Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Poland

Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Watching Football – Arka Gdynia vs Ruch Chorzów)

Ross and I thought that it would be a marvellous idea to go and watch the football whilst the others gossiped about what a good job I had done at leading the group. I think it’s important to give people that chance to chat about just how challenging they’d been and how I had reacted so positively to the problems they’d brought me. We didn’t know whether we could actually buy tickets at the ground, but thought it was fairly likely that this wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t, and after a twenty minute wait in the queue we had the bonus of a ticket seller who spoke English and guided us through the process. Fortunately we both had ID as they needed to see it and before long we had two tickets from the home stand.

A man with a flare, seemed a bit raucous to me.

Outside the stadium around thirty minutes before the kick off.

And into the seats which we managed to find without too many problems.

I went off to find food and drink as that seemed to be an important part of the proceedings to me. The beer was non-alcoholic, although that is seemingly not usually the only option and the hot dog was suitably tasty and they’d made something of an effort with the presentation.

We had toured Gdansk’s football ground earlier on in the week and they said they’d only filled it when Justin Timberlake performed there. Gdynia’s ground was similar and not anywhere near capacity, meaning it all felt quite spacious.

That sun was a little sub-optimal if I’m being honest.

There was a calm atmosphere at the stadium, although they allow smoking in the stands which I think is far from ideal, but there we go.

The players from Ruch Chorzów.

This block of fans were the most vocal and had huge amounts of energy to jump up and down throughout most of the game. They tired me out just watching them, but I was impressed at their enthusiasm.

This was the final score.

The sun started to disappear just as the match finished.

And that was the end of that, an interesting experience. There was a Polish man who spoke to me in the queue and fortunately spoke English. He asked politely why I was at a match in Gdynia and when I explained I thought it was positive to come and support the local team he was most enthusiastic and welcoming. He asked how long I had been in the area and I mentioned that I had arrived in Gdansk four days before. He jokingly replied that he wasn’t interested about Gdansk, just how long I’d been in Gdynia, and I forgot that there is rivalry between the two teams.

There were plenty of families at the ground and matters seemed calm, with plenty of police in the area. Watching football is to me similar to going to a supermarket when travelling, it helps build up a bit more of a picture about the local culture and traditions. All really rather lovely and an enjoyable way to spend the early evening. With that, we went to get a train into Gdansk to see how the others had coped without me.

May 19, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Train to Gdynia and Walk to See Arka Gdynia)

The train which took us from Sopot to Gdynia and the slightly muddled nature of the Polish ticketing system in the area became apparent once again when we bought tickets. I didn’t want to wait in the queue for the ticket machine and went to the counter to buy a ticket and the five of us who used that counter were charged the same price, whereas Bev who went to the neighbouring desk was charged a slightly cheaper rate. I have worked out now what is happening here, but the system probably does need a fair bit of simplification and it looks like that new contactless machines are being rolled out which will make things better.

The Joseph Conrad monument, although it’s not clear to me what actual links he has to Gdynia in particular. Not only does he have this monument, he has also the JD Wetherspoon pub in Lowestoft named after him, I can’t imagine which he would be most impressed and excited by. Conrad is one of the greatest Polish novelists and he specialised in seafaring stories, which is perhaps why Gdynia wanted to mark his contribution.

Bev paying homage to the rear of the monument.

Lots of concrete here and the rest of the group weren’t convinced that I said this was as lovely as the pier in Sopot that we hadn’t walked down. There were pleasant views over the nearby coast though and it’s a nice walk along the promenade back to Sopot.

The group then split up, with Ross and I going to watch the Arka Gdynia football match which was about a 40 minute walk away, whilst Richard went off to a nearby bar to tell Bev, Susanna and Steve about what he had been getting up to in Warsaw. I make no further comment.

May 18, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Ice Cream in Sopot, the Pier and Taking the Waters)

Susanna suggested interrupting our busy schedule to get an ice cream, and being the liberal and benevolent leader that I am, I decided that this wasn’t a bad idea. It’s important to be flexible when it comes to matters of food and craft beer.

