Gdansk: Sightseeing and saddlesore

We were up, as ever, bright and early to catch our coach to the northern Polish city of Gdansk. The coach station was 10km out of the city, so we decided against the 2 hour walk and plumped for the metro instead. The cheap trip was made even cheaper when the ticket machine decided to give back more change than it was supposed too. Clearly not cheap enough for some though, as the lady infront of me decided to do a somersault over the turnstile and skip the fare, not easily done in a skirt and heels! We arrived at the Polski Bus station with plenty of time to spare, and watched the hordes of people cram on board with no order whatsoever. We weren't looking forward to our boarding but when it came to it, we fortunately managed to get a seat together and settled in for the 4 and a half hour journey.

After a cramped and uneventful journey we arrived and were incredibly relieved to be greeted by a bracing wind as we stepped off the bus. A welcome change from relentless heat and constant perspiration. We made it to our hostel with minimal fuss and got to making our beds. A quick nip down the local Biedronka to pickup dinner (chicken and pepper fajitas with rice (how we hadn't had them on this trip yet, I don't know!)) we were pretty much set for our evening.

We woke up the next morning and were greeted by an always appreciated free breakfast. Unfortunately, the hostel had no clothes washing facilities and we were in desperate need of a fresh tshirt or 2. We headed for a laundrette that was recommended by the receptionist at the hostel. She told us it would be good and cheaper than the one they use, fantastic! After quite a trek through the old town (nothing like some sightseeing while carrying your dirty underwear in a bag) we found the elusive pralnia. It looked like a place where all the hotels take their sheets to be washed, with stacks of bed linen and ladies folding sheets. But, they happily accepted our 2 small bags and informed us it would cost 56pln (£9.50), which is extortionate compared to what we had been paying. Being desperate though we had no choice and reluctantly agreed. With that wash load off our minds we headed back to the hostel for a quick pit stop then straight back out to see the sights of the old town properly. Gdansk is another sprawling city, with its suburbs stretching for miles (as we would soon learn) but fortunately everything worth seeing is situated in the centre. We headed first for the huge Church of St.Mary, as we had already passed it twice going to and from the laundrette. We then took a stroll down to the riverside to enjoy all the boats heading up and down, the impressive structure of 'The Crane' and the river Motława itself. We turned off the river and beaded up the Main Street of Gdansk, Dluga Street, which is pedestrianised, flanked on both sides by cafes, souvenir stalls selling amber jewelery and street performers entertaining the tourists. We stopped for a moment to look at the fountain of Neptune but decided against a photo due to the swathes of tourists standing around it. Proceeding down we eventually came to the Golden Gate, which is part of the old city fortifications. By this time, we'd worked up a hunger, and headed back towards the river to pick out a place to have some lunch. We made for the opposite side and picked the only one going, as it was significantly cheaper and had much better views over to the main promenade along the river. After dining on the Polish staples, pasta and a chicken sandwich, we sat and enjoyed the sun, watched the world pass by, while we drank some good, cold Polish beer. The hours flew by, so we made our way back to our hostel to drop our things off and head to the laundrette to pick our fresh clean clothes up.

When we dropped them off we said we needed them today and they gave us the time of 8pm to go and pick them up. We got there for half 7 in the hope they'd be done and we could get back for dinner.  Wishful thinking. They hadn't even started our washing, infact the bags were still sitting on the floor, untouched, like they had been completely forgotten about. Needless to say we weren't impressed. Even less when the man behind the counter said they'd be ready in an hour, maybe tomorrow. No chance my friend! We need them today we told him with more than a slight hint of anger in our voices. We sat and waited patiently while the lady washed and dried both bags and then folded them for us, not wanting to leave incase they closed the shop with our clothes stuck inside. 2 hours we had to sit there, eventually getting our clothes and heading home at half 9.

The next morning, with my now skin tight t-shirt on (we should have found a self service laundrette!) we decided to have a nice relaxing day, in preparation for a very busy and tiring one we knew we were going to have the next day. We simply strolled around taking the occasional photo here and there. The tuna, pasta and sweet corn we had to dinner probably being the highlight of the day.

