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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Oct 09, 2014 04:00 PM I am boarding the ship
Silent night in Residencial Universitaria. I recognized that it is the same tiny place whwre I stayed in 2005 at the beginning of my Transafrican voyage. Then is was a little brothel. :) Now, renovated and painted it is worth to recommend for budget travellers.Wi-fi works here well.
In a quarter of time I am marching to the port to board a cheap ship. It is Empress - the same ship I was crossing Atlantic Ocean in the spring.
Internet is expensive on the ship so do not be surprised if I will upload nthe next message only few days later. Ahoy!
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Oct 08, 2014 04:00 PM One more time in Malaga
To combine two low-cost flights I was forced to start early. At 5 am I was already in the Gdansk airport. At 6 we departed to Dortmund aboard wizz plane. To reduce the cost I travel only with a little carry-on baggage. At 8 we landed in Dortmund - good hub for low-cost airlines, but little and poor airport. No free wi-fi! To get to your next plane you have to go out and again through the security. It took me 40 min.
Then Ryanair took me then to Malaga. 3 hours flight for 35 USD - good deal! Bid and small carry-on bags are included and they offer more space for my long legs.
Malaga airport is now much nicer then years ago. Be prepared for the long way going out. Instead of city bus for 1,30 euro they introduced A airport bus for 3 euro - good way to milk travellers.
Near the cathedral I found the cheapest single room in the city. Shared bath but very clean and private for 15 euro (book via booking.com)
It is hidden in the narrow allej San Jose -entry from San Augustin.
Sunny afternoon. I climbed again to Gibralfaro castle for the great view of the city and port. Can you imagine that they charge 5 eu for the entry to the cathedral?
Please come better to my Gdansk. Churches are free and for the bus from the airport you will pay less then 1 euro!
But Malaga with palm trees and blue sea is still nice...
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Oct 07, 2014 04:00 PM New interesting journey!
I pack my backpack again! How it is possible?
Well... Most of you know that there is something like "The art of inexpensive traveling". Just learn and go!
For the autumn of this year I planned to travel beyond the Urals, but the sad events in Ukraine and arousing anti-Western sentiment in Russia forced me to change my plans quickly. What was possible to prepare in the short time? I spent already 10 days in the famous Italian Dolomites. Now I fly on the low-cost airlines to Malaga to board an inexpensive cruise ship sailing to Mallorca, Corsica and Sardinia. After the cruise I want to cross Spain by bus on my way to Northern Portugal, visiting on the way the most interesting places. I hope it will be another nice journey...
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Sep 27, 2014 04:00 PM Thank you captain Wojnowski and my congratulations!
"Lady Dana 44" is back! It took them more then a year (with wintering in Vancouver)
to sail through the NEPassage and NWPassage.
They achieved their difficult goal - as the only Polish yacht they circumnavigated in one trip the North Pole.
Only very few vessels of other flags did it in the past. I am very proud of them!
I still keep my picture with the captain Ryszard Wojnowski taken at the farewell ceremony on 9th June 2013.
Today we made one more - after their successful return!
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Sep 26, 2014 04:00 PM Our brave sailors are back from Round the North Pole...
Do you remember my entry of June 9th 2013?:
"..... Yacht "Lady Dana 44" is made of steel! The target of the voyage is to sail on a sailing yacht under Polish flag around the North Pole during one summer season, across the free of ice waters of the Arctic Sea, first along the northern coast of Eurasia to the Bering Strait, and further east, along the northern coast of North America, to finish the circle across the Atlantic.
The leader of the expedition is cpt Ryszard Wojnowski, 55 According to the itinerary they expect to be back in Poland in around 4 months. I wish them to achieve the dream target. Lets keep the fingers crossed for them...."
I had a pleasure to attend in Sopot the welcome back home celebration. They did it!
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Sep 21, 2014 04:00 PM By rail, by bus, by plane...
Lovely weather in La Spezia. No more railway strike!
But it is time to go home... I boarded again intercity train in La Spezia. It was full, so it is better to book your seat in advance via trenitalia.com. I passed again the tunnels of Cinque Terre.
There were nice views of the Mediteranean Coast around Rapallo.
In sunny Milan there were 24 deg. Celsius. I bought for just 5 euro bus ticket to Bergamo airport. It took me about an hour to get there.
