We have really enjoyed visiting Gdansk. So much so, that we tried to stay an extra night at Villa Stratus. Unfortunately, the Villa is full, so the owner called around for us, but without success.
We have booked our Stena Line ferry tickets going from Gydnia to Karlskrona, Sweden for tomorrow night. We could have easily stayed in Gdansk area another night as the distance is not too far to the ferry.(about 60 km). Since we can’t get a room, we have decided to sightsee a bit more in Gdansk before riding on. We will stay somewhere along the way. It will be fun to get to the Baltic Sea today and ride along it to Gydnia. The three towns in close proximity along the Baltic are referred to the tri-cities: Gdansk, Sopot and Gydnia.
A collages of photos and LP’s of our host and his band O.N.A. at Villa Stratus in Gdansk.
As we were leaving we had a chat with our neighbours at the hotel. They are from Warsaw and were giving us a tip to visit a special church in Gdansk before we leave.
This shop was recommended to us as a place to find souvenirs that are genuine and made in Poland. What a great shop with unique items. We both got t-shirts.
We also visited this extraordinary shop featuring traditional Kashubian embroidery and clothing made of Polish linen. Monika designs the clothing, and her mom(pictured) makes them. They are both masters of the traditional needlework of their Kashubian heritage.
She had such beautiful things for sale - it was hard to decide. Everything is of Kashubian origin: wood carvings, tablecloths, clothing, napkins, pottery.
On the recommendation of people we met at our hotel, we visited this extraordinary church, St. Bridget. Best known as a sanctuary for the Solidarity leaders during Martial Law. It was almost completely destroyed by the Red Army in WWII and it was not until 1973 that it was rebuilt, based on the original designs dating from 1394.
The standout feature is the altar made of Amber and gold. It is a work in progress and is stunning. The altar is a tribute to the Papacy of Pope Paul John II and the regaining of Polish independence.
A key feature of the Altar at the centre is the Virgin Mary, painted by Father. Franciszek Znaniecki which was inspired by his experiences during the Worker’s Massacre where 18 people were killed by security forces. Below is map of Poland, created in Amber, with Solidarity written across it. The virgin Mary’s train is made of white Amber.
The Priest in the photo was very involved in the Solidarity Movement and was referred to as the Solidarity Chaplain. In this church, he gave refuge to the supporters of Solidarity from arrest.
The wording at the top contains a partially destroyed inscription, Memento Mori DC “remember death”. It is assumed that the original inscription was Memento Mori MDC. There are many theories as to the origin of the bones and the date.
It is about 6 km from the centre of Gdansk to the coastline. We arrived at the Baltic Sea, and people were having a blast on this hot day. People were swimming, sunbathing, playing beach volleyball, just enjoying the day. It was a very pleasant ride to the Baltic as we had a bike path alongside the road the complete way.
Once again, we are seeing EU money at work, in the building of new bike paths along the coast. Hand laid bricks are being placed with great skill and without a space.
Just watching this gave us the shivers. Imagine doing this job, unravelling the advertisement at such a height with ropes secured to a tree at ground level.
After another full day of enjoying Gdansk and visiting the Baltic Sea and its beaches, we were happy to stop in Sopot for the night. Tomorrow we will have an easy (we hope!) 20 km ride to Gydnia and the ferry terminal for our ride to Sweden. Exciting day ahead!
Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles) Total: 2,085 km (1,295 miles)
