Gdañsk, Poland
There is no better way to end a wonderful Polish day than with a plate of pierogies, those tasty dough pockets stuffed with delectable fillings, and an ice cold Okacim beer. And that is exactly what we did after taking in all the wonders of this beautifully rebuilt monument to the indomitable spirit of the Polish people.
Gdansk, known in its previous life as the vibrant mercantile international city of Danzig, was almost turned to rubble in September of 1939 at the very start of WWII by a surprise bombardment from the German battleship Shleswig-Holstein.
At the end of the war, the Poles didn’t build high rises or fabricate glass office towers on this prime piece of real estate. Instead, brick by brick, they reconstructed what they loved and cherished – the spirit and art of the past. Ambling through the Green Gate (which is not green at all, but once was covered with moss) down Long Street, the main broad avenue lined with ornate merchant houses, we were struck by the detail that had been painstakingly restored from old photographs.
Gdañsk was built on marshland at the mouth of the river which eventually changed course. The Polish language prefix of “Gd” means marsh. A system of drains and pipes channels water from the closely packed roofs bringing it down to the street through the mouths of serpents and fantastic gargoyles which extend out beyond the porches.
In the middle of the central square, a dramatic fountain is topped by an extraordinary statue of Poseidon, caught in mid-leap, trident at the ready, protecting all the seafarers who plied these waters. It’s as if the old merchants wanted to cover all the bases as far as supernatural and religious protection was concerned!
As in most Hanseatic cities, the central church, now called a “basilica” is dedicated to St. Mary. Inside, we saw a replica of the celebrated triptych of the Last Judgment by the famous Gothic painter, Memling, who travelled with the merchants as their official “artists in residence.”
The stunning beauty of the city has an international appeal … but for me, the memories of my Polish grandmother and her wonderful cooking, reignited by a great meal of meat and cabbage pierogies, along with a frosty local beer, made the day an almost perfect experience.
