Gdańsk

I wasn't sure what to expect of Malbork - after all, you've seen one castle, you've seen them all, right? But its history is so rich (thanks to the many invaders of different nationalities over the centuries) and the castle itself is so beautiful that it really is worth seeing. All credit to the tour guide, who was extremely informative (if I remember correctly he even had a degree in Polish history) and not only did he tell the story of the lives of the Teutonic warriors that built and lived in the castle, but also pointed out some hilarious Teutonic signage. He indicated a small demon carved into the stone, just next to a hallway entrance. The little devil was squatting and had a pained expression on his face. The meaning? This is the way to the toilet! Now, if you ever visit a Teutonic castle, you need never ask the way to the loo. Just look out for the squatting demon.

After the castle we headed on into Gdańsk, where first priority was a couple of Tyskies by the river:

In the fading light, we took a walk around the city, and in the course of our wanderings stumbled upon a gem of a statue. It was already dusk and my eyesight is not the best, but I saw it out of the corner of my eye, and my brain registered something odd. "Hey John," I said, as casually as I could manage, "Is it just me or does that statue have a massive erection?". "Jaysus, Mary an' Joseph" replied John, in his thick Belfastian.

Apparently the statue is about freedom - clearly the concept excites Poles, and not without reason.

The next day was gorgeous and sunshiny, so John suggested we go to a small island off the Polish coast, funnily named Hel. After the requisite fifteen thousand "We're going to Hel" jokes, off we set to catch the ferry. We didn't really have any plans other than to explore the island (which is very small and only takes about 20 minutes) lounge on the beach a while and read.

We got on the ferry, arrived without incident, and set off for a bit of a walk around. There was a seal park, a main street selling tacky souvenirs (mandatory) and a tower which we climbed which offered some great views. But it was on the way from the tower back to the beach when I spotted the highlight of our trip to the island. Just walking along, I suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter. John asked me what on earth I was laughing at, but it was a minute before I could compose myself enough to point at the nearby bus, parked by the side of the road. Looks like the Poles do have a sense of humour:

Classic.

After that we just beached it until it was time to catch the ferry home. At the last minute, I bought a Captain's hat as a souvenir gift for Erik from my trip.

The next day John set off for Warszawa but I still wanted to spend another day in Gdańsk, so I set off to the main street to find the buzz, and some lovely amber jewellery which is typical of the city. The main attraction of the main street is the Neptune Fountain:

After eating breakfast (pierogi! yum!) and wandering up and down a while I was a little at a loss, so I decided to visit the Solidarność museum. This is an absolute Gdańsk highlight and I think the best museum I visited in Poland. To add to the fact that I found the subject matter fascinating (the Polish struggle to throw off the shackles of the communism and the USSR to finally assert its independence) the museum exhibits were extremely thought-provoking, interactive, and impactful. Walking through the museum tells the story of the movement from its beginnings in the Gdańsk shipyards to Polish freedom. As well as this, it puts the Polish movement into perspective with a video showing how it fits in with the freedom movements from the ex-USSR states. My favourite exhibit was a large whiteboard, inviting guests to write what the concepts "Freedom" and "Solidarity" mean to them. 

Unfortunately, my time in Gdańsk had run out and it was time to head back to Warsawa so I could catch my plane home the next. It was with a heavy heart that I headed to the train station, bought my ticket, and boarded my last Polish train back to the capital.