Bydgoszcz

This time, we use google translate, write our breakfast order on a scrap of paper, and give it to the staff at the Touristy Milk Bar. Three scrambled eggs (4.9 zł) and two fried eggs (2.6), kefir (2.2), juice (2.9), bread roll (.9), bread roll with cheese (3.1) - all for 16.6 zł. On the way to the station, I get a nice latte for 9 zł - about twice the price of a beer. And then, we almost missed our train. Because of the town names on some of the cars, we didn't realize that we looking at our train till after the whistle blew. We made it with seconds to spare and settled into a 2nd class compartment for 8. No-one else joined us for the trip to Bydgoszcz (bid-gosht).

Gdańsk Główny Train Station (with a McDonalds)

We arrived on time, jumped on the #71 bus, got out, walked past the Hotel Logan by 200m, asked for directions, and then found it easily. The first room had two single beds but that was willingly changed. I can't remember why we chose this $31/night place but it'll do. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The bed is dodgy with a hint tobacco smoke. 

Either bus #51 or 58 will take us to the city so we grab one (3.2 zł each) and look for dinner. There weren't a lot of places open on Sunday but we found Pizza Soprano and had a delicious 30cm pizza for 18 zł. Another patron came over and helped us with the Polish menu. The one outside was bilingual but we didn't memorize it. We walked back to the train station and took the bus back to the hotel.

This morning, since we're a fair way from town, we had breakfast at the hotel. For 12 zł each, we had a loaf of bread, many slices of meat and cheese, toasted meat&cheese sandwiches, yogourt, and coffee. With our 5 zł map in hand, we take a circuitous route along the canal, over a bridge that used to be for trains, watched fishermen with 10 metre fishing poles, along a path by the tracks and eventually to the train station.


    I wanted to see the roundhouses below, but they are not visible from any road.

Then we just wandered, looking at shops, the local market, interesting buildings, a great pet store with gorgeous aquaria etc., until lunch. And btw, you can't pee for free at McDonalds. You have to use the number on your receipt to open the door! The public loos are only 1 zł. We had a huge lunch of goulash dinner (13.5 zł), soup (4.5 zł), fried chicken dinner (13.5 zł) and real cold milk (1.5 zł) at a bar mleczny. The dinners came with potatoes, beetroot salad, cabbage salad, and sauerkraut.

We walked to the modern Opera Nova, across a little bridge and into the old town (Stare Miasto). At the tourist office, we found out where the bus station was. They also suggested we take the bus to Toruń rather than the train as the bus station is right in town and the train station a good 2 km away in an industrial area.

Note the angled walls for more strength

McDonalds - they're everwhere

Then disaster: my fantastic brand-new Tilley hat had disappeared. One moment it was on my head, then it was gone. We retraced our steps but it was hopeless. Someone in Bydgoszcz has no idea what they've found. Another 4½ weeks in Poland without it will be tough. I'm almost inconsolable. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. There's a Tesco of all things - and a bottle of decent Bordeaux is about $5. Wow! We stop in half a dozen shops on the way to the bus and buy a litre of milk, some cream cheese (which turned out to be cottage cheese), some Norwegian smoked salmon, some really good coleslaw, and a whole cake with jam and custard and almonds. I lost track but the whole lot was less than $10. That will be dinner.

In the middle of that food shopping, Clarisse found a second-hand store with a variety of baseball caps. For a whopping 5 zł, I buy an FC Barcelona one (made in China of course). At least now I won't have the sun in my eyes for the rest of the trip.