Off to Bialystok for a business conference; early start from Warsaw (above), followed by nearly 200km of road. Bialystok, a city of 300,000 inhabitants, is the most nondescript of the three eastern Polish cities; unlike Lublin or Rzeszów, there's no charming starówka or Old Town.The placename 'Bialystok' I always associate with Mel Brooks' comedy The Producers - the Zero Mostel character Max Bialystock - his dim Swedish secretary answering the phone with the words "Bialystock and Bloom", or Max trying to sound posher by reinventing himself as "B. Ellie Stock".
Driving back to Warsaw this morning, I was put in mind of the road to Lublin, similar in atmosphere, though with heavier international truck traffic - much of it en route from the Baltic states through Poland and off to Germany and beyond. (Below:) Now and then, the sun broke through, but generally the early December gloom prevailed.
Another very interesting article; I really enjoy your "road experience" and your photos very much! The weather has been like that in Germany, too, but today it's sunny - hope we both get a decent winter at last!
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