May I Have This Gdansk? March 2024

Our stay in Gdansk was lovely, though our journey there was not smooth. Our flight was slightly delayed leaving Copenhagen, though we made up time in the air - only to have to abort our landing due to low clouds. Once safely on the ground, we ventured over to the train station, where all trains were running 45-75 min late. Eventually, we gave up on the train and opted for a delightful taxi ride, featuring hits like Summer Wine and If I Could Turn Back Time.

After checking into the hotel, we decided to track down a cocktail or two - it was a Friday night, after all! About a block away, we found Flisak '76, a cute cocktail bar with a storybook-themed menu. We started with the Little Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio (featuring wooden soda) and finished up with the Ugly Duckling and Snow Queen (featuring a decorative snowflake that took us longer than we're proud of to confirm was edible).

At this point, it was time to track down dinner - little did we know that construction would block us from being able to access our first pick. It all worked out fine, however, as we found a nice spot with tasty food and live music - and a lady wearing a 711 shirt.

The next morning, we tracked down a nice breakfast by the river before meeting up for our walking tour. The tour was fascinating, featuring an interesting mix of sightseeing and history. We saw many gates, the millennium tree, a fun and lengthy astronomical clock performance, many decorative gargoyles, a medieval crane powered by human-size hamster wheels, a gothic facade beloved by Kaiser Vilhelm, and the post office where the first shots of World War II were fired. It was a lot to fit into 2.5 hours!

At this point, we had worked up quite the appetite and were in the mood for some pierogi. It took us a few attempts to find a spot where the line wasn't too long, and then promptly ordered enough pierogi for a family of 6. Oops! They were delicious, though. Post-lunch, we tracked down a slough of souvenirs, including a pair of amber earrings, and walked over to the train station to check out a touching statue located in front of a classy KFC.

As it was quite chilly outside, we decided to stop by Craft Cocktails for a quick drink. The crowd inside was boisterous, and the drinks were delectable - the earl grey negroni and Sao Paulo margarita were to die for. After a quick break at the hotel, we walked along the other side of the river to.a wine bar, where we enjoyed a bottle of Polish bubbles and a lovely conversation with the friendly gentleman running the bar. After being treated to impressive views on the local Ferris Wheel, we ventured back to the hotel. A final highlight of the evening was finding a ridiculous cash drop gameshow that looked like a twice-removed cousin of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Sunday morning featured a cute breakfast spot where Jacob's order was unfortunately misunderstood, a lovely walk by the river, and then a very interesting but heavy tour of the World War II Museum. Poland's position in the war was unfortunate on many fronts, and it was fascinating to explore the Polish perspective leading up to the war and dealing with the consequences afterwards.

We had a great time during our short stay in Gdansk; we'd love to return to Poland to visit some of the other cities as well!