Sunday, August 9, 2026
There really weren’t any candles (they are a no-no on board), but today is my birthday, and there would have been a LOT of candles. Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes.
Yesterday was a sea day, and I have nothing to report. Today we visited a country we haven’t been to before - Poland. We took a Princess tour that brought us to three cities: Gdynia, Sopot, and Gdansk. Together, the three cities are called the Tricity, and their total population is about 1 million. We had a guide who spoke excellent English and a comfortable motorcoach plus driver.
Gdynia is a relatively new city and does not have a medieval “old town”. It is known for its Modernist architecture, its quality of life, and its access to the Baltic. It is a major port for Poland, and the headquarters of the Polish Navy is located here. We made a brief stop in Gdynia to see a tall ship built in 1909 used to train naval cadets in sailing.
Sopot, lying between Gdynia and Gdansk, is a resort town. People go there for vacations, but also for medical treatments and recuperation. We walked around in an area by the beach.
Gdansk was our final stop. Previously known as Danzig, Gdansk is older and larger than the other cities we visited today. It is a major port for shipping and has been since the days of the Hanseatic Laegue.
The Olivia Star building is a modern skyscraper on the outskirts of Gdansk. We stopped there to go up to the top floor for the view and some coffee with a piece of delicious apple cake.
From the top we could see a great many stark Soviet-style apartment buildings, as well as a small neighborhood of single-family homes.
Before we reached the Old Town section of Gdansk, we saw many Soviet-era buildings. They were genrally blocky, ugly, and grim-looking. As we proceeded to Old Town, passing an ancient church.
Old Town was heavily damaged during World War II. Much of it has been restored to the way it looked before the 20th century. In Old Town, the buildings are a delightful mix of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Dutch Mannerist. We were enchanted by the many graceful steeples that dominated the townscape.  |
| The Gothic and rather bulky Basilica of St. Mary, one of the largest brick churches in the world |
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| The Old Town Hall clock tower |
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| The Old Town Hall |
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| Artus Court with the Neptune Fountain in the foreground |
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| The Green Gate |
The Gdansk Crane was built in 1444 and was the largest crane in Europe. It continued to be used until the end of the 19th century.
After our walking tour of the Old Town, we had some free time. We couldn’t resist a snack of pierogis at one of the cafés on the main street.As our bus headed out of Gdansk, our guide talked about Lech Wałęsa, who hailed from Gdansk. The Solidarity labor union movement was founded in Gdansk by Wałęsa and others in 1980 and became a mass movement that ultimately contributed to the end of Communist rule in Poland. Wałęsa Went on to become the president of Poland and to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Near the Gdansk shipyards there is now a monument to freedom and to Wałęsa. Behind the monument is a rusty-looking modern building which holds a museum and library devoted to the history of Solidarity.Poland now has one of the strongest economies in Europe, one which continues to expand. Many refugees from Ukraine have settled in Poland and they are helping the economy to grow.
I liked Gdansk the most of the three cities. Overall, I was impressed by how prosperous Poland seemed to be, at least in the region we visited. Gdansk is a bustling modern city. It is clean and well-maintained. It did seem crowded, especially in the Old Town, but the vibe was very upbeat. I would guess that the crowds were due to a booming tourism industry.
Today’s fabric is Polish Stork Wycinanki, by Poltex, for Spoonflower. Wycinanki is the Polish art of paper-cutting. Wycinanki designs can be printed on fabric, like this example.
