We ate right at the end of our street and it was delicious and affordable, so can’t complain. We split our two meals — pasta with pesto and pork wrapped with bacon, potatoes, and broccoli. Sounds ordinary, but it was anything but. The weather’s been great, but they do offer blankets in case people get cold — something they did in Copenhagen when we were there several springs ago.
Today we both walked a LOT and took more photos (and Fred sketched). He’s been spending a lot of time close to home on our street, which is one of the nicest streets in Gdansk. There’s a festival going on — Saint Dominic's Fair — which ends today, so there are outdoor kiosks and vendors lining every single street for blocks and blocks and blocks and blocks. Ours is one of the only streets I’ve walked that doesn’t have kiosks, although it does have vendors selling amber jewelry in front of their jobs. Other than that there are several restaurants. Here’s what our street looked like after WWII. And here's what it looks like now. So horrific.
Both photo credits to: www.findingpoland.com
The przedproża — these gargoyle things — are typical elements of Gdansk’s townhouses. Their appearance depended on the imagination and wealth of the home’s owner. They represented a kind of house's business card. Apparently, the popularity of przedproża in Gdansk was also related to the fact that the city was built on marshy ground, and the streets were often flooded — hence the need to place the entrance to the building higher above the road level. To drain water from the przedproża themselves, gutters were used, ending with decorative spouts and gargoyles in the form of dragon, dolphin, and whale heads. Source: https://www.trasadlabobasa.pl/
Fred took ALL the following photos (except the last one of him drawing one, which I took):
Some young people Fred spoke with today told him they call them “pukers.” When I put “pukers” into Google translate it translated it to rzygacze in Polish. Then when I put “the pukers of Gdansk” in Google and then translated it, this is what I got — making me think pukers and gargoyles is synonymous in Polish:
Gargoyles in Gdańsk are decorative architectural elements that serve to drain water from building roofs. They are also commonly called gargoyles, although their forms can be more diverse, often taking on animal or fantasy shapes. They are a distinctive feature of old tenement houses, especially in the historic city center.
Changing subjects: This is what you call an urban sketcher. I’ll let you know if he shows up in Poznan and he’s part of the Urban Sketcher symposium.
And here are some scenes from around lovely Gdansk.
.jpeg)
So much like Copenhagen!
Last day of the Feast of Saint Domenica :)
Always a sucker for cute cars.
I've also always gotten a kick out of European advertising.
Fruit stands in Europe are more charming than American fruit stands. No idea why.
How blue is that sky?
Can you find the art?
Love summer nightlife.
Okay, now I’m back from dinner on Sunday night, and catching up on today. This morning I got up and went to the train station to see about booking our tickets to Poznan for Tuesday’s trip to the Urban Sketchers Symposium, a three-hour trip that should be no big deal. I stood in line at one of two windows (of about six) that were open. It was a 15-minute walk from our place, which shouldn’t be too bad with our luggage around noon on Tuesday. I was about sixth in line and after about 20 minutes, was next in line behind a very animated woman whose friend stood about ten feet away quietly weeping. After she finally figure out her plans, which took forever, the clerk yelled something in Polish to everyone that made them sort of slowly disperse. I stood there incredulous and she just stared at me. I said, “English?” And she said, “This window is closed for 15 minutes. Go to another window.” And just like that, my place in line, civility, peace, and everyhing that was right with the world was lost. I left in a huff and said some things out loud I would never say in public in an English-speaking country. But I knew from standing in line so long and and scrolling on my phone that I could easily buy these tickets on-line — and should have, and would do. And I have since done so. First class. Senior tickets (over 60, 30% off… middle seats, behind each other… ) Utter stupidity on my part. I could have bought these tickets weeks ago.
Anyway, on a happier note, lots of fun sights seen today.
And then tonight, pierogis — my first! So good! I got mine boiled, and then lightly friend, stuffed with chicken, cheese, and champignon, with a sour cream dipping sauce. Fred’s were baked and filled with beef and had a spicy red pepper dipping sauce. I won.
Eat your heart out, Alan Dershewitz :) Really good pierogis. And the worst wine pour EVER.
Comments
Post a Comment