Toruń

There has been much to absorb since we arrived in this beautifully-preserved medieval city.   It’s impossible to go wrong in a World Heritage Site that is famous for both gingerbread and Nicolaus Copernicus!  It has the charm and history of Gdansk, but on a much more relaxed scale, as it is not really a tourist attraction.  At the heart is an intact Gothic old town, with red brick churches with lavish gilt and gold interiors, crooked, cobblestone streets, the original city walls and towers that date back to the 1300s.  Thankfully, it escaped much of the destruction of WWII.  We arrived via a two hour train trip and decided, as we usually do, to simply walk to our lodging and that included trekking across one of the longest bridges I have ever dragged a suitcase behind. 898 meters becomes a marathon when you are also shouldering a backpack with wine, a large Polish sausage, Italian seasoning and a hunk of Parmigiana, because, that’s how it goes when you travel with a cook.  

First view of Toruń, taken from the middle of the bridge.

View from my bedroom window, up many flights of stairs (all different).

We logged a lot of steps today, and that was impressive given that there were a few cloudbursts that we had to duck around.  Fortunately (or not), we are on the top of our building and it is easy to see the boiling clouds headed our way.   The sound of the rain pounding through the night is paradoxically jarring and soothing.

It is impossible to do justice to this magical place with only photos.   It is so authentic and yet so inviting, with beautiful cafes and restaurants lining each square and cobblestoned corner.   The prices are enviable, especially when compared against the Norwegian kroner.

The only fly in the ointment is our lodging.   Fortunately, we have an extremely low bar to compare it to (Noni’s in Florence, Italy in 2021, where I refused to sleep in the bed until they supplied new linens, and Dave spent four hours fixing the WiFI).   This place is not friendly for kitchen crews, with a deplorable lack of utensils, including, most importantly, a corkscrew.   What kind of an Air BnB forgets that?  But, they did not reckon on solid Canadian tenacity and in the end, we triumphed.   

Another full day here tomorrow, and then Poznán welcomes us.   We’ve come a long way to witness a special clock where goats butt heads on the hour.  Can you blame us?

   We won.

The flowers here are still in full bloom!  

The fourth, and final staircase to our apartment, which is not half as elegant as it looks.  Trust me.

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.