Day Five - GDANSK

We have had another great day. We had a good look around the City of Gdansk and was amazed to learn it is called the Amsterdam of Poland as all the buildings are built in a dutch style. It is on the Baltic Sea and is the Amber Capital of the world. The new football stadium was built in a curved shape and looks like yellowy glass representing the amber of the City.

We walked around the old City admiring the buildings, and harbour docks, which were frozen! The ships couldn't move, although we did see a police boat slowly going up stream breaking the ice. We learned that Hitler had begun the war with Europe from Gdansk and this is why there was so much destruction of the buildings. There are huge photos on the end of every building which show the horrible ruined City at the end of World War 2. One of the teachers said "Poland was on the side of the "good" during the War but at the end instead of feeling victorious, we faced another 45 years of occupation which was like being at War!.... That is why we value our freedom!"

We saw the longest blocks of flats ever..... 800m long and 6 floors high built by the communists after the War. They were curved and went on forever. Can you imagine if you went to visit a neighbour, it would take ages to walk along the corridors!

We visited the Cathedral which is very beautiful and sat quietly reflecting on how lucky we are. We prayed together for Miss Murton, who was a governor of the school and quietly thought about other people who meant a lot to us. The organist was practising and it was an incredible sound. The Cathedral was huge and is linked to a monastery. One of the nuns was in the Cathedral answering questions.