Alone we communicated somehow. It was interesting to watch her getting a taxi, she left her luggage with me and then went from taxi to taxi before she chose ours. As it was very hot, I was really happy not to walk. No payment from me accepted. She chatted the whole time and I answered. Whether the right answer or not was immaterial! What a lovely start to Torun.
Hotel Gotyk is also great, just seconds from the main old town and a couple of minutes from this point. Room really comfortable with little balcony and best of all, kettle!
After a cuppa, i headed around the corner and this was the first sight - what a gorgeous place, like a mini Krakow.
The pace of life seems really slow, with people ambling along, no traffic and elderly folk stopping for a chat next to one of the many fountains or in one of the parks. It is super clean, as was Gdansk,and there are hardly any smokers and virtually no mobile phones in sight, neither on the street nor in restaurants. It is like time has stood still. It really suits me! Even late evening families stroll along with their babies and toddlers, rather like in Italy. Meanwhile young couples meander down the narrow streets arm in arm or hand in hand, most stopping at one of the many stalls selling roses. So romantic and special. Little outside restaurants and bars surround the main square. What a great place. Just a pity to be alone here. Would be even more magical with a best friend or partner .
What else have I found so far - first evening?
This cute little dog and umbrella are apparently part of a famous comic strip created by someone from Torun. It is a well- stroked dog!
Did he become a 'grill dog'.?
Needless to say I did not fancy eating at this cafe!
Actually, it is now the next day and I ended up having a lovely evening. First a simple but delicious Polish meal with salad and then I found one of the lovely outside bars in the main square which had a brilliant guitarist playing. There were not many seats and two young ladies were queuing to get in, so I asked them to join me. Marta and Emilia are studying journalism here and want to practise their English, so it was perfect. What lovely young ladies and what wonderful music and ambiance.
Now I am seeing the sights and will later meet Emilia to see more. Fabulous city, which more or less escaped the destruction of the Second World War. As it is such an old city, many of the buildings are being internally renovated, but the facades remain untouched.
Much of the city wall remains and this leaning tower , once a woman's prison was one of the first things I found today. Due to land movement in Medieval times, it now leans 1.4 metres! I presume they have no earthquakes here.
The next fascinating building for me was the building below, which had been a granary and has now been completely modernised but retains its shell. Inside there is a fantastic restaurant with many of the original walls and carvings, a hotel and appartments. Very nicely done! I loved the figures at the windows.
Next stop was the Teutonic Knight's castle and just outside the walls I found this wonderful sportS area and outside gym. Great idea and all free. According to Emilia there are 15 such places all around the city so that everyone can do sport for free. Another thing they have , especially for students, is Escape rooms. 4 or 5 are locked into rooms and have to solve clues to find the key. Interesting! I gather they let you out if you can't find the key 😳
The donkey stands on the site where prisoners used to be tortured. I did read the significance of the donkey but have forgotten. He looks a bit sad!
This is my lovely guide for the day, Emilia. Marta, her friend, had to work but it was a good English practice day for Emilia. We had a lovely time, starting here with the tale of how this musician rid the town of frogs and was thus offered the hand of a princess in marriage. Touching the frogs should bring good luck, hence the reason they are so worn!
After Emilia left I had a wonderful meeting with an old lady and her equally old dog. Both really looking a bit the worse for wear after a really hot day. We sat on a bench together in the shade and chatted. Her eyes lit up when I said I was from NZ. Everyone seems so thrilled to meet someone from so far away. With hand, body and facial gestures and my trying various languages until she understood , we had a really good talk. It was really nice to evidently make an old, possibly lonely, person's day!
After a cuppa in the cool of my balcony I headed down to the river Wisla and am writing this as the sun sets over the road bridge and river and the walls of the city start to be lit up by the flood lights. It is very peaceful and pretty. Couples once again enjoying the balmy evening, friends sitting on the steps down to the river, cyclists whizzing past, dogs being walked, all calm!
I am back on board a ship having a pre dinner drink, not going anywhere,! Later I am going back to listen to the amazing singer I heard last night. It is a fabulous small city. I feel extremely safe here in Poland and apparently they have little crime here in Torun. Emilia had an interesting comment on this. She thinks it is because there are very few foreigners! Nobody wants to work here, she says!
Tomorrow a long train journey ahead to Stralsund in Germany where I plan to write and read and hopefully laze on the beach. 👍
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