective shot, good lighting and shutter speed. He did OK like I drive OK.

 We crossed into Poland at an old border

crossing where the trucks still require inspections. We changed

our Euros into Zlotys enough to tide us over. We see some nests

but no birds on top and then head for Augustow a lakeside village

with market square and Catholic church bleassed by John Paul II.
We boiled the billy outside the undertakers room while they washed

their cars and then loaded this enormous megaphone into the lead

car. Perhaps the client's family is deaf or the crowd will be

large ?. We spied this shelter beside a house in town.

Not a lot of traffic on A16 but we do pick the trucks on E67 as we

get closer to Warsaw.

Now we spot so birds on the nest so roar off the road to park. The

others follow suit while a truck brakes and goes around us. Three

in the nest.

We now start to see hay balers and headers, rakes trailers etc

hard at work.

The country is very catholic with crosses and little santuaries on

the roadsides everywhere.
We had a major wait approaching some roadworks but it seemed worse

for those coming from Warsaw as they were going away for the

weekend with their canoes and racing bikes on the roof. Some were

towing caravans.

 Very much like at home. We battled our way in

with the GPS behaving better than it did at the start of the day

especially when I followed a learner bus driver off the

expressway. We also saw a lot of learn to drive cars from a local 

business.