Ryszard Zygmuntowicz, a brave RAF pilot from Skarzysko and a Bor bike

On the way home yesterday I took a route that would give me a chance to take pictures of  a very special house. I wouldn't know it was special if Mr Krzysztof Szczygiel from The Town Cultural Centre hadn't told me. I learnt from him about an amazing man who lived in this house until the Second World War pushed him away from home and never let him return.

I am disappointed today, because I lost my glasses during my forest bike. 

I had them on till I reached the forest at Bor and kept taking them off and putting on. Well, I need to reach for the old ones...

...

I biked along the old Warsaw -Krakow through road, made a detour into Tartaczna Street where I photographed some abandoned dwellings, beautiful hues of grass and a river!

An old railroad from Skarzysko to Lodz:

 An old well:

A back garden:

 An abandoned house:

The next abandoned house:

Another empty dwelling:

Meadows near The Kamienna River:

The Kamienna River:

I continued towards Bor, the district of detached houses on the edge of the forest. 

Going under the motorway, I noticed some inviting graffiti:

Wild strawberries are very sweet owing to the sunny weather.

Red berries are beginning to turn red and they are never really sweet.

 

 Despite trying hard, I didn't find any edible wild mushroom. The Bór forest has changed, it looks as if there has been more human presence and intervention.

The mushroom below is considered edible by some people. I remember my father's family would call these mushrooms 'panienki' (maidens). I never pick any mushroom I have doubts about.

I read that these mushrooms are also edible when young. The old ones are funny. They puff 'smoke' when you step on them, hence in English they are known as 'puff mushroom'. In Polish they are known as 'purchawka' or (do pardon my French) 'bycze jaja' (bull's balls), but the book will refer to them as ' tęgoskór pospolity).

In the middle of the forest I came across a red currant shrub.

Of what I know, you need to avoid these mushrooms at all costs. They are of 'you only eat them once' variety.

Blueberries of a Polish forest:

 I noticed a new feature for  'biking acrobats':

There were a few more forest sights I tried to preserve with my mobile phone camera:

Behind the trees, down below is the river.

There are lots of paths for hiking and biking at Bor.

When the sun came out, it gave the forest some special extra charm.

 

This house stood out because of the wooden roof shape inspired by the Zakopane style houses.

For a long time I've been meaning to take pictures of the unusual shape of the church in Bór. Here they are:

This three-month old Yorkie accompanied a happy family of three. I met them during my energy break at a corner pub. My ordering the tea visibly didn't impress the barman, but he was even more shocked when I asked if he could put a fresh mint leaf in it. I heard a long explanation why they don't grow anything in the garden behind. It was because of the presence of many dogs around. Would you like to drink tea with the mint from such a garden? I was asked. Well.... If you stop to think about it... What about natural fertilizers???;-) Or the world's most expensive coffee???

A peaceful Partyzantów Street.

There are only two blocks of flats in Bór.

 Leaving Bór, I didn't take the motorway in the picture, but returned along the peaceful old E7 route soaking in the sights beautified by the late afternoon sun.

 The Kamienna River:

The Corner Shop has closed down, but there is a grocer's which also sells bread from their own little bakery. A biking friend told me how good the bread is and I invested a whole 1 (one) Polish zloty in  half a loaf.

I was allowed to take a picture of the picture at the shop.

Osiedle Metalowców seen from the Road 7, that is Krakowska Street.

When I returned, I discovered that the wild flowers I picked escaped from the bike. Never mind. I still had a tiny rose bud I picked from the pavement during my first stop for rest, at Milica:

The green benches in the middle have replaced a plane from WWII that used to be on display for years:

Good night!