We were up early to get some breakfast, keen to start the day off. We'd chosen to finally rent some bikes and utilise the extensive cycle routes to go to a town called Sopot 14km away. After a slight struggle, we found the bike rental place, which was more of an alleyway down the side of a shabby kebab restaurant. We signed our forms, then he asked for the money, obviously. It came to 80 zloty, so I took two 50 zloty notes from my pocket in order to pay him. He was rooting through his wallet to find a 20 to give me as change but pulled out a hundred instead and then seemed to think that I had paid him that 100 zloty note and then preceded to give me 20 zloty change on top of that! Despite being half 10 in the morning he did seem slightly tipsy, I put the money back in my pocket, thinking that he'd notice his mistake by the time we got back with the bikes and we'll pay him then. He took us down his alleyway to collect the bikes, passing through a gap in a fence leading to an unlit barn. Charlotte and I were apprehensive to enter but we did. I couldn't see a thing and Charlotte could only see shadows, there was hay covering most of the floor like it was used to house animals. I whispered to Charlotte "is there anybody else in here" and felt quite reassured when she said "no, just us 3". We collected the bikes, covered the assault course back out to the pavement and we're ready to depart.

We had hoped to hug the coastline as we made our way to Sopot but took a wrong turning and were on the main road out of town, which fortunately had a constant cycle path next to the pavement. After a few wrong turns and diversions we zig zagged our way into town, finding the gold sandy beach along the permanently chilly Baltic Sea. We also found the elusive coastal cycle path and followed it until we hit the main square of Sopot, which is right opposite its main attraction, it's pier. Sopot pier is the longest pier in Europe but actually isn't that impressive at all. You can't ride bikes on it, can't walk dogs on it and you can't fish from it. On top of that it is closed between 11pm and 8am and it had an entrance fee! I'll stick with wonderful Worthing Pier thank you very much. We continued along the coastal path until we reached the end, finishing on a secluded, sandy beach, with views right along the coast back towards Gdansk. We toyed with the idea of carrying on to the city of Gdinya but with our backsides already rather sore, we turned tail and started to head back. Keeping to the coastal path all the way this time, we reached the end and tried to find the Westerplatte Monument. We did eventually, but there was the Vistula River between us and it, so we took a few snaps across the river and headed on our way. The Westerplatte Monument commemorates the Polish defenders of World War 2. Westerplatte was where the first battle between Polish and German forces occurred during the Invavsion of Poland. All we needed to do now was make it back to the centre of Gdansk, which was slightly tricky, as our map didn't cover where we were. Through instinct and keep the famous Gdansk Shipyard, where the shipbuilders and Lech Wałęsa had formed the first non-Communist trade union in the Soviet Bloc and contributed to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe , on our left hand side, we eventually made it back into town via some seriously dodgy looking neighbourhoods (we seem to have a knack for finding them). We returned our bikes and were greeted with "good trip?". "Lovely thank you" we replied and were on our way at a speed before the heavies came after us. Charlotte was keen to make the point "what comes around, goes around", I'm sure the bonus of not paying will come back to bite us on the bum, Karma some would say.

The rest of our evening was spent resting our tender backsides and packing for our mammoth coach trip the next day.

My brother, Rob and Charlotte's co-worker Iwona were full of praise for Gdansk before we arrived and we were not disappointed.

Up next, is our final stop in Poland, Kraków.

James and Charlotte

Warsaw: The Polish are invading!

Our residency in Kaunas had to come to an end, on quite a sour note, when the receptionist asked if we could be out of our room as soon as possible so he could get the beds made. What's the point of having a check out time of 12 if we can't stay until then! Anyway, after a quick trot down the shops to pick up our lunch/dinner for our coach ride to Warsaw, we made good use of their facilities, used their wifi and sweated all over their sofa! Our coach was a late one, a 16:50 departure, that wouldn't arrive in Warsaw until 22:10! After settling in in the coach we soon forgot that though, it was fitted with entertainment sets in the headrests, preloaded with films, music and Internet. Having watched Interstellar and The Bucket List the time soon flew by and were pulling into Warsaw central bus station. All that was left was for Charlotte to drag me blind through the dimly lit streets to our hostel. We arrived stinking of sweat, so had a quick shower and settled in to bed.

