There are not so many trips I took during wintertime but they are all very memorable. I already mentioned my adventure above the Arctic circle and now I’m going to tell you about another one. It was in January 2017 that I went to see Poland for the first time with the following route in mind: Gdansk – Krakow - Warsaw. The whole trip was quite intense because I had to combine it with participating in an art marathon dedicated to Sherlock TV series. As the marathon had a very tight schedule I was sightseeing during the days and painting at nights.
Gdansk
I haven’t yet met a person who wouldn’t fall in love with Gdansk, a compact picturesque city with beautiful architecture and very cute quay.
I had a nice time there visiting the Artus Court, meeting place of merchants in the 14th century, and climbing the famous Żuraw (Crane), the largest medieval port crane in Europe.
Ceiling in the Artus Court
Despite it was cold I couldn’t miss the Oliwa Park. First of all, because I don’t miss parks anywhere I travel regardless of the weather. But also because it is a historic park that was founded in the 15th century as a monastery garden. I hope to see it in summer one day.
And I can’t help mentioning that in Gdansk I learnt an amazing recipe of herring with apples marinated in sour cream. I know this combination sounds way too weird but believe me: if you love herring you will find it very delicious.
Krakow
Krakow welcomed us with -18°С for which we were not prepared at all. So instead of souvenirs we had to buy warm accessories.
As a compensation for the freezing temperature, the Christmas market in Krakow was still open and offered a fantastic variety of local food.
And of course all the must-see of Krakow were visited regardless the weather: the Wawel Castle and Cathedral, the Barbican, St Mary’s Basilica, etc. The national gallery was closed for renewal during our stay but the famous Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci was exhibited in the Wawel Castle. With that painting I started my museum diary:
Warsaw
Surprisingly some people say that Warsaw isn’t worth visiting but I totally disagree with that. You can find beautiful architecture in the centre of the city and feel the cosy atmosphere in lots of tiny cafes. My preferred one is A Blikle bakery that serves lots of delicious pastry but since it was winter I had a chance to try piernik królewski which is a Christmas soft gingerbread cake and it became my absolute favorite:
If you can’t find what else to do in Warsaw, you can take a bus and go to the outskirts of the city where a beautiful former royal palace is located - Wilanów Palace.
Image from the Palace's official website
And here is some of my Sherlock art that I created while on a trip in Poland:
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