Friday, April 22nd 2016

(Almost) From Russia With Love

We left Gdansk - loved Gdansk 

Our destination today - Olsztyn

(Couldn't pronounce until we arrived)

But first went to Frombork where a cathedral sits above town, looking like a castle

 Copernicus is buried there 

(We've been following his path throughout Poland)

No Autostrada today - All small roads - All paved

Sandy pulled over so this bad boy could get around us - He was examining our license plate 

Walked into the cathedral above Formwork at the start of an organ concert

Great way to view the surroundings

A great set of pipes with trumpets, chimes and moving cherubs

Astounding ceiling and vaulting - almost fall backwards looking up

We left Formwork and the adventure started...

While close to Russia, we knew crossing required a visa

Decided to drive  22kms (12 miles) to the border

Pulled over, ate our lunch and observed the activity

Our phones started sending messages there'd be additional charges for calls now that we were in Russia

Left and headed for Olsztyn, but took a wrong turn. Two officers blocked the road to Russia.

Righted ourselves, waved and continued in the right direction. It could have been an international incident.

A map update...

And detail...
Click twice to enlarge. You'll see the yellow road to the right of Gronowo and then a white road leading into Russia. We were there.

Back on the right road, small, narrow and rural

Paved through woods and farms

Clusters of farms and many stork nests (on poles)

Arrived in Olsztyn via GPS. Apartment owner is in Vienna. Her mother was at the apartment, doesn't know or understand English, but we managed. Apartment is brand new, well appointed with underground parking ($50/night  booking.com).

We're here 2 nights and plan to drive 90 minutes to Hitler's Wolf Lair tomorrow.

Had no idea Hitler spent so much time in Poland - 800 days at Wolf's Lair.

Downloaded maps of the grounds to iPhones and iPad.

From reading/research, it's pretty "rural" once you get there.

Open dawn to dusk and they say the 10,000 landmines are all removed.

Thursday, April 21st 2016

We "Get" This Place

Three nights in Gdansk - longer than most. Like the apartment. Our car is safe underground, we're within a blocks of everything and in a real neighborhood. Yes, we like it here.

Went to the covered market this morning. Needed a good bakery, meat market for sandwiches and cheese.

Our next two days are going to be rural so we'll need to make lunch.  Can't count on finding restaurants.

Found what we needed by going to the meat counter with the longest line.

Sandy bought what looked like a "Slim Jim" but it was 18 inches long and cost 40 cents. Smoked and outstanding, he stood in line a second time to buy more.









Didn't mind strolling down Dluga street again to admire architecture, getting a coffee/hot chocolate at an outdoor cafe and "finding" things we'd missed.

Later in the afternoon we returned for a piwo (beer).

Took the car and went to a shopping mall about 5kms away - urban not suburban.  Same brands as a mall in Chicago and more.

Food court had a lot of fish but McDonalds and Burger King also present.

Sandy's jacket requirements haven't been met by US manufacturers and several European brands were available at Galeria Baltycka






JackWolfskin (German) met the criteria. Sandy's in possession of a memento from Poland via Germany.

Until Gdansk, we saw Polish and German as dominant (e.g. signage at museums). Russian is now  taking a dominant position. We'll likely see more as we head east.

Our next stop was supposed to be Warsaw but couldn't get a place over the weekend so had to delay and will go to Olsztyn tomorrow. Pretty excited about the change. Didn't spend time researching this region but now realize it's a grand opportunity.


Dinner at a restaurant recommended by Eric Lickiss tonight. Last night went to a little place around the corner.

Starter of scallops and shrimp in a light Asian sauce with ginger chutney, miniature broccoli florets and greens. Amazing combination ($10).

My dinner - Duck leg confit with smoked duck bacon, small potatoes, bib lettuce and candied walnuts - amazing ($10.75).

Ordered dessert, the waiter gave us a present of homemade limoncello after determining we weren't driving. I gave him a hug upon leaving, couldn't help myself.

Wednesday, April 20th 2016

Map Update

Arrived in Gdansk late afternoon yesterday,

Explored today

Feels a bit different than the rest of Poland - can't describe it 

Like it

With access to the Baltic Sea, Gdansk has always been a massive trade center 

Started at the beginning of ulica Dluga (Dluga Street) at the Highland Gate, then Golden Gate

Here's what this portal looked like in 1945 at the end of WW2

Amazing recovery - keeping history alive
Actually functioning like its always been
Living space above and shops at ground level

A glorious day as we head towards Main Town Hall 

The current Town Hall has been there since 1327 

It's a museum and has a room dismantled and secreted away during WW2

So it's completely original - The door to the Red Room  

The Red Room (decorated between 1593-1608)

Medallion in the ceiling entitled The Glorification of the Unity of Gdansk with Poland

