Gdansk, well, where do we start with this gem?
As we drove into Gdansk on Tuesday
afternoon, the first impressions we got were a combination of what we could see
out of the bus window combined with the commentary we were hearing from the
local guide we had on board. That wasn't really a lot more than what we already
knew from our own memories of the solidarity campaign of the 80's with the
infamous Lech Walesa, the unionisation of the ship building industry and
the eventual democratic changes in the Eastern Bloc. Boy, there's a lot
more to Gdansk than that.
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| The gate to the infamous shipyard that brought an end to Communism |
After dinner, a few of us ventured out
for a walk. Within minutes of leaving the hotel we were in amongst a beautiful
waterfront that would even rival parts of Copenhagen. Many of the cafe's were
unfortunately a bit quiet, with televisions still going with the post mortem of
Poland's loss to Senegal in the World Cup only an hour earlier. Judging by the
glasses on tables, the places must have been packed to the rafters earlier
taking advantage of the big screens but no doubt they were all at home under
the doona by the time we got there. It gave us a taste of what to expect in
Wednesday's tour.
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| Our group at dinner in Gdansk |
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| The Gdansk waterfront |
Our tour had us on the bus for the
short trip to nearby Sopot where we kicked off with the first of (1 or 2 too
many) church visits. No doubt it was a good one, but I'm over them.
Next was a walk out over the Baltic
Sea on the pier and that was certainly a walk and a half. Not only were we
blessed with the most delightful 25 degrees and not a cloud in the sky day, but
stunning views looking back towards shore from the end of the 512 metre pier.
It was once Europe's longest piers but now it is only the longest wooden one.
It is extremely well maintained and attracts a million tourists each year.
And hey, would you believe they have a
long wide beach with golden sand.
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| Sopot shop |
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| Looking back from the pier |
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| Brickwork like I've never seen before |
Our local guide left us after five
informative hours having walked us through the old town. Rows and rows of
rebuilt and restored buildings that copped a fair pounding from the Russians
during the war. City gates, a magnificent City Hall and 600 metres of
cobblestoned road down the main drag made this an extremely memorable walk.
We've just had a bit of recovery time back at the hotel and are preparing to
head out to dinner with the rest of the group soon.
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| Compare the top left picture with the photo below |
This is certainly a relaxed tour which
we are all finding terrific at this stage. There is no rush at all in the
mornings with plenty of time to enjoy breakfast. There is none of the stress of
making sure your luggage is out by 7:00 like a lot of tours. The later starts
and only 15 on tour suits us just fine.
Thursday 21st
We're on the bus and have just left
Torun having driven the two hours to get there this morning. We did a tour of
the town and had lunch in a small cafe before leaving.
To give you an idea of just how cheap
it is here, we had two king size sausage rolls, an apple juice and half a litre
of beer for 6 Aussie bucks.
Torun is a big walled city that dates
back to the 13th century. It is another city that was first established by the
Teutonic Knights and quickly expanded. Fortunately, it didn't cop a hiding
during the war so lots of the place is in pretty good nick. Although it is
still walled, none of the original wall remains. Over the centuries and for
various reasons it has been moved, altered, demolished or replaced. There are
some great examples of Gothic architecture medieval townhouses.
At the city gates, you look straight
out at the river so this provided another level of protection. We stopped at a
leaning tower along the wall and checked it out. The clay base that it is built
on has subsided somewhat over the centuries. I'm not sure if it has been
underpinned or not but a timber wall that was added to turn it into a jail a
couple of hundred years ago is certainly giving it a bit of stability.
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| The leaning tower in Torun |
We were treated to many of the typical
city sights that we now expect to see in Europe. Churches, a Cathedral, A City
Hall and a town square. You rarely find two the same and there are always
different statues, fountains, shops and buildings that attract your
interest.
What makes Torun slightly different is
their claim to fame for gingerbread. Every street has a bakery or shops selling
it. Toruns' gingerbread is softer than most, seems to have a few more spices
and is maybe a bit sweeter than others. I couldn't find anyone that doesn't
like it.
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| Torun streetscape |
We'll soon be in Kalisz for the
night where we'll take part in a Polish dumpling making workshop before we have
dinner. It is the oldest city in Poland and we are staying at the Tlokinia
Palace about 5km from town. I hope to get this posted tonight too.
The temperature today was low 30's but
a storm is expected this evening. It certainly looks like it is building up.
The forecast for the next couple of days is only 18-19 degrees. A bit
disappointing but we've had a great run for the last 4 weeks.
Cheers again.
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| At last, someone who talks sense |
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