After my
solo mission to Malbork we had the rest of the afternoon and evening to wander comfortably. No more tours, nowhere specific to be at any particular time. Just a day to chill and enjoy. With this post I will drop in notes and pics about things that caught my attention as we ambled about.
Judy had found
Sklep Pańska during her earlier stroll. Great gift shop with an offering beyond the basic and trite souvenirs. I picked up a number of postcards from all the places we had visited during the trip. I think they complement my poster from Wrocław perfectly. TBD when I will finally get them on a wall, but they are in their frames.
We also picked up a stuffed cat pillow thinking the dogs would like it. They currently have a stuffed strawberry and slice of watermelon, so the cat adds to the collection. Lucha likes it.
If you want to celebrate your gift shop finds overa a coffee and pastry,
Azima Tatarskie Przysmaki is conveniently located a couple doors down.
We did not stop, though, as we were aiming for something a bit heartier. I had pinned HAOS as a place to try (more Asian food). I don't know why I didn't snap any shots of the area while we were seated on the outdoor terrace. Very scenic. Check out the
360 & Street View shot on Google Maps if you like. Solid pad thai. Think it was my third of the trip and probably my third favorite, but that speaks more to the general quality of Thai food we had along the way than any deficiency in the food HAOS was kicking out.
(Actually, I guess this shot was taken when we got up to continue on our way)
Miscellaneous vibe shot. Loved these streets just removed from the touristy heart of the city. Number of outdoor seating areas to enjoy your coffee / meal / drinks.
Another gift shop we liked was
Pracownia Ceramiczna. They had a lot of the standard pieces -- fridge magnets, etc. -- but also some interesting, unique, and handmade pieces. The owner (I assume) was in the process of molding some pieces while we were there. If we were going to buy any souvenirs, it would have been her handmade little renditions of the famous Gdansk riverside buildings with their classic facades.
Another cute shop not far from the last one is
Atelier Magda Beneda. I remember some clever, higher quality pieces there. Again, nothing we needed or had space to bring home with us (all our space would be taken up by snacks and that stuffed cat for the dogs). But worth browsing this shop for sure.
We continued over to
Granary Island, aka, 'booking.com island' as our
boat tour guide had described it given that it's almost entirely hotels and short-term apartment rentals.
I was intrigued by the promise of Burgery Burgers, but we'd already eaten lunch. If you find yourself in Gdansk and in the market for a burger, this was taken at
Bistro Młyn.
Did a little loop around part of the island. It's sharp. And full of some nice restaurants, especially along
Chmielna, where you could do worse than enjoy a drink or meal with a view toward the facades across the river. I was trying to get some momentum behind calling this part of the city 'Gdansk Vegas', but Judy wasn't buying it.
Our last-day scramble for take-home snacks had us stopping in every Zabka we saw. I regret not having enough time to enjoy one of these hot dogs.
This is part of the view you get from those waterside restaurants on Granary Island.
We crossed back over to the mainland and scouted the area around
St. Mary's Church. Specifically, the zone along and between
Chlebnicka,
Swietego Ducha, and the back side of
Długie Pobrzeze. Very close to all of the action along the water and
Długi Targ, but with a different vibe and feel. Full of restaurants that we'd try with more time.
(
Gvara)
(
Literacka)
The whole feel was rather pleasant so we decided we'd have our last dinner in Gdansk around here later. Post forthcoming...
Last semi-random note from this walkabout was finding a great little mini-super alternative to Zabka:
Delikatesy Kos.
Has some poor reviews. Not sure what the complaints are about. I wasn't looking for a hug and appreciation of my presence. But some nice ready-to-eat take away options, nice beer selection. Even some fruit and veg. Good shop to know about and was convenient to our Airbnb. Too bad we didn't find it sooner.
