Day 10 - Checking out the amber in Gdansk, Poland
|
|
After cruising all night and the morning, docked in Gdańsk, Poland early this afternoon. Disembarked for the city highlights tour then visited the fascinating amber museum. Had a lovely dinner on the ship where we met an older couple from Nottingham, England who have been cruising and traveling for 20+ years, our new heroes! Cruising at sea all day tomorrow as we make our way to our next port of call - Tallinn, Estonia... |
|
|
|
|
WW II pretty much started in Gdańsk when the Germans/Nazis attacked. By the end of the war Gdańsk was essentially destroyed by Allied bombing... |
... and Gdańsk today. |
|
|
|
|
A downtown shot with St. Mary’s Church in the background. Perfect weather continued... |
Bust of Pope John Paul II inside St. Mary’s... of course! Per our tour guide, when he visited Gdańsk 25,000 (!) Poles squeezed into the church for his mass service... |
|
|
|
|
Entering the Gdansk Amber Museum |
A big chunk of raw amber... |
|
|
|
|
Pieces of amber with various items (sticks, rocks, insects) embedded therein... |
What can you make from amber? How about a sailing ship?? |
|
|
|
|
Or an amber candelabra? |
Or an electric guitar? |
|
|
|
|
My personal favorite, an amber bierstein! |
How about an entire room! Photograph of the Amber Room in Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, circa 1917. |
|
|
|
|
A beautiful amber pendent... |
An amber egg given to the city of Gdańsk by Faberge... |
|
|
|
|
On the way back to the ship, the ship yard where Lech Walesa started the Solidarity movement... |
Two rock stars, Elton John and Lech Walesa! |
