If you have been following the blog, you know we drive a ton(!) and the roads in Poland are usually 2-lane, windy roads through a beautiful countryside. We most often find ourselves looking into the back of a big truck! What a surprise we had in store for us....driving from Bydgoszcz to Gdansk!
LOOK AT THIS SUPER HIGHWAY!!!! We weren't sure we were still in Poland. Not only was it a great road, but look!
Could this be a sign for a Rest Area in the middle of nowhere?
What a great Rest Stop it was! It even had vending machines. This was too good to be true, so President Nielson decided to try out the facilities.
True to form, someone was cleaning the restroom (notice the red bucket by the door) and he would have to wait 10 minutes until she was done! Being an impatient American he came back to the car....taking off his coat to assume the 'driving position' again.
We traveled a heavenly 100 km on this great road to come to this Toll Booth, and then we realized why the road was so nice. It cost us 17.60 Zt. (almost $6) to be on it.....but it was worth every penny! It took us straight into Gdansk!
Before we show you how beautiful Gdansk is, I thought I would show you what the buildings looked like after WWII. After much restoration, this is the Gdansk you see today....
This is a view of Dlugi street...a long beautiful place to stroll.
At the end of this street is the building for Military operations. The centrum area in Gdansk is such a beautiful and fun place to see, visit and just spend time walking around. Most of the area is like this street.
This is 'Amber Alley' where there are countless little amber shops on both sides of the road. It is 'off season' now so it was not very crowded. In the summer months, it is packed with people looking for just the right piece of jewelry.
True to form, someone was cleaning the restroom (notice the red bucket by the door) and he would have to wait 10 minutes until she was done! Being an impatient American he came back to the car....taking off his coat to assume the 'driving position' again. 
We traveled a heavenly 100 km on this great road to come to this Toll Booth, and then we realized why the road was so nice. It cost us 17.60 Zt. (almost $6) to be on it.....but it was worth every penny! It took us straight into Gdansk! 
Before we show you how beautiful Gdansk is, I thought I would show you what the buildings looked like after WWII. After much restoration, this is the Gdansk you see today....
This is a view of Dlugi street...a long beautiful place to stroll.
At the end of this street is the building for Military operations. The centrum area in Gdansk is such a beautiful and fun place to see, visit and just spend time walking around. Most of the area is like this street.
This is 'Amber Alley' where there are countless little amber shops on both sides of the road. It is 'off season' now so it was not very crowded. In the summer months, it is packed with people looking for just the right piece of jewelry.
The glass cases showing what each store has to offer. If you like what you see, you enter the shop!
Our friends, the Kempas, took us to one of their favorite shops. The owner is very reputable (on the right) and he will negociate prices! I ended up doing some Christmas shopping for my girls...Avery, Devin, and Emily! (The first time I have ever bought anything this early for Christmas!) I'm not telling what I bought, but you will love them!
Gdansk has a beautiful cathedral, that we have been told is the tallest brick cathedral in Europe. This is the house of the priest who decided that he needed a nice place to stay that was close to his work (cathedral is behind this). Apparently this house was on national TV as one of the fancier homes in the country.
The large stained glass in the cathedral.
The way you could tell if a person is well off was not by the height of his home but by how many windows across the front of their house they had. This person was well-to-do because he had 3 windows across.
This person was very wealthy because he had 4 windows across.
It was getting late, and we were meeting the missionaries for dinner....But I couldn't resist putting some coins in this mime's bucket.....an old fisherman.....a great choice for a sea port city!
Speaking of fisherman.....here are the 'real' fisherman patiently ice fishing as it turns dusk. The ice didn't look that thick!
Another mime...this one with a real talent. The missionaries of Gdansk...Elders Siebert, Plumb, and Elder and Sister Zatylny.
We decided to break the 'Pizza Hut' or "Sphinx" tradition and tried this oriental restaurant. It was fabulous....and so nice for a change! Tomorrow we head to church in the Gdansk Branch.
Our friends, the Kempas, took us to one of their favorite shops. The owner is very reputable (on the right) and he will negociate prices! I ended up doing some Christmas shopping for my girls...Avery, Devin, and Emily! (The first time I have ever bought anything this early for Christmas!) I'm not telling what I bought, but you will love them!
Gdansk has a beautiful cathedral, that we have been told is the tallest brick cathedral in Europe. This is the house of the priest who decided that he needed a nice place to stay that was close to his work (cathedral is behind this). Apparently this house was on national TV as one of the fancier homes in the country.
The large stained glass in the cathedral. 
The way you could tell if a person is well off was not by the height of his home but by how many windows across the front of their house they had. This person was well-to-do because he had 3 windows across.
This person was very wealthy because he had 4 windows across.
It was getting late, and we were meeting the missionaries for dinner....But I couldn't resist putting some coins in this mime's bucket.....an old fisherman.....a great choice for a sea port city!
Speaking of fisherman.....here are the 'real' fisherman patiently ice fishing as it turns dusk. The ice didn't look that thick!
Another mime...this one with a real talent. The missionaries of Gdansk...Elders Siebert, Plumb, and Elder and Sister Zatylny.
We decided to break the 'Pizza Hut' or "Sphinx" tradition and tried this oriental restaurant. It was fabulous....and so nice for a change! Tomorrow we head to church in the Gdansk Branch.
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ReplyDeleteOh! We need to go to Gdansk again! I didn't realize there was a not-so-freeway! We take the one between Kraków and Katowice all the time (such a rip-off, and if you're interested in an extremely interesting story about how Greg refused to pay the toll, was taken to court and ended up making a major freeway company pay BIG, go here (it includes a links to articles about it).
ReplyDeleteAnd I am trying not to be judgmental or think unkind thoughts about the "house" over, I mean BY the cathedral. (I wish I was a better person)
sphinx and pizza hut??? Go to a milk bar, or any polish restaurant, get some Zurek and pierogi ruskie z tlusczem. mmmmmm if only i had access to a milk bar right now!
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