Warsaw is a huge and sprawling city, so while we were located rather centrally, it meant the historic old town was a good 30 minutes walk away. With a big shop done at the local supermarket, we were ready to head out and about into the oppressive heat. The old town was almost completely destroyed during World War 2 but was meticulously rebuilt afterwards, with as much of the original bricks and rubble being used as possible. As ever on day one, our primary task was to hunt down a suitable pin badge, so we don't spend out entire time in a place looking for one. After what was a rather easy task, which made a nice change, we strolled around the packed old town, enjoying the sights and sounds of the big city, namely scaffolding and sirens. With the sun going down rather early now, we didn't want to be out too late, particularly having passed a few "interesting" characters the night before and with my terrible night vision I'd hardly be able to protect Charlotte from all the bad guys!

The next morning, after a brief consultation with the map, we decided to head for the furthest point from our hostel, which was Warsaw Citadel. Google Maps kindly informed us it was a 5.5km walk but we decided to go for it anyway. Fortunately, it was pretty much along a straight road, with the odd corner here and there. About half an hour into the walk, we had lost every other tourist in the city, which, bearing in mind how many there were, just didn't seem possible. As the buildings around us became more and more residential and the graffiti became more and more pronounced, we started to get a little bit wary. Blocks of flats flanked both sides of the roads we were walking down, surely we were in the wrong place? But then, there it was, tucked down a road between two buildings. We headed for the entrance. We were turned away by an armed guard as it was under renovation and closed. What a wasted morning. Disappointed, we traipsed off in search of the Vistula River, which flows right past the old town and through Warsaw's sprawling suburbs. After sitting and eating our lunch of a banana and an apple by the riverside, we strolled down the banks, relieved to feel a breeze for the first time in weeks. Breaking from the river, we made for multimedia fountain park, which has choreographed fountains that on weekend evening dance in time with music and include light shows, we were there during the day though, so it was slightly less impressive, but still nice to enjoy the cool spray coming from the fountains on such a hot day. Rejoining the river, we carried along the bank, enjoying the views of the national football stadium and the leafy looking Praga district on the opposite bank. We were heading for a statue of a mermaid, which, according to legend, protects the city with a sword and shield and is featured on their coat of arms. After hunting it down and taking a few snaps we decided to head for home, completely drained by the heat. Along the way, we dropped into a small supermarket and picked up some really cheap but good Polish beer and some chocolate to perk us up a bit. Energy topped up, we made the most of it and relaxed in the hostel for the rest of the evening, blog writing and admin.

Our final full day in Warsaw started off rather uneventful, we didn't really have much to do today. Not leaving the hostel until half 11, we just planned to stroll aimlessly but upon hitting one of the main streets, that all changed. Huge tanks and armoured vehicles lined both sides of the street as far as the eye could see and I was starting to fear the worst, had something bad happened over night? After following the crowd, we started to notice all the Polish flags being carried and draped from lampposts. Relief! We guessed it must be Independance Day or something (a quick Google later informed us it was actually ap Armed Forces Day). The tanks in the streets was certainly a sight to behold, like something you see from Russia or North Korea when they decide to show off their military hardware for the world to see. We were heading for Łazienki Park, which actually turned out to be where it was all happening. When we reached the park, the crowds were 10 deep, so we had no chance of seeing the parade along the road, instead we headed off and found a huge statue of the composer Chopin, who spent half his life in the city. Around the statue, there were hundreds of people looking towards the sky, we couldn't help but wonder what they were staring at, so we waited around to see what happened. Then we heard them. Polish Air Force jets and helicopters doing fly passes for the crowds, we certainly picked the right time to come out today and the right place to go! We even got to see what I assume was the Polish version of the Red Arrows, which was a real treat! With all the fun over, we moved with the crowds toward the city, passing a huge plastic Palm tree plonked right in the middle of a roundabout. By this time it was 2 o'clock and we were hungry and out of water, so decided to head for a supermarket to pick up some lunch. This was easier said than done on a Polish bank holiday, one after another we tried with the same notice on the door saying something about Armed Forces Day. Eventually, before we collapsed in a heap from dehydration we found one open and with a bit of luck, it was the closest one to our hostel. Fully refuelled, we headed back into the old town for one last time to top up our photograph collection and see anything we'd missed. After our feast of chocolate, crisps and sandwiches for lunch, we skipped dinner and slobbed on the sofa for the rest of the evening.

