Gdansk is full of history, and the present, at the same time. The streets are cobbled, the architecture is from the 16th and the 17th century, the people are extremely modern, the galleries are full of amber jewelry and art created by modern artists, the streets are filled with tourists and the atmosphere is divine. The city has practically no buildings higher than 6 stories, except for the multitudinous churches towering over the landscape, all of them older than you can imagine. Touching their brick walls connects you directly to the medieval centuries when they were built. Other buildings around the town are equally amazing. Visiting the torture towers and the stocks and other unspeakable centers of public relations make you thankful for the times we live in. Others, renovated in style and turned into museums offer a glimpse into the life styles of rich merchants, including their clothing, furniture, portraits, books, and jewelry. Walking around the city you will find amazing architectural details, painted fronts, decorated windows, and hidden backyards full of flowering trees and gardens. The people who live here appreciate the privilege of being part of the mosaic of the city. They honor the history and the heritage and the beauty that surrounds them. They are the custodians of this amazing place and have a real sense of the history of the places where they live. I am proud to have come from here and Gdansk will always be in my heart.

Of all churches in Gdansk, St. Mary's Church is the most imposing, built over two centuries, finished in 1543. 25 thousand people can easily fit inside it, and its 250 ft tower affords the view of the city, the port and the Baltic sea. It is the largest brick church in the world, measuring 345 ft in length. Many of its priceless altars and plaques and statues have been saved during the wars, restored and returned to their original place. It escaped many assaults over the ages, including the carpet bombing by the Russians during the WWII, and has been renovated since to reflect its original, medieval glory. The chapels, the main altar, the organs, the burial stones in the floor, the ancient clock with a calendar and moon fazes are all part of the renovated interior. The soaring gothic ceilings are witness to the architectural skill of its builders. The exterior walls have a solar clock, copper-topped towers, arrow slits, and thousands of pigeons.

Chinese restaurants are just starting to make inroads in Gdansk and the few that are here are very exclusive. We visited one today and had a fantastic, authentic Chinese dinner. The restaurant is located right on the beach in Sopot, one of the three towns which melded into one Tri-City. Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia are the most important places on the Polish Baltic Coast. Gdynia is a vibrant port city with merchant ships docking daily, and Marine Academies unrivaled in this part of Europe. Sopot is a tourist town with a beautiful, wide white sand beach, great promenade jutting into the sea, and many galleries, cafes and places to visit. Its turn-of-the-century resort town architecture is sweet and very pretty. Every weekend thousands of people come to walk the main drag and to sit in the outdoors cafes to watch the passersby. It's a sport of sorts which is religiously adhered to by many citizens of the Tri-City.

I was lucky today to witness a renovation of a cobblestone street, done almost the same way as in the old times. The modern workers do use some machines, but all of the fitting and placing of the stones is done by hand. It was amazing to see the care and the skill with which they fitted single cobbles into the pattern, and how they place them and firm them in place by hand with small hammers. The skill and swiftness is amazing. Most of the streets in the Old Town are refitted with cobbles as they were in the old centuries and the effect is singularly awesome. The street surface looks ancient, and you know that it will last for centuries. Cobbled streets are per meable to rain, so there is no runoff.