A colourful little selection of ice creams, with a warm and welcoming service to go along with it.

Lemon tart ice cream, very delicious.

Sopot has been part of Poland since 1945 and it had been in the early twentieth century a growing tourist resort. Although this was impacted for some time from the 1930s onwards, it is regaining its reputation for being a popular place for visitors from across Poland and beyond. Property prices are high here, there are new hotels opening and it’s all rather on trend. It’s also the home of the Sopot International Song Festival, the second largest European music festival with only Eurovision being larger.

Taking the waters is still a popular pursuit because the area has a natural source of bromide spring water. There is a warning by the spring that because of the high salt level that those with hypertension, peptic ulcers, heart and kidney problems should seek medical advice before partaking with too much enthusiasm.

The 512 metre pier was first constructed in 1827 and is the longest wooden pier in Europe, but as we were limited for time and there was a charge for entry (from May to September anyway), this was as far as we got.

The merry group before we left Sopot for Gydnia to complete the tour of the three component parts of the Tricity.

May 18, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (The Crooked House in Sopot)

On the main street of Sopot is the Crooked House (Krzywy Domek) which is occupied by Costa and is part of the Rezydent shopping centre. It was constructed between 2003 and 2004, designed by architects Szotyński and Zaleski.

Unfortunately, the trees in front make it a little difficult to photograph, but this gives a sufficient indication of the building’s quirkiness. The architects were inspired by the Polish artist Jan Marcin Szancer and the poet Per Dahlberg, with the whole arrangement being something of a tourist attraction in its own right.

Steve took this image, which is rather better than mine…..

May 17, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Wojtek the Bear)

This statue is in memory of Wojtek the Bear, who during the Second World War was adopted by the Polish army at the age of three months old as his mother had been shot by hunters. He thought that he was a soldier, so he stood guard, saluted, help transport loads and he’d ride next to the driver in the army truck. He was promoted to become a corporal in the military and was transferred to Edinburgh Zoo after the Second World War. He lived there until December 1963 and there’s another memorial to him there.

A little video about the bear, which noted that he picked up some habits from the troops including smoking (and eating) cigarettes, drinking beer from a bottle and getting involved in wrestling matches. Goodness knows what other troops thought when they saw this bear marching along with the Polish troops.

Our little group liked reading about the bear.

May 17, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Church of St. George in Sopot)

This rather beautiful church is located in the centre of Sopot on the city’s main street.

Sopot was a rapidly growing location at the end of the nineteenth century and the need for an additional church became more apparent. After years of fund raising, the foundation stone for the church was laid on 22 October 1899, designed by Louis von Tiedemann. The building design is in the Germanic style, with the tower being 47 metres in height.

When the church was constructed, Sopot was part of Prussia and was the favourite spa town of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany. It became part of the Free City of Danzig following the First World War at a time when the German population was growing, making the church popular and well used.

The interior is colourful and bright, originally built with 784 seats for worshippers.

The church was used for the Evangelical movement until 8 May 1945, when it was handed over to the Catholic Church when it was also rededicated to St. George. The interior was changed to suit the needs of the Catholic Church in 1970 and the stained glass was added between 1973 and 1976.

May 17, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (PINTA in Sopot)

We got the bus from Oliwa to Sopot and I was in a mood for most of it as it was too bloody hot. The buses in the city need better air conditioning.

I couldn’t believe how fortunate it was that the bus stop I got everyone to get off at was nearby to PINTA in Sopot, what a lovely coincidence. Given that, it seemed only sensible to stop for food and drink.

I went in to order whilst the others perused the menu outside. We were going in anyway, I wasn’t intending the group to even think about it, but fortunately they loyally marched in soon enough.

It wasn’t the busiest on a Saturday lunchtime, but I’m sure that it’s much busier in the evening. It’s an outpost of the impeccable and exciting PINTA brewery (arguably the first craft brewer in the country), with their Warsaw location being one of my favourite places in the country’s capital city.

The board of decadent and delicious drinks.

