Gdańsk: Museum Afternoon

I started today at the Solidarity museum and the Gdańsk Shipyard.

My day isn’t over yet and I almost forget there are a couple museums free today since it is a Monday.

I stop first at Artus Court on the famous Dlugi Targ. Artus court is named after King Arthur and was used as a meeting place for merchants and social life in the 17th century. The decor and art in the museum reflects the importance of this building for the means of commerce. I particularly enjoy the animal inspired art in the building.

The day isn’t over yet and the Town Hall museum also has free admission so I head over there. I tour the museum but skip the tower since that costs extra.

After museum time I walk the streets once more then visit happy hour at the rooftop bar of my hotel.

Because I wish to have a nicer dining experience I have reservations this evening at Tylge Gdansk. Even with a reservation I had to wait a little while but the food was superb.

It is another lovely evening stroll walking back to my hotel. Love the 24 hour flower automatic.

Trip is coming to an end soon. I have one more day out and about.…

Gdańsk

I’m on my way to the port city of Gdansk that is a the top of Poland near the Baltic Sea. Many come up to this part of Poland to enjoy the coastal life. Unfortunately even though it is May it is still too cold for beach weather.

My train ride here from Warsaw is only 3 hours but seat reservations in first class is the way to go. The train is busy. On this train there is a rude group of guys in the partition next to us. They unceremoniously kick out an older couple from their seats and because they don’t speak Polish they are endlessly mocked. The guys get louder and louder and soon they play very loud dance music the rest of the ride. They even catcall me at one moment when I am lining up for my stop. Honestly this is the first time I’ve encountered rude and inconsiderate Polish people during my entire travels here. Hopefully it is not a trend.

It is cold and wet again so once I get to my hotel room I don’t want to leave. I think all my travel exhaustion is catching up with me so I spend a couple hours napping. I eventually force myself out for dinner and a walk around town. Luckily the rain is just now a slight drizzle. Most of the surfaces here are stable but there are some slippery spots near my hotel and I am one of those people who can render the most slip-proof shoe useless. I walk carefully this evening. I have contemplated buying more secure shoes because mine are old.

I am excited because I am actually staying in a hotel where my rate includes early breakfast so I don’t have to wait around for coffee shops to open to get my coffee. The hotel room is a bit of a splurge, purchased with credit card points, with a wonderful view of the canals. It does get loud during the day with all the drawbridge alarms and moving sidewalks (for boat passing) but luckily it gets quiet in the evening.

The first night I find it really challenging to eat at places I originally planned due to long lines or being completely full for the night. I have a note to make reservations when I can for other nights. I do finally get an outdoor table at a pizza place because it has stopped raining and no one wants to sit in the cold.

In the morning I have a busy day of sightseeing so I am not feeling too bad about my early bedtime tonight.

Graz museum day

I visit the Kunsthaus Graz (Graz modern museum) because I love some weird art. The main exhibit is a series of artwork from artists from the former Yugoslavia – a region I visited earlier. I see the artwork from the artist that does the running through Zagreb nude (I love you Zagreb) and I see some interesting penis related artwork (Gelatin by Golem is one example, photos of naked guys in nature backdrops is another). The art explores many different ideas and pushes boundaries. One movie shows hostile architecture in the ways cities develop spaces that seem to prevent sitting. In the movie people sit in these hostile spaces and later show their bare bottom with the associated indentations. In addition the museum has a great view of the city.

I also walk through the art space called Murinsel, an island in the Mur river that hosts a cafe and an art space. They play movies and have live music perform there.

I also walk along the water.

I notice a long path up the hill to a park with scenic views but it is not in the plans today. Instead I happen upon a tunnel next door that was built as a war shelter. It leads up to a lower part of the park. I use this time opportunity to grab lunch. Sushi is on the menu today. There is a photographer taking photos of all the menu items for I am assuming website photos and such. They offer the few of us dining all the plates when they are done with the photos. Unfortunately this happens after I’ve already stuffed myself. I could have walked out with a much cheaper meal if I would have just been slower to order.

After lunch I walk by an interesting double staircase.

I walk by the mausoleum dedicated to Emperor Ferdinand II next door. It looks impressive but I decide to wait til later to go inside which proves to be a bad decision because I never catch the opening times again during my visit to the city.

It is three o’clock so I am in time to see the historic Glockenspiel dance. In this clock there are two dancers, a woman and man, who dance to the different chimes.

Earlier when I was rushing to the clock I noticed a weird white building in the distance. This building seemingly made of white cubes is called Argos designed by Zaha Hadid.

Tonight I have dinner reservations to try the famous Graz fried chicken (Backhendl, or Styria Fried chicken). It is quite good and pairs nicely with their salad that contains pumpkin seed oil (yum) and the famous Styria beans the size of a thumb.

When I finish dinner it is raining so I run back to my hotel for the evening. Little do I know that this rain will cool things off nicely. While most of Europe has a heat wave I am feeling quite nice the next couple days.

Arrived in Salzburg

After a couple hour bus ride I am in Austria. I arrive first in Salzburg, the former roman settlement run by an archdiocese. It flourished in salt mining riches and at some point was part of Bavaria. Eventually Salzburg was annexed into Austria where it remains today.

Salzburg is also the birthplace of Mozart and where he spent his early years before he wandered off to Vienna to make money.

But what many from the USA know this city for is from a little musical called Sound of Music that was filmed here. The musical was a childhood staple and is the focus of a tour I attend (more on that later).

I am a week too early for the Salzburg music festival which is disappointing or fortunate depending on the way you look at it. I think it would be neat to attend some performances but the crowds would get on my nerves.

