Monday, July 13, 2015
We’re on the road again! After our breakfast, we packed up
the car and said our goodbyes upstairs. I told Anna to stay up there. There was
no need for her and the boys to come down the flights of stairs to watch us get
settled and organized in the car before leaving. It would have been too sad and
even harder to say goodbye again. Slawek
had gotten up even earlier for work and gone to the gym beforehand.
We’re off to Torun on our way to Gdansk/Sopot. We plan to tour the gingerbread (Pierniki)
location and make our own gingerbread.
It is said that they wait 50 Hail Marys for the dough to rise before
proceeding. That’s one way to pass the time. We also want to see the “Legends
of Torun” play.
A little worried about finding a place to park, we had no
trouble and took the first lot closest to the Stare Miasto (Old Town) walls. It
turned out to be the perfect location.
First things first…find a toaleta! Be sure to carry 1 or 2
zloty with you at all times because there is always a charge to use the
bathroom. And, in the men’s side, they have a choice of what to pay. I’ll let YOU figure it out. ;-)
Off to walk the city, we planned for a couple hours and
spent 4!
I bought an angel for my memory wall of items and a postcard to send to my granddaughters. So I found the post and mailed them right away. I have no idea how long it takes for the post to make it to the U.S. but I'll soon find out. Walking the streets, I saw colorful headdresses for my little princesses and couldn't resist. Now they have two gifts and Brantley has none. Will have to find something in wood to take a lickin' and keep on tickin' for him. ;-)
We didn't find the Legends play nor the gingerbread place but we DID find a Pierniki shop and bought one of each one for the taste.
They were good but not good enough to eat many as I would have done in the past. One did me just fine. We did go to the castle ruins but didn't go in after discovering there was a charge. Just peering in from the entryway was enough for us.
Self-standing toaletas are available from time to time with good directions on their use and often decorated as to compliment their surroundings. Again, 1 or 2 zloty, depending on the toaleta will be needed.
We went to a "milk bar" (bar mleczny) since we hadn't frequented one of them yet and I had pierogi of spinach and a Coke Zero. OMG! My Coke Zero bottle says "Ciocia" which in Polish means Auntie but it is the exact spelling of my tax preparer and investment broker. I texted the photo to him and pitched the bottle.
A milk bar is a cheap place to eat like a cafeteria with no frills. My lunch was ordered at the counter and they called out my order when it was ready for me to return to the counter and pick it up. We bused our own table afterwards and returned the salt & papper that I borrowed from the counter.
We're finding that more churches and some buildings are not as much of a draw but the people and children are a welcome sight. The Church of Mary (Mariacki) in Torun drew us in with its Gothic architecture and the renovation of the statues found during excavation below the church floors. The slabs on the floors are also tombs of rich parishioners of the past. A special presentation is erected in the back of the church for one of its priests, Fr. Frelichkowski, who gave his life in support of his fellow man during World War II, wore the red triangle with a black P patch naming him a Christian political prisoner, and he was later canonized a saint.
Tired, we returned to our car via the leaning tower at the city wall
and finished our drive to Sopot (just outside Gdansk) to our Sisters Lodge Hostel after 8pm which is when the free parking begins until 10am the next morning.
Exhausted again, I did no blogging and hit the hay after a shower!
I bought an angel for my memory wall of items and a postcard to send to my granddaughters. So I found the post and mailed them right away. I have no idea how long it takes for the post to make it to the U.S. but I'll soon find out. Walking the streets, I saw colorful headdresses for my little princesses and couldn't resist. Now they have two gifts and Brantley has none. Will have to find something in wood to take a lickin' and keep on tickin' for him. ;-)
We didn't find the Legends play nor the gingerbread place but we DID find a Pierniki shop and bought one of each one for the taste.
They were good but not good enough to eat many as I would have done in the past. One did me just fine. We did go to the castle ruins but didn't go in after discovering there was a charge. Just peering in from the entryway was enough for us.
Self-standing toaletas are available from time to time with good directions on their use and often decorated as to compliment their surroundings. Again, 1 or 2 zloty, depending on the toaleta will be needed.
We went to a "milk bar" (bar mleczny) since we hadn't frequented one of them yet and I had pierogi of spinach and a Coke Zero. OMG! My Coke Zero bottle says "Ciocia" which in Polish means Auntie but it is the exact spelling of my tax preparer and investment broker. I texted the photo to him and pitched the bottle.
A milk bar is a cheap place to eat like a cafeteria with no frills. My lunch was ordered at the counter and they called out my order when it was ready for me to return to the counter and pick it up. We bused our own table afterwards and returned the salt & papper that I borrowed from the counter.
We're finding that more churches and some buildings are not as much of a draw but the people and children are a welcome sight. The Church of Mary (Mariacki) in Torun drew us in with its Gothic architecture and the renovation of the statues found during excavation below the church floors. The slabs on the floors are also tombs of rich parishioners of the past. A special presentation is erected in the back of the church for one of its priests, Fr. Frelichkowski, who gave his life in support of his fellow man during World War II, wore the red triangle with a black P patch naming him a Christian political prisoner, and he was later canonized a saint.
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| Sanctuary |
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| Gothic vaulted ceilings |
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| Children are becoming my most favorite tourist pasttime. |
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| I almost bought a sword, helmet, and cassock for my 2 year old grandson but I'm sure his parents wouldn't appreciate the weapon. Note the Pizza Hut sandwich board. |
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| It hurts my soul to see McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Burger King on our travels in Poland! |
Tired, we returned to our car via the leaning tower at the city wall
and finished our drive to Sopot (just outside Gdansk) to our Sisters Lodge Hostel after 8pm which is when the free parking begins until 10am the next morning.
Exhausted again, I did no blogging and hit the hay after a shower!
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