Quick Review: Ostro (Gdansk, Poland)

Any visit to Gdansk will involve some time walking along Długie Pobrzeże, browsing the shops, considering the restaurants, snapping pics of the new buildings over on Granary Island. If you enjoy the steady flow of people walking by and the buzz of being on the beaten path, you can stop at a place like Ostro and eat out front, where the experience might look like this: However, as we learned during our walkabout earlier in the day, there is a parallel universe behind the facades. A chill area of back patios illuminated by classic streetlamps and strings of warm bulb lights.

We opted for that experience. Stylishy casual. Lively, but not rowdy. Good vibes.

Service was, let's say reserved. But I think that varied by server. A few of them looked like they were finding inspiration in Robert Palmer's "Simply Irrestible" back up band. Hair pulled back. Minimal expression. And our main server maybe uttered 10 words to us throughout the course of the meal. Seemed to maintain a consistent approach with neighboring tables, so it wasn't just us. But at the end of the evening a friendly fellow delivered our check and wished us well. Not rude service. Just not warm service.

This starter was delicious. I believe it was a burrata with some olive tapenade and bread they make on premise. Great beginning.

I was intrigued by the promise of Polish red wine on the menu.

I do not have the most discriminating palate for wine, but I remember it being tasty enough.

Our choice of pizza was not as successful. It sounded great on paper. Some kind of cheese, bit of ham (I think), and pistachios (which is a pretty big thing in Poland). Taste was good. Dough was nice. But the 'cheese' was so fresh and watery that it turned the middle of the pie into a soup. Couldn't get through the whole thing. Which was fine since we weren't starving as we housed the starter dish. But there would be no glorious next-morning-pizza for breakfast.

Overall a strong recommend for the experience. Nice atmosphere. Looked like a great selection of craft beers if you're not convinced by the Polish wines. Just be careful with your pizza selection. Wrong cheese can sink the deal.

Various scenes from our last day in Gdansk, Poland

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.

Visiting Malbork Castle, Part II: The visit

After my approach I got to Malbork Castle around 8:45am. It opens at 9. I was the first one waiting outside the ticket office and I was feeling good. For about 5 minutes. Then maybe two classrooms worth of elementary school students showed up. Couple teachers / chaperones milling about. This ticket situation could get sticky at the open. I decide to pull out my phone and see if I can't snag a ticket online. Indeed, I could. Feeling good again. Just about 9am so I stroll up the hill toward the entry to the castle compound. Maybe a couple / few hundred meters. I find the kind folks manning the entrance, show them my ticket. Negged. What? You need the headphones for the self-guided tour. Obligatory? Obligatory. I need to go back? Yes, I need to go back. Ugh. Schlep back to the ticket office and am staring at 40 little kids plus the Spanish seniors group who showed up after I left. All of them now around the entrance. Fortunately some nice woman saw me straining my neck trying to figure out where to get the headphones. She explained I can sail past everyone waiting to get tickets and head over to an ancillary section of the entry zone to get my headphones. Nice. Back up to the castle.

Within the first few minutes it was clear why the headphones are obligatory. No way to just meander around this place and have any clue where you are. It's massive. And the whole thing is not open, so you do need to follow a sequence and figure out how to navigate it. Prior to this Poland trip I had never used the self-guided headphones for any sight. But we used them at Wawel Castle in Krakow, and they were handy again here in Malbork. I'm now a fan.
On the way up you start by seeing this image illustrating just how damaged the castle was during WWII.

Then you round a corner and ultimately find the entrance.

I snapped 50+ pics during my tour of the castle. Won't include them all here. Just some of my favorites. Starting with a crowd pleaser in most castles, the weapons.

Some cool scenery shots ...

The kitchen ...

Miscellaneous interior shots ...

An impressive stained glass exhibit ...

And lastly a little wander round the back shot before leaving ...

I raced through my visit a bit, not wanting to miss my train back to Gdansk. I maybe pushed it too quickly and found myself with extra time and a phone battery lower than I'd like. So I camped out at McDonald's with a coffee and breakfast sandwich. As far as McDonald's goes, this was pretty pleasant.

Risked my battery for a couple shots of the lovely train station, then was on my way back to Gdansk.

Want more Malbork Castle details? I found this video useful before my visit. Not a fan of the corny YouTube still shot pose. But the actual content was decent. She is a Ukraine transplant and has a number of good Poland videos on her channel.