Before leaving Kostrzyn, Zosia and I drove across the Oder/Odra River to walk around a bit on German soil before returning to Poland.  There was not really anything of great interest to see on our limited visit, but at least we could say that we stepped foot into Germany.

Behind Zosia is an abandoned artillery barracks originally used by the German Wehrmacht and subsequently by the Soviet Red Army.  Given its proximity to the Oder River, it is surprising that the land has not been re-developed.

Our next stop was the Crooked Forest near the Polish village of Pniewo.  This strange forest features a grove of pine trees that have somehow had their trunks twisted all roughly in the same direction.  There is speculation that human manipulation in the past likely shaped these trees, but the true cause of the curvature remains a mystery to this day.

	Zosia sways in unison with the curved pine trees in the Crooked Forest.
	Picked up by Sonny in the Crooked Forest, the dumbledore is a type of dung beetle which features a shiny exoskeleton.

Arriving in Międzyzdroje a little early, Zosia and I drove through the city to the adjacent Wolin National Park where we hiked a couple of short trails to some bluffs overlooking the Baltic Sea.  The first of these was to Kawcza Góra where there are stairs that drop about 60 metres to the beach.  Unfortunately, the stairs were closed for repairs on this day, and since the views from the bluffs here are limited, we did not linger.  The second trail was to Gosań where there are some nice viewpoints as well as some old bunkers which are a little creepy to explore.  Gosań also happens to be the highest point along the entire Polish coast with an elevation of about 93 metres.

	Zosia stands atop the bluffs at Kawcza Góra with the Baltic Sea in the background.  Unfortunately, the stairs descending to the beach are closed for repairs on this day.
	Zosia walks under a charming forest canopy on the way to Gosań.
	At Gosań, there are numerous abandoned bunkers like this one.
	Sonny and Zosia take a selfie at Gosań, the highest point along the entire Polish coast.

After visiting Wolin National Park, Zosia and I returned to Międzyzdroje and checked into our cozy accommodations there.  We then relaxed for a bit and had a nice dinner before setting off on foot to tour the beach front in the evening.  Międzyzdroje is a popular seaside resort with a lot of tourist amenities, and since it was a Friday night, the beach promenade was hopping with activity and had a carnival-like atmosphere.  The highlight for me was walking onto a molo (pier) which juts out nearly 400 metres into the Baltic Sea.

Most of the toilets near the beach in Międzyzdroje require payment to use.  This one costs 5 PLN (~$1.64 CAD).

The beach is largely deserted on this evening due to unusually cool and breezy weather.

 

	In the distance behind Zosia is a molo (pier) which juts out nearly 400 metres into the Baltic Sea.
	Zosia has a hard time deciding which flavour of lody (ice cream) to get.
	This is looking eastward from the molo.  Note the fog encroaching on the forested bluffs in the distance which is where Kawcza Góra is located.
	Zosia enjoys the sunset from the molo.
	Zosia and Sonny take a selfie at the very end of the molo.
	Zosia enjoys some smoked fish in front of a seafood vendor.
	Sonny stands casually beside a statue of Jan Machulski, a notable Polish actor and director. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia sits forlornly beside a statue of Irena Jarocka, a famous Polish singer. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	These are the same stairs below Kawcza Góra as seen from the beach the following morning. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak