The North Poland

Berlin - (POLAND) Poznan - Gdansk - Sopot - Westerplatte - Warsaw

Dzien Dobry,

Aaahh! Less than two months left before I have to go home, after an amazing and educational two years travelling Europe and the Middle East! Plans for travelling the rest of the world for the next 5 years are in the making though, so will keep you posted!


GERMAN INNOCENCE

One thing I must say about the Germans is how adorably childlike and innocent they can be. For example, a traveller recounting an experience where he was in a movie cinema:

"The cinema showed an advertisement of happy people eating ice cream. When the advertisement was over, the lights went up and a guy emerged from the front with a tub and saying something along the lines of "so, anyone for ice cream?" Several happy eager German hands went up."

Bless them.

Another example was when I boarded a train to the bus station. Unsure if the train was going the right way I ask a dignified middle aged woman for assistance. Looking at my metro map she proceeded to trace the path of the train with her finger whilst making little choo choo train noises to the destination.

Bless them. Bless them all.


GASTRONOMY AND NIGHTLIFE IN BERLIN

Spent the last nights generally chilling out in cafes, eating currywurst from a stand punningly titled "Checkpoint Curry", and even went to eat in a Vietnamese restaurant (you don't see many of these) to see how it compares to Melbourne Vietnamese restaurants (it doesn't - not to be biased but there is nothing like the quality and diversity
that is Melbourne food. Melbourne cafes also makes the best coffees!). Also went out on the town with hostel folk, drinking at a squatter owned bar, avoiding the numerous black leather corseted prostitutes on the streets, and ending the night by hooking up with one Aussie girl whilst at the same time keeping her friends head out of the toilet
bowl due to too much vodka...

Gotta love Berlin!


POZNAN

After having to help push the bus to get it started, I finally made it to Poznan. Poznan is a lovely large town filled with pedestrianised streets, restaurants, shopping malls, cafes, and bars/clubs. Discovered a funky cool little cafe called "Cacao Republika" where I spent much time drinking the best thick hot chilli chocolate with cream and chilling out in the predominantly red cosy upper floor of lush carpets, soft sofas and black and white abstract art paintings on the walls; where one can look out the window and watch people walking below looking cold and miserable on the dark wet cobbled streets while feeling mightily pleased with yourself.

If the Polish know how to do anything wonderfully, it's town squares. Poznan is no exception, in fact I consider it one of the most beautiful squares in Poland, if not Europe! In fact:

HOW TO BUILD A (POLISH) TOWN SQUARE

1. Make a large squarish shaped area of cobbled stones.

2. Line it on all sides with magnificent historic coloured baroque/renaissance/art nouveau burgher (eventually, burger) houses. Turn the ground floors into bars, outdoor cafes and restaurants.

3. Place an extravagant and beautiful large building(s) in the middle of the square.

4. Surround this building with baroque fountains and statues of saints and pagan gods for good measure, just in case the building alone isn't glorious enough, and also to please any deities they may offend with by not honouring them in the construction.

5. Light the place up splendidly at night!

6. Add tacky souvenir stands, pigeons, buskers and tourists.

Voila! Your very own Polish town square!


GDANSK

I was planning to go to Torun, an town that escaped the destruction of WWII. However, due to the difficulty I faced trying to find cheap accommodation in Poznan* I opted for the more touristed Hanseatic town of Gdansk, a former Teutonic Knights stronghold, autonomous rich port town, and now a tourist Mecca.

*In Poland there are usually hostels open only during summer, every other time there are only youth hostels that close between 10am to 5pm; and curfew is 10pm!

One things for sure, after over two years of travelling, visiting a Germanic influenced city never fails to amaze and impress me with it's sheer beauty and design. Gdansk is no exception, with narrow historic burgher houses compressed together lining the streets and riverside. I went camera crazy!

A group of us at the hostel went to see a Polish Scar Rock band play one night, since the band members stayed at the hostel the night before and invited us. They were actually pretty good.

Tried some Bison Vodka. It is basically vodka containing a blade of grass or herb that the polish bisons eat, trample and do unhygienic things on I’m sure. Quite an interesting flavour.


FUNKY SOPOT

A funky cool town near Gdansk, which is where the hip and the young go to party by the beach side clubs and bars. However, much drinking with some crazy Russians from Kalingrad I met at the hostel who insisted on shots after shots of tequila and rum, meant that we were always smashed before we even left the hostel, so my memory of Sopot is a little blurry...


WESTERPLATTE - WHERE WWII BEGAN

Went to Westerplatte, which is where WWII started when Germany invaded Poland. The ruins of buildings on the seaside is still everywhere as testament to what occurred there. Inappropriately, I had decided that day to wear my new jacket with the world "Berlin" emblazoned on front, which might not have gone down too well in a historical place like this (but then I only decided to go there on impulse that day).


WARSAW
Left Gdansk for Warsaw with desires never to see another boiled egg for a while (long story)...

I didn't really plan to go to Warsaw, but it was the only way I could get to Lithuania. But I don't particularly regret it. Despite what many people say, Warsaw is actually a pretty cool city, cosmopolitan, great nightlife, friendly people... the old town is nothing exceptional however, and it's not really old since it is all reconstructed after WWII.

Anyway, tomorrow night I head for Lithuania... which will be nice since I’m getting sick of eating cabbage. ( I really don't know why the Polish are obsessed with it, they put it in EVERYTHING! )