How does one even try to top seeing Lech Walesa? By going to the solidarity Museum. 

While I waited for the museum to open I chatted with a middle-aged woman who had sat beside me. I told her that I had seen Lech Walesa and got pictures of him.  She said she had seen him 4 times so I guess he makes himself available to the public.

The museum was done very thoroughly. As you enter you can see on the ceiling the workers hard hats. Beside the door is a time card punch clock. Within other rooms there were a police truck and riot shields that the police would use to break up the demonstrations. I enjoyed it tremendously but I was really too tired to read every caption to every artifact.

After the museum I decided to try and see a couple of the churches that I missed yesterday. The first church that I came to St Bridget’s church. This church was significant because Lech Walesa attended there during the demonstrations in 1980. The church cost 2 zloty to get in. I’m not so sure it was worth it as the church seemed like any other old church in Europe. The only significance of it seem to be the solidarity Flags hung along the aisles. There was no Tower to ascend to. So I made a short visit to the church and left to go to St Catherine’s church just a block away. I’m not sure why they build churches so close to each other especially since these are of the same Catholic faith

St Catherine’s church is the oldest church in Gdansk. In 2006 the church Burns due to a discarded cigarette. Locals managed to move the important part of the churches artifacts out but the ceiling was heavily damaged. I could not see any current damage to the building although I believe there are workers fixing the roof outside.

As I was leaving the church I noticed there was an option to visit a clock Museum and Ascend to the Tower of the church. I never want to pass up an opportunity to ascend high above a city to get some good photos. It was 10 złote to enter. And the funny part is those wishing to pay had to ascend about 100 steps to get to the ticket booth. Then they had to ascend about 270 more steps to get to the roof. 

The clocks and artifacts were mostly bathed in colored lights among the darkness. It made for some good photo opportunities. I noticed by the ticket booth the pendulum of the clock Was nearby as I hiked up more stair ways I noticed the strings holding the pendulum ascended down several levels.

I got a good view of the city and took several pictures. There was a watch man at the top of the tower making sure people didn’t do anything unsafe.

From the top of the tower I spotted the Market Hall which I had initially forgotten about. I had seen a similar Market Hall in Budapest that’s sold everything from souvenirs to fresh cut meat. This particular one in Gdansk wasn’t as big as the one in Budapest. I ended up buying a Gdansk t-shirt from a gentleman for 42 złote.

After my souvenir purchase I decided it probably would be a good idea to get something to eat. I remember Telepizza during one of my previous tours around the city. So I decided to try and find it again. On my way there I stopped by at souvenir stand looking for a large t-shirt showing the solidarity logo. But unfortunately this particular souvenir stand did not have it.

At Telepizza, I ordered a pepperoni pizza. But the only problem was they added onions to it so I was stuck digging out onions before I was able to eat it. I should have looked more closely at the menu to find out what exactly they added to the pizza period before ordering a showed the order-taker that I had taken some good photos of Lech Walesa. The order-taker seem somewhat impressed but said that he did not agree with Lech’s politics. I begin to wonder if the pizza worker was a communist.

Next I decided to visit the Uphagen house. It is a mansion that has. Furniture from before 1945 probably more like 1800s or 1700s. My mom and sister would have probably enjoyed this house. I enjoy looking at old furniture to some degree and this was probably a good opportunity to view old furniture and how things would have looked

Next I decided to go to The Maritime Museum. The Maritime Museum consists of three parts. When is the crane area which was used during times before industrialization in helping unload ships. The old Granary is a museum depicting Maritime life. The most interesting part was the Soldek ship which was the first post-war vessel built in the Gdansk Shipyard. I remember seeing the USS Missouri in Hawaii and this ship reminded me of that ship with all of its nooks and crannies.

I headed back to my hotel after buying some souvenirs. Near my hotel was a convenience store which I got an ice cream bar and orange soda. I ate it in hotel lobby and figured that the hotel receptionist might have thought that I was a vagrant.  I later asked for my luggage just prove that I was not a homeless person eating in the hotel lobby. The hotel clerk gave me good instructions for getting on the right train.

Halfway into the my walk to the train stationI realized that I probably left my Gdansk patch behind. Thought it was too late to go back for it especially hauling around such heavy luggage.

I got on the correct train during my journey I’m always scared to go to sleep figuring that I’ll either miss my stop or somebody will try to rob me. But I did make it to Warsaw safely and had supper at the McDonald’s at the main train station.

I’m back at my hotel now ready to get some sleep to have enough energy for the next day as I tour Warsaw.