One Good Feature Of My Hotel
My room in the hotel did have one good feature; a good view of the Palace of Culture and Science.
Note the night time picture. Why was just one light on?
Thinking about it though, was it a good feature, as although Joseph Stalin might have liked this sort of architecture, we can certainly do better today. Unless it comes to The Shard.
Music While You Walk
Several of the pedestrian crossings in Warsaw weren’t zebras but keyboards.
Music While You Walk
Incidentally, it would appear from my experience of Poland, that Polish drivers tend to stop for someone on the crossing.
The Beach At Sodot
It surprised me that the sea-front at Sodot had such an amazing beach.
C would have loved to go swimming there. The sea must have been a bit cold, as I didn’t see one hardy soul venturing in.
The Gdansk Shipyard
You can’t avoid the shipyard in Gdansk, as the cranes are a massive presence over the city, which I had seen as I took the train in from Sodot. After walking the city centre, I took a tram to see the memorial at the shipyard to 42 or more workers killed in 1970.
Everybody should visit the birthplace of Solidarity and one of those iconic places that mark the start of the downfall of the First Soviet Empire. It might make us more wary about what is happening on Russia’s borders today.
Walking Back To Gdansk Station
After lunch at Kubicki and seeing the monument to the defence of the Post Office, I meandered back to the station.
I probably spent about four hours walking in a circle and in the wonderful weather, it was one of the best city walks I’ve had for some time.
As the pictures show, it wasn’t exactly busy and that’s the way most of us like it.
The Defence Of The Polish Post Office In Gdansk
Like most from Britain, my knowledge of the incidents at the start of the Second World War is limited.
I’d never heard the story of the Defence of the Polish Post Office in Gdansk.
The story and the defenders are commemorated with this monument. It reportedly shows the last defender handing his rifle to Nike; the goddess of victory.
Lunch In Kubicki, Gdansk
My guidebook said Kubicki was a good restaurant.
It was! And I didn’t have to worry about the gluten-free or the prices. My meal cost me just £17.70 for a salad starter, the exquisite fish and a large glass of reasonable wine.
As with Kubicki, most restaurants in Poland seem to have at least one member of staff, who understands the importance of gluten-free food to some people.
As the other restaurant I saw, Goldwasser, has good recommendations on the Internet, I would suspect that anybody with a food allergy; serious or just preference, will not have trouble with food in Gdansk.
Zuraw – The Gdansk Crane
This medieval crane is nothing like anything I’ve seen before. It was used to unload ships on the quayside.
Strangely, I couldn’t find a Wikipedia article in English. But Lonely Planet has a good article here.
Along The Gdansk Waterfront
I then walked up the waterfront.
It is a plesant walk and there are a lot of places to spend time.
Around The Centre Of Gdansk
I took these pictures as I walked around the centre of Gdansk.
As the streets are not big enough for tourist buses, Gdansk uses golf buggies. As it is such an obvious idea, why haven’t I seen it done before.
The centre has a sScandinavian feel about it. But then it was one of the cities in the Hanseatic League.
The Anonymous Widower 