After the compact cities we'd been to recently, Warsaw was a bit of a shock to the system. Sprawling for miles in every direction, it's certainly not one for the walkers, although we stubbornly refuse to pay for public transport unless completely necessary. It is, however, rich with history, with plenty to see and do.

Next stop, Gdansk, on the Baltic coast, hopefully, with a nice cool sea breeze!

James and Charlotte

Kaunas: Don't smile at the locals!

With a generous check out time of 12 o'clock we were up early with a small list of chores to complete before we could leave for Kaunas. First up was to complete and print our Chinese Visa forms ready to  apply for one when we get to Budapest. Having spotted an Internet cafe at the bus station we managed to get this sorted pretty easily. With one big worry out the way we wandered back to the supermarket to pick up our lunch of a whole French stick to go with our leftover eggs and cheese from previous dinner, so resourceful! After checking out, feasting and relaxing in the common area, we got ready to brave the heat and trudge to the coach station. Despite only being 10 minutes away we still managed to become absolutely drenched in our sweat, we might need to call in some reserve t-shirts at this rate. After a brief wait for our coach, we were on and able to sit on the shady side. When we got on, the temperature gauge read 27, during the journey we watched with horror as it slowly crept up and up and peaked at 33 when we arrived! Bearing in mind this was at 7 o'clock in the evening and the sun was well on its way to the horizon. We stepped off the air conditioned coach and hit the wall off heat, reminiscent of holidays as a child when you step off the aeroplane. Boy was it hot, unbearably so, no wonder the streets were deserted! We hastily hunted down our hostel        before we cooked and dripped into our room.

After a terrible nights sleep in the heat, we treated ourselves to a lie in and had a cold shower to cool off. Eventually when we were ready to burn again, we ventured out, doing our best to stick to the shade. The flip flops were out for the first time on our trip in a vain attempt to rid of our atrocious sock marks, which screamed "tourist". We headed for the compact old town to have a look around. Walking along a pedestrianised street, passing closed shop after closed shop. We ended up in the central square, which had a church and a strange lamppost with painted white bicycles all over it.  The temperature was around the 34/35 degree mark, which is pretty high when you consider the all time record for Kaunas is 34.9. After what was a relatively quiet and relaxing day we returned to our hostel, to cook up our Pork Stir Fry and hopefully get a better nights sleep.

In the middle of the night, out of nowhere there was a huge shower, which really helped to cool the air down so the sleeping conditions were much better. So, we were keen to get out and about and exploit the new freshness in the air. It was still showering when we left the hostel so we briefly took shelter and decided to head in the direction of the Devil Museum, which is the only one of its kind in the world. Surprised to see it open on a Sunday, we headed in just as the thunder started and the heavens opened (pun jntended). There were 3 large floors all dedicated to statues and painting of Satan himself. We stuck to the statue side and throughly enjoyed our time in what was outer first museum of the trip! Interesting to see how the devil is portrayed by different cultures and nationalities. Fortunately, by the time we'd finished our dance with the devil, the weather had cleared and we strolled in the direction of the old town. Just beyond, is a small park where both of Kaunas' rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, converge. So we walked right up the the tip of land to have a look, took a few snaps and headed on to our next destination. We crossed the Nemunas River and paid the extortionate fee of 58 cents to ride the funicular railway to the top of a hill and get a panoramic view of downtown Kaunas. It gave us great views of the old town, both the rivers and well into the distance we could see the Soviet built tower blocks littering the suburbs. Rather risk our lives again on the ancient funicular we decided to take the rickety steps back down to the bottom. After what had been a productive day we strolled to the supermarket and picked up some dinner, then Charlotte thrashed me at a game of table football. With a trip to the capital of Lithuania tomorrow we had a relaxing evening in, chatting with our roommates.