My low cost flight was on time. When two hours later I landed in my Gdansk it was only 13 deg Celsius. Welcome home after short but interesting voyage! And get ready for the next flight - soon!
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Sep 20, 2014 04:00 PM Cinque Terre
Five beautiful villages of Cinque Terre are connected by the railway line passing many longs tunnels. So the best access is by rail. When I arrived to the station in the morning 8.02 train was on display so I bought the ticket and run to the platform 6. A group of people was there. Then the train dissappeared from display. They said: rail is on strike till 9 pm!
What should I do? I found two nice people from China to share the cost of the taxi to the second village -Manarola (40 euro). I did not go to the first village - Riomaggiore because Italians closed the trail between R and Manarola.
Manarola is nice, but once there I recognized the the Italians closed also coastal trail between second and third village. To get to the third - Corniglia I was forced to climb through the vineyards to the upper trail.
Views were nice but a lot of sweat. Then I climbed up to the cliff to get to the fourth village - Vernazza. And Vernazza will be the highlight of the day. The fifth village is just a beach resort.
This was the day of the great landscapes. But because the false information, the strike and closing trail without information I will boycott maccaroni and pizza for next 2 months, dear Italians! :)
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Sep 19, 2014 04:00 PM Milan - after 40 years...
No more car driving. In 7 days I did more then 1500 kms (very good score on the mountain roads) with the fuel consumption slightly less then 5 l per 100 kms. Well done!
Morning in Milan was hazy. I took the walk to the well- known places. 40 years left since my first visit. Am I so old? City did not changed much. It is still grey and chaotic. Famous cathedral is ornate outside but dark inside. La Scala building never impressed me. And if you want to see famous Vinci's fresco The last supper you pay 8 euro (tickets were sold for 5 days ahead).
In the afternoon I took intercity train to La Spezia on the Ligurian Coast. It cost only 9 euro for 3-hours journey if you buy in advance via internet. Train was full. La Spezia is just a port with few hunderd meters long, palm fringed see promenade. I came here to see famous Cinque Terre. Bad news: railway people plan to strike tomorrow so there will be no easy access to CT tomorrow. Italia: it is much better to organize strike on Sunday and to stay home with a family than to work :)
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Sep 18, 2014 04:00 PM One day - four passes!
It is hard to believe but today is the last day of driving through the picturesque Dolomites. Before 4 pm I must return the car in Bergamo airport. It is quite long way from Pieve to Bergamo but I still wanted to see new, interesting landscapes on the way. I started early climbing the secondary road to Cibiana Pass. Then descent to Zoldo and climb to Passo Duran. Againn descent to Agordo and Falcade and coimb to Passo Valles - 2045 m. The last one and the best one was Passo Rolle with the great view of the peaks towering over San Martino township.
San Martino will be for sure no. 3 on my Dolomites hit parade.
How many switchbacks today? Who knows? Smoking breaks... When I found myself down in Trento it was late and I decided to use the motorway to be on time in Bergamo. It cost me 13,40 euro of fees :(
Heavy rainstorm came when I was returning the car.
Then 5-euro bus took me to Milano Centrale.
Heavy day, but I managed to see all places... UNESCO declared The Dolomites World Heritage Place. I agree that they are exceptional!
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Sep 17, 2014 04:00 PM Cortina d'Ampezzo and more...
It is only 35 km from Pieve de Cadore where I stay to the famous ski resort of Cortina d'A. Driving there you will pas many little townships and finnaly on the right you will see huge rocky pyramide of Mt Antelao - it is more then 3200 m high!
Cortina is elegant resort with the center closed fot moto traffic. Just near the nice basilica you will find the tourist office distributing good maps.
It is definitely worth to continue from Cortina in the direction of Toblach for the views and turn right to the Lake Misurina locared at the bottom of high peaks.
You are now close to the icons of the Dolomites: 3 Cime of Lavaredo - 3 rock pillars are on the postcards and posters. If by car - it costs 24 euro for the last 6 kms to the car park. Then you need about 3,5 hours to walk around the pillars. I did not - there were thick fogg - they have a webcam to check the current situation.
Once back in Pieve I climbed Monte Ricco - little peak overlooking the valley. From the fort on the top there is nice view of the dam and the artificial lake.
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