From Oslo to Stanisic, Serbia

After weeks and months of working on the Jeep and the trailer, Dag actually managed to finish it within time. We had planned to leave early Friday afternoon, though get a little delayed due to some last minor problems with the air conditioning. Instead of finishing up at work, Dag spends half the day getting a spare part to fix it.

We leave Oslo a little nervous and in the worst rush hour, not really relaxing until we reach the Swedish border a few hours later. We are lucky finding a charming little camping south of Gothenburg and spent a pleasant first night on the road.

Next day we continue southwards to Ystad where we board the ferry to Swinoujscie, a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. The crossing takes about six hours and we spend the time sleeping, playing cards and having dinner on this rather old ferry.

The following two days we cross Poland, happy about having air-conditioning in the car as temperatures outside reach 37 degrees (almost 60 on the bitumen according to numerous signs along the highway). Since we have agreed to be in Serbia half a week later, we don’t spend a lot of time along the road. The first stop we make is in Wroclaw. After finding a campsite on the outskirts, we take the tram back to the centre. I don’t know what I expected, but the tram was surprisingly modern, air conditioned and with a ticket vending machine only accepting card for payment. The old town is comparable to Krakow’s in beauty and size, and includes the Gothic St. John’s Cathedral, the Renaissance houses framing the market square, the city hall to name a few.

We are amazed by the squares stunning facades, rebuilt after having been razed to the ground in WWII. During dinner on the market square in one of the lively restaurants we agree to come back another time and spend several days in this beautiful country.

Next along our way is Krakow, the second largest and one of the oldest towns in Poland. Unlike Wroclaw, Krakow remained relatively undamaged at the end of World War II, sparing most of the city’s historical and architectural legacy. Having only a few hours available for our sightseeing, we stroll around the old town, visit the famous St. Mary’s Basilica, a brick Gothic church adjacent to the main market square, the Cloth Hall, Europe’s oldest shopping centre, and Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter. No doubt also this city deserves a longer visit another time – we just got a small impression of all the attractions this amazing place offers.

During the night we experience our first storm – one of many as we get further south. Luckily our two rooftop tents prove to be stable and waterproof, but we don’t get too much sleep that night.

From Krakow we drive to the mountains and have lunch in Zakopane, a popular destination for both mountaineering and skiing. It turns out to be more touristic than charming.

Crossing the Tatra Mountains, a mountain range that forms a natural border between Poland and Slovakia on the other hand is beautiful.

We cross the border and pass the national parks of Slovensky Raj and Muranska Planina. Further south, in Rimavska Sobota there is supposed to be a camping site according to one of our apps. Unfortunately, the information turns out to be wrong. We try to ask people at a gas station, but nobody speaks English. Fortunately, there is a guy with a campervan that tells us about a small camping close by in Kurinec which we find without further problems.

This is an experience we’ll have many times on our trip: the two apps that we are using are not trustworthy. We realize how spoiled we are from traveling Australia with the WikiCamp app. Always accurate and informative, and one doesn’t have to be online.

The following day we cross Hungary without any stops (except for a few gas stations). The only thing I remember is street signs with names too long to decipher before we’ve passed them. Try to read Hódmezővásárhely in a few seconds, just to name one…

In the middle of the afternoon we reach the Serbian border in Bajmok. We are being checked twice, both leaving Hungary and entering Serbia. Shortly after we arrive in Stanisic, our friend Jasmina’s hometown. Jasmina and her family live in Oslo and we got to know them through Robin’s school.

The next couple of days are cheerful, relaxing and we experience the best of Serbian hospitality. It’s a pleasure meeting Jasmina’s parents and other family members, being shown around in the area, visiting the lovely towns of Sombor and Novi Sad and enjoying good Serbian food. Robin enjoys the company of other children, including his school mate Emma.

Happy and thankful we leave our friends a week after we drove from Oslo, heading south.