  

Unfortunately, Charlotte was kept up most of the night by the incessant snoring of the elderly British man on the bottom bunk opposite us. He had an empty bag and had been in the hostel for some time, so I was absolutely convinced he was a London criminal and was hiding out after being part of the Hatton Garden diamond heist back in April! I could be wrong though. We were up early anyway to catch our bus to Vilnius. After pottering along the highway for an hour and a half we arrived at Vilnius bus station and we were keen to make the most of our time in the city. We picked up a handy map and went straight into the old town. We decided to start from the north and make our way back towards the bus station. So with Gediminas Tower, which is the remaining part of the upper castle of Vilinius. From here we could see the modern downtown area, the rooftops and churches of the old town, the crosses monument and an onion domed Russian Orthodox Church in the very far distance. Rather then getting the funicular up and down, we decided to save our pennies and walk both ways. Afterward we headed down through a small park and into cathedral square, which is home to, believe it or not, Vilnius Cathedral and it's separate bell tower. A quick browse around the souvenir stalls of the old town turned up a nice pin badge to add to the collection, which was handy as we couldn't find one anywhere in Kaunas. We'd read that the Lithuanian people came across rather grumpy and moody and don't acknowledge you in the street. But while sitting down for lunch in a park full of fountains, more than one person tried starting a conversation with us in Lithuanian and smiled as they did. Obviously, we had no idea what they were saying but it was nice to see they were such friendly people. Also a compliment is people talking to you in there own language, thankfully we aren't wandering round looking like hardcore tourists! After dining on our cheese sandwiches and apologising for our ignorance regarding the Lithuanian language, we strolled in the direction of one of Vilnius' lesser known sights. A 10ft tall plinth, housing a bust of the musician Frank Zappa. Charlotte and I had no idea who he is and didn't know his music but thought we'd have a browse anyway, as it's such an odd thing to see a statue of. Our map told us that his music was banned by the Soviets when they were in power, so it could be seen as a symbol of Lithuanians freedom and independence.  After the mandatory photographs, we ploughed on. Like Japanese tourists on the scent of some culture we wandered the streets for hours, trying to cover every church, statue and square possible. We thought we deserved the coffee we had in one of the old towns back street cafes, resisting the temptation of the cakes they had on offer. A quick detour led us into the back courtyard of the presidential palace, which has an elephant statue carrying a chessboard, the only problem is that you have to bring you own pieces! While heading back to the bus station we headed through town hall squares, which seems to be a staple of every city in Europe. This one left us slightly disappointed though and we couldn't place why, maybe it was because it was more of a triangle and not square, someone need to have a word with the architect! We had a fantastic day exploring the wonderful city of Vilnius and passed through our last sight, the gates of dawn on our way to catch the bus. This was the only remaining part of Vilnius City walls.

We arrived back quite late and just had time to pick up some baked beans from the supermarket before it closed. Beans on toast for dinner, nothing better after a long day of sightseeing and travelling.

Our last day in Kaunas was very quiet. The sun and heat had returned so we relaxed in doors for most of the day, catching up on blogs and photos. Only heading out to get some fresh air during a stroll through a park and pick up a big Sakotis, which is a spit cooked cake that vaguely resembles a Christmas tree. It is traditional to have these at Lithuanian weddings and is the pride of their cuisine. Charlotte and I just couldn't resist, sitting on our bunk and shovelling the sweet, hard chunks into our mouths. Well we needed a treat after such a busy day!

For once it was nice to stay in a city that wasn't the capital. It was quieter and more relaxed, which was probably a good thing taking into account how hot it had been. Compared to Latvia and Estonia. Lithuania had seemed a bit more run down, graffiti, shattered pavements and hollow buildings were commonplace but it was still a wonderful country to see and visit.

Heading back west now, for 3 stops in Poland. Its capital, Warsaw is first on the list.

James and Charlotte