This is part of the Risfactor series of drinks brewed by PINTA and I have to confess that I pinched some of Richard’s beer as I only realised after I had ordered that I hadn’t had this one. It’s Cocoa Nibs and Roasted Peanuts and it was smooth and rich with dollops of peanut flavour. Beautiful and a good choice from Richard.

The Kwas Xy, a Catharina sour and I had to look that up, but it’s a strong Berliner Weisse which in this case has been loaded with tropical fruit. A very decent beer, although not as much as going on in terms of the flavour as I’d ideally like.

Richard was pleased with his sizeable pear and blue cheese salad. Ross ordered last and was impatiently waiting for his food to be available at the little hatch where we had to collect it.

The drink at the back left is the Kwas Jota, a particularly sour sour which had strong flavours of red and black currants, I liked this. The burger was served a little pink even for me, but tasted of a decent quality and complemented the sours nicely.

The server was helpful, the environment was clean and the beer list was well curated. I’m not sure why Sopot has been treated to an outpost of PINTA, but I hope they realise that they’ve very fortunate in having such an excellent bar available to them. The on-line reviews are positive and the bar doesn’t seem to have been open for that long judging by the relatively few reviews. The prices were towards the higher end of the scale, but the quality of the beer in my mind justifies this.

May 16, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Public Transport Debacle)

The task that we all had for the fourth day was to make it to Oliwa, two of us from Gdynia and four from Gdansk. This sounded a relatively easy task, the public transport in the Tricity is excellent. However, it’s not idiot proof as we discovered.

Richard and I got muddled up and weren’t confident that we should be on the train that we were, so we got off at Sopot and boarded a different one. I decided to go to the front of the train to seek a conductor, but they didn’t seem bothered about the situation, but we didn’t want to risk it further. The mistake that we made was not realising that the SKM train service wasn’t listed on the boards or screens, so the trains were there but we waited for a regional train which were much more infrequent. No real problems for us, but it took us longer to make the journey than it needed to.

Finally in Oliwa. Fortunately, the others had patiently waited at a cafe for us and hadn’t started on the day’s activities.

The others hadn’t fared much better on their travels. Bev and Susanna bought senior tickets successfully and Ross said “same again” and managed to get a senior ticket for himself which isn’t really what he wanted. Two of them also had tickets to different locations to the other for reasons unknown. However, the most exciting was yet to come, Susanna didn’t realise that she needed to validate her train ticket on the platform and got sternly told off by a train guard. After apologising and appealing to the guard’s sense of fair play, given that they at least had tickets the guard decided to let them off. Thanks to Steve for this photo and it seems as if he was the only person who knew how to purchase the correct ticket. He’s very sensible is that Steve.

May 16, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 4 (Oliwa Cathedral)

My idea for the fourth day of the expedition was to show the group some more of the Tricity of Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia, as well as Oliwa which is a suburb of Gdansk. We started the day at Oliwa Cathedral (formally known as the Archcathedral Basilica of the Holy Trinity), but the next post will be about transportgate which we faced in getting there, which was challenging for just about all of us. I’ve visited this cathedral a couple of times before, but it’s always worth a repeat visit.

The history of Oliwa Cathedral dates back to the 12th century, originally founded as a simple wooden structure in 1186 by Sambor I of Gdansk, Duke of Pomerania. Over the centuries, the cathedral underwent numerous expansions and renovations, resulting in a combination of architectural styles ranging from Romanesque and Gothic to Baroque. The first brickwork was added in 1224, and subsequent reconstructions took place in 1234-1236. Despite facing destruction and damage over the years, the cathedral persevered and witnessed significant transformations.

In recognition of its historical and cultural significance, Oliwa Cathedral was bestowed with various titles and honours, including become the Polish cathedral of Gdansk in 1925. This was because Gdansk had become the independent Free City of Danzig, meaning that a new religious order was needed. In 1976, it was designated a minor basilica, and in 1992, it was elevated to the status of a metropolitan cathedral. The cathedral houses notable features, including a substantial Rococo organ renowned worldwide. This was designed by Johann Wilhelm Wulff, also known as Brother Michael, the organ’s construction spanned from 1763 to 1788 and received subsequent improvements by organ masters.

