Tuesday 26th
Well we’ve done it, each of us escorted a bus full of passengers on a tour of Gydnia, Oliwa and Gdansk. I wouldn’t say they were elderly but Sue and I were the only two with our own hips! Sue had to manage one lady who was desperate for the toilet and there were 41 people in front of her and somehow she lost two passengers but found they were replaced by two Americans who got on the wrong coach. Otherwise an uneventful day and Gdansk is an interesting place. We only knew it for the Solidarity movement but in fact it was here that WW2 started when the Germans launched an attack on Poland from a battleship in the harbour, the rest really is history. Yet despite the Germans and the Russians virtually destroying the city it has been restored over the last 60 years more or less as it was. The pictures will give a flavour of the Dutch influence on the architecture.
We also went to the cathedral at Oliwa where there is one of the best pipe organs in the world and there was a wonderful recital at lunchtime before we returned to the ship. Photo shows the Balck Watch in Gydnia port. Even the weather improved as can be seen.
A good day and according to Sue one of most interesting places she has visited. Next stop is in two days time at Tallinn in Estonia.

We've arrived in Tallinn and escorted our second tours, more complaints and it rained! Sue lost 2 old ladies who had got on the wrong coach!

Tallinn is a very old medieval city, lots of interesting buildings and a chequered history of ownership by the Danes, Germans Swedes and Russians. They only gained independence in 1991.

We had a nice show of local music and folk dancing.

Still eating too much food and gaining weight by the day!

Off to St Petersburg tomorrow for 2 days, that is if the Russians will let us in!

More pictures soon.