Gdansk, Malbork and Sopot

It began as several of our Eastern European treks have begun, with an overnight train ride. This trip, all within the borders of just Poland, was the longest of our overnight adventures. Krakow is in the southern part of Poland, and Gdansk lies on the northern shore, about 303 miles away. Gdansk is most famous as the home of the shipyards where Lech Walesa worked and became the solidarity leader who helped Poland break with communism. Eventually, he also became president of Poland.

Chris and Brody slept in the top bunks, and Corey and Ariana in the bottom. Everyone is now used to the routine, and we know where the buttons are for the special night lights as well as the knob to adjust the heat. We figured out that one on a previous trip in which our cabin got a little too hot. It's an adventure but it makes the EconoLodge seem plush.

So, after 12 hours, about 6 or 7 which we slept, we arrived in Gdansk. Ok, so it's the equivalent distance of DFW to Houston, but hey, this ain't Southwest Airlines. We exited the train station and headed straight for the taxi stand figuring we deserved to treat ourselves after the long ride. However, with mostly hand gestures as our form of communication, we were informed in Polish, by the driver, that our hotel was "just over there and that we should walk." So, with rolling luggage and backpacks we headed "over there." Luckily, it really was only about a 15 minute walk, so the kids did not have too much time to complain about their heavy backpacks full of books and electronics.

We arrived at our hotel in one piece, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the 6 room hotel (Gotyk House), converted from a house that was built in 1541 in the old town of Gdansk, was quite nice and comfortable. The owners were also nice, as has always been the case as we have traveled through Eastern Europe. We slept Dick Van Dyke/Mary Tyler Moore style, with a twin bed for each of us.

That first day, we hung around in Gdansk and took a boat ride on a ship that looked like a pirate ship. This took us to Westerplatte, the area where the first shots of WWII were fired by the Germans. Westerplatte had strategic importance as the port for almost all of Poland's sea commerce and a major shipbuilding center. A monument now stands for all the valiant soldiers in WII. From far away it looks like a face, but upon closer inspection, you can see soldiers and other details. Just what Corey needed...more WWII history...but Brody was, of course, very excited.

After a good night's sleep back in a real bed (vs. a train bunk), we hit the road early on Saturday morning to visit Malbork Castle, just a one hour train ride south. Built by the Teutonic Knights, this was once the largest castle in all of Europe, and parts of it date back to the 13th century. It passed through the hands of the Prussians, Germans, Swedes, and Poles along the way, sometimes operating as a fortress and sometimes as a residence. Corey was intrigued by the rocks that formed the road into the castle, and how it matched the colored tiles inside.

We left there in the early afternoon and headed back north, through Gdansk, and into the beach resort town of Sopot. Picture a cross between a small Oregon beach town and Brighton in the UK. It is a wonderfully quaint town with a 515 meter pier called the Molo. The sandy beach served as a great source of entertainment, especially for Corey and Ariana who spent time building a toilet seat of sand and seaweed. Don't ask! We ate at a nice outdoor restaurant with tourist fare and bad service, but it was fun. Everyone loved the Crooked House which had a very Gaudi-esk feel to it, even noted by the kids from their recent trip to Barcelona (Gaudi's home). We wish we had more pictures, but Corey forgot to charge the camera in Krakow, AND forgot to bring the charger. We were lucky it lasted 2 days.

Sunday morning, we concluded our trip with a walk around town, a visit to the crane museum (an old wooden crane for raising cargo from ships), a coal ship called the Soldek that looked like a WWII battleship, and of course, the Amber Museum. We actually learned a lot about amber, which formed when the sap from felled pine trees was covered up during the last ice age. Some pieces of amber even have small animals or insects embedded in them.

Throughout the trip, we searched for amber on every beach, rocky or sandy. We did find several small pieces that we think are amber. Ariana was most intrigued by the amber and used her allowance money to purchase an amber necklace and amber earrings that she can wear when she gets her ears pierced. She insists that her ears are all she will ever pierce, and her parents sure hope so.

Another fun trip that the Krakow Ladd family truly enjoyed. We continue to be extremely grateful for the opportunity we have to travel the world and experience cultures, people and places we've never encountered before.