Long day in the car today. I took the main road from Prague to Brno, in the Czech Republic, and it took almost 5 hours instead of the two it was supposed to, thanks to the fact that whoever is responsible for the roads in the Czech Republic had closed off large sections of freeway to repair them, causing the traffic to slow to a crawl (under 10 km/hr) or a complete stop for sometimes 10 kilometres at a time. When I hit the fifth such set of roadworks I was about ready to tear my hair out, I was so frustrated - not least because often there was nobody actually working on the closed-off sections of road.
However the slow movement gave me plenty of time to admire the countryside (soft, rolling hills, covered with ripening wheat), and the caravan of nations that filled the right-hand lane: the road I was taking seemed to be one of the main roads for truck transport between western Europe and the east, and I enjoyed playing a sort of Europe-bingo with the countries I saw represented (I was getting very, very bored - I even began to acquire an appreciation for Czech country music, nothing like being stuck in a confined space with something for a long period of time to learn to appreciate whatever fine points you are able to find in it!). Among many Czech and Polish trucks, I also saw vehicles from Greece, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, and one motorbike with Chinese plates. It was tremendously exciting - I think this was when I really grasped the enormity of this continent, among the great go-slow of what seemed to be much of its freight.
It was lovely to finally reach Poland - the Czech Republic had been so wild and overgrown that I had been feeling a bit anxious about what I would find here, but Poland seems to be beautifully kept with excellent roads - probably better than many of the roads we have in Australia.
For much of the day I was desperately homesick and aching to be back with everyone, especially my puppy, who caused us all a frantic few hours a couple of nights ago when he went missing overnight in Sydney. He was returned to us safe and well the next day, but I don't think any of us will get over that upset any time soon, and I know I won't feel that he's safe and sound until I'm home and have him cuddled up next to me in his usual place in the crook of my right arm. Towards evening my mood had dropped badly and it took blaring all the familiar music I could find on the radio (I didn't care what it was, as long as it was in English - they play a lot of the pop and rock we usually hear in Australia on the radio, interspersed with local bands, so I got a lot of Aerosmith and Bryan Adams and so on - stuff I wouldn't usually listen to in a pink fit, but on this particular afternoon it was very welcome) to keep myself going.
I eventually realised that once I reached Oświęcim I'd be at the furthest point of my journey, so everything after tomorrow is heading towards home - that made me feel a lot better, and I was able to enjoy driving through the long, soft Polish twilight of pinks and mauves. I arrived in Oświęcim just after dark and gladly snuggled myself down to sleep with a comfortable book, trying not to think about everything that happened near here nearly 80 years ago.