Gdansk

 What a fantastic day! We pulled into the extremely busy Gdansk harbour about 8am. Because of the smaller size of our ship we are in Gdansk not Gdynia  where the larger ships dock. There is a bit of rain this morning, but the forecast is for a clear and sunny afternoon.

 I had set up a private tour for the 4 of us through Tours by Local, and he met us with his van at the gangway just after 9:30am. The rain had stopped, the skies still overcast and about 19C, great for sightseeing. We started out at the port area of Westerplatte, where the first shots of World War 2 were fired. We are all history buffs, so really enjoyed Sebastian's in depth details of the start of the war. There is one ruined building that they have kept as a memorial, also a Soviet style monument to commemorate those that fought the Nazis. The port area of Gdansk was totally destroyed during the war. Poland has a complicated history, from long ago when they were a huge power in Europe, To the first World War where the country was re-established but Gdansk or Danzig was declared a free city, then invasion by Nazis and Russia during WW2, then the Communist take over after the war.

We then drove to the main part of downtown. The city of Gdansk was destroyed at the end of WW2 except for a few buildings like St Mary Cathedral, the largest brick church in Europe. The center of town was rebuilt in old style, but because it was during communist times it didn't show the Germanic influence from the 18-1900s but instead an older Polish style from the 1700s. Also the communists did not want to show any signs of aristocracy, like servant quarters which were common at the time. There are several canals that run through town where the merchant ships used to tie up. Gdansk was a very wealthy trading city. Outside the very center of town is all new construction. Some buildings have incorporated old walls into the new buildings.

Sebastian took us into an Amber shop to explain about the importance of Amber in this area, and all the different types and colors. We had a walk along Ulica Mariacka, the most beautiful street in town. Many little shops and cafes are located here. Then into St Mary's cathedral, very impressive, where Sebastian explained how important the Church was to the people of Poland. We then strolled down Dlugi Targ, a long pedestrian street. Busy and touristy but very beautiful. We stopped here for a "light" lunch. We had a Baltic porter unique to this area, Then Zurek soup served in Rye Bread bowl and made with buttermilk, fermented rye meal, onions, potato and sausage. I know it sounds strange, but it was very good! With this we had some dumplings, some with cottage cheese filling and some with duck. Both delicious. Afterwards as we continued our walk Sebastian gave us a huge polish donut filled with jam.

We next drove to the shipyards of Gdansk where the Solidarity movement started. There is a museum that is suppose to be very good, but you need 3 to 4 hours to go through, so we don't go in. But from the roof we get a great view of the surrounding area. Then over to the old safety building, where the meetings to negotiate the demands of the strikers took place. I hadn't heard before about the importance of the Pope in encouraging the people to resist and plan. On the way back to the ship we pass piles of coal stock-piled for the coming winter. Poland has closed their mines so now they have to import.

By the time we returned to the ship it was getting hot, about 27C, so Karen and I headed up to the pool deck for a swim.