Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Gdansk, first day


I had a nice but quiet first day here in Gdansk, didn't do a great deal, I just explored the centre and Old Town on foot and enjoyed the atmosphere and nice feel of the city. It's an immediately likable place, that is to say I liked it immediately! The old town buildings, despite having been painstakingly reconstructed after World War II destruction, are very pretty and give no indication that they are in fact reconstructions. You could easily believe they had been there for centuries, just like the originals.
The Old Town is dominated by Dluga street, otherwise known as Long Market which opens out into Dlui Targ, a beautiful square and the focal point of the Old Town. I stopped here for lunch in an Egyptian chain restaurant and had an average lunch of fried pork meal pieces. The bill came to 44 zl, I gave the waiter 50zl and sat patiently for my change, it never came, the thieving sod kept it although to be fair I have no idea what the Polish custom towards tipping is.
I'd read about something in my guide book that sounded interesting, The Cemetary For Non Existent Cemetaries. Gdansk has had such a tragic history, being overrun countless times and thousands of people killed. During their past the city has been levelled several times and with it the cemetaries destroyed and built over. So the idea to build a cemetary without bodies but to remember those who had died and had had their final resting place obliterated seemed a nice poignant idea. So off I trotted in search of it. I walked about a km past it but I eventually found it. It was a small unassuming garden with some memorial monuments inside. A nice idea I thought.
For dinner I went to Mestwin restaurant, a traditional Kashubian peasant restaurant. Food was OK although I had no idea what the meat in my supposed meatballs were.
Well that was my first day, if the weather hold tomorrow should be good.

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