We tried to get inside and at first thought that there was a service taking place, so we went to wait outside. Something didn’t feel right as there wasn’t meant to be a service on, so Richard went to check on what was happening. He returned scared as he had seen a nun and had run away, so we instead asked Susanna as she is scared of nothing. It transpired that there was an organ recital, but it was coming to an end so we could go in. Richard commented how lovely he found the organ music, whereas Bev said several times that she absolutely hated it.

Steve, recreating Susanna’s infamous camera pose.

Bev, trying to look innocent in the cathedral’s nave.

The cathedral’s second organ, which is a choir organ dating back to 1680. Incidentally, I like those steps, they’ve got some character to them.

I’m always intrigued by wall paintings which have been restored and exposed once again, it’s hard to imagine what the now whitewashed walls would have once looked like.

More decoration above a religious and holy cupboard.

The choir and chancel.

The roof of the choir and chancel.

Looking back along the nave once again. Inside the cathedral, there are 23 different altars which are mostly in the Baroque and Rococo style.

The cathedral’s main organ. This has been repaired many times, not least when the Prussian army pinched some of the pipes during the First World War and melted them down. I’m sure that the cathedral authorities thought that this was entirely sub-optimal.

This is a beautiful building and I think everyone in our group thought that it was worth visiting, despite Bev’s negative commentary about their organ music which is renowned around the country. There’s no charge to enter the building, although donations are appreciated and there appears to be a charge for those who want to listen to the organ music.

May 16, 2023
Gdansk Group Trip – Day 3 (Mercure Gdynia Centrum)

Richard and I were staying in Gdynia for the evening, although he opted for a more decadent room in the city’s Mercure hotel than I had because of his great wealth. I had chosen this hotel as I thought it would be somewhere new for me and it was also part of an Accor extra points promotion, which I’m pleased to note have been posted correctly. Anyway, when I arrived I realised that I stayed here in January 2020, I had completely forgotten that. I do get muddled up easily….

The grand reception area. The welcome from the staff was friendly, authentic and genuine, so I was pleased to be back in such an inviting place. The bar area off to the right was busy and there was a vibrant feel to proceedings. In this instance, I should say that I mean vibrant in a positive sense, sometimes I use it as code for a venue where it feels like there will be a massive fight within ten seconds.

I was upgraded to a room on the eighth floor and given the alcohol themed room. Of course, I’m not sure why on earth they thought that would be suitable for me, but I didn’t say anything. Unfortunately, the bottles in the barrel were empty.

One of the features in the room was this little display, which are real corks and not some wallpaper. I liked theme rooms, and especially so this one, although if they had popped some extra beer in it then I would have liked it even more.

Wine posters. I was pleased to note that there was a bath in the bathroom, it’s more common practice recently to take them out to install showers instead.

Our welcome drink, with Richard getting some wine whilst I was able to choose between a number of beers from a local brewery. I went for the Kurortowe wheat beer from Browar Miejski Sopot, a very acceptable way to end the evening.

The hotel is 40 years old this year and there’s promotional material throughout the building noting that. There was also a welcome gift of food, I appreciated that. Richard saves his for when he gets home as a reminder of a trip, whereas I eat them straight away. There were more than two in the pack incidentally, that’s all that’s what was left by the time I took the photo.

The view of the sea from my eighth floor room. I stayed here for two nights and it is a well run and managed hotel, but there was the limitation for me that there’s no air conditioning and the hotel is something of a sun trap. It was all too hot for me, so I likely wouldn’t come back here as it wasn’t relatively that hot in Poland during the visit, so I suspect that I’d find it almost unbearable in the height of summer. Indeed, the vast majority of negative comments are about the air conditioning, but I’m not sure how the hotel is going to fix that without a substantial refit of the entire building. The hotel got an odd complaint a few weeks ago saying that the staff didn’t speak Polish, which is an unusual comment I’ve never seen before about an Accor hotel in Poland. It seems ridiculous anyway, the hotel responded that all of the staff were Polish, although this gives me an opportunity to say that their English was perfect as well.

May 16, 2023