A Day of Wander and Wonder

We are only 15 minutes from the centre of Gdansk, and we have now walked through it at least three times.  Each time, there is something different and even more wonderful to see.  

Today’s first mission was to locate the train station and consult a very helpful lady who processed all of our tickets to Torun, Poznan, and then Dresden, all by rail, all cheap as borscht.  She frowned as she explained in her fragile English…. I will not issue you tickets from Berlin to Dresden.  Different country!  Way too much money!  She was right, it was far more reasonable to do it that way.

Remind me I said that in case this all blows up, right?

(No.   All is good).

We wanted to explore the park that is across the street from our lodging, and once in it, were delighted with a network of trails and pretty ponds.  We could hear some pretty raunchy music floating in from somewhere and, as is our nature, we immediately searched it out using aural technology.   A climb up a hill revealed a huge gathering and a rock style band revving up everyone for the start of a marathon.  The sight of pink balloons, pink ribbons and a lot of pink-haired competitors put a lump in my throat.  It was a “The Cure for Breast Cancer” race.   

Solidarity, my sisters. ✊🏻

Thrills today included a wander through the Franciscan Church of the Holy Trinity, whose history reaches back to the early 15th century, with the present great church completed in 1514.  It was absolutely full of artifacts and history.  We were the only ones there, and spent a quiet, meditative time listening to the organist practice.  What a privilege.  

 We wandered past the Wieza Wiezienna (Prison Tower) - and a heck of a formidable one it is - part of the Renaissance prison complex on Dluga Street.   And, we returned to St. Mary’s for a chance to see the amazing astrological clock, built by Hans Duringer of Torun (where we will be tomorrow!) in 1464.   It is too big to photograph in one shot so I just captured the top of it.  

The church of two saints - St. Peter and Paul, was a splendid Gothic church, embodying medieval Gdansk, the reformation, the scars of WW2, and Catholic history.  

It was, after all, the Sabbath today but we did work out some life balance with a stop at a lovely Italian restaurant beside the canal for a pizza ai quattro formaggi - the best I have ever had.  

And an Aperol, my first - and absolutely delicious.

Mariacka Street and Many Gargoyles

We spent a happy few hours wandering Mariacka Street this morning, strolling through medieval Gdansk.   Much of what we saw had been painstakingly reconstructed after the devastation of 1945, when Gdansk’s historic centre was very badly damaged.  It’s remarkable how authentic it still feels.  There were lots of tourists, but it is, after all, Saturday.

We stopped at St. Mary’s Basilica, only to find a service in progress, and an outstanding baritone singing the hymns.  He was accompanied by an organ so powerful you could feel it in your chest.  One of those unexpected travel moments that you couldn’t have planned.  Because the service was underway, we couldn’t get close to the 15th century astronomical clock, and we will return later today or tomorrow to see it.   It dates to 1464-1470 and is an extraordinarily medieval mechanism.  

 Mariacka Street will take some exploring, as it is somewhat reminiscent of La Ramblas in Barcelona - lots of people-watching, restaurants, vendors, shops and people everywhere, but on a much more intimate scale.  A place to stroll slowly and stop often.  And a beautiful sunny day to do so!

For now, a large pan of roasted veggies is busy caramelizing for dinner, and more creative planning is underway for the travel legs ahead.

Pierogi and Perla Chmielowa Beer

It’s been a day.  We left the torrential rain behind us in Bergen, returned the rental without issue, and rather enjoyed the short 1.5 hour flight to Gdansk.  

Bit of a challenge finding our lodging, which is humble but right next to a lovely park and up the street from the policia.   One would think that infers safety.

The laundry has been started as we finally have a place with that convenience.   And very soon we will wander off to Pomelo Gdansk for some traditional Polish food.   It’s 10 degrees warmer here, the skies are blue, and I am ready for another adventure!