So the "Three Cities" - "Trójmiasto" of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot - are beautiful. I really enjoyed this area and seeing the BALTIC SEA! :-D Sadly, did not touch it, but not sure I would like even putting a finger in (which was all that was technically allowed for my group. ;) ) I wish our stay were longer and I would love to see more or return soon (especially in summertime).The train trip went by pretty quickly and we even saw the Teutonic castle in Malbork as we passed:
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| Not my personal photo, of course. ;) |
On Friday, we went and checked in to our hotel. It was so nice to be in a proper hotel, not a hostel or dorm. :-P I stayed in a room with two other girls and decided to take a fold-out instead of one of the two twin beds. It was a cute room. We went out to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in regional cuisine. I had a Kashubian (that part of Poland has people known as Kashubians, who are influenced by Polish and German culture) fish soup and a salad with smoked salmon, vegetables, fish eggs (thought "eggs" on the menu were from a chicken, heehee ;) ), and vinaigrette. My meal was all pretty good. Afterwards, I hung out some with the other students and we went out for a bit at night. We walked around the city some before going to bed before a day of major touring of Gdansk. We had a European continental breakfast (eggs, kielbasa, bread, rolls, dry cereals, whole fruits, drinks, tomatoes, cucumbers, crepes/nalesniki, sliced meats and cheeses, etc.) before going on a walking tour of Gdansk. We saw statues, fountains, monuments, the town hall, a special meeting hall, an older church (climbed ALL the way to the small viewing deck on top, a whopping 400+ steps - my calves still feel it a bit when I climb stairs), a Solidarity Museum, and the famous Gdansk/Lenin Shipyards where Solidarity/
Solidarność began! After that, we had some time to relax (in the middle of the tour we did have a coffee break; I had a soy latte (that I left unsweetened) and a parfait of yogurt, flakes, and fruit) and do as we please before a LONG (we happened to go to Gdansk on a weekend with deals similar to those in places that have Restaurant Weeks with special menus and prices for certain dishes, which made restaurants and cafes participating in these half-prices much busier than usual) dinner at a mixed-ethnic restaurant (Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, etc.); I had some delicious clear borscht and a fish that was cooked with shredded beets on top and salads/coleslaws/shredded vegetables/sides. It was one of the best fish meals I have ever had. I finished off with some fruit in whipped cream (sadly, each course took an hour, which caused a three-hour or so meal). On Sunday, after packing-breakfast-checkout, we took a bus to different sites around Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot: ports, piers, monuments, parks, etc. before having lunch in Sopot (I had a decent fish soup and a small salad with mixed seafood on it). I had a nice chat with other students and the amazing tour guide we had both Saturday and Sunday. The weather was great on Sunday and our trip ride back was fun; it is a great time when the entire program group can spend some time together.
Today, my Polish class was cancelled so that our abroad group could visit the Polish Parliament buildings. After that fun tour (reminded me of visiting the UN), I had a quick lunch at Green Way (cabbage and other vegetable soup; tofu and vegetables in tomato sauce on top of kasza with sides) before a shortened history class (we left early to go on another walking tour with our Jews in Poland class). The last tour I went on today included both places I had and had not seen: various monuments and markers of the former Jewish ghetto, famous Jews, or areas where many Jews had been before the Holocaust drastically cut down their population size. I visited a lot of places and learned so much these past few days. :) I especially enjoy the feeling of being and of seeing new places. Ahh, it can give quite a rush and giddiness in me. :-P
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