Willa Litarion Gdansk

Have spent every day of our vacation running about seeing monuments and museums and building styles and churches and old towns. Today is our last day beside the seashore before a 7 ½ hour train ride to Krakow. We thought to take it easy today. Slept late, went to a wonderfully chocolate restaurant for breakfast, determined from the hotel staff that there is no such thing as a coin Laundromat in Poland ...

... came very thick, almost as thick as chocolate pudding. I tasted hers and it was like chocolate pudding! As the drink cooled, it got thicker and thicker. They bring a spoon along with it so that you can finish it to the bottom of the glass. Yum!<br><br> Yesterday we are walking up the square in Sopot, Poland and I notice people sitting in a café with cups of what looks like ...

... is very time challenged.<br><br> Another local restaurant, a different city, a different country. I walk up to the hostess to make her seat us so that we will get service. She puts us in a room where there are not as many people nor any cigarette smoke either. 30 minutes later we leave without ever having seen a waitress. The hostess thanks us for coming as we walk past ...

... The top floor had some paintings that were enjoyable. The next floors had furniture from the period including some wonderful old ceramic tile stoves from floor to ceiling. We even got into the kitchen. Usually you don&#8217;t get to see the kitchen.<br><br> Back on track to go get baked potatoes. I had a Mexican and hubby had a cheese. They were quite tasty. Not exactly Mexican like ...

... couldn't get it right when you had the chance back then." In the background a big screen movie showed powerful images of ordinary citizens getting beaten, trucks running over and dragging prostestors, tear gas being launched into crowds, etc. Stupid blue hair moron is all I have to say about her.<br><br>It made me think of the video I watched in Sarajevo of people being gunned down by snipers and buildings being blown up and how all this was so recent. I guess ...

... looking tower blocks. As it turned out our room was not ready for a few hours so we headed into central Gdansk like zombies awaiting a miracle being peppered with a light rain. It appeared Gdansk was just waking up, a few hardy souls were braving the grey weather including an animated group of German bikers, but we were just content to wander and find a place for a coffee. Within 5 minutes my Hungarian umbrella (purchased in Budapest 3 years ago) was consigned to the bin ...

... that treaty with us (that is ******* off Russia) seems like their own way of showing their stubbornness to Russia. Their country has been repeatedly destroyed by war because they are surrounded by Russia, Germany, and Austria. Gdansk (called Danzig by the Germans) and Warsaw suffered the <br>heaviest bombing during WWII and you can still see the burned out buildings that were never torn down or replaced after all these years ...

... but no perogies this time. Today we went back to the amber street in Gdansk to make some purchases. Following that we had the choice of going to the memorial at Westerplatte, or going to Hel (a town on the tip of the Hel peninsula with "pristine wind swept beaches"). We decided to go to Hel for the beaches ... and just think of all the cool lines we would have for the blog: "to Hel and Back", "a cold day in Hel", etc. This ...

... alluring from behind closed eyelids. Dozed most of the way actually thanks to the great invention of the travel pillow. Even though i can't speak polish (which i find extremely frustrating), i feel more at home and very comfortable in Poland. I actually feel like i blend in with the locals here; until i open my mouth that is. Oh yeah, most people (other travellers and locals alike) can't actually place where i'm from ...

... cannot be sure of the existence of sharks in the Baltic Sea. After we had finished our meal and the rain had reduced to 'that fine rain that soaks you through' we headed back to the hostel. We gathered our books to start planning for the next few days, only to be greeted by the hostel owner clutching a bottle of homemade cherry vodka in his hand. Its impolite to turn down the first shot in these parts, especially from a Polish-man, in his own home, so we ended up having 8... Good night!