Gdansk, Poland
Overcast skies did not deter us from embarking on a narrated tour of Gdansk (German: Danzig), key city of the Vistula River. The first stop was a touching visit to the shipyards, scene of the birth of Solidarity. Lech Walesa scaling the wall; Pope John Paul’s moment of prayer in front of the gates; the towering steel and concrete monument to the worker’s defiance of communism; these were among images described by guides to assembled guests.
Next stop: a walking viewing of the reconstructed Alte Vorstadt, i.e. Old Town, most of it surrounding Dluga Street. This wide pedestrian mall was just waking up – it was Sunday – to an influx of visitors from Europe, the UK, and the United States. Besides the usual postcard vendors, artists displayed their work, coffee shops opened doors, and the hum of many languages drifted through the air. Among the historical stops was a visit to St. Mary’s, the central Catholic Cathedral. One guest even achieved the remarkable feat of climbing to the top of the bell tower – accompanied by a gaggle of Polish school children.
Midday buses returned several of us to the ship for lunch. Almost an equal number remained in town to savor meals at cafés and restaurants. Later in the afternoon, after a shopping option for the famed amber jewelry, most of us visited the Maritime Museum. English-speaking guides patiently led several groups through historical displays on three floors of the riverside building. The Museum’s theme was, of course, the importance of Gdansk’s key location at the Vistual River mouth.
A hardy contingent of us then boarded our Zodiacs for a half-hour, speedy return through the famous Gdansk shipyards. Among the sights seen from the Zodiacs were surviving sections of the ancient city wall, eider ducks with their ducklings, fishers along the banks, grotesque container cranes reaching skyward, and unique riverside residences and commercial buildings.
The evening was equally exciting and historic. Lech Walesa, former leader of Solidarity and past president of Poland, addressed a full house up in the lounge. With the aid of an interpreter, he employed humor, provided somber reminders of the politically volatile world in which we live, and shared anecdotes about his personal involvement in Poland’s transition from a communist state to a democracy. After only a brief glimpse at a fascinating and emerging state, that our visit to Poland was as memorable as it was emotional.
Overcast skies did not deter us from embarking on a narrated tour of Gdansk (German: Danzig), key city of the Vistula River. The first stop was a touching visit to the shipyards, scene of the birth of Solidarity. Lech Walesa scaling the wall; Pope John Paul’s moment of prayer in front of the gates; the towering steel and concrete monument to the worker’s defiance of communism; these were among images described by guides to assembled guests.
Next stop: a walking viewing of the reconstructed Alte Vorstadt, i.e. Old Town, most of it surrounding Dluga Street. This wide pedestrian mall was just waking up – it was Sunday – to an influx of visitors from Europe, the UK, and the United States. Besides the usual postcard vendors, artists displayed their work, coffee shops opened doors, and the hum of many languages drifted through the air. Among the historical stops was a visit to St. Mary’s, the central Catholic Cathedral. One guest even achieved the remarkable feat of climbing to the top of the bell tower – accompanied by a gaggle of Polish school children.
Midday buses returned several of us to the ship for lunch. Almost an equal number remained in town to savor meals at cafés and restaurants. Later in the afternoon, after a shopping option for the famed amber jewelry, most of us visited the Maritime Museum. English-speaking guides patiently led several groups through historical displays on three floors of the riverside building. The Museum’s theme was, of course, the importance of Gdansk’s key location at the Vistual River mouth.
A hardy contingent of us then boarded our Zodiacs for a half-hour, speedy return through the famous Gdansk shipyards. Among the sights seen from the Zodiacs were surviving sections of the ancient city wall, eider ducks with their ducklings, fishers along the banks, grotesque container cranes reaching skyward, and unique riverside residences and commercial buildings.
The evening was equally exciting and historic. Lech Walesa, former leader of Solidarity and past president of Poland, addressed a full house up in the lounge. With the aid of an interpreter, he employed humor, provided somber reminders of the politically volatile world in which we live, and shared anecdotes about his personal involvement in Poland’s transition from a communist state to a democracy. After only a brief glimpse at a fascinating and emerging state, that our visit to Poland was as memorable as it was emotional.
