Day 4: In Gdansk

Gdansk was a lovely surprise. I liked it a lot. Although it had suffered badly at the end of WW2, it had been faithfully restored. St. Dominic’s market was in full swing with hundreds of stalls lining the quayside and narrow streets. I found a cafe that had been recommended, Dobra Kawa, and enjoyed breakfast.

A quick tour of the town to get my bearings and then off to the Solidarity Museum to hear the story of the Gdansk shipyard solidarity movement. Not for the first time I was humbled by my lack of awareness of what had been happening during the time of the Soviet Union breakup.

After lunch I joined a free walking tour of the historic centre. Maarten, the guide, was excellent. So much to learn. Until 1939 Gdansk was its own city state with inhabitants having their own passports and privileges. It was the place of the first Polish bloodshed in 1939 when postal workers tried to resist Hitler’s advance and were shot in the post office courtyard. So many anecdotes as well. Daniel Fahrenheit was born in Gdansk in 1686 and a monument had recently been added ahead of Trump’s visit. After the tour Maarten was happy to continue to talk over a glass of beer.

There was a vibrancy about Gdansk. You could feel it. Somewhere to return to with Martin.