November 2023 and we took a short break to the fascinating city of Gdansk in Poland.
Due to me being about 600 years old, I have memories of watching Lech Walesa on the news. He would grace the tv screen most nights as they reported on the Solidarity movement, and his image along with that magnificent 80's moustache would remain etched in my mind. Honestly, I had no idea what it was all about when I was a teenager, but for some reason it stuck with me.
Roll the clock forward 40 years and there we were walking around the place where it all started. Gdansk is a lovely place although there are parts which are becoming just too touristy, but don't let that put you off.
My personal favourite was the shipyard area which is still very much alive and well. Being that the Polish are made of much tougher stuff than our health and safety obsessed clipboard wavers in the British Isles, we were allowed to mooch around the shipyard without being accosted by any ultra vigilant safety nerds.
As you will see from my images, there is still a very industrial look about the place and I love how gritty and genuine this place feels. In some parts, there are definite echos of the communist era which make for interesting viewing especially if, like me, you are drawn to modern history.
If you do happen to visit, I can certainly recommend the pierogi (Polish dumplings), they are fab.
