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| Gdanzk |
GDANSK, POLAND I liked Gdansk the moment I got off the train and looked up at the tall narrow facade and ornamented crests and reliefs of the train station. Throughout the city, the style is repeated over and over again in a colorful medley of renaisance curves and straight lines. Although the city buzzes with life, I kept looking up at the roof tops for that's where the architecture is at its finest; there it has no apparent utilitarian purpose other than to please the eye. Each unique structure becomes a brush stroke on the city's canvas, a living, breathing, masterpiece. I knew that Gdansk had been an important sea port, militarily strategic, and home to the solidarity trade union movement, but I had no idea it was such a stunningly beautiful city and so accessible - everything: museums, shops, restaurants, all within easy walking distance.
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| Hotel Krolewski |
The city has not gone unnoticed. It's a prime destination for tourists inside and outside of Poland making finding a hotel room very dicey. I had to do a good deal of schlepping my bags around before I found a room in the middle of Old Town, but it was only for one night. The next morning I went through the process all over again - going to five hotels before snagging the last room at the Hotel Krolewski, the nicest three star hotel I've ever stayed in. The hotel, a converted grainery from the middle ages, spared during the Nazi blitzkrieg, sits directly on the canal across from Old Town, which is the view I'm lucky to have. The room is $78 including breakfast and free wifi. I was able to get a second night so I'll be here until Saturday.
