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This year's summer adventure takes place in Poland. Here, I will watch and listen to the icelandic singer Björk at her show at the Open'er festival in Gdynia.

Of course, I will take the chance to see more of the country. The Malbork castle is a must. We'll see what more comes in my way :)

WHEN

June 28 - July 7, 2007 (9 nights)

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39 ENTRIES (chronological ordered)

 
 

Thursday June 28th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Warsaw

(travel diary) Arrival: Warsaw

Category: Poland, 2007
For the first time I flew with the polish/hungarian airline Wizz Air. Direct flight from Skavsta/Sweden to Warsaw/Poland. I was very satisfied with it. Everything went smooth. A little bit less leg space than normal flights, but that's ok with me. However, people taller then 185 may have problems.

Shortly after landing I took a bus to the Jump Inn hostel. I havn't slept here a night yet but it looks like a nice place. It's situated in a calm residential area. It's a normal terrace house converted to a hostel. The closest metro station is Politechnika about 8 minutes of walking from the hosel.

Tonight I will sleep in a 10-bed room. I hope the other guests doesn't snore like the koreans on my trip to Germany last year ;). BTW, breakfast is free and two computers are available for internet surfing. Also, the bathrooms are great!

After the accomodation was secured I took a long walk to check out the street life. Seem to be rather few tourists here. Maybe they are in Malbork or Krakow?
I found Poland's tallest building. A nice one. I couldn't get to the top because they just closed it for the day. Hopefully I will make a new try when I am back in Warsaw in about a week.

Seem like Pizza Hut is the thing here in Warsaw and McDonald's is not. Lots of huts here but I only saw one Donald. I saw I advertisement for a local polish burger at McD which I of course wanted to try. Too bad they didn't have it when I finally found a McD. But I tried another local bite: the WiesMac. I couldn't really tell what was in it. Horseradish popped up in my mind when chewing it, but I don't know. Maybe it was some garlic. No, I won't eat this garbage food every day. Really. I don't really like it that much but I wanted to give my stomach a gentle start first day in Poland :)

I also visited the central station. I bought a train ticket. Tomorrow I will go up north. The train departs from Warsaw at 9:45 AM and arrives to Gdansk 2:24 PM. They add 10 zloty when you make an advance booking. I think it's worth it, because easier planning and good sleeping compensates it.

Late that day, a sandwich and polish beer departed from the bar table at jazz club Klub Tygmont and arrived, shortly after, in my stomache.
No band was playing at this time. Too bad. I'll think I come back here another time and use my microphones for some sound recordings.

Prices from this day's purchases (chronologically)
- Single local transportation ticket from airport to downtown Warsaw: 2.4 zloty
- One hostel night at Jump Inn hostel (in a 10-bed room): 50 zloty
- 24 hours card, local transportation (bus, metro): 7.2 zloty
- WiesMac menu at McDonalds: 12.2 zloty
- Train ticket, Warsaw to Gdansk, Express train in 2nd class: 82 zloty
- Cheese/Ham sandwich at jazz cub, 4 slices: 10 zloty
- Beer, 5 dl, unknown polish brand at jazz club: 9 zloty

Questions:
"WiesMac", is that VillageMac in english? According to my little dictionary Wies means v"illage" but that's maybe another wies. What in this burger is village?! I dont know.
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Thursday June 28th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Warsaw

Polands tallest building

Category: Poland, 2007
Polands tallest building - Palac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of culture & science) in Warsaw.
Palac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of culture & science) in Warsaw.
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Thursday June 28th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Warsaw

Jump Inn hostel

Category: Poland, 2007
Jump Inn hostel - My first night in Warsaw was spent at this rather nice hostel. It's[...]
My first night in Warsaw was spent at this rather nice hostel. It's not very far from the the Politechnica metro station.
Tags » accomodation
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Friday June 29th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Gdansk

(travel diary) Gdansk

Category: Poland, 2007
Arrived to Gdansk with train at 2:30 PM.