(Sounds like a translation)

Stopped for coffee/hot chocolate at one of the outdoor cafes

The only tour groups we encounter are school children (kindergarten through high school),
clusters of college age kids and small groups of retirees
I think that's why we can open centuries old doors and get deep into places
It's still allowed - the hordes haven't arrived

At the end of the pedestrian promenade is the Green Gate

Going through, you're at the water - inland port

Our apartment is through a different gate - just a few minutes down

From our balcony we see a church

Had to investigate 

Inside was surprising

St. John's (14th century) has mass  on Sunday, when the seats face the altar 

A cultural events center all other times, the seats reversed to face the opposite direction

Stage and lights

Pillars are encased in concrete as one fell down in 1980

The guard and another man (better English) explained

Gave us literature about the project - It's quite unique

How cool is that? And the sacred icons, stored away during restoration, back in place

A very cool project - right in our hood

Blue skies have returned - certainly welcomed

Makes a better picture

Tuesday, April 19th 2016

Malbork - Camera Battery Expired From Overuse

No worries, I carry a spare and recharge nightly

Malbork Castle = Incredible

Built in the 13th century as headquarters for the Teutonic Knights.

Identified by white cloaks with black crosses. (Templar Knights had red crosses.)

These two pics are just one set of outer walls

Sophisticated audioguides detected our location, correcting a wrong turn and instructing how to turn a difficult door handle. If confused (often), there was a visual on the screen. Admission and audioguides 60 zts ($15 for two).

Malbork is a large castle complex with outer walls, moats and embankments, High Castle, Middle Castle and Low Castle.







The pic below is Middle Castle- just inside the outer walls.

Great halls for knights to eat, sleep and be merry, but life was regimented. Rules to follow for eating, sleeping. It was their code to sleep together - in one room.

Half-way through we stopped at the castle restaurant. Usually expensive and not very good, this was very good.

The chef spent time talking to us. He's Polish,  studied in NYC and just completed his thesis.

Told us food and fabric was important to the Grand Master of Malbork in the 1400s.

In fact only the Grand Master and the Head Cook had private toilets.





The chef studied Malbork's recipe books, daily menus and lists of ingredients, which were recorded with quill on parchment.

He traveled to Iran (Persia) to determine precisely what kind of saffron the Grand Master used in the 14th century.

Fortified by soup and cake we moved on to High Castle through the drawbridge.

Entered an inner courtyard surrounded by Gothic-style windows.

Walked around the upper floors, following our audioguide and opening doors into rooms, just like the knights of old.

We opened these doors  

Opening a 700 year old door and entering a room like this takes your breath away

Spent 3 hours at Malbork Castle

A new Opstad record 

Only an hour to Gdansk

GPS found our apartment

Balcony overlooking a playground

One block from everything

Well appointed

Parking underground

$58/night

Monday, April 18th 2016

Torun - A One Night Stand 

Left Poznan and followed the "Piast Trail" to Torun

It's the oldest tourist route in Poland 

"Piast" - member of the 1st dynasty of Polish rulers

Or "a man of purely Polish descent"

Good road

Through small towns

Visited the cathedral in Gniezno where Duke Miedzko was baptized 1,050 yrs ago

(Remember we saw celebrations in Boleslawiec & Poznan)

St. Adalbert (a patron saint of Poland) is here 

Sitting up in a silver casket 

Following the trail, we arrived in Mogilno - a really small place and smaller road

A Benedictine church and monastery where we were the only visitors for a piece of time

The church is dated 1065 on the outside arch - visited the crypt underneath. Our "guide,"an old Polish woman, kept explaining, pointing and disappointed we didn't understand. I had the idea to repeat a word I heard (renovation, reconstruction). She seemed satisfied.

Does anyone notice the light halo around the top of the steeple?

If crypt walls could talk....




Arrived in Torun early afternoon. Our apartment is well located but disappointing with a rundown kitchen, shower and the bed wedged at headboard and footboard against walls.


We should have known - no recent reviews and the pictures were cleverly concealing. The toaster was broken and a scary hot water kettle. Our first mistake but linens were good, it was clean and the Town Hall was around the corner.








Torun wasn't destroyed during WW2 so it wasn't erected from rubble.

It was  the first stronghold of the Teutonic Knights (13th century) before they built Malbork Castle (tomorrow's destination).

Copernicus was born in Torun  - his home around the corner from our apartment.


The town has it's towers and gates from 13th century medieval times. Wouldn't call them ruins - more like reconstructions. Lots of brick as we go north.

Castle ruin - actually Knight's latrine

         A long hike to the crapper 

Another distinction of Torun is pierniki or gingerbread, purchased several times.

Drinks in the town hall's shadow with live music

American tunes - well done