I book a boutique hotel from my credit card points and I have been having good luck when I do that lately. I am staying at a really nice hotel on the river in a room overlooking the river and fortress.

I make dinner plans at a trendy restaurant that just happens to be the oldest restaurant in Europe called St. Peter Stiftskulinarium. But before that I explore the area a little and pop in some churches.

Stiftskirche St. Peter (St Peter’s Abbey)

I am dinning outside today but apparently there are historic rooms you can dine in. I could not figure out how to get reservations specifically in those rooms. Dining outdoors is nice but it could be any trendy restaurant in any city. The steak I ordered is slightly overlooked. I am so used to restaurants undercooking my steak I wasn’t expecting this one. I guess order steaks rare if you dine here. The menu has many other interesting dishes as well but I have my heart set on some red meat for some reason. I guess its been a while since I’ve had a steak.

After dinner it is still early so I walk around town and end up in the cemetary of St Peters church. It is quiet and calm due to the tour groups gone for the day and it is probably one of the most beautiful, but small, cemeteries I have ever seen.

Spent some time browsing on Getreidegasse. I admire the clothing styles and store signage.

I walk along the river and enjoy the sunset.

Finally I enjoy the evening view from my hotel room. I think I’m really going to like Salzburg.

Český Krumlov, Bohemia love

A look ahead

My last evening in Český Krumlov is perfect for me. It is humid and overcast but is cool in temperature most of the day. I am on the back patio of my hotel room and reflecting on my visit before I leave for Austria tomorrow. I could spend the evening trying a local beer at at nearby tavern, but for now I am enjoying the cheap bottle of Vetliner I bought at the puppet & wine store a couple doors down (There is a puppet museum that sells wine bottles. Skipped the puppets but bought some wine).

Arrival in Český Krumlov

The train ride to Cesky Krumlov isn’t too bad at a couple hours from Prague. The train station seems to be far from town but fortunately the walk is all downhill into town. I leave in a few day by bus and it seems like the bus station isn’t as far of a climb uphill.

I walk through an arch that has a walkway above that belongs to the castle above. I plan to visit in a couple days from now but I admire the architecture on the way in.

This town is a must see on the Czech Republic checklist since it represents closely how things looked during the Bohemian kingdom. The town still has a sort of Bohemia feel to it. Bohemia was a kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire and eventually part of Austrian Empire and then the complicated things of the 20th century. Due to the country being aligned with Germany during WWII the city suffered virtually no damage in the wars.

In the past the major industry of the region was mining and then the land and castles passed hands many times. During the communism era the town fell into disrepair but now with its UNESCO designation and boost in tourism it has turned into its charming look into the past as it is today.

I go on a walking tour, eat some meals and wander aimlessly during my time here.

Castle area

I see the revolving theater I really want to visit within the castle garden. UNESCO is trying to make them remove it because it is not historical but within a protected area. Unfortunately all the shows were sold out during my time in town.

Braised beef in cream sauce with dumplings

Had fun watching the action on the water

Next day

This morning I have a ticket for the number one sight in town, the Baroque Theater. There are only two theaters like this left in the world, the other being in Sweden, but this is the oldest and best preserved. This unesco protected theater is is in such great condition because it has actually only been used a handful of times in the past (with the exception of the now once a year show). Apparently common with the times were pyrotechnics at the end and thus many of these theaters simply burned down. The ruler who built it was the black sheep of the family and definitely influenced by Italian arts. We tour the theater in a small group in the morning. Granted I booked only a day or two before but I see only one English tour a day. It is pretty limited to get in so I feel lucky. At tour start we initially walk in and snap photos because it is amazing and unique. When our guide enters and starts her history she tells us that no photos are allowed and to hope the photos we got so far were good. Many museums lately are “no photo” plastered everywhere so I appreciate that we are given a grace period. The lights remain dim inside but the stage is lit. Our guide describes the pieces of the set and how perspective is used as well as how the candle lighting caused the effect of movement. She tells us about the parties of the day and how these shows were attended by very drunk viewers who often participated in the show by cheering or booing as needed.

We then walk down underneath to see all the “bells and whistles”. She talks about how talented the men where who worked underneath since they had to be musicians (to know their cues), engineers to operate the pieces, and men of strength to lift performers and their heavy costumes through the trap doors.

We aren’t allowed on stage because it is fragile and all the parts above are original and quite frankly they don’t trust tourists to mess it all up. I don’t blame them even when we were there some in the group were wandering in places they shouldn’t.

I am very happy I booked the tour.

Afterwards I decide to get a ticket to tour the castle. Most of it isn’t exciting, especially compared to the theatre but I really like the masquerade ballroom at the end. The masquerade party in the ball room consists of paintings of costumes, different cultures, fun, mirrors, and symmetry. We learn the ballroom connects to the walkway to the Baroque theater.

One thing that is disturbing is the bears. There are kept bears on the premises as there has been for 100’s of years. One of the past inhabitants had some strange tendencies and holding bears on the premises were one of them. The bears are still there today due to tradition. According to the guide yesterday this current group are all rescues and they have a better life now – but not sure I believe that. I don’t talk about it much but I am not a big fan of contained animals, for that reason you’ll rarely see me talking about visiting a zoo. If I do have animal encounters its usually with some sort of rescue organization. So lets just say I am not a fan of this bear situation.

Lunch is at a vegetarian restaurant Laibon where I have a view of the water. One family at the restaurant docks in front of the terrace to come grab lunch then resume their paddle. I try a Czech specialty Bryndzové halušky, a sheep cheese and cabbage dish. I am finally enjoying a Czech meal.

I later enjoy ice cream coffee and chocolates, then wine (as mentioned earlier) to finish my visit. Český Krumlov has charmed me. I’d definitely come back here one day.