I’ve never thought myself of choosing kayak facing a choice between canoeing and deckchair. Moreover – my children neither. And we all shall be delighted.
It was one of these September Saturdays when Poles woke up in the morning and didn’t believe in what they saw outside. Cloudless sky, sun, although happened to be higher, looked like taken from the middle of the summer. Such Saturday couldn’t have been wasted!
SO WE GO TO PILICA RIVER!
To canoeing! Choice was quite strange because I entertained myself this way in secondary school, on the lake and all I remember is an ignominious defeat feeling while trying to coordinate with my co – paddler. That’s not for me I thought then and gave up paddling for the indefinite period of time. Till the aforementioned Saturday when at the morning we got in the car and chose a GPS coordinates of a city associating itself explicitly – WARKA.
Why Warka? Because Łukasz was waiting for us there. Man from www.nadpilice.pl who one day gave up corporation to organise canoeing on the beautiful Pilica river. He invited us to Warka and organised the whole day so that it passed slowly and leisurely which, as it is commonly known, is next to impossible.
But he succeed. Pilica’s current is not especially rushing but effectively helps to steer downstream. And I didn’t have to paddle desperately. I sat in canoe (also called “canadian” or in Polish “kanu”) with Łukasz as a steersman and my daughter as a ballast. Fortunately it was quite shallow and I was not afraid of drowning and death in torment (as one knows I have an active imagination and I can complicate as no one). And so, in the idyllic atmosphere we wandered on Pilica river, talking about life, nature and water Pokemons which are said to be present in the river in huge amount.
I watched my son in the nearby kayak. He experienced some king of five year old boy’s ecstasy and I thought that children don’t need an event with face – painting to make their childhood colourful. Paddle is enough.
DID KAZIMIERZ PUŁASKI PRACTISED CANOEING?
The first turnabout took place when we landed near a park. Since sightseeing does not interfere with broadening one’s horizons. Quite on the contrary! Directly from the decks of our ships we moved to Kazimierz Pułaski Museum – a man due to his great contribution to American independence – called a father of American cavalry. Americans really love him, even on 11th October (his death’s anniversary) they celebrate Pulaski’s Day. And Warka’s neighbourhood is a place where he spent his childhood. I don’t know whether he practised canoeing on Pilica. The reason probably is that I didn’t watch the exposition precisely. With two children that’s not easy moreover that the most they liked the multimedia exposition, dedicated to town’s history and brewery tradition. But not only. It turned out that Warka has a rich history and Kazimierz Pulaski is just a part of it. But I shall write about it some other time because Warka deserves a separate story.
We got back to our canoes in the atmosphere of a conflict between our children: who fumbled in the chest with treasures first and who was allowed by a tour guide to press an elevator button first. It sometimes looks like that while travelling with children. I recommend a museum, especially a reading room! There one may find a huge collection of book regarding Polish – American relationships during the centuries. The main exhibit is the 3rd May Constitution copy (one of few remained). Reading room is always of a good idea even during the trip on Pilica.
MOM, BUY MI A TRAILER!
After a short walk in a beautiful park, full of stairways, alleys and small bridges we boarded our canoe and kayak and were directing leisurely downstream in order to find a good place for a bonfire. What is a day in the countryside without a bonfire? Fortunately we had equipment and wood necessary to make a fire so we were not made to roam in the nearby forest. Łukasz took up a duty of an arsonist, keeper and fireman which enabled me to make peace between my children. And when I was sure nothing was going to surprise me IT appeared.
Bus with a kayak trailer which was supposed to transport us back to the harbour where weary oarsmen meet.
My son got crazy. He does not want to have anything else but a kayak trailer.
Mom – let’s buy a trailer, we shall carry our stuff to kindergarten.
Mom, maybe Santa Claus shall bring me a trailer?
Or you may buy it for my birthday?
YOU ONLY SHALL BUY KAYAKS AFTERWARDS.
If you want to enjoy canoeing? Please look here:
