I started the morning by making a reservation at another hotel (yes, hotel, note the missing 's') and checking out of the hostel.

Then I rode my loaded bike to the European Center for Solidarity. It's a museum and exhibition hall that was built last year, and the exhibit shows the events leading up to the Solidarity movement, the movement itself, the period where Solidarity was banned, and then the relaxation of government restrictions and coming of democracy. It's a good exhibit, and it left me impressed with the strength of the Polish people involved in the movement. It was presented as the precipitating factor for the fall of the Soviet Union leading to the coming of democracy to the other states of the former Soviet block. All in all, it was worthwhile. There was an audio guide, available in English, that came with the price of admission. Although it did a pretty good job of expaining the exhibit in English, it came up short a few times. The original board with the list of 21 demands from the striking dock workers that led to the formation of Solidarity was in Polish and was nowhere translated to English. I actually went back to the information desk to ask about it. There was a couple there, from Great Britain I think, who had a magazine about Gdansk that listed the 21 demand in English, so they let me read it.

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I had a bite to eat at the restaurant in the exhibit hall, and then went off and checked into my new hotel. They only have the room available for tonight, so I'm off to Krakow tomorrow. After checking in, I rode my unloaded bike (what a pleasure!) off to the railway station to buy the ticket to Krakow. I had decided to take the fast train, which was just introduced last year, to get to Krakow in 5 hours instead of 10. But the ticket agent said I couldn't take the bike on the fast train, so I have another long train ride ahead of me tomorrow. The information on line seemed to indicate that a bicycle was possible on the fast train, so I'm not sure if the bike tickets were sold out or if it just is not permitted.

Then I found a place to lock up my bike in Old Gdansk, and joined a walking tour. The tour focused on post WW2 Gdansk, and there was a lot of pointing at buildings saying that that one was restored. I wasn't too familiar with the history of Gdansk, and was surprised to hear that prior to WW2, 90% of the population was German and supported Hitler. When the Soviets came in, the Germans left or were sent away to concentration camps, and now the German population is close to nil. Polish people came back from the country and took back the city. Jews, as elsewhere, were pretty much eliminated under Hitler, and there is a memorial to the young jews who were sent to England and never saw their parents again. As much as I was impressed by the Solidarity movement, I was discouraged by the stories of what went on under the Germand and Soviet occupations. I think the only acknowledgemt of the arts that came up was a nod to Gunther Grass. There is a statue of Oscar from the Tin Drum outside a night club named Tin Drum. Gunther Grass was born and lived in Gdansk, and was of mixed German and Polish parentage. The tour finshed up at the Eurpean Center for Solidarity, where I had started my day, and I had a long walk back to where I had left my bike.

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That pretty much filled my day. I went back to my hotel, which is called the So Stay Hotel and calls itself the first socially responsible hotel in Poland. I don't know the story behind that since I don't read Polish too well, but there is a restaurant called the So Stay Restaurant at the hotel that advertises fresh healthy local ingredients, so I had my dinner there. I had some fish, and it was among the best meals I've had on this trip. Since I'm staying at the hotel there was a complementary desert. I ordered what I thought was some sorbet. It was sorbet, but it came with a nice fruit tart. The only problem I'm having with meals is getting enough to drink. They don't serve tap water, and somehow I'm not comfortable ordering 3 bottles of mineral water at the start of the meal, so I end up usually with one to start, one mid meal, and a third after I've left the restaurant.

I need to get some food and drink to take on the train tomorrow.