I went straight to the hostel that I've made a reservation at: Przy Targy Rybnym. It was not very easy to find. The only text on the house was "hostel" and there are pretty many hostels in Gdansk... But this was the place. Finally I, with help from a hostel guest, could get in through the locked doors, and eventually I found people that worked here :)

In contrary to the hostel I slept at in Warsaw, this hostel was a lot more compact. I am sleeping in a long and narrow room, about 2 metres wide and 15 metres deep. It's packed with beds and the smell is pretty bad and seem to be pretty warm at day time. I hope the nights are good here :).

Still day time, so I went out to see some of the city.

Kosciol Mariacki (church S:t Maria) was really nice. This is one of the world's biggest brick buildings. 105 metres deep, 66 metres wide and 78 metres tall. Up in the tower I got a great panorama view of Gdansk.
I was a bit lucky here. Because, when I walked around outsie the church I heard singing coming from the inside of it. I quickly set up my microphones for a recording session a hurried inside the church. A choir with male and female solo singers were performing and it sounded really amazing. I stayed here a long time, recorded everything. It was a bit hard with recording volume but I think I got some good clips. I will upload these on my webpage when I am back home.

Tomorrow I will visit the two nearby cities: Sopot and Gdynia.
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Friday June 29th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Gdansk

Concert in the Kosciol Mariacki church (sound)

Category: Poland, 2007
This entry has one or more files attached:
Listen to the sound online (streaming)
Download the sound file (3.4 mb)
A sound clip that I recorded in the Kosciol Mariacki church in Gdansk, Poland.
Tags » choir, church, sound
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Friday June 29th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Gdansk

Concert in the Kosciol Mariacki church II (sound)

Category: Poland, 2007
This entry has one or more files attached:
Listen to the sound online (streaming)
Download the sound file (964 kb)
A sound clip that I recorded in the Kosciol Mariacki church in Gdansk, Poland.
Tags » choir, church, sound
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Friday June 29th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Gdansk

Gdansk from above

Category: Poland, 2007
Gdansk from above - The great view from the Kosciol Mariacki church (St Mary's Church).[...]
The great view from the Kosciol Mariacki church (St Mary's Church).
Tags » bird´s view, church
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Friday June 29th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Gdansk

Przy Targy Rybnym

Category: Poland, 2007
Przy Targy Rybnym - A little white house with a hostel sign at the end of the road. It's[...]
A little white house with a hostel sign at the end of the road. It's Hostel Przy Targy Rybnym.
Tags » accomodation
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Saturday June 30th, 2007

Europe > Poland > GdyniaEurope > Poland > Sopot

(travel diary) Gdynia and Sopot

Category: Poland, 2007
The night at the hostel in Gdansk was OK. Temperature ok and the smell was gone. But I got good use for my ear plugs ;)

Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot are three cities very close to eachother. Together they are called the TriCity. Between these cities yellow/blue trains are going back and forth. From Gdansk to Gdynia is about 25 minutes (Sopot is inbetween).

In Gdynia I visited a outdoor museum med namnet Muzeum Marynarki Wojennej. Helicopter, airplanes,mines, cannons, etc. It was interesting too see these. I think most objects was from the World War II.
Then, after walking up the mountain behind the museum for a view of Gdynia, and after I checked out the warship from the World War II at the southern pier, and after taking a look at the beach, I took the train to Sopot.

Now I found all the tourists... Everyone was here in Sopot. The Monte Cassino road is tourist street number one. Lots of people, restaurants and street performers.
When I walked around in this small town, doing nothing special, a big thunderstorm hit. So I took the train back to Gdansk and bought a cinema ticket ( 19 zloty). Pixar's Ratatouille or Shrek could have been nice, but they were dubbed to polish, so I chose Ocean's Thirteen. Pretty good entertainment.

Tomorrow: music festival in Gdynia with Björk!
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Saturday June 30th, 2007

Europe > Poland > Gdynia

War gear display

Category: Poland, 2007
War gear display - Close to the Gdynia beach.
Close to the Gdynia beach.
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